The Florida sculptor, Ed Koehler, grew up in the lower Keys with a mask and snorkel on his face. As an adult, he worked in various career fields all over the world, and found himself on a yacht as a mate, travelling the South Pacific. Since then, he has been a resident sculptor in SW Florida creating tangible expressions of his memories, his travels, and explorations in nature.

As a boy, Koehler lived in Big Pine Key where his parents owned a motel and marina. Daily underwater excursions snorkeling and diving were a way of life for him. In school, Ed was not the top of his class academically, but spatially he excelled beyond his peers. One of his literature teachers noticed this and allowed Ed to build a clipper ship in class for his assignment. These childhood experiences planted visual seeds that would grow throughout his career as an artist.

Koehler’s art training was organic like his sculptures, drawing experience and skills from a variety of professions. Construction worker, Plumber, Air Force —-, Boat Captain, all offered discipline and knowledge for his work in fiberglass, cast stone, concrete, tile mosaic, steel, aluminum, wood, plaster, rubber molds, resin and epoxies.

During his work as a boat captain, Koehler’s first fish sculpture appeared: a hammerhead shark carved from balsa wood. Approximately 300 fiberglass fish sculptures later, he began large commercial sized sculptures. Commissions for billboards, amusement park and mini golf structures, and restaurant décor continued his professional art path.

Never satisfied with the mundane, Koehler has always looked for new challenges and adventures. Flowing from one medium to the next has been normal for Koehler and his high energy personality. After working in fiberglass for many years, Koehler was asked to create cast stone architectural pieces for upscale homes and hotels like the Ritz Carlton in Naples. Private residential communities including Mediterra, Bonita Bay and Tibaron in Naples, Fl also commissioned cast stone embellishments. Cast stone led to mosaics in which Koehler designed and built over 40 benches, walls, shower floors and tables.

Steel and aluminum sculptures followed in the production of public art for a local Nature Conservancy. The commissioned mangrove exhibit gave birth to interior design lighting and sculptures for homes. Since then, over 150 lamps and various art sculptures have been created.

The current body of work Koehler is producing includes organic lamps and tables, wall sconces and accessories. Large and small, these functional art sculptures appear like mangroves, driftwood, and coral, as seen in the mangrove lamps, driftwood wall sconces and coral chandeliers. A reminder of Koehler’s underwater visions, twisting and turning, each functional art piece is handmade, one of a kind, original and ever changing, and of course, all sculptures are signed by the artist.