BIO:

At an early age, Richard was taught by his grandfathers; (one a builder and one a roughneck in the oil fields of West Texas) to use his hands and not be afraid to get them dirty. Thereby bestowing upon him the blessing and freedom to create with his imagination and his muscle.

Richard worked in several mediums but his love of metal dominated all others. His early works where best described by him as “Cut & Paste”. Only until he was introduced to Blacksmithing did he realize the full potential of the alloys he worked with. For 3 years he focused his learning in the area of architectural metalwork.

Only to realize that sculpture was where his heart lay. In 2006 Richard began working on a collection of sculpture dedicated to “Free Form Forging”.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“Working heated metal in a plastic state is the most satisfying and amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. When steel is at 2400 degrees it no longer protects itself. It opens it’s self to new possibilities. It speaks to me. I just have to listen and guide it. Sometimes with a heavy blow and sometimes merely a slight tap or lean of my weight. I learn something new about it each day.

My work is very dear to me. I touch every inch of it with my hands. I literally put blood, sweat and tears into each piece. I want the viewer to touch it as I have. And to realize that both the steel and I have gone through a lot to get to this point. Each piece has a story dealing with Life, Love, Death and Rebirth. Such are our lives. I hope to convey the correlation between the two. The work is organic and alive.”