THE PROCESS
DIGITAL FOUNDATION: NEURAL SKETCHING
My process begins in a high-performance digital environment powered by NVIDIA RTX architecture. Utilizing Stable Diffusion and custom ComfyUI node-based workflows, I architect the geometry and kinetic balance of each piece. This phase ensures that the final physical sculpture—though birthed in fire—is rooted in deliberate, engineered intent.
Material Transition: The Artisan’s Bench
Where silicon meets substance. Blueprints architected in the digital environment of AI are translated into the physical world here, at the workbench.
This stage is a nod to my heritage—a lineage of blacksmithing in the Armory at Harpers Ferry during the Civil War.
Amidst hammers, anvils, and traditional metalworking tools, the high-tech "neural sketch" begins its transformation into industrial-grade copper at the intersection of cutting-edge innovation grounded in old-world craftsmanship.
Workbench Photo: Pending Friday Shoot
(Silicon to Substance: Laptop & Tools)
Action Photo: The Torch
(Breathing soul into intense oxide blooms)
Elemental Fire: Painting with Heat
Forged in the flame. The final character of each piece is dictated by intense thermal energy. Using a 5,000°F torch, I perform a process known as "fire-painting"—manipulating oxygen and temperature to draw iridescent oxides directly from the copper’s surface.
There are no pigments, paints, or dyes involved. The flame becomes an alchemical crucible , breathing soul into intense oxide blooms that emerge as deep violets, electric blues, and molten ambers.
This is a permanent record of the metal’s encounter with the heat—a moment where the precision of the digital foundation meets the raw, unpredictable power of the element.
Kinetic Balance: Depth & Motion
The moment of resolution. This is where the fire-painted elements are brought together in a delicate mechanical dance. Utilizing the balance points calculated during the neural sketching phase, I hand-assemble each piece to ensure fluid, perpetual motion.
In this final assemblage, the work transcends its material. It begins to play with its environment—casting shifting shadows and catching light in ways that a static sculpture never could.
The result is a piece that is never truly finished; it is a living testament to the harmony of silicon, copper, and soul, continuing to evolve with every passing breeze and change in light.
Final Shot: Motion & Shadow
(The completed kinetic dance)