Inspiration

Inspiration

Once a Found & Altered piece is sold, it goes out into the world on it’s own and for the most part, I never see it again. All that’s left (if I had the wherewithal to take photos) is its provenance (its history)—an image to remind us of the novelty, beauty, or ingenuity that made the piece desirable.

These are the creations that have gone their separate ways. I hope these images will enthuse, inspire, and spark something entirely new inside you.

On a side-note: I’m always willing to create custom pieces as well. So please let me know if you’d like to work together on something fascinating.

Altered Tins Soft Sculpture Wearable Art: Necklaces Wearable Art: Earrings Sculptural Lamps

Alien Transport

My very first altered tin project.

Inside the Alien Transport

Inside the Alien Transport you can see where the Alien sits comfortably whilst manning the ship.

Our Alien had it made with an olive wood control panel featuring leather backdrop and a concave viewport.

Back of Alien Transport

Beeswax, numbers, and hand-painted rust made up the back of the Alien Transport.

Traveling Alchemist's Kit

The great state of Texas was honored in this Traveling Alchemist's Kit by a gold star.

Traveling Alchemists Kit (Open)

Here we see the tiny bottles housed inside the traveling alchemist's kit which contain the four elements: Earth, Air ,Fire, & Water.

Inside the Traveling Alchemist's Kit

Ridges beneath the green velvet hold each bottle in place. Leather padding keeps the elements snug. And weathered wood adds a rustic, ancient look.

Elements of the Traveling Alchemist's Kit

Earth contains actual dirt. Water contains pure spring water. Air contains air scooped from above my wife's flower garden. Fire contains matches.

Warren was a three-wheeled gambling robot made from clock parts and an Altoids tin.

Warren Loves People

Warren is always reaching out for a hug.

Warren Wears a Beach Glass Crown

Warren's crown is made from a found piece of beach glass.

Warren is a humble chap, but inside he maintains the soul of royalty.

Close to His Chest

As a gambler, Warren always plays his cards close to his chest.

The MuseBot inspires and motivates. She is the harbinger of creativity.

MuseBot's Posterior

Here, the MuseBot looks out over her creative kingdom.

Her kind countenance encourages creativity of every sort.

MuseBot's Walking Stick

With her ancient sparkplug arm she holds tight to the leather-clad Hickory walking stick that focuses her creative magic.

MuseBot's Headdress

MuseBot's Headdress is her crowning glory. Her found jewel crown bursts with wiry colorful beads culminating in a peacock feather.

MuseBot's Front Wheels

MuseBot's front wheels are made from pulleys.

Musebot's Back Wheels

Musebot's back wheels are made from two radio knobs held together by a small wooden dowel.

Inside MuseBot, you'll find a garden full of peace and solitude.

Deep Inside MuseBot

The tree of life hovers just outside the garden where an ancient stone wall has crumbled amongst the moss and a woman begins to open yet another door, leading deeper inside.

Yin-YangBot carries all forces, light and dark, male and female, cold and hot, etc., etc. But most of all Yin-YangBot caries Lavender.

Yin-YangBot's Posterior

YinYangBot stretches out his/her arms to take in all the world has to offer.

From the side, Yin-YangBot seems so very narrow for one containing all the forces of the Universe. But each day he/she faces whatever might come.

Dark, Light, Male, Female, Lavender

Black lava surrounds clear white Quartz crystal while white pearls flank a Smoky Quartz crystal on either side.

The Yin-Yang symbol portrays balance between two opposites with a little portion of the opposite element in each. This balance and mixture create an inseparable whole.

Here we see the female or "Yin" side of the Yin-YangBot.

And here we see the male or "Yang" side of the Yin-YangBot.

Yin-YangBot's Silhouette

From the side we can see Yin-YangBot's amber backpack used for carrying spikes of Lavender.

Yin-YangBot's Balancing Rudder

With only two wooden wheels, Yin-YangBot needed a stabilizing rudder to keep him/her upright. A balled piece of copper electrical wire seemed to do the job nicely and elegantly.

