Without dwelling too much on the past, as you can see in the photo below — taken somewhere in Russia in 1999 or so — I was in the Air Force. I spent 25 years in the USAF, from 1984 to 2009. And, yes, I have become one of those veterans who says, “well, back when I was in the military, we actually had to polish our boots — none of this suede crap!”
I have also achieved the professional goal of being an “absent-minded professor,” started my own business, consulted in higher education, and worked in state government. All had their ups and downs. The ups mostly involved people who were fun to work with, and loaded with enthusiasm and the thrill of what is possible. The downs mostly involved the stress of possessing a creative, visionary mind while under the employ of stodgy micromanagers. There is a special place in hell for micromanagers. But I digress.
Now I am becoming, slowly, a metal artist. This journey began in 2017 and came from some inexplicable, deeply recessed curiosity about metal. Aside from being a super cool art medium, metal holds unlimited potential in shape, scale, and expression. Metal art may be as tiny as a precious metal pendant or ring, or as large as the Eiffel tower. It can be designed to fit a particular space or context, indoors or out. Metal sculpture may be representative or impressionistic. As an artist, I find that there is discovery in the design, therapy in the doing, and satisfaction in the completion.
Given my 25 years in the Air Force, military themes find their way into my work — usually inconscpicuously, but sometimes overtly. You will often (usually) find glass spheres — commonly known as fishing floats, because of their function in floating fish nets — in my work. These, to me, represent humanity — an entity shaped through heat and trial, serving a purpose, then potentially breaking and following to the bottom of the ocean, once again becoming sand. Lastly, you may find porcupine quills — usually African porcupine quills — in the jewelry I create. Porcupines represent playfulness, despite their prickly exterior. The quills are very versatile, and their lightness makes them great components for jewelry.
Enjoy the photos on these pages — a sampling of my sculpture and jewelry. And I hope that you, too, find your joy.
