I was inspired to create this piece for the exhibition in celebration of North House and it’s founder, Mark Hansen, whom I met in a row boat several years ago in the bay on Lake Superior.

It seems that some activities give people license to dress in outrageous costumes that they wouldn’t be caught dead in under other circumstances.  Cross-country skiing is such an activity, and here in the north land we have many dedicated skiers that have inspired me with their colorful coordinated outfits.  This fella is quite happy that…

I enjoy spending time in the country and when winter lays its blanket of snow the light changes completely. I created INTEGRATION for Centennial Library with a summer scene and I wondered how it would fare under a blanket of snow and with the greys of winter. Winter’s Twilight is my answer. Comes equipped to hang on the wall.

I made several smaller pieces with only one deer and decided a mother deer with her fawns running at different speeds and with a backdrop of woods would make a nice piece.

While workshopping plans for the mini-golf course hole Catchin’ a Wave I made a smaller table top version. I realized that it would be a fun piece on its own, but decided to substitute ping pong balls in place of golf balls.

While workshopping plans for the mini-golf course hole Catchin’ a Wave I made a smaller table top version. I realized that it would be a fun piece on its own, but decided to substitute ping pong balls in place of golf balls. I made three versions, two of which are in private collections. Riding a Ray of Sunshine is the last of its kind.

One day while passing through a park I watched people playing with their little dogs who became airborne while running. I thought they looked so joyful and funny that it would make a good automaton.

Birdhouse is a whimsical take on its name. As the viewer turns the crank a cowbird chick greedily gobbles down everything its frantic adopted yellow finch parents can feed it; a woodpecker climbs up the wall; and blue birds fly overhead. Created in 2011 with the help of a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant, Birdhouse has been on display in several public venues including: Landmark Center (St. Paul), Science Museum of Minnesota, and in 2019 was part of an eight month-long automata exhibition at the Science Museum Oklahoma. Birdhouse is looking for a permanent home!

My intentions with The Nose Knows was to create movement in a figure 8. It took some experimentation and some sleep, as I woke up one morning with the mechanism clearly in my mind. Originally, my plan was to conceal the mechanism, but upon seeing how interesting it is I replaced the top with a glass surface instead.

Dragons represent a primordial force, one that with the flip of a tail can create tidal waves. I wanted to produce a movement both sinuous and mesmerizing. It a few tries with different types of mechanisms before I found the right one. Additionally, I love to carve scales and this creature has thousands!

A bit of a play on words. But then again, if space continues in all directions for infinity, you are at the center of the universe. Comes equipped to hang on the wall.

I used a scissors-like action to thrust the bird out of the jaws of a smug looking dragon but not fast enough to escape his grasp. This piece was featured in the 38th Toys Designed by Artists, a juried show at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Team Work is an exercise in repetition. Figures make wave as they reach up and push down levers.

After creating Wake Up and Smell the Roses (for Him) I felt it was important to have gender equity.

Monkey Man was inspired by my experience studying mask carving in Bali, Indonesia. He is a clown and my alter ego. His short stubby blond hair is reminiscent of when I wore my hair short and it would stand up on top.

Wake up and Smell the Roses humorously reminds up to take time to smell the roses while we still can. It also doubles as a cremation urn for when the time comes that we can no longer smell the roses.