When I begin a sculpture, it’s like a negotiation with ideas, materials and chance. Inspiration may spring from observation, reading, poetry, or a dream. Each idea is a struggle to bring an incomplete and intangible thought process to a visible form, satisfying my mind and expectations as a form of communication.

This beautiful boat-shaped piece of wood tickled my imagination, and I knew I would have to devise a new life for it. My ongoing fascination with the concept of boats was a starting place, combined with my love of ravens and wordplay. "Crow Boat" was the result, a sort of fantasy ship of fools. Since corvids don’t set out to sea, their boat requires wind and wheels, transforming into a mythical prairie schooner.