I was born and
raised in Washington
State, am married and have a daughter, a step son, and two grandchildren. I have
had a knack for making things from as far back as I can remember. In fact, in grade
school, I often found myself in trouble for making dolls
out of paper clips and popsicle sticks instead of doing my schoolwork.
Its funny how child hood interests can reinvent themselves in adulthood.
When I was in my early twenties I went to work for a large jewelry manufacturing
company where I 'carved', as it were, the detail in precious metals
on rings, pins, pendants and the like. It is there that I learned how to
use both power tools with tiny cutting and engraving burs as well as hand
engraving tools for 'bright cuts' in the metal. After starting my own
business in the mid '80s, carving soon became my main interest. The
experience of watching a creation develop from a medium is exceptional. I
have had no schooling in the art of carving; it has been a hands on experience,
learning by trial and error. At the start, I carved all varieties
of rock from beach jade to emeralds and rubies ranging in sizes from very
small to some fairly large carvings that were all chiseled in my back yard
(driving my poor neighbors crazy...) I eventually had to quite carving rock due
to breathing in it's toxic properties. Now
my carving mediums are Fossil Ivory, and Hardwoods.
In the beginning the majority of my carvings were animals, and my interests were in
Native American, Egyptian, and Mayan art forms, but soon my childhood love of
creating little movable people came back to me. Wood antiques have also
been one of my passions, so the old wooden's like German pegs, and the elegant European peg wooden's
sparked a special interest in me. Incorporating those antique doll
styles into my creations, I soon found my own style. One of my favorite pieces is an articulately jointed
1800's European style peg, carved form Fossil Walrus and Hippo Ivory. She's fairly
small, about 3 to 4 inches tall, and is so elegant and life like in her
movements. I love the feel and look of fossil ivory, so warm and buttery smooth.
Since many of my ivory carvings are small part of the unique style I have
developed is that they can be worn as jewelry.
Most of my carvings are my own unique work but I do enjoy and have done some
replication. A constant has been replicating, so-to-speak, an antique American
wood doll of which I have carved 100s over the last 10 years. In the mid
90s I was invited to participate in the "Mount Vernon in Miniature
Project" and replicated, in 1 inch to the foot scale, the busts and relief in the
Historic Mount Vernon study. It was an honor and a memorable experience to
participate in that project, and a rewarding challenge of true "replication".
I
do take pride in creating my own individual works of art, but I believe I am
only the vehicle.
They really create themselves, evolving from the medium as if they were waiting
to be born. It's just a privilege to be a participant.
Artist,
![]() |
|
||||
Pyrographic Art: |
![]() |
||||
![]() |
|||||
Please Contact:
All Rights Reserved:
All works pictured
Web site content including design, pictures/graphics, & text
COPYRIGHTS
İDRC-Design 2012
Last update 5/18/12