Part of what I enjoy most about making art is sharing it with other people. I especailly love making works for a specific location in a home. Working with other people for what they want in a piece is not just challenging- its deeply satisfying. When I am lucky enough to make art for peoples homes (or offices) I start by discussing what they're looking for in a piece, then I visit their location and get a feel for the space. I take into account how much natural light the area gets, the shape of the room, and the colors it would be alongside. I then spend some time doing rough sketches for them on the spot and laying the foundation for where we will go from there. Typically, I work very closely with my client and we discuss several different ideas before we nail one down. Once that happens the piece can really begin to take shape. Crafting well designed pieces that flow in a space gives me a sense of accomplishment like nothing else can. I strive to make the art works as comfortable as I can, if I can successfully evoke some kind of abstract nostalgia- I consider it a success.

In the past month I started work on a piece for a local couple in White Salmon, Washington. I did a very rough sketch of a multiple panel piece (on the lid of a pizza box!) and then went to work. What I ended up with was a five panel lay out of a tree that would go in the entrance of their home. Here you can see me with the sketch. In the background is the layout of the piece on the wall.

Later I went back to the studio and transferred the layout onto the paneling I'll cut up, carve, and later paint the tree onto. The tree outline is in green and is a very rough gestural drawing. As I work with the image the design develops. Working full scale is always a little bit different.

Green outline

Adding texture and doing additional carving.

all ready for some color!

detail. 

 Soon they will be painted blues and greens, and varnished all up! Super stoked to get them all finished up and installed.  I'll be updating as they progress. Cheers!