Work in Progress

Genesis

Cor-ten Steel h8′ x w4.5′ x d1.5′ Private Collection

This has been a large project in the works for a while now but the finish line is in sight. A commission I’m working on with ArtForce, this piece will be for the new Flagstone Senior Living Community building in Minneapolis. There will also be a couple smaller pieces on the entrance signs. Installation early […]

The Distance that Matters

Good abstract work is anything but arbitrary. The movement of a single line by just a smidge is the difference between “good” and “meh.” That is the distance that matters; that is the gap that holds the key to making something worthwhile. All the infrastructure, all the tools, all the time in the world do […]

Rustic Burned Boxes

For the past month or so I’ve been tinkering with the idea for rustic wooden boxes decorated with my custom wood burnings. The variations and character of the reclaimed wood gives them a very nice old-timey feel. They also allow me put to great new use something that would otherwise be thrown away (a minor […]

Eye of the Needle

Chopping wood, in a weird way, led to the creation of this latest sculpture… a fine little piece I’m calling Eye of the Needle. With every passing year, the Seasons have a growing effect on the structure of my life. There are times of the year that are just better for certain things than others. […]

Bending a Rod ’round and ’round

I’m making some excellent progress on the sculpture I shared in the Evolution of a Sketch post earlier this week. It’s funny how surprised I often am in the execution of a piece… I have a design on hand and in mind, yet when it actually comes to making it, an unexpected world opens up. […]

Evolution of a Sketch

After the completion of Standing Knife Edge, I found myself spending time on a new sketch. I had a really rough idea that I thought had some potential, but was not yet sufficiently developed. You can see it here… It was poorly thought out and lacked “cohesion” for lack of a better word. When looking […]

New Sculpture – Standing Knife Edge

Taking a bit longer than expected, I finally completed this new piece I’m calling Standing Knife Edge. It has a really great presence to it… the way it transitions from thin edge to expanding, space-encompassing form just sings. I’m very proud of this piece. The name references a sculpture that I love by Henry Moore […]

sculpture athena thumb progress near complete

Open Studio Show This Weekend

I’m very excited to be a guest artist at the annual Open Studios of Judy Bergerson and Peder Hegland this weekend. So much great work to see… I kept getting distracted myself while setting up. I know it’s going to be a cold one this weekend, but if you’re in the area, stop on by […]

A Poem of Beginning

The difficulty does not lie in the rigidity or weight of the steel. I do not fear the labor of bending it to my skill. The pain does not lie in the vibration of the grinder or the impact of the hammer. Soreness is common now, and I suspect it will grow in time. The […]

Orion Evolution in One Image

Continuing with the process-of-creation theme, I think this image captures it in a snapshot. The sculpture here is Orion, but it could be any of my pieces. You can see the idea proceed from literally “sketch on a napkin,” to fabrication in progress, to finished work in a gallery setting.

Photo Tour of Commission Process

Here’s a quick photo tour of the commission process, from sketch… to mockup… to fabrication… to finished sculpture… to final installation.

Sketch vs. Reality

In the past couple weeks, I’ve found myself working up a number of sketches for possible commissions. More so than in the past. Since most of the “actuality” of a sculpture, for me, is worked out as a combination of the fabrication process and my mental envisioning, conveying this to others ahead of time poses […]

New Flower Blooming

I made a lot of progress in the studio today on a new Flower sculpture. This piece has been on my mind for some time, it just took a while to tweak the proportions and figure out the proper scale. It’s turning out wonderfully, though. I envision an entire series of these pieces – a […]

Artifact XI Sculpture Studio Shot

Just a quick shot of a new Artifact sculpture in progress. I really like how the improvisational quality of these leads to unexpectedly pleasing forms. This one in particular I think is quite fine and dynamic.

New Sketches for Wall Sculptures

I rarely show anyone sketches or working drawings for sculptures. If you happen to drop by the studio and see the materials scattered about, that’s fine. In fact, feel free to page through the stacks of drawings on the counter as well. Knock yourself out, you might find something interesting. It’s not for any ideological […]

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