Other Works

As an artist, you never quite know what will come next. A phone call, a visitor stepping through the studio door, or an unexpected inquiry from a company or collector can open a path you never anticipated. Commissions in particular often lead to new materials, new techniques, and new ways of thinking. Sometimes the results bring revelation and wonder; sometimes they bring challenges. But every project becomes part of the journey of learning and discovery.

Working in bronze is one example. Until I was approached by the president of a maritime company to create his corporate logo, I had never worked in the medium. Taking on the challenge meant learning to sculpt in wax and to cast in bronze—an entirely different process from carving stone. What began as a single commission became an exploration that expanded my understanding of form and material.

Other commissions have taken many forms: a carved door panel for a private home, a coffee table for a collector in Colorado, or a small onyx sculpture created as a baby gift after a chance conversation with a passerby who wandered into my yard while I was carving. These unexpected meetings and moments of serendipity have often shaped the work as much as careful planning.

Even travel has led to new directions. On one visit with family, I encountered an ostrich farm and was introduced to the remarkable strength and texture of ostrich eggshell. Carving them revealed a material both delicate and durable, offering possibilities unlike anything I had worked with before.

Some projects carry a more personal meaning. One of my favourite pieces was a Celtic harp made for my sister. She had always dreamed of owning and learning to play one, and I decided to take on the challenge of building it myself. With guidance from a retired luthier, Hillard Stone of Irving, Texas, I spent six months immersed in woodworking and the craft of harp making. The finished instrument was more than a sculpture—it was a gift shaped by family, time, and dedication.

Over the years, opportunities have also come from studios and organisations. I have been commissioned to design and carve high-end corporate gifts, including work featuring characters such as Pinocchio and Geppetto, and my work has appeared in productions including Superman, The X-Files, and The Outer Limits. Experiences like these are reminders that the path of an artist is rarely predictable.

In the end, that is part of what makes the work meaningful. You never know who will walk through the door, what material will speak to you next, or where a single conversation might lead.