Projects

Andirons, 2005, Mild steel, Private Collection, Memphis, TN

The andirons are 37 inches tall and weigh 93 pounds each. There are 87 hand-forged rocks at the base of the andirons that fit together like a masonry wall.  Hand-forged “critters”, such as a salamander and a frog, inhabit a floralscape.

Grahamwood Dragon, 2004, Mild steel and copper, Grahamwood Elementary School, Memphis, TN

The Grahamwood Dragon was commissioned by the Parents Association of Grahamwood Elementary School in Memphis, TN. It was a collaborative venture. Grahamwood students, under the direction of their art teacher, Ann Kling, made drawings of dragons, the school's mascot. Museum metalsmiths used the students' dragon drawings to create a master drawing.

The elementary students used the technique of repousse to create designs on 1,500 copper foil squares, which were used to create the scales of the dragon. This wondrous mascot was installed near the ceiling of the school entry to greet the students and visitors. Not only were they chasing a 45' dragon, Metal Museum staff metalsmiths - Jim Masterson, J.R. Lodico, and Adam Hawk - modeled, hammered, and welded it into shape.  The skeleton of the creature was fabricated and welded on site.   

"Grammy" was unveiled for an overflow crowd at an open house in October 2003.

Confluence, 2002-2003, Steel and copper, Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Memphis, TN

Designed by Dolph Smith, a poem by Kay Lindsey is forged into the ribbon-like metal that represents the river flowing along the mezzanine of the Cannon Center.  The work mimics the passage one takes through a performance.  The viewer can never view the work in its entirety, just as one cannot see ahead or look behind during a performance.   Confluence is 120 feet long and 10 feet tall.  It is placed into the wall, so that its depth reaches four feet at certain points along the artwork.

Dome, 2001, Forged Aluminum, Private Collection, Memphis, TN

The dome is 12 feet in diameter and 6 feet tall with a five-foot tall weathervane.  There are 348 forged elements in the dome, including leaves, scrolls and other decorative elements.