"If a child in a city grows up with a landscape of skyscrapers and neon signs, then I grew up with a landscape of bronze sculpture and brightly painted canvas. As a child, I was able to wander galleries hung with art created by some of the premier artists in the world. At home, I watched my father and stepmother create art, a business, and a lifestyle. As I grew, I helped my father run ceramic molds, mount bronze on marble, and polish silver. In the Tobey household, nature was as much a part of life as art. Perhaps one would not exist without the other. As a result, I chose a college not only for its academic prowess, but also for its outdoor setting. Western State College of Gunnison, Co. is where I spent four years exploring mountains, rivers and went to school and finally decided to become an artist. I chose sculpture as my emphasis because I so admired the bronze process, but mostly because it is my favorite art form. To me it is on a different level from all other art forms because of its physical interaction with everyone that sees it and touches it. The subject matter that I am currently exploring is a combination of figurative studies combined with wildlife. Because as apart as man is from nature, it is only in nature that I feel as if I am a part of something bigger than myself."