I am an artist who practiced spine surgery for many years. The serenity of nature inspires me, and I seek to express a healing presence and tranquility in my art. My work communicates a feeling of peace, harmony and a profound respect for nature and humanity. I use of color, and light to create a visceral response.
I also use my artistic voice to explore the social issues we face as humans and as a society. My works relate to the recognition and acceptance of the many wounds that have been present in our society for far too long. We all need to work together so that we all have equal access to the law, education and healthcare no matter what our race or color.
Defined by time and skill, my artistic practice demands intense patience and attention to detail. The magical pieces in glass and enamel, glow with fabulous color and depth, indicating a lengthy and intricate process, not evident by the casual viewer.
When enameling, utilizing a metal substrate of gold, silver, or copper provides a foundation for the piece. Once fabricated, I apply enamel powders to the metal, then fire them at around 1300 to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. The high temperatures allow the enamel to melt until it is smooth. After they cool, I finish the pieces using diamond wet saws and flat grinders in the cold working process.
Producing my glass vessels requires the use of glass sheets, as well as, glass powders therefore, the glass provides both, the support for the piece and the decorative color. Fusing these materials can take from 24 hours up to 5 days. Some pieces demand many different fusing/cold-working steps. The more colors or different types of glass used in the piece; the more steps involved in creating the final product. My work can be very complex depending on the different colors, textures and glass powders used. I try to make this extremely laborious processes appear seamless in the end.
My journey to the world of art came late in my life, in fact, I always believed that healing was my natural calling. When I was younger, I went to pharmacy school, then, to medical school where I learned to hone my healing abilities. This led to a twenty-five-year career as an orthopedic spine surgeon where I helped many people with broken and injured spines, stand up straight and regain function.
But, like the body with a bad back, life never follows a straight line. After a strenuous medical issue of my own, I found myself challenged to develop a new paradigm for life. I chose art as my new vehicle for my emotional and spiritual healing practice. Now my true passion, on my best days, it provides nirvana, peace and ecstasy. On bad days, a meditative internal mind therapy. Problems and roadblocks stimulate my creativity as I explore color, form, texture and light. I now have a new mechanism for healing through art. Not only have I healed my own body and soul, but hopefully, inspire the healing power in others through my art.
Namaste
Al