Inside Yin-YangBot

What can I say? It's all there... the whole Universe!

My very first real tin robot.

Fun Facts about Camera Boy

Camera Boy's Inspiration came from a dream about a lunch pail.

The Glove-oodoo Logo

What happens if you keep finding gloves on the road? Introducing: The Glove-oodoo Series

Just look at that utility belt, will ya?

The Batman's Posterior

Again... that utility belt!

Steam Punk Soldier

Braced with surface to air missile launcher, goggles, and leather backpack.

Steam Punk Soldier on the battlefield

Spectacled and chomping on a cigar, he's got the grit to take on the enemy.

Made from hickory sticks, alpaca wool and special accoutrements.

Wiz On Mountaintop

Defiant to his last breath.

A shaman uses special tools to activate his magic.

The Witch Doctor's natural habitat.

The Executioner

A glove thumb with a distant stare and a copper axe.

The Executioner in His Element

His steely gaze knows no bounds.

Glove thumbs rarely have faces, thus his title: Weird Guy.

Weird Guy in the Nether Regions

"Dude... where the heck am I ?!"

Carl the Zombie

Carl is a seated zombie who gnaws on bones and has kickass boots.

Dad and Baby Mitten

A hand painted facial expression sets this Glove-oodoo doll apart from the rest.

The Dance of My People

Bamboo arms and legs and a hand-painted skull face make this Glove-oodoo doll... well, different.

No purer joy was ever expressed.

Look closely at the shattered landscape in the stone.

Two very opposite elements united with a hand-forged copper rivet.

A very rustic statement piece.

Pine needles pierce the stone in the center of what used to be a light socket.

Safety glass used to have a wire skeleton to prevent shattering.

Rainforest Jasper is incredibly beautiful. This piece created a contrast between beauty and industrial waste.

Olive wood is so beautiful it needs no embellishment.

These lines follow the natural pattern in the wood.

Biogeometric Lines Glowing

Glow-in-the-dark pigment powder gives the lines illumination.

It was a difficult feat to bend and hammer the wire after placing thru the delicate hole.

A Drop of Purple

A purple variety of quartz, Amethysts occasionally exhibit their hue in just the crystal's point.

A found piece of river glass is lettered E PIN. Perhaps a portion of "ONE PINT".

When light shines thru E PIN, the glass casts an amber hue.

A Question of Balance

Petrified wood, copper, and peridot swing together in this delightful contraption.

Petrified Mammoth Tusk

Only 4,000 years ago, Mammoths still roamed free in North America.

This Mortal Coil

All our troubles and burdens will one day end. Live your best before the shuffle.

Brass paired with aqua-terra jasper is a match made in heaven.

Machine Up Close

Some said it was part of a sewing machine, but it seemed far too heavy for that.

The Buddha in Ancient Bamboo

I once hollered from the back room, "Have you seen my tiny Buddhas?"

Steel & Glass 2

Found weathered steel with river glass. A very unlikely partnership.

Steel & Glass 2 Up Close

Light causes the edges of the river glass to illuminate.

A simple yet classy design.

The glass on this steel pendant swings freely, yet always points to the Bohemian glass bead beneath.

A perfect orb of moss agate is suspended in a found, steel, parabolic shape.

Industrial Breakdown

Red Jasper shares space with a broken shard of safety steel from a railroad trestle.

Industrial Breakdown Up Close

Corroded copper adds the aqua and teal shades that work in harmony with the other colors.

Above this brass and copper pendant is a small bundle of brass rods resembling twigs.

A found piece of brass lends its unusual shape to this beautiful Lapis Lazuli amulet.

Beauty Up Close

Found brass, olive wood, copper, and one of the most beautiful blue stones on the planet.

An ancient shard of blue willow porcelain appeared on the river's shore, so home it came.

Sunlight illuminates the edges of this thick, forest green chunk of river glass.

Saturn's Baby Posterior

Saturn's Baby from the backside (making it a reversible necklace).

Of all the shamanic amulets I've ever made, this might be the most delightful.

