"For Star Wars fans, Calif's Yoda statue is a mecca"

So states the author of the Associated Press story, Mr. Garance Burke. Great story. Great coverage too. That story is running across the nation and around the world. I had no idea when I sculpted Yoda, that he would be placed on a fountain, designed, by the way, by world famous Landscape Architect, Lawrence Halprin, and then be placed in front of Lucasfilm's corporate offices, and then become a... well, a "mecca"?

The piece was done out of love of the character, and look what happened. I had just come off of a major injury, a broken leg to be specific, a thousand pound clay statue had fallen on me... it almost killed me. But that's another story. The point is that I wasn't having a lot of fun sculpting BEFORE the statue fell on me. I had been involved in the highly emotional journey of sculpting "Officer Down" and the "California Firefighters' Memorial". These had taken their toll, both mentally and physically. They were hard work. Don't get me wrong, I was honored to do them and they were Huge commissions... its' just that I needed a break, not the kind that hurts though.

After I mended, I decided to do a couple of pieces for fun... to bring back the joy I got from sculpting someone and something I loved. First, I sculpted a fountain of Joan of Arc, modeled after my wife, Elizabeth. I depicted her as the young maiden, drawing water from a well and spilling it out while receiving her vision from God, a directive to become a warrior and save France.  I know, I made Elizabeth a saint, cast her in bronze, and put her up on a pedestal...

Well, the next project just had to tap into my love for Star Wars... and Yoda. He had been my inspiration to go into sculpture to begin with... such admiration and respect for him I had. My friend, Han Park, a collector, had approached me about doing a sculpture of the Jedi Master, and I couldn't resist. We gave one to George Lucas... and, as they say, the rest is history. Be careful when you give one of the most creative people in the world a gift! He obviously had plans that eclipsed anything I could've come up with...

I honestly don't know what my life would have been, not having Master Yoda in it. His influence, charm, wisdom, presence and spirit have graced the years I've spent with him. A Friend he is... yes.

Hampton Virginia Celebrates 400yrs With a 21'tall Monument

Elizabeth and I just returned from Hampton, Virginia. The crab cakes and oysters were phenomenal! What a trip.

On the 9th of July, the city unveiled their 400th Anniversary Monument. The city was founded in 1610 and is the oldest continuous, english speaking community in America. We met with the Committee and were later taken out for a day on the town by our host, Jim Wilson. It didn't stop there. The next day we visited Norfolk and the Battleship USS Wisconsin... that was special as Jim's father served aboard her during WWII. He donated his Officer's Saber to the ship's museum. Then it was dinner and drinks at the hotel with Jim and his lovely wife, Liz. We stayed next to the old city wharf, which is also where the statue is located. It had been installed by Tom Schrey from Artworks Foundry the day before we got there, and needless to say, that all went well.

It is my first monument on the East Coast and I must say, I am one proud sculptor! Thank you Tom, Jim, Liz, Erin, Mike and the wonderful citizens of Hampton!

Welcome to my new website!

Hello and welcome to my new website. This is all new to me and so far it has been quite an adventure, figuring out the tools, placing images, etc. Let me say Thank You to my daughter and web manager, Casey. As if she doesn't have enough to do already, working on her Phd in Cognitive Science at Northwestern University, her old Dad has saddled her with this. She is busy educating me in the Cyberarts. It is not easy... I've been drug from my analog world kicking and screaming, and subjected to the modern world of web design, widgets and all...

I digress. 

My career started in 1973, when Noble Studio opened in Houston, Texas... my, what a journey. When I started I had absolutely no clue that my career path would lead to sculpture. It seemed two dimensions weren't tough enough! Anyway, a picture tells a thousand words. These images tell my story. They are the visual record of my journey and I hope you find them interesting...

I'd like to take a moment to thank some of the brilliant photographers involved... Han Park, who goes by his Korean name, Pak Han, Rob Sheridan, Roger Arvid Anderson, Steve Wilson and Javier Barbosa. These guys do what they do and in the process, my work shines. Thank you!