Apartment Therapy

One of my Stabiles, "The Answer," is featured on the blog Apartment Therapy.
Pretty cool!

Aloha

Here is a great photo I received from a satisfied customer in Hawaii. The mobile overhead is titled, "Joy," and judging by the smile in this child's eyes it seems to be living up to it's name. Today I'm sending a similar piece to a customer in Brazil, I hope they are just as happy with it!

Home Concepts Magazine

I was recently contacted by Home Concepts Magazine about my mobile The Flow. Home Concepts is a Singapore based publication focusing on homes, gardens, architecture, and the art world. Apparently, they were interested in featuring my mobile in the, "Favourite Things," section. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

One of my first....

This is one of the first mobiles I made with the intention of giving it to someone else. Up to this point, I had really just made them for myself because it was fun, then gave them as gifts after the fact. This time, I had the client in mind...my mom. It still hangs in her home today, some 5 years later.
The piece is made of aluminum wire with paper shapes. The paper is white on one side, blue on the other. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have made some of the shapes much larger. However, the, "client," seems very happy with it and won't let me change a thing. I did later make a piece with larger shapes that was similar to this called Branches, you can see it in another post. Feel free to contact me if you'd like a similar piece.

Serpentine Motion

I know I've posted this image once before, but it serves as a good example of the "serpentine" motion most of my mobiles perform. Because the separate elements of the piece are linked with one another directly (instead of hanging freely as from a string) they cause a chain reaction of movement when stirred. This effect can be mesmerizing and is carefully considered during the design of most of my work. I really like the cause and effect relationship the elements have on one another. This chain reaction of movement is known as "serpentine motion" due to the resemblance it bears to a snake's undulating body. Keep in mind this image moves quickly in comparison to the normal slow and gentle movements of my larger mobile pieces, I only show it here to better illustrate the mechanics of my work. For more information, feel free to email me at artinhighplaces@charter.net.

Reaching from Switzerland

Here are some images of a "Reaching" mobile made in many colors. The images were sent to me by a client from Switzerland to show the piece installed in its new home. If you have similar images, please feel free to email them to me at:
artinhighplaces@charter.net

My Methods

I'm often asked about my techniques and construction methods. In response, I'll explain that in most cases I keep my work as clean and simple as possible. Most of my work includes no glue, welding, nuts or bolts. Just simple shapes and bent wire. A good analogy to me is music, anyone can make simple sounds, but arranging the sound into something musical is an art. Have you ever really listened to "Moonlight Sonata" and heard how simple it is? Yet it's a great and enduring work of art. I strive for the same simplicity and beauty of form in many of my hanging mobiles.

If you would like to discuss a new project, feel free to contact me at artinhighplaces@charter.net.

Branches

This is an image of one of the first real "art" mobiles I ever made. I just couldn't stop once I started. This is actually a really small piece (less than a foot tall) but it can easily be scaled up and I've made a few like it in larger sizes that weren't photographed. Because of its complexity, the cost of a larger version would be around $300. Feel free to contact me if interested in commissioning a similar piece.

The Flow

This is my favorite piece. I sold the first wood version of this mobile to a woman in the UK, and have since worked with clients to make versions of "The Flow" in several materials and colors all across the US. I also sold one to the art director for the movie "Gigantic" starring Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel, with Ed Asner and John Goodman. It's supposed to be in the film, but I haven't seen the movie yet to know if "The Flow" made it to the silver screen or the cutting room floor.
Made of quality Birch plywood with a polyurethane finish, one side is stained slightly darker than the other to add interest as it swirls and twists. The size of this piece is 24 x 36, but it can also be scaled easily. In wood, the piece sells for $365. I also can make it of PVC plastic sheet in various colors for $295. Email me at artinhighplaces@charter.net for details.

Pen sculptures

I was going through some old files and found these. These are more little pieces I did for a charity auction. The idea was to take all the junk that was lying around the office and make something out of it. I kept finding old pens that didn't write anymore and liking the styling of them, noticing that they looked more like they were made by NASA than Bic. So, I assembled all kinds of pieces and parts to make these futuristic looking aircraft/spaceship things. They turned out very well, and were a crowd pleaser. Now, I keep my eyes open for these kinds of parts and pieces all the time and squirrel them away until I have enough junk (and ambition, and time) to make another piece.
One of the images shows a collage of the piece itself, along with some silly PhotoShop work I did to give it more interest during the auction.

