SPECIAL PROJECTS
I'm a big believer in the power of YES. I have at various points in my career taken on projects out of my comfort zone knowing I'd figure it out.
There have been times of doubt once I was in but I pushed through those thoughts to make a successful ending.
There have been times of doubt once I was in but I pushed through those thoughts to make a successful ending.
2023, The "Big Project"
In 2021 I got an Instagram message asking me for a quote for 180 wall columns. Assuming it was spam, I let it go.
Then I got a second inquiry and decided to look into who the sender was and sure enough, it was legit!
Long, long story short, I commenced on the biggest commission of my life in March 2023 building 180 wall columns for a Four Seasons in Scottsdale. Here is the process in images:
Then I got a second inquiry and decided to look into who the sender was and sure enough, it was legit!
Long, long story short, I commenced on the biggest commission of my life in March 2023 building 180 wall columns for a Four Seasons in Scottsdale. Here is the process in images:
These are the 4 designs chosen by Four Seasons to be replicated for 45 residential units
This is a model of the proposed dining room housing 2 of the 4 columns
I hired a great carpenter to build the 180 wooden columns, 72" x 4" x 4". He would deliver every Sunday and I'd start by priming them
The surfaces were painted in acrylic and I created images to collage by making linoleum block prints
Two of the four designs featured "inclusions" which were vintage cigar molds and boat shapes that I made in the woodshop
Most days were spent painting, painting, painting.
Finally the day came to ship them out! I hired Craters and Freighters out of Detroit to build the crates and ship.
I will post installation photos when I get them
2009 and 2020, Book Cover Art for Poet Kate Gleason
In 2009 and again in 2020 I was asked by Poet Kate Gleason to make the art for her covers
2016, Album Art for Fates Warning
In 2016 I was honored to make the art for Fates Warning's twelfth album Theories of Flight
Me with the Band! Fates Warning was one of the nicest clients I've ever had. Rock on!
2012, Cover Art for Poet Dan Gerber
Cover art for Dan Gerber's Sailing Through Cassiopeia, 2012
2001, 2002, Set Design for University Musical Society and Peter Sparling Dance Company
Because of University of Michigan rules about photography at the time, production photos for this are sparse.
I was hired in 2000/2001 by my friend Peter Sparling (to whom I am forever grateful) to conceptualize and design the sets for a major opera and dance production. Because of my background in Classical Archaeology and Landscape Architecture plus being a painter, I felt fairly equipped to do this but never having done anything at this scale, I enrolled in Theater Design at University of Michigan to take a couple of courses and I went to the Stratford Festival in Canada to take a 4 week prop building workshop. I needed to understand how things are made for the stage in order to create a set of construction drawings for the prop building team in Ann Arbor.
I was hired in 2000/2001 by my friend Peter Sparling (to whom I am forever grateful) to conceptualize and design the sets for a major opera and dance production. Because of my background in Classical Archaeology and Landscape Architecture plus being a painter, I felt fairly equipped to do this but never having done anything at this scale, I enrolled in Theater Design at University of Michigan to take a couple of courses and I went to the Stratford Festival in Canada to take a 4 week prop building workshop. I needed to understand how things are made for the stage in order to create a set of construction drawings for the prop building team in Ann Arbor.
As is my process with painting, I start with making notes and little sketches to begin the thought process. I also made a large to scale model which helped tremendously.
These are various photos from the Prop Shop. I created a full set of "construction" drawings for all the props and made paintings for the drops
which were all hand-scaled up to theater size by John Copley's incredible crew at UM. I loved these days of entering into a really magical new world.
which were all hand-scaled up to theater size by John Copley's incredible crew at UM. I loved these days of entering into a really magical new world.
Sadly, all I have in terms of performance photos are these rehearsal shots. As I have come to understand, theater is an experience to be enjoyed in its moment.
Two years of work for a couple of hours of beauty is totally worth it as long as it resonates later. And it does.
Two years of work for a couple of hours of beauty is totally worth it as long as it resonates later. And it does.
And the cherry on top: my sets and name mentioned in Opera News. I have to admit that was unexpected and kept me going for days!