About Me
Broken tape measures. Animal bones. Busted pliers. Rusted metal and tin. Piano keys. Spindles from broken chairs. Gears, dials and knobs. Any and all old wood I can get my hands on. I turn these discarded objects into art. My mixed-media art is created using the techniques of hand carving, painting, welding, illustration, whittling, assemblage, sculpting and wood burning. I attempt to bring different genres and mediums into one piece, by recycling, recreating, refinishing and redesigning ordinary objects and old materials to give them new life as art. By rescuing antiques, old hardwood flooring and other people’s “junk,” I try not to just make art, but also to preserve little pieces of history.
My process begins as I sketch ideas in the small notebook I keep in my pocket at all times. Detailed sketching gives me the structure and motion I need to get started. However, the final piece never looks exactly like the sketch.
I can find inspiration in any object, and build ideas from shape, design, form and color. I study art history, anatomy, chemistry, technique and the historical treatment of the materials that I use. Always experimenting with better ways to enhance definition and texture, I try to give personality and purpose to any item I work with. My favorite tools-- tin snips, a wood block, carving tools and an ice pick—are used to shape the myriad of materials I use into art.
My studio/gallery is based in Mobile, AL but I travel all over the regional United States for juried fine art festivals, demonstrations, gallery shows, music festivals and wherever else my art takes me....