Artist's Statement

Amidst the chaos and rush of modern culture, life is full of beauty and mystery if only we can find a time, place and method to still our minds. I find those moments often while wandering or sitting in some secluded, rejuvenating woodland site.

Near my home in northern Vermont there are many spots that are physically beautiful with cascading water, trees and rock formations. Sometimes also present is some element that is impossible to describe. It is a felt, numinous presence that is as palpable as any physical object. It is in such places that my mind can relax and be attuned to Nature in minutia, and in turn to the Creative Power beyond changing outer forms.

“To see the world in a Grain of Sand

and Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour” William Blake - Auguries of Innocence

It is the ineffable feeling of these moments which I wish to convey through my work, regardless of medium, techniques, scale or style. Increasingly my imagination emerges as my greatest ally and, if I am successful, my work will spark a sense of connection with the natural world in those who view it.

Many times it is the most simple relationship or juxtaposition of design elements that is the most beautiful or evocative, as often found in Japanese art. Also, like the Japanese, I embrace the totality of nature including ephemerality, decay, death, homeliness and simplicity, as well as the more conventional ideals of beauty, harmony and balance.

I enjoy making objects that are easily held and handled. I think this intimate scale and the three dimensional quality help both myself and the viewer to focus our attention and, to some degree, enter a different world.