Welcome.
This is where I get to tell you about the things that interest me. I’ll
start with sculpture. It all started a long time ago at Teachers College, where
the art course included some elementary woodcarving. I did more while teaching
in Papua New Guinea, but on returning to Australia began experimenting with
power tools to increase the speed of my work. I now do all my shaping with power
tools, including chain saws, but the fine finishing is necessarily done by hand,
with no short cuts.
I have been influenced by the sculptural ideals of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and the organic forms of the Art Nouveau period, but my real interest is in the concepts of ‘simple quietude’ and ‘elegant simplicity’ that underpin much Japanese art. I have also been involved in taking the interwoven decorative style of the Celts into a truly three dimensional outworking. I use mainly salvaged wood, and marble from the nearby quarries at Chillagoe. I don’t chase exhibitions, though I have held a few solo ones at Bungendore Wood Works, Australia’s premier wood gallery. I have been fortunate in entering art shows, where I have won over 40 awards. But generally I avoid the art world, and just enjoy creating one-off pieces in the workshop I designed and built.
Here
I am in the workshop, with Rachel, the first of eight apprentices I have trained,
in the background. I developed the air hood, that feeds filtered air to me as
I work, from an old hair dryer, and the work bench has a hydraulic lift device
included. I enjoy developing tools 
and
techniques that work for me. I also have enjoyed writing articles for ‘Woodcarving’
magazine, mainly about tools and workshop issues. I strongly dislike the fashion
for offering designs for others to copy, though.
My other interests are quite broad and varied. I have built my own home, seen under construction here with my wife Ruth on the roof. I also enjoy bushwalking, and the next photo shows me with a friend hiking on the nearby Lamb Range. I am actively involved in local environment groups, and go tree planting most weeks.
When
I took up sculpting as a career in 1990, I realised that I could become very
isolated in my workshop, so have maintained contact with people by becoming
a volunteer counsellor, then training as a Gestalt therapist, and more recently
training as a mediator. I also read widely, and host a monthly discussion group
that meets for intellectual stimulation. I have a particular interest in the
ideas of Robert M Pirsig, and the thought of Ken Wilber. I have joined the Diamond
approach to spiritual development originated by Hameed Ali, and also meet weekly
with a community building group. I have a garden full of tropical weeds, about
all that will grow next to the rainforest, and I also grow Louisiana Iris as
a hobby.