Although I started sculpting just for fun, my goal now, as an artist, is to make meaningful connections with other people. Much art today has abandoned the ambition to make the viewer feel good. Instead, it seeks to shock, repulse, proselytize or startle. My artistic focus is generally positive, spiritual and approachable, reflecting who I am as a person. The desire of my heart is to share some of my positive outlook with others.
The Beginnings
Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1960, I inherited a passion for art from my Dutch oil-painting mother, and grew up loving to draw and sketch. With the additional influence of my non-conformist Israeli father, the makings of an artist were well seeded. However, as I matured, my creative energy was diverted into the business world. My twenty years in the corporate arena included working on the business side of the media industry including television (TBS, CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network...), movies (MGM/UA), animation (Hanna Barbera) and the Internet (CNN Interactive). In 1997 I moved to California to become the CEO of Infoseek Corp., an Internet search and software company. Following the sale of Infoseek to Disney, at the age of 40, I decided to slow down, relax, have a glass of wine and decide what to do next. I soon discovered that a dramatic change was in order, and began morphing from a businessman to an artist.
Life as an Artist
My new chapter in life started by exploring art at a nearby community college. After experimenting with a variety of classes, from art history to ceramics, I took my first course in metal sculpture. There, with the inspiration and encouragement from Professor David Ogle, I discovered my love of sculpture. By spending several years at the college foundry becoming intimately familiar with each step of the lost-wax casting process, I soon came to appreciate the fine craftsmanship and hard work that are essential to bronze sculpture. I now sculpt in clay in my home studio and have my works cast under my direction by the wonderful and talented team at the Firebird Foundry in Monterey, CA.
Harry's Art
The bulk of my early work focuses on artistic interpretations of my spiritual experiences. The rich imagery of the Bible provides limitless subject matter to explore. Some of the resulting sculpture are easy to explain and understand. Others are much more personal, obtuse and I'm still trying to figure them out. Together they represent the spiritual journey that I live out daily.
My most recent effort, the "Wine Lovers" series, has consumed me for last few years. By creatively incorporating wine bottles (actual size) with imaginatively positioned figures, I am able to whimsically capture the passion for life that wine lovers possess. This series has allowed me to find my distinctive style and voice, and frankly, reflects where I am in life. After years of long hours and many road trips, it's now time to pour a glass of wine and just enjoy the many blessings of life. I hope these wine sculptures resonate with others who also deeply appreciate both art and wine.
In spite of the focus on faith and wine, a sculpture may lead me in a direction that was totally unintended. Thus you may enjoy a number of "one of a kind" sculptures that don't fit any grand scheme but are each unique and meaningful in their own way.
Home Life
I have a wonderful wife and two amazing children who put up with me. When I'm not sculpting, you can usually find me having lunch with my wife at her favorite restaurant, spending time with the kids, playing tennis or working on a project with my local church.
"When God became Man, He was surely Divine... remember that His first miracle was to make some wine."
Author Unknown
