1998 : Spectrum 5 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
1999 : Spectrum 6 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
2002 : Spectrum 9 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
Silver Award : Dimensional - "L-Roy"
2002 : ConJose : 60th Annual Science Fiction Convention & Art Show
San Jose, California
Judges Choice Award
Directors' Choice Award
2003 : Spectrum 10 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
2005 : Spectrum 12 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
2005: Sculpture Silver Award : Aphrodisia: Art of the Female Form - "Quan Yin"
EXHIBITIONS:
2009: BOXeight Studios, Los Angeles, California
California Modern Art Gallery, San Francisco. California
2008: Elissa Cristall Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
2006: Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, British Columbia
2005: Spectrum: The Exhibition at the Museum of American Illustration, New York, NY
2005: Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
2003: First Biennial Dimensional Salon, Museum of American illustration, New York, NY
2002: ConJose: 60th Annual Science Fiction Convention & Art Show
San Jose, California
1999: John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, California
1998: Twist Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1997: Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, British Columbia
There is a city of gold. I'm headed for the city of gold before it's too late, before it gets too cold before I'm too tired, before I'm too old. I'm headed for the city of gold.
Q: Where do you get your ideas from, what inspires you?
A: In 1996 I began creating a mythology around certain archeological mysteries. Along the way I've developed a lot of characters to occupy that world. A lot of these ideas and the first installment of the story will be unveiled in 2010.
Q: Do you draw each sculpture before starting?
A: It's important to me that I know each character's story before I start. Once an idea hits me I'm eager to start but, if I'm not able to get to it right away I might do a few rough sketches as a kind of visual-shorthand. I do draw many of the complicated bits of mechanical engineering that go in to one of these works. Using these designs I then construct cardboard patterns to make any adjustments that might be necessary. When you're creating a three-dimensional sculpture I've found it's best to work directly. In a drawing anything is possible. There are many practical considerations necessary to create a free-standing sculpture (or, as in the example shown below, free-hanging)
Q: What is your process? Can you walk us through a typical start to finish?
I have an idea of the character I want it to create ie: posture, expression etc. but a lot of what I do is engineering. For instance it has to stand and balance, so there are many things to consider in how the the thing ultimately will go together. I've found the best way to achieve this is by making the sculpture first hand and accomodating whatever design challenges I might encounter in the process. This primary stage is deliberately pretty rough but it serves to flesh out the idea's technical and aesthetic concerns. When I'm satisfied with the design I've created I photograph everything and then take it all apart for sanding and polishing. This is where the 99% perspiration of the equation really kicks in. I'll spends days, sometimes weeks in front of a polishing machine dressed in layers of protective gear to get the finish I want.
(to be continued...)
