I began making copper sculptures in 1974 while still in high school. I had always loved art and was fortunate enough to spend a portion of one summer training under renowned master copper sculptor Kevin Jenkins. Most of my early works were abstracts and wall hangings that I sold for spending money during my high school and college years.
For the next 17 years, the artwork went onto the back burner as I raised a family and pursued a career in the automobile business. In the late '90s, I converted part of my barn/workshop into a studio. I had spent many years sportfishing and scuba diving in the beautiful waters of Southeast Florida and the Bahamas, and had developed a keen love for the ocean and its creatures. It was only natural then, that when I returned to metal sculpture, it would somehow involve the wildlife and images of the sea.
Most of my work is done in sheet copper, brass and stainless steel. The process begins with hand or plasma cutting the metal to a rough shape, "cold" hammering to give it 3 dimensions, then silver-soldering the pieces together to begin to take the shape of the creature I am working on. After adding fins, mouth, tail, etc., the piece is treated to a heat-patina to bring out the beautiful reds, greens, blues and golds that approximate the markings found on the real fish. Finally, each piece is sprayed with a protective coat of clear enamel to ensure that the colors remain vivid for many years.
I prefer to sculpt my sea creatures posed in a representation of their marine environment with copper and brass corals, sea fans, grasses or mangroves. Pelagic sportfish, such as sailfish and mahi, are often depicted in mid-leap with chunks of burlwood or coral rock depicting the boiling sea below them. Each piece is an individul work of art as no two can ever be exactly the same. The pictures on this site are representative of some work that I have done and I am always pleased to take on special commissions.