Amethyst, black onyx, and tiger eye adorn this homage to the Mother Mary whose face glows in the dark.

The sheared end of a brass bolt makes for whimsical contrivance.

Inspired by the smoky, undulating lines in Art Nouveau, this copper gadget ends with a tiny bead of turquoise.

Queen of the Nile

Dogwood, Eye of Horus, and a dangling quartz crystal make for fascinating amulet.

Made from oak and amethyst, this crystal glows in the dark.

Coral is from a living creature and is known as an organic gemstone.

Yin-Yang Ceramic

A found ceramic shard hand-painted with iron paint and allowed to rust.

Suspended beneath a piece of yellow pine, this raw chunk of sodalite is a vibrant blue inside.

Copper pierced stone suspends a piece of river glass that's been painted with rust.

This spinal column is made from found pieces of Dogwood

Vitality Amulet

Amethyst has the ability to rid the body of ailments of the mind, such as anxiety, stress and depression.

Thunderbird Moon

This stone, from the Congaree River, has been painstakingly painted with rust to form an ancient petroglyph. The leather cord is held in place by a piece of river glass from the same region.

Thunderbird Moon Up Close

Hand-painted with iron paint and allowed to rust, this image is permanently embedded into the stone.

Made from an old brass urn, this repoussé skull is made to hold herbs or cotton soaked with essential oil.

The tiny holes in the skull's forehead allow the scent to rise up to the wearer.

Skull Trap Up Close

Scent traps date back to the days of Cleopatra who often wore lavender in hers.

This beautiful slice of Dogwood is inlaid by a brass coil representing the Mayan Goddess of the Sun.

This dark piece features a burnt bone skull hanging in the center of a found piece of steel.

A polymer clay scarab beetle with embedded copper sits atop a ceramic pillow and terminates with a massive amethyst crystal.

Made to break into tiny squares, it would be difficult for safety glass to ever cut you.

Brass and copper hold this piece of rusty steel in check.

One of my most famous finds was the rim of a soda bottle completely removed from its host.

Reap the Whirlwind

Hosea 8:7: "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."

A raw opal is wired to a copper triangle with an array of radiant etchings stretching its length. (Beauty!)

A found seashell is surrounded and protected by sharp copper claws. The bale and stone choices are quite marvelous on this one.

In the heart of this piecs of beautifully sanded pecan is a pool of glow-in-the-dark pigment powder which glows blue.

Just a memory of when we used to collect aluminum cans back when the pull tabs were still made of steel.

Why name it "Why"? Why, because it's a piece of manzanita shaped like a "Y".

I found a piece of red granite at a creek that had a resemblance to Abe Lincoln. I almost threw it into the river, but changed my mind.

Leather, copper, dyed wine cork, and a brass-cuffed twig smothered in lichens.

Flaked by beautiful ceramic beads, this lettered olive is centuries old (note the hand-forged clasp).

Lettered Olive Up Close

Nature's own artwork lends authenticity to this rustic piece. Forging the metal after piercing the shell was a perilous endeavor.

Named for the perforated metal that came from a lawnmower exhaust cover.

Hundreds of copper tendrils bring this "jellyfish" to life.

One of my earliest attempts at found object jewelry.

A heart shaped chunk of manzanita has inlaid turquoise in its center.

Grandmother Up Close

You can almost count the years.

The core of a cypress limb from the Congaree Swamp enjoys its relationship with a piece of sandstone.

Sometimes the rings that indicate the age of a tree will separate into individual pieces. This one became a flume for black lava beads and a found meteorite.

A Celtic corroded brass spiral hangs beneath a cairn of river stones.

An African glass trade bead is flanked by shards of river brick. The oak driftwood holds Tektites (a form of natural glass).

Occasionally you'll find a wild hog's tooth. This one is surrounded by twisted copper with file marks to give it some character.

A dowel of manzanita sports a lightning bolt formed by wood burning and inlaying glow-in-the-dark pigment powder.

Lightning Bolt Glowing

Charged by a strong light source, the lightning bolt will glow for up to three hours.

