The Best of State award was commissioned in 2001 following my first place finish at the National Sculpture Society sculpture competition in Philadelphia. The main thought behind the piece was to create a beautiful, uplifting sculpture and that when people saw it, they would want to have the award for themselves.
To create this piece, I first did several quick clay sketches. Once one of the sketches was decided upon, I made a much larger version using a male model, who was a dancer. I then did a final version free hand without the model so I could adjust proportions according to how I felt the design needed to look. The original precast sculpture is more muscular, but a lot of it gets removed during the polishing process. However, the polishing gives it a great look as a prestigious award. This award is given at a special ceremony to the top businesses in many different fields in Utah each year.
Year completed: 2002
Material: bronze
Dimensions: 12 inches high, 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep
Availability: This was a commission to create a specific award
The human form is my subject and I use it to present my thoughts, my dreams. Themes that I like are anything that enobles man and messages that bring hope, or a renewal and an appreciation of life itself.
One of my dreams is to travel the world, sculpting all different cultures in their natural surroundings capturing the uniqueness and beauty of the human form.
I have created many sculptures and hope to create many, many more.