Found Moments
10” x 30” x 3”
Bronze on Steel Frame
Is one of my favourite sculptures. Charlie is a guy who loves life. He feels like life has been good to him, he is content. He loves to take it all in and always seems to have a sense and a vibe that this all is pretty cool. When I was doing this one I imagined him standing on the end of his dock or deck and being super comfortable with where he was in his life. We all know a Charlie.
48” X 12” X 12”
Reclaimed Plywood
I wanted to capture that moment when you are having a time of it and some stranger walks up and says, “How can I help you?” You can tell by the way they carry themselves, the way they look, and even the rolled up sleeves, that they are ready to help and even want to help. That is what they do. That is part of their DNA. By doing this in reclaimed wood I was limited as to how much detail I could put in and that forced me to capture the sentiment in how they held their body, the tilt of the head, the hands in the pockets and that sense of, “I’m not going anywhere until this is solved”. I love those people!
15.5” X 9.5” 11”
Reclaimed Plywood
This is a theme I have revisited many times. It fascinates me as it feels like I want the sculpture to tell a story in as few lines as humanly possible. I have done this piece in stone, in bronze and now wood. Each medium brings something different to the party. The wood, I love, because it brings a richness and a softness to the piece that I can’t get in stone or bronze. The grain defines the piece in that it shapes so differently as you show the contour of the piece. Some pieces take on more a “thinking man” quality while others appear more meditative depending on the pose. The real beauty of the wood is the introduction of colour through the different hues of woods. The greens, reds, golds and browns all give each piece a different feel.
46” X 48” X 6”
Bronze
Four years ago I created in wood a piece called, “Inside Looking Out” which to me represented someone lost in thought as they stared out across the ocean. It is truly one of my favourite pieces. One could only imagine what they were thinking because their thoughts were so private and their comfort in their own skin so complete. I wanted to revisit this theme in bronze but didn't have the texture or the colour of wood to work with and my first few attempts in bronze were a disaster. Without the character of the wood it held no long term interest for the viewer. I then started to play with using colour through various patinas. I wanted something that would give it a sense of gravitas without giving it a sense of formality. It still needed to be someone who was totally comfortable in their own skin but it needed to have a much greater visual interest like the wood original. I believe I found that in the elegance of the green patina.
54” X 18” X 18”
Bronze
I have always loved the moment when music comes together in the strangest places and strangest times. The duet on the corner sung by the two most unlikely looking people. Just two people coming together to make magic with their voices. I wanted to create a big piece that could command a room or go outside and earn the attention of the viewer the way two great singers on a street corner get you to stop and pay attention. I wanted them to look completely different and so both the texture and the colours I used bear no resemblance to each other but somehow come together in the harmony of the piece.
29” X 12” X 5”
Bronze
‘Aria II' conjures up different images for different people. To some it is someone laughing, to others someone singing, and to someone who saw it the other day it reminded them of an alter boy in a cassock. Whatever your interpretation, the part I have come to love about this piece is the singleminded focus on the face. Since there is no body to speak of, the emotion and the intention need to be conveyed solely through the suggestion through shape. I find this work wonderfully simple and yet somehow complex enough to require constant revisiting.
27.5" x 7" x 5.5"
Bronze On Bronze
‘Making a Point’ was a returning fascination with the idea of people pointing and how you can’t help but pay attention to them or what they are pointing at. Using gross exaggeration I wanted to portray that feeling you had when you were 6 and wanting to be be heard how you would raise your hand so high your arm was practically coming out of its socket. But I wanted that feeling in an adult not a child and I wanted it to be a serious piece not a comical one. My goal was by using refined lines, simple gestures, and striking texture and patina I would be able to convey the feeling I intended.
37” x 16.5” x 17.5”
Bronze On Bronze
‘Sisters' shows the special bond that only sisters can have. I wanted to capture the confidence, the sense of security, and the "bring it on" feelings that that bond creates. This was a complex piece for me as the urge to put in more detail had to be fought at every turn. I wanted to convey that feeling by focusing on the style, the movement and the boldness of the gesture, not by the detail of the subjects.
45” X 12.5” X 13.5”
Bronze
‘Toe in the Water' was a recent winner in the 2021 Paint Ontario competition for sculpture. Using simple lines, gesture and exaggeration I wanted to convey the sense you would have when sitting on the dock and stretching to reach the water with your toe. I have always loved that image and tried to capture that meditative feeling that dipping your toe in the water brings on. Originally inspired by the best brief I was ever given, "bring Muskoka into my living room", 'Toe in the Water' transcends geography, language and culture as one of those magical moments in everyday life.
32” X 7.5” X 10”
Bronze
‘Toe in the Water' was a recent winner in the 2021 Paint Ontario competition for sculpture. Using simple lines, gesture and exaggeration I wanted to convey the sense you would have when sitting on the dock and stretching to reach the water with your toe. I have always loved that image and tried to capture that meditative feeling that dipping your toe in the water brings on. Originally inspired by the best brief I was ever given, "bring Muskoka into my living room", 'Toe in the Water' transcends geography, language and culture as one of those magical moments in everyday life.
