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!
74" x 29" x 18"
Bronze Sculpture on Steel or Bronze Base
‘Fallen Leaf' was also created from a piece of styrofoam found near my studio. The shape immediately grabbed my attention and my job became not to screw it up. I saw the opportunity to bring the 3-sided piece to life by creating 3 unique textures. The back convex shape is basically the original texture, the front concave shape I enhanced with crosshatching, and the spine (the smallest side) took on an etherial quality with a mirror-like surface and an undulating landscape. Finished with a black and green patina and mounted on 2 offset pins the piece has an almost delicate feel of a fallen leaf.
18" x 24" x 18"
Bronze
‘From the Sea' was the first abstract bronze I have done that wasn’t inspired by the original shape. A broken piece of dock flotation found on the rocks was a basic battered square shape. I wanted to bring it to life by capturing shapes that I have come to love from the ocean without doing anything representational. Again the idea of radically different textures connected by a hole in the middle emerges. On the one side the beauty of a time worn conch shell can be detected while the other side was more influenced by the holes clams leave in the beach with the convex cones. Both sides are connected with an outer shell that has textures found in turtle shells. Most importantly I wanted to patina it in a way that reflected the magical sea greens and blacks that you find on the rocks at low tide. Like the ocean, I wanted you to see how the sculpture changes as the light changes.
18" x 24" x 8"
Reclaimed Plywood on Granite Base
‘Wayfarer’ was my first abstract done in reclaimed plywood off a local construction site. Utilizing used plywood and yellow cedar from an old mantle piece revealed to me how fascinating it is to work with found materials as the medium sort of leads the work. You work with whatever imperfections you find (holes, screws, nails, etc) and incorporate them into the work. In this piece I loved the fluidity of it and the graceful shapes the wood took on. And since you have virtually no idea where you are going to end up when you start it becomes an exercise in imagination to know when you get there.
78" x 22" x 16"
Bronze
When I first conceived of the idea for ‘Ocean’ I saw it as a red piece. In fact, the original styrofoam form was painted red as I imagined what I could do with it. After I cast it in bronze I had a change of heart and used rich blue and black patinas to create the first piece. Having done that I wanted to try and do an ‘Ocean’ that could go outside and withstand the elements. Blue is somewhat trickier outside so I returned to the idea of doing ‘Ocean’ in red. I was still intrigued with the idea of an “inside” and an “outside” and focused the outside being the shiny perfect surface that presents to the outside world while the “inside” was a molten mess struggling to get out. This time I wanted to use a golden red on the smooth exterior while using a sea green on the molten interior. Again, I found the surfaces ideally suited to these new colours and found they gave me a whole different look and feel to the work. The golden red actually came to feel like the bronze buoys one sees at sea.
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.
14” X 8” X 21.5”
Bronze
The third in the Wayfarer bronze series is ‘On the Rocks’. Using the same form and shape as ‘Taking Flight’ I wanted to use different texture and colour to tell a totally different story. We have many seals in front of the studio and I was influenced by the shape and to some extent the colour of a seal on the rocks. At the same time, I didn’t want to do a seal sculpture and in fact I saw the line on the reverse side of the sculpture as the line and form of a bird landing on the rocks much as the seagulls do every morning. The idea of looking at a piece in different ways and seeing different things has always been important to me. I don’t want my art to be boring. I want you to see something totally different 10 years from now that you never noticed or better yet, have someone else point something out that you never saw quite that way. Using greens, blues, reds, browns, golds and blacks I wanted to capitalize on the rough texture on the top and bottom and define the line of the piece with a mirror finish bronze.
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.
78" x 22" x 16"
Bronze on Steel or Bronze Base
‘Ocean' was my first foray into abstract. From styrofoam found on the rocks in front of my studio, I did not alter the shape at all. Originally there was a small hole towards one end which I enlarged and made resemble the holes you see in dockside logs on the ocean. I became intrigued with the idea of an "inside" and an "outside" and focused the outside being the shiny perfect surface that presents to the outside world while the "inside" was a molten mess struggling to get out. The shape and the texture were ideally suited to bronze and allowed for really bold patinas to bring the piece to life.