One and the same

Is it just coincidence that the colors of my sculptures are virtually identical to the colors of the plants outside? And what about the wood? Well, that came from the large Lychee that I cut down that was growing about twenty feet away. And the forms? There are banana trees in the vicinity and roundish boulders in the stream nearby. If we allow ourselves to be influenced by our surroundings, half of the work of making art can be done for us.

I live in a tropical rain forest and my work grows out of the jungle that is my home. It seems that all my work is a collaboration of one kind or another. I let the wood come to me and I go to the wood, we meet somewhere in between. It is the same with the tools, the chainsaw does half the work and I do half the work. In every case, there is a meeting that takes place. The results of these meetings are like little fires being started. There is a combustion that takes place. I guide the process, direct the flow of activities but try not to take too big a role in taking credit for the results. If we are to be original artists, we must be true to our origins. When we fully belong to our time and place, we may be able to offer insights that give a truly different point of view. It is our birthright and our destiny to fulfill our potential as creative individuals.