I’m an artist and more, working in five arenas: Clay, Art On Paper (AOP), Sculpture, Painting, Photography. I offer a couple of events: one for artists that focuses on my clay boxes and another that promotes the joy of rake pottery. I design and build studio art equipment and have designed and built stand-alone databases for over 40 years.
Starting my career in Kansas I now live in Washington State, having lived in a variety of locations. For several years I called Vienna, Austria home, where I worked as a photographer immediately after completing my graduate studies at the University of Tulsa (MA Ceramics). Returning to America, I worked in such different cities as Wichita, Minneapolis, and Dallas. Relocating often and experiencing many cultures first hand has influenced me deeply to say the least. Aesthetically, I’ve drawn from these many places, both from the land and peoples themselves and also from the subtle artistic expressions of their words and works.
Moving often did not afford me the chance to develop roots with a permanent studio. Consequently, I gained significant first-hand experience many artists face, limited studio space and the trauma of having to relocate often, which lead me to designing and building mobile studio art systems.
Along the way I developed databases for art management and found myself getting an MMIS degree (Masters Management Information Systems) which lead to my working for a national corporation as a systems analyst for a few years before returning permanently to being a full-time artist.
Artist
As an artist, I move between the analytic and the intuitive, creating well-crafted works. As I create, I draw on a well spring of experiences flowing from traveling and living across America and Europe, and from the love and wisdom of the people I’ve come to know on my journey.
Maker of Mobile Studio Equipment
As a designer/craftsman, I’m driven by passion and by necessity to create well-crafted studio art equipment for mobile artists.
I’ve worked in a multitude of locations, from Tulsa for college, to Vienna, Austria (as a photographer long before the days of digital), to Dallas, Minneapolis, and returning to Wichita for a short time.
Moving often over the years I’ve finally settled into the fertile Pacific Northwest. There I’m currently prototyping an ensemble of mobile, propane-fired kilns that are operated within mobile, ‘weather-deflecting’ outdoor shelters. This ensemble I use at art fairs, schools, and private parties where participants get to experience the joy of glazing a bowl made of special clay and watching it immediately fired (participants don’t have to return later for their work).
Technology Specialist
I’ve always had a passion for organizing thoughts and ideas, which led me to of all things, becoming a systems analyst. After returning to Wichita, back in 1992, I finished my second masters degree in Management Information Systems (MMIS). This training prepared me for a job applying my analytical skills as an imaging specialist and database developer before relocating to the greater Seattle area. Today I use my technical skills developing databases for myself and for creating equipment designs with Sketchup, Blender, Adobe Dimension and Adobe Phototoshp, and yes, in learning and adapting AI to my workflow…