My bas relief pieces are three-dimensional paintings, rendered in metal. I use the word “painting” rather than “drawing”, even though I do not use paint, because the reflectivity and texture of the aluminum allows it to take on the colors of its environment. By choosing materials in the environment that traditionally absorb light, but depicting them in metal, I bring the viewer and the spatial environment into the scene.

To create my bas relief panels, I create models using 3d modeling software and then machine them out of solid metal using industrial Computer Numerical Control (CNC) processes. I use my programming skills to direct the carving tools in very specific ways to generate a wide variety of textures and depth, from the tightly rendered to the fully abstract. I often draw lines by hand that I then project onto the topography to control the precise motion of the carving process. In some pieces, I anodize the panels after machining to impart them with a single color, and then machine back into them in order to reveal the silver underneath.

I use Western and Eastern landscape painting traditions, the views from my home, and geometric studies as inspiration.