de leon
Design * Fabrication * Manufacturing
Profile
Where precision engineering meets fine arts — built across fifteen years, eight material domains, and every scale from jewel to monument.
Multidisciplinary designer with deep fluency across CAD, metalsmithing, glassblowing, foundry work, and industrial fabrication. Grounded in precision engineering and elevated by fine arts training — the work spans jewelry production, large-scale sculpture installation, CNC manufacturing, and mechanical product development including tattoo machine engineering and custom knifemaking. From industrial glass applications at Honeywell UOP to sculpture installations for international galleries. Fluent in Spanish.
Capabilities
CAD & Digital Design
- Fusion 360 (Advanced)
- Autodesk Inventor
- SketchUp
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Rhino (in progress)
- CorelDRAW
Fabrication & Production
- Lost wax & centrifugal casting
- MIG / TIG / Oxy-Acetylene welding
- CNC machining (mill & lathe)
- Laser cutting & engraving
- Stone setting
- Mold making (silicone, sand, resin)
- Chasing & repoussé
- Powder coating & heat treating
- Enameling
Materials
- Precious & nonferrous metals
- Steel & stainless (ferrous)
- Borosilicate & soft glass
- Quartz glassblowing & welding
- Foundry casting (bronze, iron, Al)
- Ceramics (kiln, wheel, hand-build)
- Wood
- Resin & fiberglass
- Leather & adhesives
Teaching & Leadership
- Jewelry fabrication education (ACC)
- Metalsmithing pedagogy (10+ yrs)
- Workshop facilitation
- Fabrication safety systems
- Workflow efficiency & team training
- Fluent Spanish
Experience
Tattoo Artist Apprentice
2024 – PresentForte Tattoo · Wimberley, TX
- Develops custom tattoo designs and body-specific compositions under expert supervision
- Executes tattoo procedures with emphasis on technical precision, client communication, and professional studio practices
- Applies drawing, fabrication, and design principles across permanent body art
CAD Designer
2023 – PresentHowdy Built + Independent Clients · Austin, TX
- Develops CAD models for interior designers and custom fabrication projects
- Creates production drawings, CNC-ready files, and manufacturing documentation
- Balances aesthetics, engineering constraints, budgets, and production realities
Industrial Designer — Product Development
2022 – PresentIndependent
- Designs and prototypes electromagnetic tattoo machine systems
- Develops functional prototypes, CAD assemblies, and production-ready components
- Integrates mechanical systems, tolerances, and fabrication workflows
Production & Teaching Instructor
2022 – PresentGhost Pepper Glass · Austin, TX
- Works in production glass fabrication and studio operations
- Provides instruction in glassworking techniques and fabrication processes
- Applies material knowledge and process control to optimize consistency and throughput
Jewelry Fabrication & Lost Wax Casting Instructor
Jan 2021 – PresentAustin Community College · Austin, TX
- Teaches jewelry fabrication and casting with emphasis on craftsmanship and technical proficiency
- Trains students across soldering, stone setting, casting, and finishing techniques
- Develops curriculum focused on structural integrity, manufacturability, and material behavior
Metalsmithing Instructor
Sep 2014 – 2023B Golden Jewelry School · Austin, TX
- Instructed beginning through advanced metalsmithing techniques
- Developed coursework in fabrication, stone setting, casting, and finishing
- Mentored students in craftsmanship, design development, and technical execution
Prop Fabricator
Jun – Aug 2022Troublemaker Studios · Austin, TX
- Fabricated props for film and television productions
Custom Knifemaker
~2013 – 2021Independent
- Designed and fabricated custom blades through forging, machining, grinding, and finishing for private clients
Quartz Glassblower & Welder
Apr – Dec 2020LTD Material · Austin, TX
- Performed precision quartz fabrication and welding for semiconductor manufacturing applications
Scientific Glassblower
May 2018 – Dec 2019Honeywell UOP · Chicago, IL
- Produced borosilicate and quartz components for research and development instrumentation
- Operated within strict tolerances for industrial and scientific applications
Glassblower / Fabricator
Oct 2018 – Jan 2019Neptune Glassworks · Los Angeles, CA
- Created production glassware through flameworking, coldworking, and fabrication processes
- Assisted with large-scale architectural and lighting installations
Founding Member — Curator / Installer
Sep 2015 – May 2018ICOSA Collective · Austin, TX
- Co-founded and operated an artist collective
- Curated exhibitions and managed gallery installations
- Oversaw exhibition production, artist relations, and gallery operations
