I grew up on an 800 acre farm and my Dad and Mom infused me with a deep love and understanding of nature. In high school I had a biology teacher who was internationally know for his ground breaking work on imprinting in animals. I worked for him at the duck pond on his experiments and entered science fairs with my collection of sea shells and creatures.
Not interested or capable in sports, I started spelunking and scuba diving at 16. This interest in nature continued in college where I started out in marine biology. Quickly, this led to physical anthropology where I found I could study anything that interested me for the rest of my life and not declare a specific goal since the abiding interest in this area of study is the relationship of man to anything biological.
My interest inclined toward the primates and thus a doctorate and 35 year career studying the behavior, anatomy, and biomechanics of monkeys, apes, and man. All during this time I was interested in art under the influence of my teacher/mentor Edward Kenney and my father, a gifted artist in pen and ink and pastel, and a wood worker and builder of boats. It was logical that I should begin as a woodworker. Loving enormous sculpture and massive tools, I started making giant beds on a homemade monstrous lathe using tree trunks and chestnut spilt rail fence.
Then came iron. I was introduced to iron by two excellent blacksmiths about twenty years ago, and, as usual, had to have the largest and most heavy duty tools I could find or build. At this point... Bio in art