Me and Mine

No, those aren't my "pronouns", it's just a fitting title for this page, a very little about me, and a whole lot about my art, and by the way, for the record, I'm a straight, protestant, medium-to-light-beige, or maybe a little towards peach-tinted male descendant of Adam.  I'm a lifelong resident of the community of Liberty, in rural Blount County, Alabama.  I've been creating art professionally since 2006.  I started out producing chainsaw carved art (formerly libertychainsawcarvings.com), but due to severe carpal tunnel issues, I began experimenting with different media 4 or 5 years ago.  The product that I have developed is a dream come true for me!  I use polystyrene as a foundation.  After shaping the piece, I wrap it in a fiber mesh and begin adding layer after layer of plaster until I get just the right thickness.  I next fine-tune the piece by sanding, carving, and where needed, adding additional plaster.  For some pieces, I add fins, beaks, claws, or teeth that I carve from HDPE plastic, or shape from epoxy clay, or form using some combination of materials and techniques. After carving all of the fine details (scales, wrinkles, feathers, etc.) I apply applications of epoxy resin that I have thinned greatly so that it actually soaks into the plaster, making it unbelievably durable as well as prepping it for painting.  I next paint it as realistically as possible, then finally I add multiple layers of epoxy resin to give it a glassy, very durable finish that also adds to its already incredible strength.  In addition to my reclusive, hermit, lifestyle, I've also come to the realization that I make no more money doing custom pieces than I do making what I have a notion to.  Not only that, but I do much better work, and turn it out much faster that way.  So, pardon my bluntness, but I will NOT do any CUSTOM WORK.  PLEASE DON'T ASK.