Exhibit Fabricator
Jun – Dec 2017Paul Bernhard Exhibits · Austin, TX
- Fabricated museum-scale exhibits using welding, machining, and mixed media processes
Machinist
Mar 2014 – Feb 2016Scientific Instrumentation Services · Austin, TX
- Precision machining for electron microscope components
- Operated manual mills and lathes for scientific instrumentation
Glassblower
Jan 2013 – Mar 2014Grav Labs · Austin, TX
- Contributed to large-scale borosilicate production, equipment development, process consistency, and quality control
Teaching Assistant, Metals
Jan 2011 – Dec 2012University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX
- Assisted instruction in metalsmithing and jewelry fabrication courses
Art & Exhibition Installation
May–Oct 2014
"Reflect"
Margo Sawyer
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum · Austin, TX
Sep 2016
"Along Those Lines"
Micah Evans
Pilchuck Glass School Gallery · Seattle, WA
Oct–Nov 2017
"The Afterlife of Artifacts"
Steve Brudniak
Davis Gallery · Austin, TX
Nov 2018
"Paved Garden"
Erin Cunningham
Dimension Gallery · Austin, TX
Nov 2018
SOFA Chicago
Dimension Gallery
Chicago, IL
Nov 2019
SOFA Chicago
Heller Gallery
Chicago, IL
Exhibitions
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"Those Who Can Teach" ACC Art Gallery · Austin, TX
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"Black Dagger Exhibition" 2324 Studios
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"Hotter 'N Hell" 3rd Place Northwestern State · Natchitoches, LA
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"Points of Convergence" ICOSA · Austin, TX
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"Light and Shade" Las Laguna Art Gallery · Laguna Beach, CA
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"Perception Shift" Union Hall · Denver, CO
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"Biennial: Virtual Exhibition NCCCIAP" Juried Sloss Furnaces · Birmingham, AL
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"The Femme Abstract" Springdale Station · Austin, TX
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"The Rare Few" Sloss Furnaces · Birmingham, AL
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"The People's Gallery" Austin City Hall
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"Flash Collection" Vault Stone Shop · Austin, TX
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"Chambers of Longing" ICOSA Collective Gallery · Austin, TX
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"From Eden to Oblivion" ICOSA Collective Gallery · Austin, TX
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"Profusion in the Void" Artspace 111 · Fort Worth, TX
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"The People's Gallery" Austin City Hall
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"Mapped Refraction" ICOSA Collective Gallery · Austin, TX
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"ICOSA/EAST" ICOSA Collective Gallery · Austin, TX
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"Disparate Mythos: Women of Sculpture" Dimension Gallery · Austin, TX
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"ICOSA Collective: Part I" ICOSA Collective Gallery · Austin, TX
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"Worlds Collide" Tiny Truck Studios · Austin, TX
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"Through the Skin" TechShop Gallery · Round Rock, TX
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"Echoes of Form" UT Austin Visual Arts Center · Austin, TX
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"Noise and Grain" Gallery Black Lagoon · Austin, TX
Fine Art Practice & Awards
Residencies & Apprenticeships
Artist Residency
Keen Foundry · Houston, TX
Sep 2017
Artist Residency
Penland School of Crafts
Glass Casting Workshop with awarded scholarship · Spring Concentration 2017
Artist & Sculpture Apprentice
Frank Buchwald · Berlin, Germany
Summer 2015, 2016
Artist in Residence
TechShop · Round Rock, TX
Jul 2014 – Sep 2014
Artist Residency
Ox-Bow School of the Arts · Saugatuck, MI
Glassblowing
Awards & Honors
Ollie Trout Scholarship
University of Texas at Austin · 2011
Dean's List & University Honors
University of Texas at Austin
Education
University
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Arts
University of Texas at Austin
Dean's List & University Honors
Design Studies
Foundation in Industrial Design
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Coursework completed
Contact
"Parallax reveals the truth hidden in perspective; what we see depends not just on where we stand, but on how we choose to view the world."
- Email andrea.deleons@gmail.com
- Website andreadeleon.com
- Instagram @andrea__de_leon_
- Location Austin, TX