This hunk of found steel held in place by copper could only be named Badass. Only a badass person would wear it.

Antler Smoke Balance

This recently unearthed jewel was for those who were ready to face great destiny, which is always hanging in the balance.

Shamans, magicians, and ancient pagans have known about the masculine power, strong intuition, and shapeshifting magical properties of the deer antler for centuries untold.

Antler Smoke Up Close

Combined with copper (a great conductor of energy), smoky quartz (a powerful grounding and balancing stone), and black zebra marble (considered a lucky stone which can reconnect us to our distant ancestors and ancient lost knowledge).

Anne Bonny came from Ireland to Charleston, SC around 1711. Anne became one of the most famous female pirates of all time. Her story is one of fierceness and a deep-seated need for equality.

Anne Bonny Up Close

Copper-clad beach glass a pearl and a shell from Edisto Beach in South Carolina, Anne Bonny's home state.

In 1869, six years after it started, the “Golden Spike” was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah symbolizing the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Three copper rivets keep this beautiful oak burl attached to the rusty steel that holds two citrine crystals.

Polynesian Moon

Inlaid abalone and turquoise beads harmonize in this piece with Polynesian flair.

The Dogwood gave him strength, protection, and a firm will. The Crystal aided in rapid healing, speed and agility.

Warrior Glowing

In the dark the crystal lights up blue.

Dogwood, freshwater pearls and hand-scored copper leaves make this a most natural looking piece.

Nature Up Close

All the delicacy and fragility of nature was captured in this piece.

Inspired by a Mayan ceramic stamp pattern found in an old library book, this wood-burned fish swims in the center of a choke cherry branch.

Coral is the fossilized skeleton of marine invertebrates. It is considered to be a guardian for travelers and the symbol of a safe trip.

Crystal Nouveau

One of my very first metal and stone necklaces. The brass wire was hand-forged in the style of the Art Nouveau movement.

Necklace made from a shard of porcelain for my friend Eric who lives in Bethel, Alaska. Perhaps it once read: amERICa

Presentation is everything. This found and river-washed pitcher handle was placed in a black box.

On the top, gold embossing powder gave me the branding while on the bottom, a special technique was used to bury the metal "gift tag".

Pitcher Box Up Close

Here we see the embedded metal "gift tag" that was custom made for the client.

Triangles made from steel and copper bars allow these pieces of turquoise to hang around your ankle.

The latch on a necklace can also be a work of art. This hand-forged brass hooks directly into the leather.

This latch features a copper "T" that inserts into a leather hoop.

A hand-forged infinity symbol receives the brass latch in this necklace.

Like a button thru a button-hole this piece of river glass holds the necklace in place.

You can have fun when forging brass latches.

Like the tiniest little rabbit's feet these earrings bring you good luck and good fortune.

Rustic copper discs hand-forged and topped with beads made of horn for these incredible statement earrings.

A Distant Shore

River Shell has fascinating specularity. Blues, aquas, greens, and magentas can all be seen at different times depending on how the light hits.

Ravens and crows always indicate that there is magic afoot. And they prize anything sparkly. These black lava and amethyst earrings were reminders of such magic.

Sometimes we can brave up by just remembering that courage takes backbone.

The Measure of a Man

Men measure things. It gives them a way to compare their accomplishments with each other and provides a basis for competition.

Medieval Weaponry

There was a medieval weapon known as the Cat-O'-Nine-Tails. This pair of earrings, which vaguely resembles it, is more of a Cat-O'-Six-Bells.

These awesome earrings feature "fat lighter" pieces of pine with a dense amount of pitch or sap. Acid etched agates top the pair and bring more harmony to the rustic look.

Like its canine equivalent, Dogwood is a wood that brings loyalty, devotion, and determination to those who wear it. It is a tree with lots of lore.

My Heart is Drenched in Wine

And these Wine corks are drenched in alcohol dyes. They feature tribal brass dangles and are topped with hematite and deep red Czech glass beads.

