Vessel - Carved Norfolk Pine "Opulence"

Ralph is a mostly self-taught wood craftsman who turns exquisite vessels. “Spending time in the studios of great wood turners in Hawaii has given me an excellent education in woodworking,” Ralph says.

Ralph looks within for inspiration as he creates his works. He says, “Art isn’t art if it doesn’t express something of the artist.“ When I carve the bowl or vase, it is to accentuate the basic form and to add other shapes which compliment the wood and add to its attractiveness.

“The medium from which my work is sculpted is alive; it grows from an earth that is alive, seething and moving beneath us. My most important goal as an artist is to remind people of this interconnectedness between life and art.”