I realize I am caught in a paradox.

 

I envision gentle, arcing curves that imply subtle movement, the dichotomy of hard geometric lines and soft burnished edges, yet my studio is alight with sparks and glowing molten steel.  Constellations of tiny holes are burned into my shirts.  Tool-steel and carbide beat and chew and cut lesser alloys into the shapes I desire.  My tools are welders, grinders and very, very noisy saws… I love it.  I am a metal sculptor.

 

More specifically, I am a contemporary metal sculptor.  My work is modern and interpretative, minimalist in nature.  Minimalist, for me, is seeking form in place of ornament, stripping away what is non-essential and exploring shape, texture and color.  Thoughtful composition is always my goal, determining placement and scale or creating a visual highlight for balance.  Employing these subtle maneuvers, I aim to transform the identity of my materials and make pieces that reveal a sort of industrial elegance, to evoke a mood… and a space you can lose yourself in for a moment.

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By the age of seven, I knew I would become an artist.  As a kid it’s mostly drawing and painting, so it wasn’t until I was 16 when I took a ceramics class in high school that I knew I’d found my form… not ceramics specifically, but sculpture, and I knew that I wanted to create on a larger scale.  Sculpture allowed me to work with both hands, to build and to experience that third dimension, and I knew I’d tapped into something. 

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After high school I walked into a welding shop and told the foreman that I would work for free if he’d teach me how to weld.  He said yes and told me to show up the next morning in steel-toed boots and all-cotton clothing, as any trace of polyester would turn me into a match.  After that summer apprenticeship I’d acquired the basics on how to weld and work with metal and I knew I had found my calling.  I rented a warehouse space of my own and started my work. 

I continue to show in galleries and make pieces for private collections while working with designers, art consultants and developers.  My wife and I maintain a studio and home in Elgin, a small Texas town just outside of Austin.