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Somewhere in the land between nature and art is where my sculptures reside. The primary focus of my art comes from my love of nature. Antler, horn and burled wood evolve from life’s struggle for survival in the harshest environments to become natural wonders of sculpture. It's an artistic and engineering challenge to create scenes within the confines of these beautiful canvases. I use my tools to release the energy contained in the medium so the story can emerge. Scenes are designed into and around these natural landscapes based on my experiences, discussions with clients, or images that ignite the passion of creativity.Each piece has its own character, as individually unique as the iris of an eye.
I enjoyed several occupations before landing in the art world. As my travels took me throughout the US, Canada, and eventually the world, my collection of unusual specimens multiplied. My studio includes a tribute to the living architecture of skull, bone, antler, tusk, and horn, and their development as tools and objects of art in the evolution of mankind.
Childhood summers on an Ohio farm....endless hours in the woods, hunting, riding and observing the natural rhythm of life. Thus began my fascination with the world of nature and all things wild. This childhood fascination inspired my first wood carving at the age of 9; my tools consisted of a hammer and screwdriver.
A formal background in biology and anatomy taught accuracy of form, movement and realism in my interpretations of nature. Initially, as a self-taught artist, I read everything I could about whatever process I was about to begin. Working with wood is similar, yet different from antler or bone. The tools are mostly the same, but burled wood creates constraints because of its irregular grain, unexpected voids and inclusions. Antler and horn require the sculpture to conform to the given geometry. Envisioning a three dimensional design from a single piece of material that maximizes negative/positive space and light/shadow is the challenge.
When the time came to seek professional training, I traveled nearly coast to coast in two countries. I sought out the two most esteemed artists in their respective fields: Floyd Scholz, Master Bird Carver, from Burlington, Vermont and Shane Wilson, Master Sculptor of antler, horn, ivory, tusk and bone from Nanaimo, British Columbia. Study with these world-class artists continues to elevate my work to ever higher levels of creative vision and exacting technique.
