I have created many metal sculptures in relief because I do show often indoors. At times there is more wall than 3D space, so it feels like a necessity. They are suitable for showing both indoors and outdoors because the materials and construction are so durable.

The reliefs reflect the development of my abilities as a metal artist, and the tools and machines to which I have had access. Many early reliefs make heavy use of aluminum rods as a scaffolding foundation, onto which colorful curly metal is attached. On the other hand, some feature the use of found objects as a background on which metal is mounted. I used these objects for background because of either the color (e.g., “Art on a Cutting Board“ [2007], texture (e.g., “Art on a Basement Door,” [2006]), or character ( e. g., “Art in a Drawer” [2007]) they lent to the other metal.

Later, as I focused more on developing my welding skills, you see more raw aluminum, cleaned up and solo.

As I had more opportunity to use a plasma cutter (a high voltage electric cutter which uses compressed air to blow out the cut metal, resulting in a faster, quicker, and more varied cut) more often, first at Silvermine and later at my own studio, I “went to town” cutting.(See “Silhouettes” and “Ghilie Suit” from 2010.) “Tributaries” (2010) was created at that time, for a show commemorating the 350th anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing up the Hudson River. I used Google Maps for a rough map image of the River with all of the tributaries that feed into it as inspiration and cut most of the map into the metal using a plasma cutter.

The reliefs are fun for me and they lend themselves to collaborations with Interior Designers and Decorators. I’m a collaborator at heart, and have over 20 years of experience as a health care professional, so I’ve had plenty of practice working with others to get a job done.