Watching the Rocks Grow

As A Sculptor My intent is to create sculpture that brings about contemplative states of mind. I first worked in life study and abstract sculpture with clay and then began using hardwoods to express abstract and figurative concepts. Hardwoods have been the most enduring medium for me. The grains in wood are like fingerprints, so unique to each piece. Wood shaped by its growth in nature often implies how I can begin and how to proceed as well. Wood is forgiving, but it also has demands as it allows itself to be formed. Wood sculpture is an exciting process of discovery. As A Writer Writing appeals to my sense of movement through life experiences with its stops, starts, whirls, leaps, strolls, and its music. Sometimes I have found that in order to leave a time of darkness, I have to recognize I am at the edge of a chasm. Walking away and embracing change has become easier with time. When I look back at darker times, I see them as dramatic dances, stories, or dreams, and as destiny. I have typically written in spurts, when memories push out wanting to surface and to be remembered, or when I catch my breath or my heart takes some bounces and an experience demands to be recorded. Writing allows me to share and to move forward with trust.

I first worked in life study and abstract sculpture with clay and then began using hard woods to express abstract and figurative concepts. I enjoyed learning how to torch weld and braise in steel and copper, but working with wood has been the most inspiring medium for me: mesquite, eucalyptus, manzanita root, pecan, oak, cedar ... shapes found in nature, wood and stone weathered by water, for example, fascinate and often bring contemplative and meditative states. My intent is to create sculpture that brings about peaceful, contemplative states of mind.