I literally start in a sandbox, in a spirit of meditation and play, of non-verbal (or pre-verbal) experience. I press my hands, arms, legs and feet into casting sand, imprinting the expressive energy of the body directly into the mold. I also draw in the sand, recording the speed and arc of various movements. I then ladle molten bronze (at 2,000 degrees) directly into the hollows created by the body. The immediacy of the flowing metal and the happy accidents that occur in the process are an integral part of the work, making each piece unique.

The quality of spontaneity continues as elements are juxtaposed in free-association collages and welded together. When I need a three-dimensional curve, I whack the bronze with a heavy mallet until it looks right. Even the large Hand Plants are assembled improvisationally. I may start with a rough idea of what the finished piece will look like, but this invariably changes as the sculpture is assembled. Once the welding is complete, a hot patina is applied, and the finished piece is then waxed to stabilize the patina, and bring out the color and texture.

I am fascinated with the possibilitiy of pushing bronze in new directions by combining the ancient tradtion of bronze casting with the modern tradition of fabricated metal sculpture. My sculpture has a sense of lightness. The impressions seem to float. Hand Plants push up and reach out into space. All this is in marked contrast with the weighty tradition (both literal and metaphorical) of bronze sculpture.