honda Fantozzi has been designing and creating wrought iron furniture, sculpture and accessories since 1997. She moved to the Lowcountry in 1982, decided to follow her true calling and enrolled in Savannah College of Art and Design. After graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Furniture Design, she started her own business, appropriately named, Fantozzi’s Wrought Iron.

“I had been running my shop on Hilton Head for six years,” Rhonda said, “and one night I met Debbie Barrett, (owner of the Calhoun Street Art Gallery) at An Evening of the Arts.”

They quickly became friends and Debbie some how knew Rhonda needed to be in Bluffton so she had a small studio/workshop built in the backyard of her Calhoun Street Gallery. This became Rhonda’s new business address.

And Rhonda doesn’t mind saying, “It has been absolutely the best thing that’s ever happened to my career. Debbie has given me the opportunity to display my work in Bluffton and Bernie, (the gallery manager), is so helpful in sales and recommending my talents for commissioned pieces.”

She began by designing wildlife sculptures of various fish, egrets and herons, then proceeded on to barstools and tables. “In the beginning,” Rhonda says, “I qualified and entered art shows and special events in the area. This helped me gain exposure and make some sales. Presently I only do a few shows a year, a favorite being the Bluffton Mayfest,” a show she has been in for the past five years. According to Rhonda, Bluffton is a great area for artists. “I have many repeat clients,” she says, “and I also work with many interior designers.”

Rhonda’s main work consists of designing and fabricating wrought iron works of art and functional furniture. To create a commissioned piece such as front gates, tables, bar stools or a fireplace screen, she usually schedules a meeting with the client at their home or business to discuss the project and take measurements. Then off to the drawing board. After rendering three or four versions of the design and creating technical drawings, to scale when necessary, she then finalizes the design with the client.

The next step is to order the steel, measure, cut, shape, bend, forge and weld the piece together. Then comes the grinding, cleaning, priming and finishing the piece. The project is now ready for delivery and installation.
Stepping into Rhonda’s workshop, you immediately become aware of all the tools she has collected through the years. “There are a few main tools I use all the time, such as my Mig welder, plasma cutter, propane forge, torch, hammers and a lot of muscle!” She says smiling.

Safety in the studio is also of utmost importance. The proper equipment should always be worn when welding, sanding and grinding. Such as special welding gloves, a welding helmet, safety glasses or shield and a leather apron to protect against sparks.

Her work varies from sculptures to furniture to accessories, with no piece being exactly alike. They are all custom designed and fabricated one at a time. She has made gates, mirrors, wall hangings, candle holders etc., and has done work for several restaurants, including Il Pistachios’s in Savannah, Truffle’s Cafe and the Sunset Grille (she put the Sunrise Cafe logo on their bar stools ), Blakes, Island Getaway and Santa fe Cafe. The squirrel sculpture in front of Okatie Elementary School is one of Rhonda’s creations.

These days you can find her working on four to five projects at a time as well as doing repairs on wrought iron furniture.

A recent major accomplishment was being awarded the commission in 2005 to create a cabinet for the Agudath Achim Synagogue in Savannah. This cabinet is for the restoration of the Holocaust Tora of Kamenice, which is three hundred years old. Presently Rhonda is working on another commission for the Synagogue, a watercolor painting with a wrought iron frame to list those who have donated to restore the Tora.

Rhonda’s philosophy on design and what she tries to accomplish is creating timeless, multifunctional art that is conceptually unique and original. She says she is always evolving and learning new techniques to incorporate into her work and stay on the cutting edge.

Studio hours are generally Tuesday through Friday from 10AM to 4PM, with appointments on Mondays and Saturday, (by chance!) Being a “one woman band” she stays very busy.

Please visit the Calhoun Street Art Gallery and mosey on around to the backyard and visit Rhonda’s studio. You’ll see Rhonda in her leather apron and her hair a little dishevelled from the welding helmet but she’ll give you a sweet smile and says, “remember, I am steel the one!”

Feel free to call, 843-301-9866 and maybe you can get a Fantozzi original for yourself.