My artwork comes from images formed in my imagination. Creating artwork allows me to externalize part of my inner life - to see it before me and share it with others. My purpose in being an artist is to create images and use colors to please, amuse and excite the viewer..
The process begins with a simple one-dimensional line drawing of an idea viewed straight on. Then I work directly with the wood and metal to three-dimensionalize the piece. I use a wide variety of the latest power tools but I also use carving tools and other hand tools, some of which belonged to my father and grandfather. As the piece begins to take form and is able to be viewed from all angles, construction challenges are constantly being presented and need to be solved. I keep working until the piece that was in my mind materializes before me.
Construction completed, the work is primed a solid white and must stand on its own merits and succeed as a sculpture without the distraction of color or material. Once this test is passed, the piece can take further flight by being made in metal or painted. The original idea I have of the piece never presents itself in color and choosing the colors for a piece is a pleasurable but painful process. Finally, one combination becomes obvious and wins out.
Once I start painting, I usually stick to the colors selected although these colors tend to grow in intensity by the time the piece is finished. I work in oils and paint solid or shaded tones that add to the dimensionality of the piece and do not distract from the sculptural integrity. Decisions are ongoing since the thickness of the wood and the angle of placement influence the way the colors face off against one another. Cast shadows and the direction toward or away from the viewer are constantly evaluated and influence painting decisions during the painting process.
My work as an artist is to use materials, space and color and to work through the construction and painting challenges in order to recreate in the real world my initial mental image of the piece. I find the process enjoyable, exciting and rewarding.