The complex spiral forms of the Turbine Dining Table made of rebar and reclaimed disk brake hubs. An enlightening quote from architect Le Corbusier is included in the top most disk surface. Using letter punches I carefully hand lettered the extensive quote over many hours.

Below is a detail image of a lamp created out of reclaimed metal and rebar. The shade is stainless steel and its perforations cast interesting shadows; giving one the sense of being enveloped by the light.

Catching the sun is especially important in the winter months. Here on the left coast it seems to vanish for months at a time. This piece was one of my first; an experiment with molten glass and metal. A very industrial looking design, contrasting the delicate forms sun catchers usually take.

This picture is from a Whidbey Island art show I participated in not long ago. It was a wonderful event, and with that in mind I would like to share these beautiful and insightful words from my 3 year old son Xavier.

"The more I play, the larger my world does become".

These two detail pictures are of a cedar driftwood table I completed not long ago. I have developed a technique for attaching the table tops to the steel frame without the use of mechanical fasteners; allowing the steel to "flow" into the top with nice clean lines.

I have included a picture of the table below to illustrate the brushed metal finish. The extensive, often tedious, work of polishing a finished piece for this kind of effect is always rewarding in the end. The reflective quality of the metal expresses energy and purity; it also conveys to the viewer a sense of the effort that has gone into its creation.

Altering awareness; changing consciousness; revealing the obscure are all things that I have it in mind when working with reclaimed materials. I do not simply reuse objects, but design with the intent to take the discarded and give it a new life, often masking its beginnings.

My pieces frequently bring the large unnoticed, utilitarian machinery of our world into the home; thereby, exposing the beauty inherent in the objects around us and creating interesting juxtaposition with our most treasured household objects and spaces.
The lamp below is formed of a number of reclaimed materials. Most notable is the base of the lamp which is a ceramic high voltage resistor, the kind often seen on high power lines or transformer stations. These are rare objects to reclaim, being both heavy and fragile. I have completed a number of these floor lamps with differing sizes of resistors and always enjoy the challenge when I acquire another.

Here are a couple of images of a chair made from a discarded shopping cart. This is one of many different styles that I have done, and I refer to it as the mantis chair. Each one of these is unique because I do all the bends and forming of the chairs cold and by hand. These chairs are both beautiful and comfortable as I never sacrifice form for function with my furniture.

Some detail images of end tables made of reclaimed metal. The perforated top and table feet are waste production materials that I help give a new life. I have made many of these types of end tables and enjoy reworking discarded materials for household use.

Cedar is a soft wood with striking natural coloring, aroma, and resistance to the elements making it such an interesting and beautiful material to work with. It has been used by the first nations of the pacific coast for millennia, for spiritual and utilitarian purposes. I chose to use cedar because of the joy it brings to me while being worked; the smell, feel and look of this wood are magical and uplifting, making it one of my favorite media.

I reclaim driftwood from the beautiful beaches of Whidbey Island Washington where my family makes its home. Because its journey has included months or years of floating in the saltwater of the pacific and hot sun and winds of Whidbey’s beaches, the cedar I use is surprisingly dry. Therefore, after I have hand shaped and sanded the top to reveal its stunning red hues I finish it with numerous applications of oil to help protect it.

My designs and sketches are my introduction to the creative process. The pieces I work on resolve themselves as much as I impart my vision upon them, as the materials I use reveal their unique personalities. I am pleased to say that I am unsuccessful in compelling materials to bend to my will purely through torches, hammers, and files and that I must have an open mind as well. Regardless of my initial intent, my pieces become what they need to be. At best, when I am open and grounded, I find myself in a space where the works seemingly construct themselves with everything moving in agreement, my hands, tools, and media.

The cobra head lamp took months to resolve itself and I am pleased to say that in the end, elegant understated lines won out over more elaborate approaches.

Welcome

Everyone wants to be the one with the sketch book full of images, dreams and master works. Yet often we can not get past the blank page; the perfect purity of an untouched world with crisp boarders. My resistance to making a mess of that perfectly pure world was overshadowed with my need to create - this is where it all began. Taking the welding skills taught by my father and a dear family friend Albin, I decided to explore a world where I was creating things from the thoughts in my mind; I began with candle holders, bracelets, wine racks and trinkets.

Now, I am here, once again facing an untouched world, but this time with expansive, unimaginable boarders. Once again I am resisting the neatness of the blank page, hoping to fill my sketch book. Welcome to my corner of the web.