City Dude

I love to paint on pottery:)

Artist Statement

The artwork I create has alot to do with the stress and anxieties of life. The imagery I choose is a combination of the
beautiful and terrible. The drawings and paintings I create are a form of meditation on these things in which I interlock
people, civilization, and danger.
People are often represented protecting civilization from attacking monsters of various types. The monsters are symbolic of
real life juggernauts that tear down peaceful society. Demons such as poverty and war surround and infiltrate the thin line
of society that we desperately try to protect.
My art does not provide solutions for how we can stop the madness that is an everday reality. It is only a way for me to
express externally the internal knowledge that I have recieved through 40 plus years of living on earth. I find that many
identify with my drawings with a sense of awe. I don't believe the awe comes from the fact that they are wonderfully done
but instead because the imagery strikes an inner cord of consciousness that we all share. We all are faced with daily
events across the world that show tragedy indiscriminately regardless of wealth or power. Seeing such dark things on a daily basis has become commonplace with the rise of instant technology.
I place people in the middle of tragedy often, but I try to add an aura of innocence and or peace on the expressions of the
characters I create. I do this because I see this in myself and others in times of stress. At times peace and each other is
all we have in hardships. My mother passed on from melanoma. Money and technology did little for her as the cancer ate her
from the inside out. Family and time spent together in her last months were all we had. During her last days I saw peace in
her face.
Similar tragedy has fallen on my family with the near passing of my father. His second major heart attack almost took him
from us causing a whirlwind of stress and anxiety among family and friends. In this case technology seems to have purchased
more time for him through open heart surgery. The fear still remains though that he might at anytime be taken from us.
The reality is, that at any point in time from a myriad of reasons, any one of us, a great many of us, or all of us can be
snatched from this world. In fact, we all at some point in the near future will be taken. My art is mirror to the reality
of our condition. I believe within the realities I mirror in my art there are rays of hope for the viewers to find comfort
in. The rays of hope being the kindness and peace found on the faces and actions of others, those who care.

A beautiful day at the greenhouse.

I made some nice pots while Charlie watched over my shoulder.

Back in the greenhouse for making art!

Yes! Back in the studio again, so nice.

Much of my current work involves getting the imagery that fills so many of my sketchbooks onto pottery and clay. I have been crafting imagery that illustrates our responsibility to keep civilization safe from the dangers that would tear it apart. The dangers are symbolized through monsters while civilization is portrayed with people, buildings, and nature.

More vases

Back to business. We need to make lots of vases ASAP for the ladies at Brighton Gardens. Flowers are already ordered and are coming next week. I'll bisque fire these pieces over the weekend and speed glaze them on Monday for an overnight firing:)

Finger Puppets

We are ending the semester with a little fun. I figured if the students get nervous presenting their final portfolios to the class that they could use hand-made finger puppets to do the talking for them.