Mar 31, 2011 Big

This incredibly large flat leaf, with its jagged edges and holes, reminds me of a lily pad. The background rocks provide a nice contrast to the color and texture. Not knowing the size of the rocks makes it hard to understand the form's scale.

Mar 30, 2011 Fleshy

Jade plants have nice, fleshy green leaves. While the leaf shape is simple and regular, it is hard to replicate and still make the copies seem real. There is something unique about every form's direction, tilt, length, and roundness.

Mar 27, 2011 Segments

While bamboo is used for lumber, food, medicine, baskets, musical instruments and more, I'm inspired by its segments. I like the subtle flaring out and crease where the parts meet, and how those elements are repeated over and over.

Mar 26, 2011 Faces

These pansies reminded me of the chorus of pansies in Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Some botanical forms are so reminiscent of human forms that they are easily anthropomorphize. The little faces are so expressive.

Mar 24, 2011 Review

The Weekly Volcano's Alec Clayton has written a review of "Composites" (see link here).

Mar 21, 2011 Step Off

Here's the sculpture I've just roughed out. I had been inspired by an photo of something microscopic (plant cell? fungi?) that looked like an eyeball with blood vessels. As I worked the flat, flowing river shapes became geometric ridges. This piece still needs some refinement.

Mar 20, 2011 Shriveled

The crocus, which were standing upright a few days ago, have had a rough time with the rain. Although a bit shriveled, they now have a richer color and more interesting texture. Some sculptures improve with a little weathering.

Mar 19, 2011 Innards

The innards of a bell pepper, namely seeds, are a jumble of smooth disk forms. They look like they could be made of plastic or marble or silicone. It's the ambiguous texture matched with the randomness of the directional placement that makes this an interesting sculpture.

Mar 18, 2011 Landscape

This "Sumo" orange not only has an interesting overall shape, but also deep crevices. Looking at just the top third of the fruit, the image becomes a volcano. The crevices add to the sense that this a landscape.

Mar 17, 2011 Article 2

The Tacoma Weekly's Dave Davison has reviewed "Composites." (click here for the article)

Mar 13, 2011 Article

See the "Paper Garden" article by Lisa Kinoshita on the Spaceworks Tacoma blog for some insights about my installation "Composites" now on display in the Woolworth Windows installation space on Broadway at 11th (click here for the article).

Mar 12, 2011 Sneak Peek

Today I put up my installation, "Composites," at 11th & Broadway's Woolworth Windows as part of Spaceworks Tacoma. More info on it tomorrow.

Mar 11, 2011 Almost There

'Getting close to being done with this sculpture. I still need to smooth out the last layer and give it a final sealing coat. Next week I hope to start a new sculpture inspired by fungi.

Mar 9, 2011 Depth

At first I was fascinated with the depth of the corona (cup). The filaments seem to come out of an infinite cave. But then I became interested in the depth of field of the receding petals and sepals. Depth makes sculptures more compelling to me.

Mar 7, 2011 Kinetic

Tulips come in many different sizes, shapes and colors. As they unfold their shape can change dramatically. The layered petals loosen and spiral out. To me, tulips are like a slow moving kinetic sculpture.

Mar 6 Down & Out

Yesterday I de-installed Re-Present (this image was taken on the inside looking out). The black curtain has come down (literally) and the individual sculptural components have been removed, leaving the space empty for the next Spaceworks Tacoma artist. Stay tune for my next installation, Composite, which I'll install next weekend.

Mar 1, 2011 Suspended

Leaves floating just below the surface of the water remind me of the flora and fauna seen suspended in bits of amber. I sometimes wonder what my work would look like coated in a clear, thick permanent medium. No doubt it would make my sculptures waterproof and able to be displayed outdoors.

Feb 27, 2011 Moment

The large and delicate snowflakes grasp perilously to the top, center and bottom of the camellia's petals. Knowing that the flakes will fall or melt off soon, there is the urge to capture this tenuous moment. Artists are in the business of documenting fragile events.

Feb 25, 2011 In Progress

The underlying structure of this sculpture is now complete. You might notice that this seems to have less text than my finished sculptures; for the base I use entire book pages, including the white margins. The final text layers will smooth out the form both visually and physically.

Feb 24, 2011 Bridge

The rhododendron leaves are laden down with snow this morning. Bridging the gaps, the snow creates an illusion of snow covered mountains and valleys. The abundance of white ties the forms together.

Feb 23, 2011 Combo

 

The toothy edges of these leaves lead the eye into the collection of segmented square-ish ball forms. It helps that the leaves have a repetitive star pattern. The combination of stair-step flat and the tight little wads is pleasantly surprising. 

Feb 22, 2011 Push

Spring is approaching (even though snow is predicted this week). Plants are beginning to push through the soil, pushing through boundaries to create their own abstract compositions.

Feb 20, 2011 Capture

Yesterday was a super clear, super cold day on the waterfront with many violent waves--which is unusual for the Puget Sound. And yet the waves provided a texture to the water that is often not seen. Art sometimes needs to shake up the natural order to make us appreciate the usual.

Feb 19, 2011 Start

I've started on my new series of sculptures. These will be small, about the size of a hand, and inspired by mushrooms and nests. Here's the beginning of the first one with a third of the underlying structure constructed. More updates to follow.

Feb 18, 2011 Drop

This drop of water takes on the texture of the leaf it occupies and brings in reflective light. It looks weighty and plump against the thin leaf. It reminds me of molten glass.

Feb 16, 2011 Variety

This jumble of intersecting lines in this pile of sticks is visually interesting because of the varying thicknesses and shapes. When I create sculptures I often have to concentrate on creating variety with each aspect of the form.

Feb 14, 2011 Metaphor

The lines converge and intersect, illuminated at critical junctures. A metaphor for Valentines Day.

Feb 13, 2011 Glossy

I like how the big, smooth, waxy leaves provide a nest for the intricate puffs of the flowers. In my early sculptures I applied a semi-gloss coating to the surface but then I moved on to  matte finishes. I don't think my work is suited to a full glossy finish, but I might try it sometime.

Feb. 9, 2011 Light

The strong lighting in the sky makes the clouds look 3-dimensional. But the lack of lighting elsewhere flattens out the other forms. Lately I've been paying attention to lighting as I prepare images of my sculptures for a grant submission.

Feb 8, 2011 Swirl

The ridges and valleys that make up this tree bark come together and flow apart, creating a flowing pattern. It makes me think of water and currents. The squareness of the photo works in this instance to concentrate the viewer on the detail of the form.