Apr 9, 2007

On the cutting edge; Foster makes living with metal artBy Mary RainwaterPalestineHerald.com

When Palestine resident Tony Foster left the roofing business and made his home in Anderson County, he knew he wasn’t quite ready to accept all the benefits of retirement.

But with more time to spend on his hobbies, particularly those involving the great outdoors, he decided to take one of his favorite past-times — metal art — and develop it into a business.

“I really got into metal work while working for 11 years as a welder, and I have always had an interest in it,” Foster said. “After we moved to Palestine, I was able to buy a computerized plasma cutter.”

Having that cutter has been a dream fulfilled for Foster, who spends as much time as he can in his shop filling orders and creating new pieces to sell at Mercantile on the Creek gift shop in Old Town Palestine.

“We moved to Palestine three years ago, and six months later we bought Mercantile on the Creek,” Foster said. “One of the reasons the store interested me was because I thought it would be a good place to introduce my work to Palestine.”

Foster’s pieces include gate entries, western scenes, address plaques and hunting and outdoor themed items. He takes orders for just about anything the customer requests, he said.

“My business, called ETX Metalworks, has done well here,” Foster said, adding that he has donated several pieces locally and sells his work at Canton’s famous First Monday Trade Days. “I did the Palestine Visitors Center address sign and the cutouts on the gate of the Gus Engeling Wildlife Refuge.

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