Why Bull Kelp? Bull kelp is a fast growing annual which provides nutrients and habitat for a multitude of species; growing up to 2 feet a day and as tall as 80 feet. The blades (leaves) follow the movements of the ocean and originate from the ball-like bladder which rises towards the surface of the ocean. The holdfast (roots) is a gnarled mass and anchors it to the ocean floor. I love the freedom I have to interpret my subjects in copper in various ways creating new forms and effects. For this piece, I found great joy in crushing the metal and pulling it through my etching press multiple times. I manipulate the folds between each pass until the resulting abstract relief patterns hold my interest. The copper is pulled though the press again; this time with the master linocut design of the Bull Kelp followed by additional hand-tooling and hammering to define and add texture. Each member of the series is unique; this is #15 and I still have so many more ideas to explore in this series.

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I have been very busy in my studio as I continue to explore my “Ammonite Assemblage” series with several new works. There is an amazing amount of variety in the textures and shapes contained within the chambers of these fossils. Their spiral shell is a perfect design element; often referred to as the "Golden Mean" or Fibonacci curve.  Examples can be found in nature and echoed in all of my artworks. They are relatives of the nautilus as well as my favorite the octopus. They existed 240-65 million years ago and were so very numerous but departed along with the dinosaurs.

A long time ago, while traveling through the Southwest I started noticing that the cacti and other succulents had similar aspects of design as the corals and plants that inhabit reefs. I will be exploring this series more in the future.

This is #39 of a numbered edition of only 40. One of my most difficult series ever and I am almost done! I admit to recycling quite a bit of copper in my quest to finish this numbered edition. I didn't have to, but I hammered the background behind the Pacific sea nettles and added glimpses of them on the textured copper frame as well. My original inspiration was from an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. These guys floated and danced in their pool-cue blue tank. They are able to propel themselves by moving the water with their bell. They have no brain, eyes, ears, backbone or heart but I found that I still love them!. They returned my advances by making it easy for me to envision them in my artworks. My first sea nettle series sold out and this series only has three left. I have one other edition based on this same nettle as well as one on moon jellies too. I am now sort of obsessed with the lion's mane jellyfish. It has a bell that is over 7ft in diameter and so very many tentacles but I think to do it justice it would need to be close to lifesize to represent what it must feel like to be in their presence. Maybe someday... ​