I enjoy working in steel and wood, sometimes combining the two media in one piece. Forged steel, dismantled industrial debris, and fire-scarred wood are particularly attractive to me since they each have a visible history of flame, deformation, and decay. These histories are literal aspects of the material’s initial and final states and serve as proxies for personal emotional histories. Rarely do materials and emotions behave in fully predictable ways. As often they impose their will on me as I do on them.
MEDIA & METHODS:
- Forging of mild and stainless steel, aluminum, and bronze
- Fabricated and welded steel and aluminum
- Automotive enamels and powder coating
- Mold making and casting in iron, aluminum, and bronze
- Abstract carved and lathe turned wood
- Found industrial and natural materials
- Stone carving
- Garden design combining plants, stone, and sculpture
PAST EXPERIENCE:
- Training, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass, CO
- Training, Sculpture Program, Santa Fe Community College, New Mexico
- Ph.D. Geosciences, U. Arizona
- B.A. History, UCSD
- M.A. Philosophy, UCSD
- Adjunct Faculty, California State University, East Bay, Geology Dept.
- Assistant Professor University of Illinois, Earth and Environmental Sciences Dept.
PRESENT ACTIVITIES:
- Principal, Lyris Landscapes LLC, Tucson, AZ
Lyris Landscapes creates artwork and garden designs for outdoor spaces. - President, Youth Science Education Foundation
As a publicly-financed, 501(c)3 non-profit, YSEF encourages students in Tucson’s underprivileged communities to participate in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, earth, and environmental science). YSEF provides 3rd and 4th graders direct, hands-on experimentation at their schools and conducts science field trips.