The graceful arcs of a wishbone inspired these earrings that feature vivid matte-blue Czech glass beads.

Pearls of Siddhartha

Spikes of dark shell hang below pearls suspended beneath tiny Buddhas.

Universe Amplified

Blue Goldstone, hand-hammered brass, and black lava stones lend a mysterious, archaic aura to these fine earrings.

Decorative brass ear wires lead to miniature kettlebells underscored by vibrant red glass beads hovering above tiny universes.

Little Buddha heads made from pulverized stone and plastic hoover above a pair of unakite stone dangles.

Two crystals of raw brown kyanite from North Carolina are topped by ting hematite crosses.

Symmetry is poetic, but occasionally that mold must be broken.

Amber is petrified tree sap so it is a "stone" that came from a living being. Tiny spheres of coral add bright color to these illuminating earrings.

Rainforest jasper discs float magically below these hammered copper ovals.

Acid-etched agates with hammered copper bars finish with smoky quartz drops polished to an unbelievable shine.

Brass triangles with brass pebble beads and pure red bohemian glass beads.

Beautiful matte blue millefiori beads hang beneath copper caps held in place by oxidized copper bars.

A magical pair of earrings made with copper moons, hematite stars, and tiny chains.

Matte agate beads with tiny hematite crosses above. Never cast the first stone.

Tiny Buddhas, amethyst, rare brown kyanite from North Carolina... what else could you ask for?

Brass caps and copper rivets hold these pieces of "fat lighter" together. If you ever needed to build a fire, these earrings would definitely be a life saver.

Asymmetrical Coral

Some of the most unusual coral I have ever come across went into the making of these earrings. Along with coral and turquoise beads, they make the perfect statement: I am a natural native!

These super thin ethereal copper wires that overlap in a symmetrical fashion are topped by blue aventurine stones. Just breathtaking!

Repurposed from a belly dancer's necklace, these brass triangles with blue patina and bright red bohemian glass beads are to die for.

Wonderful blue and white glazed ceramic beads top blue porcelain beads in this awesome pair of earrings with an Art Nouveau flair.

These earrings feature copper wires reminiscent of a wishbone with massive copper cylinders and rubber grommets.

Two very different found copper washers make up this pair with matching hematite, bone, and crystal drop beads.

Both hematite and Czech glass beads make up this iridescent pair of earrings with pussy willows, (thought to symbolize good will and motherhood) a must have.

Crystal ring beads sit atop and below iridescent matte glass beads to support the pussy willows in this adorable pair.

Chrysocolla, peridot and copper galore make up these intense earrings which later became necklaces.

Water Guard Up Close

Blue Goldstone sparkles with thousands of stars so tiny they can fit on a pair of earrings.

By far the smallest pair of earrings I have ever made!

Cubes of glazed ceramic bead topped by round ceramic beads make this harmonious pair of earrings.

Cube Tied Up Close

See the close up view of harmony in clay, blues, and teals.

Occasionally you can find two seashells that look alike. And small creatures sometimes drill the holes for you.

Oxidized copper rings surround some of nature's most amazing stone: Rainforest Jasper.

Cypress discs dangle below hand-forged copper triangle-swirls which are topped by tiger eye stones. Wild and wonderful.

30 Year Anniversary

When PacMan turned 30, I made these from polymer clay and copper wire.

Repurposing jewelry parts can sometimes lead to new inventions of jewelry never before seen.

oxidized copper rings support chrysocolla stones with natural holes in them.

The repoussé technique on these weather etched copper triangles resemble the skin and bones of a dinosaur.

Window Into Wine

Wine corks can be sliced and hollowed out to make window shapes where stones or beads can hang.

I once saw some metal arrow earrings and thought, "Why metal? Why not make real arrows?"

Turquoise and coral look fantastic together. Featuring found copper wire, each of these resemble a cradle or hammock.

World on a String

Actually we should say "World (moss agate) on a Piece of Leather" surrounded by unusual copper beads.

Courage takes spine and these earrings feature both tiger eye and red tiger eye, stones known to increase courage.

