The Art of Nature
For millennia the power of nature has created the shape of our world. From the largest mountains to the smallest grain of sand, force and time produce amazing three-dimensional forms. These forms captivate and inspire me and inform the art that I create. I enjoy spending time in nature, collecting objects that intrigue me. I use the objects that I gather, such as shells, stones, branches, leaves, and tree nuts as starting points for the sculptures that I carve in stone.
I am also intrigued by the visual patterns that occur in things that are not objects yet are still found in nature. These may be the ripples in water, the shape of a tree, the form of a wave, or the line of a landscape’s horizon. What fascinates me most is that these patterns are fleeting and constantly changing right before our eyes. Whether we perceive it or not, these natural forms and patterns are evolving in a structured and orderly way just like all parts of the universe, including mankind.
I appreciate the fact that it often takes a very long time for these forms and patterns to eventually emerge. I am in awe of the power of nature and its ability to create such perfect beauty. As a way to try and understand this power, I have spent time carving stone by hand. Without the aid of power tools, I hope to be able to better appreciate the slow process that naturally occurs when the objects I find are created.
Objects, both natural and man-made, that I have gathered from the beach have been my most recent inspiration. Shell fragments worn down by the ocean especially intrigue me. I am very interested in the spiral and the many ways that it appears in nature and the universe. The nautilus shell is but one example of this phenomenon. In general, I am fascinated by the power and strength of water and of the forms and shapes that it is capable of creating.
December 2007