2009 was a tough year in the world of art. Let's face it, much as my peers will contest the notion, pricey art is a pretty expendable purchase. With the economy, my production too slowed down. Thank god for day jobs! Finally in recent weeks I have found inspiration to get back in the studio. One result (okay, the only result so far) is Ship of State, a new work in steel and copper. The sails of this work are made loose pices of copper remaining from past works. The pieces are brazed together, then patinas were added. The body of the work was surfaced using some rather unconventional welding techniques that give the frame the feel of something encrusted in barnacles.