Autobio

Growing up, much to my mothers chagrin, I would take things apart to see how they worked. I eventually got to where I could put them back together, also. After a stint as a physics student at Trinity University, I decided that I loved bicycles more than science and went on to become a partner at one of the most successful bike shops in South Texas.

Through home ownership and needs at the bike shop I expanded my repertoire to carpentry, woodworking, plumbing, electrical, and electronics. In 2013 I took a welding class from my now friend Randy Schwartz and it opened a whole new world for me. Randy got a gig to make a backpack for the dancers at Seaworld that would open up like a peacock and asked me to design the mechanical parts. In December of that year a friend asked me if I knew anyone who did art that incorporated bicycle parts for a show at the High Wire Gallery on Josephine Street. It sounded like a challenge to me, so I told him that that I would give it a try. My first show ever was very successful and Cindy Palmer, gallery owner, has been kind enough to keep inviting me back.

When you build things, usually you have to wait until the need for that thing arises, then it has to perform a specific function with design being a secondary consideration. The wonder of art is that you can build something whenever you get inspired and the sole function is to look as cool as possible. The one concession I made to functionality was to add lights internally to my pieces. They are designed to add ambient or mood lighting to a dark or dim room, not primary illumination. Although my work is referred to as “lamps” by a lot of people, I prefer “Illuminated Sculpture” because that sounds more expensive!