FAQ
Q.Where is your studio
Address is 7830 SW 40th Ave., Studio #7, Portland, OR 97219. I am in the studio most days, but keep irregular hours. Studio visits are welcome by appointment.
Q. How do you schedule classes?
Studio classes are small. It’s more fun if you know whose in the class, so try to have a friend register as well. I do schedule classes, but it’s easier to plan a class around your schedule. I also lead classes at other locations. There are many options and possibilities.
I also teach classes at Oregon Society of Artists. These are generally larger classes and meet weekly. Contact me to discuss.
Q. Do you accept kids for classes?
I accept serious students. I have had several 10 years and older. The tools and tasks for most of my techniques are not ideal for younger hands. But each situation is unique. I am happy to discuss options. Contact me.
Q. Do you accept commissions? How does that work?
I am open to discuss commissions. I am always willing to consider new challenges. After an initial conversation I usually share a rough sketch of my interpretation of the project and define the cost. To proceed, a 50% payment is required. The balance is payable on completion and delivery. If for any reason, the finished piece is not acceptable, I keep the artwork. The 50% payment is credited toward purchase of any current or future work in my studio.
GLOSSARY
Archetypes
A foundation or original pattern, a primordial image, character, or pattern of circumstances that recurs with some consistency throughout art, literature and thought as a universal concept or situation. Archetypes were popularized by the writings of the psychologist Carl Jung who formulated a theory of a “collective unconscious.” He saw the varieties of human experience as genetically coded into successive generations. In art, these primordial image patterns and situations evoke startlingly similar feelings in both the artist and the viewer.Armature
Sculptures and masks all have either an endoskeleton (like a human skeleton) or an exoskeleton (more like an insect form). The armature is twisted wire assemblages that provide structure and stability. It may also include steel rods or other structural material to support the sculpture. An exoskeleton armature is a line drawing in space. Each piece of wire helps define the planes of the sculpture’s surface. These wires are manipulated many times until the gesture of the sculpture and the planes that create its surface are perfectly placed.Materials
The exact combination of materials for each sculpture is determined by the piece itself. Generally, I use a lot of steel wire for my armatures. Over that are many layers of polymer infused fibers (paper, fabric, etc.) which forms the rigid substrate. The next layers are a polymer and thickener mixture that is either thin enough to brush on or as thick as clay. Somewhere during this process, the sculpture is mounted onto its final base (often carved marble). The final phase is painting. I usually apply combinations of polymer and/or acrylic medium with acrylic pigments - both translucent and opaque. I am still a painter at heart. Painting on a three dimensional surface is a challenge, but the principles of value, color temperature, complimentary color and contrasting color all apply.Mixed Media
Mixed media can include anything. I love to experiment, but usually I limit my materials to a few gauges of steel wire, mostly organic fibers (wood, paper, fabric) and polymer mixtures for surface thickness and texture. My goal is usually to produce a piece that is as rigid as possible. I have, for several recent commissions, applied a polymer and bronze powder mixture. When buffed and polished it produces a true, bronze coating.Personal Mythology
Personal mythology is the structure of making sense and meaning of the world. We all live our own story as director, actor and audience all at once. We are influenced by archetypes. We create or find ourselves within circumstances that then require us to respond. This is the essence of the creative life: create a problem, then create the solution. This is not a linear process. It is a series of visualized scenarios before action. The collective results of this process is our personal mythology.Realization
Realization is the fulfilment of an imagined outcome. It can manifest as a social interaction, physical creation or any form that can first be seen in the mind's eye. Visualization and realization are intimately connected. Realization is the fulfilment of an imagined outcome. It can manifest as social interaction, physical creation or any form that can first be seen in the mind's eye. Visualization and realization are intimately connected.Visualization
Anything seen in the mind's eye is a visualization. Continued exploration of that image creates an imbalance between imagination and reality. If something exists so acutely within the imagination, the subconscious finds means to manifest this visualization in the physical works - to realize the idea.Visual Communication
External images produce activity in the brain. Abstract symbols such as letters linked into words, sentences, and paragraphs provoke thoughts that create internal visual representations of whatever those symbols suggest. External symbols from icons to archetypal images trigger reactions within the mind. This visual "call and response" activity is an interactive process, the foundatoin of communication.
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