Joy

Joy is one of my most popular designs. I've sold versions of this in Germany, Italy, Taiwan, and across the United States. The major appeal of this piece seems to be it's simplicity of form and the color combination. Made of stainless steel and EVA foam sheet, this piece is 24 x 33 and sells for $155. Contact me at artinhighplaces@charter.net if interested.

Flambeau

This is a whimsical little piece I made that kind of evokes, "speed." The original was made in galvanized wire, but I later made a copy in stainless for a cleaner shiny look. It's a silly little mobile that would look good in a boy's race car bedroom. The original is only about 12 inches tall but it can easily be scaled up.

Positive Curves

Sometimes, the process of discovery and creation is almost as fun as the finished product. The pieces of this mobile are all cut from the same sheet, the top three pieces are the "cutouts" from making the bottom four pieces. I love the fact that I'm taking the negative spaces from between these lower parts and using them as positive spaces on the top. Hence the name, "Positive Curves" for this piece.
The size of this one is 24 x 30 and it sells for around $140 in that scale. The material is PVC plastic sheet. I've made this in several sizes and colors, blue seems to be a favorite (perhaps because it gives it a nautical feel) and red is also popular (flames?), but my favorite is still black. Someday, I'd like to try it in Birch plywood.

Barnstormers

When I was a kid, there was a sailboat mobile hanging in my bedroom at my father's house. I used to lay on the top bunk and blow gently on it causing it to spin slowly as I was falling asleep. Years later, when I had children of my own, I thought back to how much I enjoyed that mobile. So, I decided to make one of my own for my kids. This is an image of that mobile, with airplanes to match the bedding my boys had at the time. I don't make many mobiles of the "stick and string" variety like this anymore, but this one opened the door to a new and exciting art form I hadn't yet explored.

Tangents

I like the different feel of this piece. "Tangents" is all about defining a point in space. Are the linear elements pointing to the wood sphere, or glancing off the red circle? I loved geometry class in school, so maybe this is my homage to that. For some reason, this design seems to appeal to the west coast.
This is a mixed media piece, consisting of PVC sheet, EVA foam, and wood with steel connections. Size is 17 x 30 and the cost is $135.

Recyclone

Recyclone is kind of a novelty, but isn't all art? This piece came to be after I installed a new window blind in my home. The blind is made of "faux wood" slats and was too long for the small kitchen window in which it's installed. So after removing a larger portion of the slats from the bottom of the blind, I found myself with some interesting raw materials and this mobile is the result. Recycled art anyone?

Orbit

Here is a funky little piece that almost formed itself out of discarded parts from other designs. This piece can be made in various colors and is made of stainless steel and EVA foam. A smaller design, it's only 12 x 12 and costs $80.

Automata

When I was a kid, I couldn't rest until I figured out how things worked. I loved taking stuff apart and making new things with the stuff I found inside. I especially get a thrill out of making something out of nothing, creating something unique just by bending wire for example. A while ago, I started making these little wire creations with moving parts just for fun. At the time, I had never heard the term "Automata" but have since realized it's a well established art form. It might be hard to tell from the photo above, but when you crank the tail of the sculpture the wings flap. I donated this piece to a charity auction and was later commissioned (by someone who was outbid!) to make similar pieces. I'll probably make more of this type of thing in the future. Below is a photo of one of the commissioned pieces. In this piece, there are two human figures that move as if they are rowing the shaft that causes the wings to flap. There are also two sets of wings that rise and fall at different intervals, and tail fins that move from side to side. Though these are not mobiles, they are fun kinetic art!

Sprung

"Sprung" is a mobile I had kind of forgotten about until a friend saw it hanging in the corner of my workspace and inquired about it. I originally made is as a scaled up version of my mobile titled, "Tucson," but after completion I wasn't sure I really liked it. I donated it to a charity auction and it brought in more than I thought it would! It never ceases to amaze me how much I can underestimate a piece until others see it. I'm sure that's a common problem for artists, and I'm no exception.

Circle Tree

These images are of one of my more vertical pieces (meaning taller than it is wide). Normally, I like to try to stretch more horizontally with my mobiles, defying gravity. This piece, however, is more suited to a tall confined space like a stairwell.
I've shown it here in two styles to give you an idea of how my work can be customized. The size is 24 x 36 and it's made of stainless steel and EVA foam shapes to keep it very lightweight and provide lots of movement. The cost is $165. As always, feel free to email at artinhighplaces@charter.net with inquiries.