ARTIST STATEMENT

I create sculptures that invite connection physically through touch - metaphorically or directly - and often explore the juxtaposition of an ancient art form with modern technology or other mediums. Whether it is a wearable piece with a dolphin cresting through a wave, a series of cabinet pulls, a “pose-able” girl in bronze that can sit on the counter and play with a cardboard box, or a wall plaque comprised of mariners tattoos, everything comes back to the intrinsic need for physical skin-to-skin contact.

My two preferred mediums are Lost Wax Casting and Cuttlebone Casting.

Lost wax casting with bronze allows the smallest details to come through from the initial sculpture in wax, to the final metal product. The finest details, even fingerprints, can be replicated. When a collector holds a finished sculpture, they are holding hands with the artist.

Cuttlebone casting, more effective with metals like silver, produces a texture that begs to be touched. Using the texture of the cuttlebone to enhance the sculpture (or the sculpture to enhance the texture) is an art in and of itself. Cuttlebone cast pieces are fun to wear, to hold, and to look at.

As we interact with metal over time, it grows warm, becomes smooth, and develops a rich patina. My works inspire this contact and benefit because of it.

Playfulness spills over from my whimsical sculpture pieces to other areas of my creative life as well. When I am not sculpting, I am writing and illustrating children’s books!