"The medium from which an original sculpture is snapped has varying degrees of importance in it's emergence to final form. For me, this rich desert wood has always had a place of equal". He was first introduced to desert Ironwood through the stylized form of the Seri Indians. It is a deep rooted acacia that produces lovely purple flowers in the sprint. It grows along washes throughout the lower elevation of the Sonoma desert Arizona, CA & Northern Mexico. These sculpture are the result of many years of collaborative effort between artisan friend & himself in Sonora. They begin with wood that is long dead & often hundreds of years old. They develop a figure from photographs, models film & importance in it's emergence to final form.
"For me, this rich desert wood has valuable wood in an efficient and effective way, chipping it down to a workable shape with a heavy hatchet because of it's density & homogeneity, it works a lot like stone, resulting in many similar techniques, including the use of rotary tools with carbide bits, chisels, files and sandpaper ranging from 60~6-- grit".
Roman has an especially good feeling or movement & character. Ultimately Thomas bring them to his shop for the final detailing & finishing. His appreciation in the miracle of diversity of form in animals has deepened with each year. They hope each piece does justice to the wildlife and to this beautiful work.
