Biography:
My success depends on my work’s ability to provide a connection between my vision and the wearer. When those two find themselves on the same intellectual plane, it is only then that my art has found it’s intended home.
I began my artistic journey in 2004 when I finally had time to explore the world outside of the four corporate walls that contained me for most of my adult life. With limitless abound, I began to delve into ways of expressing my desire to create something that would allow a connection to others that no other outlet could initiate.
Each time I lay out my work for passers-by to see, I wait with anticipation to see how it will touch someone in a way that will evoke a human connection that only can be gained through innocent anticipation and a complete lack of preconception.
See my work with your heart and let the rest of the story write itself.
My metal pieces begin as raw materials, typically sheet & wire. Those materials are molded using traditional metalsmith tools including mandrels, hand-files, flame & grit papers as well as contemporary metalsmith tools including a flex shaft, rolling mill, texturing hammers & flame enhanced via a propane/oxygen torch system.
Some pieces are complete after the use of metal forming tools & others have just begun when the flame is off. To incorporate color into my metalwork I use jewelers-grade resin. It’s a two-part epoxy that I pigment with acrylic paints, enameling powders & embossing inks, making the color possibilities endless. The sterling vessels are filled with resin, poured to set for several days until the color is a permanent part of the piece.
I also combine leather with metal in my work. I use virgin cow hide colored with water-based inks, followed by several layers of sealing waxes to ensure longevity of wear. The leather is then finished using traditional tools including slickers, skivers & punches.
