Over the years, artwork became a central part of my life. I began exhibiting sculptures and paintings in shows in Connecticut and was encouraged and propelled by several awards. Through that time, I dreamed of creating large-scale works and I applied for numerous public art projects.

 

The economic side of being an artist was difficult. In 1993, the year my first child was born, I was considering other ways of earning a living when I was selected for a fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. That was probably the timeliest bit of encouragement and support I will ever receive in my career as an artist.

 

Then, in 1996, a workshop on sculpting with concrete opened that door for me. Over the next decade, I made numerous concrete sculptures, many of which were purchased or commissioned through public art programs.

 

After purchasing a welder to fabricate armatures for my concrete sculptures, I realized I could work with steel and aluminum as primary materials. In 2003, I was commissioned to create “Ghost Train”, a 200' long outdoor sculptural installation for the New River Trail State Park in Virginia.

 

I worked on it sporadically over those years, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the complexity of the detail work and the technical challenges involved in casting. At that point, public commissions were showing promise of reliable income and I enjoyed working on them, so the focus of my work shifted in that direction.

 

I had been intrigued by kinetic sculptures since childhood and I had made numerous mobiles. Over the years, I have always been drawn to new challenges, some visual, some conceptual, and some technical. One of those challenges has been scale. In 2015 I created "Aspire", my tallest sculpture to date (30'). In 2019 I created "Deep Roots, Long Reach", my largest kinetic sculpture to date.

 

I anticipate that I will continue to explore new forms in outdoor and kinetic sculpture in coming years. I know that the questions that will arise from those projects will lead me in unexpected directions.