Experiments
I enjoy all sorts of art. One of my real passions is to be a fountain maker. I also try to make sculptures and even dabble in woodworking. I call this section "Experiments" because it is where I will document some of my other projects that do not fit into the digital art or photography sections.
Hypertufa
For the last couple of years or so, my wife and I have been working with hypertufa. Hypertufa is an anthropic rock made from various aggregates bonded together using Portland cement, or more simply, manmade tufa. Tufa was utilized throughout history to produce great architecture, sculpture, and even jewelry. Hypertufa is a very interesting medium for the novice, and is available in places without natural tufa deposits. Our works have mainly been trial and error, although we have finally started to produce things lately which can stand as works of art on their own. In the coming weeks, I plan to update this section with images of some of our more interesting tufa sculptures, as well as posting a brief tutorial based on lessons that we've learned from our experiences. There are other hypertufa tutorials on the web, but very few from an artistic vantage point. Working with hypertufa reminds me of the sculpture classes that I took at U.A.B. in that my instructor constantly emphasized that certain things "were not possible with clay". Well, it seems that most people feel that certain things are not possible with hypertufa and that is just not the case. Certain things may be more difficult to create, but that does not mean they are not possible. Almost every tutorial on the web focuses exclusively on making garden related things like troughs or stepping stones. I have managed to find a few examples of artists who use hypertufa to make incredible artworks. There are a few links at the side of this page to keep you busy if you are interested in what can be accomplished with hypertufa, plus a little patience and creativity.
Last update: 5/24/09
