About

A middle school teacher by day and a mad scientist by night, I fabricate robots from vintage items like a modern day Dr. Frankenstein of junk.

Inspired by garage sale excursions with Mom and tinkering in the garage with Dad as a youth, my earliest work began with clocks, lamps, and furniture. However, flipping over a teapot one day and imagining the spout as a nose and the lid as mouth began my obsession that eventually led to the Adopt-A-Bot orphanage.

My robot sculptures do not take a critical look at social, political, or cultural issues. I simply love the adventure of finding and collecting new objects and the problem solving involved in assembling those parts to create unique personalities. My enjoyment continues as smiles emerge on the faces of children and adults challenge each other to name the various parts that they recognize from their youth. To that end, I try not to render objects unrecognizable but rather assemble in a fashion that allows others to enjoy the original engineering and artistry of the parts that inspire me. If I do have a message or a wish, it would be for people to think outside the box and find new ways to use old things.

Discovering vintage items while digging through piles at flea markets, yard sales, and the metal recycler is as much fun as the creation of my little friends. Once collected, organized, and carefully selected, the objects are combined like the parts of a puzzle using only bolts and rivets to secure them. Made from various materials, many pieces could not be combined with welding or brazing, but even when they could I like the challenge of finding ways to bolt them together. Bolting rather than welding also lends itself to the idea that these figures could at any moment come to life and begin moving. Before the final assembly, parts may be scuffed, polished, left in their natural state or given a patina using various methods depending on the look I want to achieve. Once finished, each is given a hand-stamped tag to identify them as members of the Adopt-A-Bot orphanage.