Artist Statement

My art is a form of personal expression. The pieces I create vary in their degrees of abstractions, and are influenced by nature, the world around me and, more broadly, the human condition. I aim to capture the joy of natural shapes from everyday life and portray subtle statements about inhumanities and injustices. Much of my career outside of artistry has been in healthcare science, behavioral research, and clinical care delivery. Thus, my art is influenced by the intellectual view of anatomy, physiology, and natural science, and is balanced with the human presence of sickness and, more importantly, healing. While I greatly enjoy experiencing the works of others, it is difficult for me to point to specific influences by visual artists. I believe greater influences on my work come from music, the performing arts and, ultimately, from art that happens in everyday life.

While I have enjoyed painting, printmaking, and ceramics in the past, metal is the medium that has held my passion for the past fifteen years. I find metal work to be an interesting intersection between art and science. Metal is fascinating because it is dense, rugged, and strong, yet at high temperatures it becomes as pliable as wet clay. I enjoy shaping metal into original creations using forging and fabrication techniques. I favor the beauty of classic joinery as a means to create expressive design elements. At the beginning of a project, I capture ideas in my ever-present sketchbook. I develop some of my sketches into life-size computer drawings, which serve a blueprint for producing images. Mostly I use hammers, tongs, heat sources, and an anvil to make delicate shapes or final refinements to metal elements. For larger elements, I use a power hammer or press to roughly shape and move the material more quickly.

I am forever a student of design and its power over the impact of effective expression. I create designs that evoke visual movement and enhance my expression. For me the process of expression is paramount because it is an important element of my overall life satisfaction. When I am unable to exercise creativity, I feel a void. The creative process is very important to me and provides me profound joy.

I produce metal work in my studio, located at my home in Durham, North Carolina.