Life On Mars

I am a sculptor working in metal and glass. Sometimes singly, sometimes together. I find the simple expression of material to be visually pleasing, and often the stuff I have on hand will nudge my creative process. If the resulting piece awakens my visual sense with wonder, that counts as art for me.

I’ve arrived at sculpting after a heady and enjoyable journey through corporate life. I worked my whole career, twenty-seven years, at JPMorgan and all of that on its trading floors. So making art - and the solitude that accompanies it - are a striking counterpoint to the addictive buzz of life in the markets.

The short story reads like this: as an avid gardener I developed an interest to make large-scale metal art to add to the whimsy in my yard. My son, who was (and is) restoring a classic Alfa Romeo taught me how to weld; I followed this with a semester at the Silvermine School of Art. Many moons, more tools, much practise, the steady acquisition of technique (mostly from other artists and artisans) and I had learned much of what goes into my art now.

I like to use recycled steel whenever possible and I scavenge actively to collect old metal - there’s little more satisfying than cutting up and creating art from, say, an old corn planter.
Patina, texture and light fascinate me and play engaging roles in my sculptures.

My wife (an art photographer among her other talents) and I collect the works of (mainly) American craftspeople - glass makers, ceramicists, wood-workers, textile artists, sculptors - and seek out contemporary art, often at Sculpture parks. So making art is its own reward. Sharing it is even better.