Marc Staples: A Legacy of Innovation and Form

Founder of the Art-in-Metal Movement

The Intersection of Heritage and Modernism
Marc Staples is a third-generation artist whose career spans over three and a half decades of professional fine art practice. As the founder of Lago Luna Originals, Marc’s work explores the synthesis of nature, geometry, and architectural resonance. His transition from the boardroom of corporate fine arts to the anvil of the metal studio represents a lifelong mission to create "architectural jewelry" for contemporary spaces.

A Pioneer in Digital and Physical Media
Before establishing the Lago Luna Metal Art Studio, Marc was a seminal figure in the digital art printing revolution. In 1996, he founded the Heritage Giclee® Studio in Richmond, Virginia—one of America's first established Giclee printmaking houses. Recognized in Mastering Digital Printing as a "founding father" of the industry, Marc’s expertise in color theory and production scale now serves as the technical backbone for his sculptural works in steel, aluminum, and bronze.

The Mentorship of Masters
Marc’s aesthetic was forged under the guidance of two twentieth-century masters. In the 1970s, he studied under his uncle, the renowned painter Donald McAdoo, mastering color theory and the business of art. In 2001, his trajectory shifted toward three-dimensional form under the mentorship of world-renowned sculptor Joseph Kinnebrew. It was here that Marc refined his concepts of elegant design, fearless scale, and site-specific placement.

The Lago Luna Studio Philosophy
Today, from his studio in Buffalo Junction, Virginia, Marc blends his skills as a painter with the structural demands of metallurgy. His work is characterized by vibrant, hand-applied patinas and a commitment to the "Art-in-Metal" movement—an approach that treats industrial materials as a medium for soulful, experiential art.

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