This watercolor/ink commission came together as the result of a chance encounter while urban sketching in Tucson. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by someone who saw my work at a “throw down” a couple of years ago outside the sushi garden in Tucson. A relative had a selfie that he wanted turned into a painting. I had to adjust all kinds of “selfie” perspective to get the two characters looking about the same size. It was a fun project! Thanks Glen!
“Thresholds” is a new series of multimedia sculptures where turned or carved wood human figures stand at the threshold of new beginnings. A doorway frames their dreams, represented by an agate. As we stand at the threshold of a decision, the glass bevel gives us pause to consider….
Some time ago, I started a series of figures to explore off center turning. The characters each had their own backstories but lacked a platform to express their status in life. As I was going through some glass supplies I rediscovered some beautiful agates and the notion of doorways and dreaming took root.
I finally fulfilled a long standing desire to design and make a Greene and Greene inspired coffee table using only traditional joinery. I’ve always admired the ebony splines and “ cloud lift” features of Greene and Greene furniture. The reverse tapered legs really show off the quarter sawn white oak and the oil finish gives the whole piece a stunningly warm luster.
The project took several months to complete as I figured out how to accomplish the joinery and not ruin over $600 worth of quarter sawn white oak. There were lots of sketchbook sketches and head scratching!
For the first time in a while I resisted the temptation to use color to highlight the wood grain. Instead, I relied on the natural contrasts between walnut and maple to differentiate between linear geometry and organic curves.
Life on my Own 