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 dating back to the Armory at Harper's 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.
THE METALSMITH'S HAND
Hammered and Forged
While the 5,000°F torch provides the color, the form is won through traditional metalsmithing. Once the copper is annealed by the heat, I move to the anvil. Working with a worn collection of hammers, pliers, and saws that echo my family’s blacksmithing roots, I hand-work the metal.
Every curve in a stabile or kinetic mobile is the result of thousands of intentional strikes. This is where the digital plan meets physical resistance, and where the 'Silicon' truly becomes 'Substance' through the rhythmic, time-tested language of the forge
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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 nerual sketching phase, I hand-assemble each piece to ensure fluid motion in mobiles, and spectral diversity of wall sculptures.
In this final assemblage, the work establishes a material presence. It transcends its bonds and begins to play within its environment - casting shifting shadows and catching light in wholly new and different ways that a static image never could.
The end result is a piece that is never truly finished; it is a living testament to the perpetual harmony of silicon, copper, and soul, continuing to evolve with each passing breeze and viewing angle.
