The ways in which we live are reflections of our values.  Our houses, yards, churches, and workplaces are like portraits.  Lifestyles that are constructed to satisfy desires, become reflections of our attitudes and beliefs.  In this series of works, commonplace domestic objects such as pillows, toy guns, beds, and rocking chairs become meaningful translators to portray my desire beyond the mundane.   I hope to elicit a range of viewpoints, ranging from absurd to contemplative.
 
I will admit, that some of these sculptural dioramas are personal longings for higher status, and easier routes to fulfillment, peace, and happiness.  Simultaneously, while in contrast, many of these pieces are meant to be satirical criticisms of the frivolity, excesses, and cruelty of some in our society.  The miniaturized scale of these sculptures helps them to read as hypothetical “what-ifs”.  The intention is to present these ideas in a way that portray thought balloons; like fleeting images that have formulated in my mind as an attempt to compare and contrast my efforts at home-building to the efforts of others.
 
“Home-making” has been a consuming motif (ambition) for the past 15+ years of my life.  When I reflect on my responsibilities as a husband and father for creating a home; it’s much more than the provision of walls and a roof.  I see an obligation to provide an ecosystem of vital components that work together to provide and instill certain values to my children, my wife, and my community.  Home-making extends into the way we treat our land, the food we eat, our relationships to neighbors, our understanding of God, our transportation, our entertainment, how we spend time together, and so on.  Over ther past 15 years I’ve been slowly repairing and renovating our log house with very limited resources of money and time.  In addition, my wife and I have also been very busy trying to provide food for our family by gardening and raising animals.  This type of work, (which involves much sweat equity and the relearning of lost traditional skills) often challenges me to question the value of such work.  Our practice of “home-making” compels me to cross-examine the values that are inherent in the ways in which we live, work, and play.