Biography of Stone Sculptor and Art Restorer

"A very successful bronze sculptor once said to me after finding out how much time it takes to make a figurative stone sculpture by hand "you don't value your time." It is precisely because I value my time that I spend as much of it as I do producing my sculptures. I value my time and my artwork and the integrity of individuality. There is no doubt he is correct from a strictly economic standpoint. It can be a real financial gamble to produce sculpture in stone and take those pieces to an art gallery or an art show and try to sell them to make a living wage to buy bread. But without risk and without pursuing self expression relentlessly I don't think life would be worth living. My career is taking off and it appears people are quite willing to own a stone sculpture or commission a wall relief and it emboldens me to continue reaching for the sky."

Painters and Sculptors I Admire and My Professional Resume

I frequently study the works of Rembrandt, Donatello, Bernini, Jean Antoine Houdon, Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, Jacques Caffieri, Antoine Coysevox, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Pisano's!

2001 Travel to Paris, France for classic drawing studies, life sculpture studies, historic monument study.
Various commissions 2004-2005.
2005 Restoration of Holy Family Group and all other life size marble sculptures at St. Mary's of the Valley, Beaverton, Oregon.
2005 Restoration of 4 Saints life size Portland Archdiocese.
Memorial sculpture commission 2006.
2005 Travels in Italy classic drawing studies, life sculpture review, historic monument study.
2006 Professional Development grant recipient from Regional Arts and Culture Council.
2006 Loveland Sculpture show.
2005-2006 Exhibition Attic Gallery, Pearl District, Portland, Oregon.
2006-2009 Countless Studio Restorations for private and commercial clients 2006-2009.
2008 Restoration and Installation of Sacred Heart sculpture, Life size at Sacred Heart Parish, Portland, Oregon.
2009-2011 Various private and corporate art commissions and restorations.
2011 Returning to Italy to continue my lifelong art education.

My Life as a Sculptor and a New School of Art

"I work with my hands everyday, sculpting, building things, making things and fixing things. But I am obsessed with learning and unfortunately am interested in almost everything. I study art history, materials, restoration, art conservation, the history of painting and sculptors from around the world, intensively. I identify with people who make things, fix things--our whole world is built and run by these people. I was born in Northern California in 1969. I have a 6 year old son.

I live and work now in Portland, Oregon. I've been sculpting since 2000. It might sound strange but to me sculpture is a form of writing in stone. It unfortunately can be a very personal language, an unknown alphabet, but there is a message there! I am a self taught stone sculptor and have done most of my work with a hammer and various chisels. My equipment is growing and I'm beginning to allow myself the use of grinders and pneumatic stone chisels, though only under limited circumstances. I believe the tools when used correctly can save you from unnecessary toil and today there is no doubt good equipment can help a sculptor invest a reasonable amount of labor into a work that cannot fetch more than a certain price on the market. But in general manufacturing art using technology bugs me quite a bit. On my early sculptures and stone carvings I invested nearly 2000 hours each into a group of statues all done by hand. How's that for a formal education!

I am still in the process of building my art career and find the challenges of doing so very great but rewarding. I divide my time between sculpting new pieces in marble and clay and doing sculpture restorations and art conservation for private, public, and commercial clients. I've had to take on the business aspect of running the studio as well which includes website building and networking. Not always what an artist wants to be doing but a necessity. I like to travel to Europe when I can to study the great works of history up close. My interests are growing to a wider variety of images right now and am planning new trips.

I am trying to build a modern stone Atelier here in Portland that is capable of producing great work from a team of sculptors and apprentices and strong enough to be a place for young talent to set as a destination for their art education. My hope is that I can provide a place for serious artists to work and live and also teach if that is the direction they've chosen. This is a lifetime undertaking. I wish everyone the greatest success! Talk to you later....