Life Lines

My work usually begins with a drawing I create while attempting to engage my subconscious accessing both visceral, instinctive and at times, emotional ideas. Reflecting life’s difficult and fun stages I often salute specific people and accomplishments abstractly presenting them from a vocabulary of lines in steel.

From the drawings, I “draw” in steel using the drawing on watercolor paper as a pattern upon which I subsequently weld the structure and witness the controlled destruction of the image, using a spray bottle to prevent too much damage!

It becomes a reincarnation for me to use as a painting canvas to further explore the concept in color or monochromatically. For people to have their own private experience of my work is important to me. When shown together they tell a story of evolution and spiritual discovery, inviting the viewer to reflect upon their own life and its challenges.

Visiting different countries and immersing myself into the culture and landscape often gives me ideas to revisit when back in my studio. The architecture of Japan and their love and respect for nature as evidenced within their most widely practiced religion of Shintoism have also provided inspiration.

After traveling in Kenya and Tanzania for 3 weeks and spending time with the Maasai, Kikuyu, and Samburu tribes I created works derived from these experiences. Seeing the wild animals in their natural habitat was incredibly powerful.

The people least responsible for climate change are suffering the most. Their lifestyle and culture forced to change in order to survive. Those resulting works are meant to give accolades and respect to their unique and very special relationship with nature.


Ideology Transformations Fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel & acrylic 12″ x 15″ x 9″ 2022


More Water and Ice Fabricated recovered bathroom stainless steel, s.s. stock, recycled old mirrors, and acrylic 30″ x 30″ x 2 1/2″ 2023


Water and Ice Fabricated recovered bathroom stainless steel, recycled old mirrors, and acrylic 19″ x 37″ x 5″ 2023


Swimming Free Fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel, glass, & acrylic 16″ x 13″ x 8″ 2022


Bumpy Roads Fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel, glass, & acrylic 13″ H x 21″ W x 5″ D 2022


Frustration Fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel & acrylic 17″ x 17” x 7″ 2022


Crown Crane fabricated & plasma cut stainless steel, enamel & oils 35″ x 19″ x 3 1/2″ 2022
Crown Crane Echo acrylic & charcoal on arches BFK paper 30″ x 22″ 2022


Crown Crane (head) fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel and oils 10″ x 9″ x 2.5″ 2022 (left)
Joyful Dance fabricated and plasma cut stainless steel and oils 14″ x 12″ x 1.5″ 2022 (right)


About Nothing fabricated, plasma cut stainless steel, glass, & oils 19.5″ x 13″ x 3.5″ 2022


Tree That Was   Fabricated stainless steel with oils   26 1/2″ x 24 1/2″ x 1″ 2021


Nature’s Wrath Fabricated aluminum, fused bullseye glass, and acrylic 25″ x 13 x 3″ 2020


Is It In or Out? Fabricated steel, mirror, found object, and oils 25″ x 23″ 15″  2020


Sinking

Sinking Fabricated stainless steel, silver leaf and fused bullseye glass, oils 35″ x 32″ x 3″ 2020
Sinking Echo Aluminum, acrylic, charcoal, & pastels on arches wc paper 45″ x 29 1/2″ 2020


Climate Change on Steroids Fabricated stainless and mild steel, gypsum crystals, and oils 33″ x 42″ x 2″ 2019
Climate Change on Steroids Echo Acrylic, charcoal, and pastels on arches wc paper 45″ x 29″ 2019

Details below


Amazonian Atrocities Fabricated stainless and mild steel, and oils 39″ x 29″ x 3″ 2019
Amazonian Atrocities Echo Charcoal, acrylic, and pastels on arches 45″ x 29″ 2019


Shinto Today and Yesterday Stainless and mild steel, and oils 29″ x 48″ x 3″ 2019
Shinto Today and Yesterday Echo Charcoal, and acrylic, on arches 29″ x 45″ 2019

Details below


Ode to Cesar Pelli Stainless, galvanized, and mild steel 27″ x 37″ x 5 1/2″ 2019
Ode to Cesar Pelli Echo Charcoal, and acrylic, on arches 29″ x 45″ 2019

Details below


Scorched Earth Spirits Fabricated stainless and mild steel, oils, African glass beads 69” x 20” x 20” 2018


Animal Kingdom and Echo Fabricated stainless and mild steel, oils, arches paper, charcoal, and acrylic. 61” x 45” x 3” 2018


Breathtaking Animals and Echo

Breathtaking Animals and Echo (Diptych) Fabricated stainless and mild steel, charcoal and acrylic on arches. 57″ x 45″ x 3″ 2018


Lovely Masai and Echo

Lovely Masai and Echo (Diptych) Fabricated stainless and mild steel, oils, glass beads, arches paper, charcoal, and acrylic 29″ x 45″ x 3″ 2018


Amazing Journey Frabricated stainless and mild steel, and oils. 40” x 27” x 2” 2018
Amazing Journey Echo Charcoal and acrylic on arches wc paper 44 1/2” x 28 1/2” 2018


Majestic Creatures Fabricated stainless and mild steel 40”x 27”x 3 1/2″ 2018
Majestic Creatures Echo Charcoal and acrylic on arches. 45”x 29″ 2018


White Rhino Echo Charcoal and acrylic on arches. 45”x29” 2018
White Rhino.
Fabricated stainless and mild steel. 35”x29x3” 2018


Harmony  Fabricated stainless and mild steel. 21”x 19”x 5” 2017


Epiphany  Fabricated steel 27”x 40”x 3”  2017


Epiphany Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44”x 29”  2017


Bee Bop Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44”x 29 1/2”  2016
Bee Bop  Fabricated steel 42”x 27”x 3”  2016


Humming Along Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 29”x 21”  2017
Humming Along  Fabricated steel 28 1/2”x 19”x 3”  2017


Skylark Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 29”x 21” 2017
Skylark  Fabricated steel 28 1/2”x 17 1/2”x 2”  2017


Life and Death in a Day  Fabricated steel  44 1/2”x 27”x 2”  2017
Life and Death in a Day Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper  44 1/2”x 29 1/2”  2017


Operatic Opera for Pat Means Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44 1/2”x 29”  2017
Operatic Opera for Pat Means  Fabricated steel 39”x 27”x 5”  2017


Pure Logic Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 15”x 11”  2017
Pure Logic  Fabricated steel 14”x 10”x 2”  2017


Come Hither and Yon  Fabricated steel 14”x 9 1/2”x 2”  2017
Come Hither and Yon Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 14 1/2”x 11”  2017


Valkarie  Fabricated steel  44 1/2”x 29”  2016
Valkarie Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper  45”x 17”x 1 1/2”  2016


Hindu Buddha Spirit  Fabricated steel 42”x 26”x 1”  2016
Hindu Buddha Spirit Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44”x 29”  2016


Hindu Buddha Spirit 2  Fabricated steel 40”x 27”x 1”  2016
Hindu Buddha Spirit 2 Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44”x 29”  2016


Atonal Jazz  Fabricated steel  40”x 27”x 3”  2015


Atonal Jazz Echo  Acrylic and charcoal on Arches paper 44” x 29”  2015


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