The Ripples series seems to have been destined to happen in 2017 in reaction to two different forces of influence. Mid summer I received a voicemail from a lady seemingly in a bit of distress. She was grieving after the death of a dear friend and expressed concern regarding a collection of steel rings her metalworking friend had accumulated over the many years from a line of work he did in his metal shop. I was very busy with some portable work at the time and a couple of days went by before I returned the call. 

She was relieved to receive my call and immediately stressed how important this was to her and that time was short, since the shop they were in was being cleaned out to be sold. Inaction on my part would result in these rings being sent to the scrapyard. Her genuine concern for the rings that meant so much to her friend added to my normal instincts to jump at opportunities to appropriate inspiring raw materials. 

As arrangements were made for me to retrieve the rings, I suddenly realized a prior connection to these exact rings. The shop belonged to Nick, an acquaintance from long ago 

that had actually attended one of my open studios in the early days of my artful activity. He strolled casually and took in the metal work. He was quite complimentary of the body of work and expressed his admiration for the large spheres. This type of compliment from a fellow blue collar type always boosts morale. 

Nick was a local metalworker with a good reputation for his craft. His shop in the town next to me was close to the road and there would often be activity there in the evening. I stopped by on a few occasions for small talk and Nick seemed like the type that was always looking for a better mousetrap. One of the products from his metal shop was a line of wood stoves and dampers that was known to be very efficient and these rings were “shop drop” from that process. It was a considerable collection in three different diameters. 

He spoke of a long desire to use the rings in something sculptural and straight out told me that he came that day to see if I would explain my process in creating the spheres. I typically shy from these conversations as I feel that the biggest enjoyment from the hundreds of spheres coming from my studio is the satisfaction of putting in the time to discover a technique. He was understanding and even with his enthusiasm, he shared that his vision was unlikely to 

manifest and he outright offered the collection to me on the spot. 

I expressed my gratitude for his thoughtfulness and generosity and then suggested that he make an attempt at the creation of the sphere to the point that he eventually gave up. Then, some time later to make a second attempt. If he did this and then decided to drop his desire I would gladly accept his gift. He said he would consider the concept. That was the last time I crossed paths with Nick and this phone call was the first I had heard of his passing. Then I learned that this lady had accompanied Nick on that visit here. What a turn of events. 

The majority of rings had been put out of harm's way well underneath a heavy duty work bench. Bending and reaching back to grab a fist full in each hand, I then carried the rings through another room to my van. I soon had visions of these fine rings as spheres with a range of expressions, just as Nick had suggested. During the ride home, I could not help but think of the parallels of this collection of rings and my knowledge, in part, of all that they represented. 

This thought quickly led to the connection with the gift of raw material bequeathed to me by a strong mentor, David McLaughlin. On the very day that David took his own life, he penned a letter to me with his wish that I carry on with the subject of spheres with these shear rings, in his absence. That wish was honored in 2014 with the indefinite installation of A Spirit of Its Own at the Portland International Jetport along Jetport Boulevard. 

The notion of two separate cherished collections of steel rings ending up in my studio to be used at my discretion seemed noteworthy. It was a topic that generated much reflection and consideration. These two gentlemen both exhibited a strong bond with not only the material itself, but for the potential they possessed in the right hands. This struck me with honor and just as I paid tribute to David McLaughlin with the prominent installation at PWM I had a desire to create a sculpture that would be worthy as a tribute to Nick. 

After much consideration, I conceived to create a large sphere with the 10” diameter rings and then to cut into that pattern to insert an arrangement of the 8” diameter rings and finally the same with the 6” rings. This created a pattern similar to what would be witnessed on a pond during a rain with the most recent rain drop creating the smallest ripples that cut into the larger ones progressively. The title of the series would be Ripples and it seems to speak well of the ripple effect of decisions in life and how interconnected we are. 

I salute the thoughtfulness of Nick and his friend for their heartfelt concern for the spirit that the rings possessed. Steel rescue is a major component of what I do as an artist and I feel it adds an entire dimension to the expression of my body of work. I have much respect for that type of person. 

To date two spheres in the Ripples series have found great homes in Maine and the concept for their creation is greatly understood and appreciated. How blessed am I??