Yoko derives her name from the model, Yoko, who has modeled for me for several other sculptures as well as this one. Other models I have used, not of Japanese ancestry, have had a much more difficult time sitting on their feet like this but it was no trouble for her.
Having first sculpted the work nude, it was several days later that I finally went ahead and put the clothes on this piece. During the preceding days before finishing it, I formed in my head how it would look completed. I would picture in my mind the unfinished sculpture and randomly shadow sculpt it, adding the finishing touches. When I entered my studio to finally finish the piece for real, I had a sense that something special was about to happen. I was also somewhat sad that I was covering the work since it looked so good already, undraped. The actual sculpting of the clothes took just 45 minutes. When I was finished it I sat there and stared in wonder and amazement at what I had just done. Although is was a nice clear day, through my windows the light in my studio seemed even brighter and more vibrant than ever. It was a breakthrough experience, a bench mark and one of the highlights of my sculpting career. The awards the piece won and successes I gained from it later, were anti-climatic compared to that day when I first created Yoko.
Year completed: 2004
Material: terracotta, cast in bronze
Dimensions: 19 inches high, 9 inches wide, 12 inches deep
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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.