I’m a self taught artist and my creations are only limited by the materials I collect. As I hike in the mountains, I look for and collect interesting pieces of wood; often not yet visualizing what they will become. It is not uncommon to hike 5 miles and 1500’ in elevation to return with one special piece of material. Semi-precious minerals can be found nearby, where I collect amazonite, smoky quartz and crystal. You will often find these materials imbedded in my art. Trees succumbed to insect damage or fire, are special; allowing nature to contribute to the one of a kind beauty of each piece. It is important to me to bring out the natural beauty and spirit within the wood. Creations are not forced; allowing nature to participate, if not dominate the art. Although I do look for traditional Cherokee themes, the wood ultimately guides the the creation. Eventually, the wood will let me know what it wants to be and that is when the journey to bring the dead wood back to life begins.
