There is very much a Southwest /Native
American feel to much of your work - where
do you draw your inspiration for your pieces? You are working with metals, flame and
solutions, etc… how do you stay focused
when you are working on a piece?
I grew up in northern Arizona and it completely
stole my heart. You know that song, “I left my
heart in San Francisco?” I may have lived there
for a while but in actuality I left my heart in
northern Arizona. I’m also a history addict and
have a library dedicated to the southwest, so to
say it has it’s hooks in me is an understatement. I
like to go back several times a year and it’s during
those times that I’m really able to absorb the feel
of the place, and in turn that fuels my creative
fire. It can be rugged, dry, and desolate, while
also being verdant and stormy. Monsoon season
is my favorite time to be there because you get to
witness the stark variations in the weather and
landscape. It adds an element of dimension and
contrast that you don’t get to see anywhere else. I suppose muscle memory and repetition. Sure,
fire is scary and hot acid sitting on the bench is
something to be avoided, but it’s all part of the
process. It goes back to the hard rules of
silversmithing. Always know where the end of
your torch is pointing, don’t play fast and loose
with fire, know where the fire extinguisher is,
wear a respirator, etc… Once all of that becomes
muscle memory and you take it seriously, you can
move beyond it and get to work.
Is it more difficult to do a custom order, or to
do something from your imagination?
It’s just a different process for each. With
custom pieces there’s a level of anxiety that the
client will be unhappy, or it won’t look like the
image they had in their head. For this reason I
usually choose to respectfully turn down requests
for very specific items, pieces that are unlike my
aesthetic, or pieces that are far outside my skill
level. I do however like the collaboration aspect
of custom orders, and being able to bring to life
an idea that a client has. When I make my own
pieces the difficulty is usually in the design
execution. Sometimes I’ll try something new and
aesthetically it just doesn’t work, so it goes into
the scrap pile. Other times the design is a hit and
the piece generates custom pieces that spin off
from it. It’s all a risk, and with time and practice
I’ll be able to more accurately pinpoint why some
things work and why others don’t. The fun part is
in the fiddling and figuring it out.
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THE CONE - ISSUE #15 - 2018