Patrick Pantoliano, who goes by his artist name of 1805, is one of a handful of artists on the planet perfecting the technique of leather etching, commonly known as micro-sculpting.Patrick hand-etches the leather hides with razor sharp knifes to a startlingly realistic effect. By removing hundredths of a millimetre with each stroke of the blade he is able to create depths and tones in the leather suede as his painstaking approach creates epic works of art.  The material has an incredibly raw quality perfect for evocative works which have captivated collectors globally, including business executives, celebrities and professional athletes. Patrick's family tree can be traced back to 1805 (where he gets his artist name from) when his ancestors first moved from Northern Italy to The United States of America. He grew up on the Western Frontier beneath the majestic Colorado Rockies, and at a very young age knives and leather became a part of his life as he rode horses, fished and camped in the wilderness. Patrick adds “this is ‘precision art‘, that’s what I call it. You have to be confident with every cut, no hesitancy, one mistake and it’s over. That’s what I love about it. You have to be in the moment throughout the process.”“Each knife gives a different finish” says Patrick “Using leather evokes a sensation that many other materials do not. I notice that when people come to my studio and see a leather hide just laying, there is a reaction. This reaction is instinctive; some see leather as a super sexy luxury item used by brands like Hermes and Ferrari while others see it in a more rugged way associating it with the American West such as saddles and bridles. For me it’s all of those things; leather is tough, it is sexy and it is luxury.”