About

This work is the result of many hours working in my garage-studio in Olympia Washington. My sculptures are guided by the beauty of the subject and the delight of the materials. What makes it magical is the hard work and the joy of interpreting the world.

I sculpt human figures during a weekly workshop with painters and other sculptors. Bodies, while appearing different, behave predictably; how a knee will position itself and how shoulder will roll into place. On top of the reliable mechanics of anatomy, the form becomes expression - the tilt of the head, the hips relative to the chest, and the delicate conclusion of the toes.

The inspiration to sculpt animals comes from the contrast I see in their form. My dog's powerful legs taper in to the thinnest segment of bone before sprouting massive feet. He is both precise and playful. Animal forms - buffalo, dogs, hares and cranes - are exciting and endearing as I explore them in clay or wax.

The materials bring their own stories. The ceramic clay was mixed along the Puyallup River in Tacoma. The red tint is from the back yard soils of Oahu. The smell of melted beeswax painted on ceramic peices draws curious bees through the open studio door. The raku-fired peices emerged from a metal garbage can on a cold winter day, where they have been smoldering with autumn leaves and sawdust.

The bronze are made in the lost-wax method. I take a wax sculture to Reinmuth Foundary in Engene Oregon for casting. The wax figure is encased in a sand cast, the wax is melted out, and the bronze poured in. Travelling to Eugene to pick up a finished peice is a trip I relish.

I was exposed to sculpting by Simon Kogan, to whom I owe much gratitude.

Please share your thoughts on the contact page. I would love to hear from you.