A friend once gave me an obsidian arrowhead. The surfaces were so fresh that it seemed almost new. Peering through the smoky translucent stone as its maker must have done centuries before, I began to see stories inside its shadowy interior. To make my Obsidian Land orotone series, I used the obsidian points themselves as negatives, employing the moody translucency of the stone itself to express these musings. For me this is not so different from seeking the ways and means of the first people by traveling to ancient sites. On journeys around California and through the Southwest, I continue to absorb the stories of Native America still being told by ancient ruins and bleached artifacts. These things speak to me, they kindle a thoughtful fire deep inside. This is the contemplative underpinning for my Obsidian Land and for my Western Waters orotone series, as well as for my Western Waters artist's book which features a poem by Gary Synder.
