Born in a small town in North Carolina; the only sculpture I saw as a child was the Confederate Soldier outside the County Courthouse. A chance opportunity allowed me to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra when I was around twelve, an experience which opened my mind to the whole world of art.

Training
At university I studied both art and biology. With botany I focused on how plant communities evolve which informs my sculptural practice today. In my art training I was fortunate to have studied with first-generation Bauhaus- trained professors from New York such as Bert Carpenter as well as sculptor Peter Agostini; one of the Abstract Expressionists.

Early sculpture
During these years I made my first bronze casting with Herk Van Tongeren who later ran The Johnson Atelier where I was an apprentice in 1979-80. The Atelier was a sculpture institute built on the Renaissance model where major sculptors had works cast into bronze with master craftsmen running the various departments.

As an apprentice I was able to work on projects with Nancy Graves, Beverly Pepper, received a personal thank you from Georgia O’Keefe and was selected to head a team working with George Segal. In 1981 I immigrated to New Zealand to help set up Art Works sculpture foundry after meeting David Reid. I took the scary step in 1989 of working full time at making sculpture, teaching workshops, props-making, and jewellery design, tutoring in sculpture at Manukau Institute of Technology (1995-6) and establishing the Rock and Foam Department for The Lord of the Rings in Wellington (1999).

Exhibitions
I have been exhibiting sculpture and drawings since 1979 with six solo and many group shows here and overseas. My work is held in The British Museum, London; The Weatherspoon Art Museum, USA; The Auckland Museum; The James Wallace Trust and Zealandia, Mahurangi.

Memberships
I am a Member of Medallic Artists New Zealand; The Auckland Drawing Group, NZ Artist’s Alliance, Federation Internationale de la Medaille, (Paris); and Tri-State Sculptors (USA), and The International Sculpture Centre (USA).

Commissions
Commissions include: Rata/Pohutukawa Descending, 280 Queen St. Auckland; NZ Olympic Academy, Leonard A. Cuff Medal; The Arts Foundation of NZ, Governors’ Medal; XXX America’s Cup Medal; Genesis, a courtyard sculpture in Hobson Gardens, Auckland.

Sculptures have recently been included in: Shapeshifter 2008, Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt; The Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens 2007-8; Brick Bay Sculpture Park, Matakana 2007-8; Objectivity, Percy Thomson Gallery, Stratford, Taranaki 2007; Sculpture Onshore 2007 & 2005; Zealandia at Mahurangi; Tawharanui Art in the Woolshed 2008, 2006 & 2004; Sculpture on the Gulf 2005; Growth Industry at Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens 2005.

I live in Auckland with my wife Bunny and our two children Bella and Jack.