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The Orator"At first, it was only the eyes I could track, deep, watery, and of a midnight hue, darker even than the feathery blanket they peered through. The raven blinked, hopped toward the cold charcoal of last night's fire, and scooped a piece into his beak. There was no tilting of the head as to swallow; after the first unpalatable bit was cast aside, another was scooped and cast in the same fashion, four or five times before I realized what the raven wanted, my oatmeal." Josh Boling Brazed copper 60" x 30" x 23". -
Death of the Poet LaureateUnknown Bird "Out of the dry days through the dusty leaves far across the valley those few notes never heard here before one fluted phrase floating over its wandering secret all at once wells up somewhere else and is gone before it goes on fallen into its own echo leaving a hollow through the air that is dry as before..." March 2019, Environmentalist, poet, W. S.Merwin died. His poetry awakened in me a relationship to nature, opened my eyes, inspired my work. I mourn his passing. -
QuerentThe querent was designated as the one who questioned the divinator. Today, divinators are our scientists and politicians who seek knowledge by means most of us do not understand. I would like to believe that they who for-tell a challenging, bleak future because we have responded acting too slowly to reverse global warming could be wrong. A plaited copper sculpture, progressive change to patina is the result of the interaction of the copper surface with the environment. 96" x 24" x 17" -
Huggin and Muggen"Hugin and Munin fly each day over the spacious earth. I fear for Hugin that he come not back, yet more anxious am I for Munin." In Norse mythology, these ravens sat on the shoulders of Odin, the raven-god. Daily, each flew the world, exploring, listening, and reported back to Odin each night. Hugin represented thinking. Munin represented memory. Plaited and brazed copper. Heat patina. Each raven is 30" x 25" x 15" -
BalzacI always admired the power and sensitivity of Rodin's sculpture of Honore de Balzac, defiantly aloof, his cloak tightly wrapped around him, observing French society and commenting on its activities. I can easily imagine an eternally stoic, great horned owl unmoving except for the occasional twist of its head, observing, recording, and reporting on the world that surrounds him. Unlike Rodin's bronze Balzac , this observer of nature is plaited, woven, and brazed copper. 50" x 22" x 29 -
Wooly CatepillarWooly Caterpilars transform into the Isabella Tiger moth. According to folklore, the greener the patina on a bronze wooly worm in the fall, the harsher the coming winter will be. In Maryland, a traditional copper green patina will generally become whiter as it ages age except when near saltwater when the salt in the air will push the surface to a deep blue/green crust. 25" x 10" x 9" -
Barn OwlBarn owls nest in abandoned or little use buildings often situated near open spaces. Generally considered nocturnal, they can occasionally be seen out during the day in nesting season hunting to feed their young. Plaited and brazed copper 48" x30" x26". -
Bole No.16I never remove a tree altogether, always choosing to leave a bole, a stump of 5' to 25'. I enjoy watching the bole slowly mature, peeling off layers like an ecdysiast it reveals its inner self while providing nutrients to the soil, beauty to the landscape, and a home for insects, birds, and mammals. This plaited copper bole began life as dusty, red-orange copper. The patina constantly changing the color evolves guided by the metal's interactions with the environment. 40" x24" x30" -
Bole No. 9 on log nurseryThis plaited copper bole (tree stump) began life with a red-orange coppery surface. The patina arrived at its present umber-sienna state, as part of a natural progression guided by the coppers interactions with the local environment. 38" x 18" x 15" -
Atomic SnailSlugs and snails are a constant in my woodland garden. I attempt to control them by encouraging the local toad and bird populations (song thrushes love to eat slugs), yet the snails and slugs persist to the point where I am sure they are wearing a microscopic suit of chainmail and armor. Plaited and brazed copper with a constantly evolving patina. 24" x 17" x 18"
