Hotel sign

Fancy Beer Cooler patina

Beer cooler for bar

Wedding gift for a Russian

Some honest art. Inspired by an amazing little man.

Mirrored celling

This was not a project that I personally worked on. Five members of the Scathain family tackled this tall order. The end result is nothing but perfection and beauty.
The antiqued mirrored ceiling is a Scathain gem. Each tile hand cut and mirrored at our studio. It now lives in a room surrounded by original big named art and my home town hero,  John Wilde.
Wilde was an artist from my home town. I was introduced to him at a young age. I always looked up to him, respected him and apprecieated his passion. To walk into that room and know that the creative collective that I am a part of made something beautiful that stands in the greatness of Mr. Wilde along with  the French poster guy and the other dude that made some pop art, ran a factory, and helped some band that liked bananas and heroin.
Living the dream.

Pizza Man chandelier

This was one of the first projects that I was given creative freedom with the finishing. I wanted the bottle rack to look like it was salvaged from the ashes from the original Pizza Man location.
Its such an honor to work with an object that is so beautifully crafted and designed. We truly have the best resident black smyth at Scathain. Each day I learn something new.

Big project

We have been fortunate to work on the interior of the Beloit Iron Works Hotel.

Something Wonderful.

Gantry Patina

I was given the challenge of working on a gantry crane that is over 100 years old.
The crane was salvaged from a foundry in Beloit Wisconsin. It now stands at a local hotel.
The crane was finished through. A traditional patina process.

Tribute.

4x4 feet. Acrylic, pastel, wood carving.
I think this is the start of something new.

Motivation.

You taught me how to believe in myself again. You are blood, my unconditional friend. I will miss your phone calls on your drive home from the shop...or the guess what cuz that always ended in I love you. Your smile, your life and generosity moved this world in a better direction. You taught me the difference between a 63' vet and a 65' by age 9. High octane gas, 45's and old HotRod magazines take on a new meaning without you. I love you.

Stage 1.

ArT CoN 7, DAllas Texas

A

Taking it back

Taking it Back. A painting I did on Pine. Its acrylic and charcoal sealed with polyurethane. It symbolizes my scattered thought process when creating art.

some new triggers

I will NEVER make things for a CRAFT fair.

I found myself lost for a moment in my art last week. I wanted to make something for Evansville. Something that reflected my home in a positive light. I fell short and I could not break out of my box. I failed and found myself at my bench looking at something horrific.
The font is nice and so is the color, but not my style and lacks creativity. I am going to give it to my mom for a late May Day gift.

The Rich Bureaucrat that Stole Josh Filers Cardboard Mustache

I finished it TODAY! This cast iron head has been haunting me for 2 years, at least. The motivation to finish it came after an email I received from my elementary school art teacher informing me that her position was being terminated. One year before retirement.

I thought that this was fitting for the show that is being planned back home in the Evansville Public Library. Hopefully they will hang it. I will admit that it is not my best work but the idea behind it is more important.

PS. I still have a lot of passion for Evansville and the school district. I give them a lot of credit for my ability to be a free thinker and constantly push for success. My only problem is the new administration that is currently in place and the lack of integrity. Evansville is a 4-5+ generation community. It prides its self on family farm operations, artist community and progressive environmental projects. We thrive because of our small town values and belief in the greater good.
I would hate to see that change because of a new school philosophy.

NEON

Reference pics.
I have been collecting them for a few years now.
I have had a fascination with vintage neon my entire life and it has been a major inspiration for my art.

Metal Casting

* The little man is called "Patty Pat Caught in the Act." it is made from aluminum. Wax, Ceramic Shell. (2006)

* Mask "Tribute to a Burning Bush." Iron, Wax, Ceramic Shell