For seventy-plus years I have immersed myself in water - Pennsylvania creeks, New Hampshire lakes, Cape Cod beaches, the coast of Nova Scotia, the Delaware River and now the Gulf of Maine. Exploring with the eyes of a child and the awareness of a student, parent, educator, photographer, filmmaker, woodworker, writer and painter, my pattern has been to gather knowledge from a small section of the natural world and share it through creative, site-specific activities. For the past two decades I have lived part of each year on Matinicus, a small Maine island on the outer edge of Penobscot Bay, where I make things and try to understand life on a mountaintop surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

My carved and painted birds reflect a fascination with objects which convey an intense knowledge and awareness of the maker’s environment. Combining function, sophisticated woodworking and designs with traditional knowledge, these birds are imbued with beauty, mysticism and the pragmatic need to attract sources of food. I hope my work honors those traditions, expands the concept and encourages a greater appreciation of traditional skills, the fragility of all environments and the critical need to preserve unspoiled locales and living things.

My work has supported a variety of environmental and educational groups including the Island Institute, OceansWide, the Tinicum Conservancy, Friends of the Upper Delaware River, the Georges River Land Trust, the Maine Seacoast Mission, Maine Audubon and the Maine Fishermen’s Association. A series of birds based on wooden lobster buoys has supported Matinicus Island projects including the library, church and school.

Contact Dave