Design
I am fascinated with trees. Many of my tree designs derive from my observation of trees in the countryside, while others are born of my imagination. Furthermore, I admire Bonsai trees and this style can be seen in most of my sculptures. I like to show the tree limbs, leaf clusters, exposed roots, and a bit of exaggeration here and there.
The bulk of my work is in a free-standing sculpture form, much of which is two dimensional. I also enjoy making one dimensional trees in a frame.
Most of my trees are limited to 8 – 14 inches in height, , (20 – 36cm).
How they are made
Most of my trees are made with industrial magnet wire. This is an enameled copper wire that
prevents rust. I also use enameled craft copper wire, stainless steel and aluminum wire.
Leaves are made solely of wire, in various configurations grouped in clusters.
Trees are mounted in unique ceramics that I buy from other artist, or on
rocks and natural wood. Most all trees will have exposed roots. I use exclusively Ash Juniper as it has a resin
filled center that adheres the wire to the wood when root ends are inserted into it. Furthermore, I only use wood
that has been rotting for a few years, yet still full of resin. I cut it into shapes and painstakingly
scrape off all the external decay and I am left with interesting contours, that I then stain and
seal. This can take as much time as making the tree.