These rustic drilled wine corks feature brown lava as their centerpiece. They replicate the feel of a an abandoned town from the goldrush days.

Eye of the Tiger

One tiny hematite bead holds the spherical tiger eye bead in the middle of the tiger eye disc. Powerful!

Wine cork earrings with a pierced and grommeted hole where a coiling copper wire has crawled out and wrapped itself around.

A rustic wine cork features a contraption holding the magical stone, labradorite in its center.

Joy to the Fishes

The world's happiest weathered wood fish with rusted tin fins swims over a sunken log past handmade paper seaweed.

This vintage soda bottle had a round bottom for stabbing into a bucket of ice. It made a wonderful wall sconce.

A full (airbrushed watercolor paper) moon and a starry night accentuate this hand-drawn owl on a weathered wood box lamp.

Two weathered wood fishes spot each other swimming in the deep and one is blown away by the other's markings

An old fashioned Edison bulb and weathered barn wood make this book-end lamp one of a kind.

Jellyfish/Anemone

The Jellyfish/Anemone lamp can switch the glass ornament depending on your mood. A cushioned leather rim holds the glass snuggly in place while the cedar stump releases a pleasant aroma.

Bottles (Top View)

While the bottle box lamp is tall, it is also narrow.

A TV channel changing knob acts as a power switch on the bottle box lamp.

Bottles Up Close

Old bottles sit on a hardware cloth floor, capturing the light beneath in this whimsical bottle box lamp.

Incredible Shrinking Machine Lamp

A plain unassuming wooden box has a concave lens on the top. When you look down at the LED bulb, it appears one fourth of its actual size.

Incredible Shrinking Machine Lamp (Bulb Access)

The functioning door helps make changing the bulb easy, even though these LED bulbs last 10-30 thousand hours.

Incredible Shrinking Machine Lamp (Lens Off)

The giant incredible shrinking lens is removable for further fascination by viewing other objects around you.

The deer lamp was made from boards, wires, leather, and watercolor paper.

Deers (Lights Out)

This is what the "Deers" lamp looks like in the dark.

Here is a rare glimpse of what goes in to such a lamp. Wires for the legs. Leather for the doe's ears, sticks for the buck's antlers, watercolor paper for the backdrop and wooden cutouts for all the rest.

Stick Deer Doodle

How it all came about. Just a doodle became an inspiration for something so unique and... dare I say it? ...desirable.

Mushroom lamps can be made from a variety of materials such as SCOBYs, paper, wood, and fairy lights.

Mushroom Lamp in the Dark

When the lights go out, that's when the magic happens. Mushroom lamps are ultra-unique!

Phoenix Lamp Unlit

Made from old fence boards, a projector lens, blue glass "stones", and hand-forged brass & copper fixtures.

Phoenix Lamp Lens

A projector lens was used to shoot light up toward the ceiling and light the Phoenix on its way up.

Phoenix Lamp Hinge

One of the hand-forged brass hinges used on the lightbulb access panel.

Phoenix Lamp Latch

The latch for the lightbulb access panel. A strong copper bar riveted into the side of the box holds a funky brass latch that just fits around the spherical knob.

Phoenix Lamp Lit

Being a wall sconce, this lamp had more than one source of illumination.

Phoenix Lamp Up Close

The Phoenix was hand wood burned from scratch. This sort of freehand wood burning is never quite perfect, but it will never be duplicated.

Phoenix Lamp Parts

These are a few of the various parts for the Phoenix Lamp before assembly.

Tree of Life Lamp

One of my very first "box lamps" made from old fence boards and wood burning.

Tree of Life Lamp in the Dark

In the dark, the Tree of Life lamp is much more dramatic.

Tree of Life Lamp Up Close

Here you can see the work that went into wood burning the tree, such as the swirls in the base under the tree.

Slits of Light from the Tree of Life Lamp

The slits alone made this lamp very desirable and it sold much faster than I would have anticipated.

Wood Burning and Lichens

The tree was cool... but leaving the weathered wood in its original condition meant there were lichens growing right next to the tree.