I live and work at my rural home, Runestone Vale, in the Lanark Highlands of rural eastern Ontario, Canada.  I gather most of my raw materials in nearby forests - shed antlers of deer and moose,  old roots and driftwood, oddly shaped branches of saplings.  My friends and neighbours have been great in passing on found antlers and wood to me.  I also have a small supply of ancient mammoth tusk, found in Canada's northern Yukon territory.  This is a rare and beautiful but limited resource, so I use it sparingly.

By working intuitively, letting shapes and images emerge as I carve, I feel that I'm drawing out hidden faces and forms from the organic nature of the medium. A piece of antler or chunk of wood becomes, for me, a spiritual doorway to the imagination. 

Since I took up sculpture in 1982, I have worked to merge a modern approach to art with traditional skilled craftsmanship.  I was an accomplished  woodworker before I got into carving.  After becoming comfortable with wood carving and sculpture, I turned to working with shed antlers.  There was no one about to teach me this art and I could not find any books on the subject.  So I taught myself, picking up new tools as I needed them, devising techniques and skills to suit my personal style.  As I had learned to do with wood, I let the natural features of the antler guide my hands.

 For two decades I have continued to study, learn and innovate.  I now employ a combination of traditional and modern carving tools and techniques.   My special methods of finishing antler carvings, using natural pigments and oils, are the product of years of effort and experimentation.

  

    Intrilligentsia

    Hanging wood sculpture,  Maple burl

    Height:  10 inches / 25 cm

I have worked as a carpenter, a writer and editor, a retail manager, a tradesman....  During these years I took numerous courses and workshops on carving, sculpture, fine woodworking, photography, and graphic art.  Eventually I was able to make a living from artwork.  I hope to pursue this profession enthusiastically, continuing to hone my skills, until the my end of days. 

My art is a combination of old and new, of ancient traditions and imagery mixed with contemporary sensibility and conceptualization. 

Being of mixed ancestry, I am inspired by the folk cultures of many lands.  My strongest influences are Norse myths and carvings; Celtic art and legends; Slavic designs and folktales; and the spiritual traditions of native North Americans and shamans worldwide.

Common themes in my art include: Tree magic and tree spirits.  Runes and Norse gods.  Ancient goddess imagery.  The Green Man and other forest guardians. Animal spirit guides and shamans.  Fairy folk, elves, forest sprites and garden goblins.  Wizards, witches, and wyrd.  Fantasy creatures inspired by literature such as Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" and H.P. Lovecraft's "Cthulhu" tales.

What do I create in my studio?  Pendants, pins & other amulets.  Statues & hanging sculptures.  Masks, full size and miniature.  Rune staffs.  Knives, functional, decorative or ceremonial.  Dioramas and other artwork that defies easy description.

All of my work is based on the concept  of art as a universal language, a way of communicating feelings beyond words.  I hope you enjoy exploring my artwork!

Forest Lord, found wood,  20 inches H.                       "Moe" Hawk, shed Deer antler, 1.75 inches H.

Artist's resume'

Rune staff, upper detail, carved from a tree found with its roots above ground,  full height of 78 inches