Inspiration and Composition

I let my ideas for a new sculpture be guided by what I've seen during countless beach walks. How would these sticks look if they had just been tossed up by a storm? What shape would this branch be if I had just extracted it from a tangled mass of floating tree limbs and roots lifted by a rising tide?

What color was this piece of hardwood before exposure to saltwater and long days of Alaskan summer sunlight bleached it?

My sculptures have been inspired by shapes found in nature, images in modern abstract art, and symbols from worldwide cultures.

I often sketch ideas to explore ways to manipulate driftwood to form the shapes I imagine. Sometimes I create a small-scale mock-up to help me understand the weight and balance challenges I will face during construction. However, I rarely have more than an approximate idea of how the wood will come together. That process is organic and relies so much on the feel, color, and size of each piece of driftwood I select. I am often surprised at how a sculpture takes shape.

Several large outdoor sculptures I’ve created, spin on a rotating base. These artworks can stand six feet high and weigh hundreds of pounds.

Engineering a sculpture that must withstand wind, rain, and snow while remaining safely attached to its base goes hand-in-hand with my vision of the finished creation.