I started sculpting when I was fifteen. Unlike most creative types, I didn't have any strong desire to produce art. But one afternoon I was playing with a lump of clay and a face emerged in my hands as if by magic. Apparently my hands knew something my mind didn't know.
It wasn't until college that I made the commitment to sculpture. I consumed art books the way other students consume beer and pizza. (I consumed a lot of those too) After college I went to work at a foundry in Berkeley, making lots of other people's art. Eventually I developed a technique of my own and started experimenting. I would cast several pieces out of wax and model them while the wax was still warm. The successful pieces went on to become bronzes. The failures were melted down and made into something new.
I've done all sorts of sculpture, but figure work remains very compelling. For me, the female form is one of the most ancient and archetypal subjects. Sometimes between projects I'll lose the desire to create or I'll get confused and feel 'lost'. I find that going back to the female form centers me and inspires me forward again. It's like, 'Okay, back to the beginning.'
For me, these women are the essence of the creative spirit itself. They are my muses, passive and introspective, quietly asking to be created over and over again.