Retirement has been such a fun time to explore art. Aside from a rough first year due to a major shoulder injury and then a terrible kidney infection and surgery, I've enjoyed having the freedom to make art.
Here are some recent projects from 2024 and 2025:
Vessel, using twisted cane and a merletto pattern. I took a glass class with Jon Capps during spring semester at The Ohio State University. The focus was on cane techniques. I learned so many new techniques and had a blast.
This is a 2 ft X 4 ft oil painting I completed this week. I had been working on it since July 2024 - using three-hour open studio time slots at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. It’s based on a photo I made from Schnormeir Gardens in June 2024. There is a five-acre pond full of beautiful koi, and you can feed them from a shaded pavilion at one end of the pond.
This is a small Bill Luce bowl that I worked on for an exhibit/auction honoring his legacy. It was on display in 2024 at the American Association of Woodturners Symposium.
The 2024 solar eclipse passed through Ohio. I always enjoy making photos of these spectacular events. This is my version of Bailey’s Beads, as totality started..
2025. Collaboration between Andi Wolfe and Bob Rotche. Cherry, glass, acrylic paint. 15"H X 8.5"W X 6.5" D. There are 307 flame-worked pieces of glass.
This was a fun collaboration. Andi did the initial turning and shaping and then sent it to Bob to do his magic (detail carving and painting, stand construction). Meanwhile, Andi worked on the glass for about 14 weeks - one or two 3-hr sessions each week. After installing the glass, Andi did some final painting to add iridescent highlights on the back.
This will be in the AAW Auction June 13, 2025.