Having been raised in central Wisconsin among the woods and bluffs, I was afforded ample opportunity to explore, observe and interact with wildlife nurturing what has become a lifelong fascination with, and connection to animals. Some of my favorite childhood memories involved animals of one kind or another. The fawn I bottle-fed at a wildlife rescue, the rabbits I raised and even the cougar cub I was allowed to hold purring against my chest were spiritual encounters that touched and inspired me. Even the books I read as a young boy were those told by and about animals. My love for nature and its creatures was paralleled by an innate and almost visceral need to draw and paint. I was fortunate to have parents and an older brother who nurtured my talent and interest from the time I could first hold a pencil and brush. It wasn’t until I was completing my MFA in painting that I began a serious pursuit of sculpting, which opened a whole new world for me. I found that I could bring a depth and breadth to my subjects through sculpture that I missed when creating two-dimensional art. Whether it’s capturing the motion of a running wolf or the almost human-like expression of a lazy rabbit waking from a nap, my work has evolved to a whole new level through sculpture. Plus I can encourage people to touch, hold and have a tactile experience with sculpture that I couldn’t with my paintings.