45” x 22” x 19”
Bronze
‘Toe in the Water' was a recent winner in the 2021 Paint Ontario competition for sculpture. Using simple lines, gesture and exaggeration I wanted to convey the sense you would have when sitting on the dock and stretching to reach the water with your toe. I have always loved that image and tried to capture that meditative feeling that dipping your toe in the water brings on. Originally inspired by the best brief I was ever given, "bring Muskoka into my living room", 'Toe in the Water' transcends geography, language and culture as one of those magical moments in everyday life.
27” x 7.5” x 10”
Bronze On Bronze
‘Lakeshore Escape' was a finalist in 2021 Paint Ontario show for sculpture. Using texture, style and line I wanted to convey the feeling one has after a particularly bad day, when you kick off your shoes and walk barefoot along the beach in the water, and the restorative glow that you take on. Being constrained from using detail I have to communicate the story through body language and movement which forces a single-mindedness that doesn't come naturally to me.
23” x 7” x 5”
Bronze
‘Aria II' conjures up different images for different people. To some it is someone laughing, to others someone singing, and to someone who saw it the other day it reminded them of an alter boy in a cassock. Whatever your interpretation, the part I have come to love about this piece is the singleminded focus on the face. Since there is no body to speak of, the emotion and the intention needs to be conveyed solely through the suggestion through shape. I find this work wonderfully simple and yet somehow complex enough to require constant revisiting.
49” x 12” x 12”
Bronze on Bronze Base
‘Leaning Man' was inspired by a visit to the Giacometti retrospective with my favourite oldest kid. My takeaway from the show was that the face was key. The body was the frame meant to convey the character of the face but never distract from it. Hence lots of detail in the face but none in the body. In ‘Leaning Man’ my first piece of "outdoor work" I had to resist the use of detail to tell the story and focus on the attitude and gesture to communicate. The exaggerated leaning conveys the attitude of someone who is making up his mind about the situation, not quite judgemental, but more knowing. The face becomes the centre of attention, sets the stage and gives you all the backstory you need.
48” x 14” x 19”
Reclaimed plywood
‘Woman on a Dock' was done in honour of all the powerful women in my life. Made from a solid block of 48" x 14" x 20" laminated reclaimed plywood from a local construction site, this piece conveys the confidence, self assurance, and grace that a strong person has in a very simple moment. The different woods making up the laminate block add to the character and complexity of the work.
48” x 13” x 11”
Reclaimed plywood
‘Seated Man III' is made from a solid block of laminated reclaimed plywood. I have been working on this idea in multiple mediums since 1983. Inspired by some work I saw in the Luxor Museum from over 2,000 years ago I was struck by the simplicity of the piece and its ability to convey so much with just a hint of form. My first attempt was in soapstone, followed up a few years later in bronze. When I started working in reclaimed plywood I revisited this subject thinking the texture and colour of the plywood would add greatly to the telling of this story and I was not disappointed.
50¼” x 11” x 9½”
Reclaimed Plywood on Steel Plate
‘Hands in Pockets' has always been a favourite subject of mine. So many emotions from frustration to standoffishness to confidence can be expressed in this simple gesture. For this piece I wanted to capture that sense of being comfortable in one's own skin. In order to portray being at ease I had to reflect a casualness and calmness in the posture and lack of tension in the shoulders. Working with the imperfections in the laminate allowed for the colour and texture to help bring the gesture to life and add to the overall interest in the work.
12" x 10" x 10"
Bronze
I did the original ‘Seated Man’ in soapstone in 1982 or 1983. It was inspired by a piece I saw in the museum in Luxor in 1981. While it really bore no resemblance to what I ended up doing, the sculpture portrayed a person in a seated position that had no detail and used the subtlest of lines to define the shape. It was done in some sort of black stone and done some 3000 years before. When I returned from that trip I set about trying to do my version of a “seated man” in soapstone. While a beautiful medium, soapstone bruises if touched and I found myself constantly refinishing the work. I then made a mould of the soapstone piece and cast it in bronze in 1985. The bronze, to my surprise, gave the same luminescent finish as the soapstone but was far more substantive. The green patina was my first foray into using colour in my bronze work.
10” X 9.5” X 10.5”
Reclaimed Plywood
This is a theme I have revisited many times. It fascinates me as it feels like I want the sculpture to tell a story in as few lines as humanly possible. I have done this piece in stone, in bronze and now wood. Each medium brings something different to the party. The wood, I love, because it brings a richness and a softness to the piece that I can’t get in stone or bronze. The grain defines the piece in that it shapes so differently as you show the contour of the piece. Some pieces take on more a “thinking man” quality while others appear more meditative depending on the pose. The real beauty of the wood is the introduction of colour through the different hues of woods. The greens, reds, golds and browns all give each piece a different feel.
10” x 30” x 3”
Bronze on Steel Frame
This is a sculpture of my 6-year-old son playing baseball. It could be any boy playing baseball at that age. They love the idea of the game but they don’t really know how to play yet. I wanted to capture the thrill of having the mitt on but the reality that the ball isn’t going to find its way into it at this stage.