Archive

17 Jun

Posted at 19:18h in by
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“Megalodon” is the ultimate apex predator. Emulating the elaborate action-figure play-sets of my youth, this piece appears to be a Shark from a distance. Closer inspection reveals it to be a vessel, part submarine, part spaceship, teeming with the activity of its crew working at their respective tasks. This project began as a salvaged wing fuel tank from a F-94 bomber plane, and thousands of other lovingly hoarded, and hand crafted objects. The final effect is of a “Grand Miniature”. The viewer is both dwarfed, and empowered in its presence. Please watch the video above for a more full experience.

I’d like to thank:

Ken from Universal Metal Polishing for helping me put the shine on this thing.

Christopher Potter for this video, and some of the photos.

Arthur Gould (My Dad!) for the eerie soundtrack.

If you’re looking for a shorter version of the video, you can find it here.

29 Apr

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The Gaslight was originally designed as a pirate vessel. The ship would surface near land, in foggy conditions and mimic light house signals in order to attract oil tankers, then attack and drain them. The design was so effective it was later adopted by oil companies as a low cost alternative to drilling, and eventually the Navy for diplomatic purposes.

27 Feb

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I’ve had this unfortunate little preserved blowfish (sometimes known as “balloon fish”) on a shelf in my home for years. During a recent bout of “Oh man, what am I going to make now?” I had the inspiration to develop it into an airship. In hindsight, I can now say that blowfish is among the most challenging sculpture mediums I have attempted to work with.

30 Oct

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This image of two creatures struggling over the same goal is a metaphor that you can apply to whichever futility you personally engage with the most. They were assembled from salvaged aircraft struts, but their design also owes something to the freight cranes that dominate the horizon near the Port of Oakland adjacent to my studio.

05 Jun

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Oxygen flow meters painstakingly converted to mechanical solenoid power provide the eyes for this piece. The brass face plate was textured by hand with a process known as engine turning.

05 Dec

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In many homes it is common to have a drawer, typically in the kitchen, where random, seldom used, utensils are jumbled together. If these conditions are left unattended for too long, “Utinsects” can form, breed, and eventually overrun a household.

23 Feb

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Parlorgeist is the living spirit of all of the obsolete machines in your house. Beware his hypnotic dance as he attempts to lure you into the same complacency that long ago sealed his fate.

06 Feb

Posted at 18:58h in by
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This is of one of three dioramas that were commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium for their exhibit “Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes,” opening April 12, 2014. This particular piece illustrates the impact of habitat destruction on the Cuttlefish species.

06 Feb

Posted at 18:59h in by
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This is of one of three dioramas that were commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium for their exhibit “Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes,” opening April 12, 2014. This particular piece illustrates the impact of habitat destruction on the Cuttlefish species.

06 Feb

Posted at 18:59h in by
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This is of one of three dioramas that were commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium for their exhibit “Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes,” opening April 12, 2014. This particular piece illustrates the impact of overfishing on the Nautilus species.

30 Jan

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At first this creature reminded me of Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars. Later I started to see it as more of a sort of Genie or spirit.

15 Jan

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Mandolinsect’s title is derived from the reclaimed mandolin that forms its shell. I’m pleased with the way the creature evokes images of many different known life forms without quite fitting any particular description. It seems it could just as likely live on land as deep under the sea, or another planet for that matter.

07 Nov

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Cycloptopus is a fearsome hybrid of two of my favorite monsters, one real, one mythical. This creature is particularly dangerous because of its irritability. You’d be irritable too if you were powered by an open flame and your body was made of wood.

06 Dec

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This piece was commissioned to resemble my earlier “Firefly” sculpture. It is rare that I can accomplish this, but I was able to scrounge up enough of the raw elements necessary to pull it off.

  • Firefly #2

04 Dec

Posted at 16:08h in by
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This piece was commissioned to resemble my earlier “Treehugger” sculpture (last image in this series). It is rare that I can accomplish this, but I was able to scrounge up enough of the raw elements necessary to pull it off.

07 Nov

Posted at 20:27h in by
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This piece was designed around an aluminum fishing reel mechanism. If you watch closely you can see that the head travels in an up-and-down motion in addition to the rotating tentacles and eye.

08 Dec

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Having carried the name Nemo my whole life, I have come to identify with the anti-hero Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s 20,000 leagues under the sea. This is the latest in an ongoing series of works that portray this character as he faces his greatest foe: the Giant Squid.

08 Dec

Posted at 23:08h in by
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I tend to think of these little dioramas as scenes from the (imagined) films in my head. I enjoy these pieces because they provide a context for the characters that I’ve made, rather than stranding them alone on a pedestal.

30 Nov

Posted at 18:16h in by
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This piece is a memorial to all the brave monkeys of the early days of the American space program. There were four “Alberts” who died in our rockets. Eventually a monkey named Yorik lived through the ordeal.

12 Dec

Posted at 22:34h in by
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The Narwal has always been one of natures more peculiar creatures. This one is portrayed as perhaps a little more menacing than they would appear in nature. I think all of the bad news pertaining to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill of 2010 may have “leaked” into my consciousness while making this piece. The waves seem slicked with oil, and the creature itself seems equipped to have caused the mess. Maybe it wasn’t our fault after all.

12 Dec

Posted at 22:32h in by
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Here is another simple entry in my ongoing Octopus series. Significant in this one is the use of a peacock feather for the eye. An old idea I am just now getting around to implementing.