Blat, 2002 plastic squeaker, rubber. steel wire 3 x 2 1/2 x 3/8" Photo: Doug Yaple

My pieces are evidencof an ongoing experiment of combining concepts with materials. Processes like sand casting iron and forging/melting/banging around/melting then forging fine gold give varied results that, as they coalesce, create a mysterious tension that fuels my interest. Objects taken out of context and used as ornament have the same effect on my desire to design a wearable piece that makes me laugh. Often these bits require interaction, further enhancing the experience, such as the squeezable squeaker stolen from the dog's toy and transformed into a blatting broach. My reverence to object making plays a tug of war with my irreverence toward craft and convention, resulting in a body of work that is defined not by materials or techniques, but by concepts.

Transmitter Series, 2002 cast iron, sterling silver 1 1/2 x 1 x 1" Photo : Doug Yaple