Based in the tradition of the Philosophical Instrument this work, a Conundra Object, is based upon an extraction of Kepler’s solar system model and a musing of what existed beyond his platonic “Celestial Spheres”.  Kepler's chrome sphere is supported by hand machined brass and copper supports with a plumb bob centered on space, flanked by illuminated display spheres under glass, circled by a rotating planetoid form, all mounted to a box base of various hardwoods.  

Urania Incognita

Artist's hand cut tiger eye cabochon set in a sterling silver bezel with sterling silver accents and chain.

Tiger Paw

A photograph of a glass globe resting on green and brown grass. The globe contains a riot of swirling colors, including dark and light green, white, burgundy, dark blue, orange and purple. 

Microcosm

A bronze female figure seated cross-legged in meditation, draped and hooded, with a serene inward expression.

The Divine Mother

A shallow glass abstract art bowl was made from square layers of white, sea green and cobalt blue glass fused together with heat and pressure. It represents an ocean view on a beautiful breezy day.


Sea Breezes

A mini sculpture of a dark, glistening, yet malnourished claws of a dystopian creature, that fills the room with an eerie aroma.  

Sinister Grip 

Single sheet of Paper folded with cuts, to show effect of negative spaces

Negative Spaces - Designed by Eric Gjerde , Folder by Ramdev Wudali

One of a kind necklace of Peruvian pink opal, pearls, Swarovski crystals, and seed beads. Sterling silver box safety clasp with moonstone cabuchon.

Arial's Garden Path

round black soft sphere, made from paper, open at the top

Silence

Empty Nest

A figure of a gold painted mannequin wearing a flowing silk gown dyed green, fuchsia and white using an ancient Japanese technique called Shibori.

All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go

Flor d' Luna   (Moon Flower)

A small sculpture with a base comprised of a wooden panel raised by push pin feet with scaffolding of painted wood suspending a blue pamphlet over the base forming a triangular wedge that hovers over black rectangle of sandpaper.

My Levitating House

HPX:  Hyperbolic Paraboloid Extension, An Anticlastic Brass Form

This 3-D brass sculpture started as a flat sheet of 18-gauge brass.  To turn it into a hyperbolic paraboloid or anticlasitc form, the corners are forged over curved stakes along the North-South and East-West axes in opposing directions.  Convex curve along one axis, concave along the other.

The "X" of the HPX describes the way the hammer moves metal from the center of the square outward.  The edges are pulled and stretched and eventually extend enough to meet at diagonally opposite points.

This double curvature shaped shell appears in architecture as a saddle roof.  Despite its rather modern, artistic appearance, this anticlastic shape is highly practical for a roof because it cannot hold water.  To make a synclastic type of form, on the other hand, the axes are moved in the same direction like a bowl or roof gutter.  And, yes, synclastic forms can hold water.

HPX: Hyperbolic Paraboloid Extension

A small wood sculpture of a mushroom which is coarsely cut  out of a branch which still has  some bark on it giving the end product a rich coloration  which runs the gamut between dark and light brown. 

Quadriplegic Chainsaw (mushroom) 

A cream colored sculpture of a man tortured by a sense of confinement screams silently. His eye sockets, empty, like his suffering soul. The clear box he lives in, an almost invisible cell, suffocates his aspirations. 

The Mind Confined

A sculpture of a red, dog-like creature with dark blue hatch-marks imitating fur along its entire body. The creature's snout is long, and its mouth is open, revealing yellow teeth and a lolling dark blue tongue. It's body is pierced by arrows and there are dark blue tears falling from its yellow eyes.

Wounded

A repurposed wood bowl that has been ebru marbled with acrylic paint. 

Ebru Marbled Wood Bowl

A 3 footed sienna colored wood turned bowl with ochre colored stripe at the brim and raw bark edging made of mesquite wood.

949 Mesquite

This photograph depicts a sculpture built of a dinner table and bowl of apples and lemons cut in half and mounted to a wall. Atop the surface of the table can be seen the word "Connect" painted chaotically in repetition. Between the halves is a collection of household multimedia (computer, tv, vas/DVD player, DVDs, CDs, magazines). There is a telephone hanging off the hook and the shadow of an individual gets lost into the cluttered objects in the middle of the split table.

Please Hang Up and Dial Again

Maymaygwishiway Paddler

A yellow stained glass sunflower stands up off of a mosaic mirrored background. The clear beveled glass center is painted with a Fermat spiral of sunflower seeds and reflects onto a background created from a CD, for a luminescent rainbow effect.

A Fermat Sunflower

This bowl was created from a casting (round plastic pail) blank and turned on the lathe. The unique characteristics of this bowl is the encapsulation of the Lichen which grew on the Diamond willow tree..

Lichen encapsulated

A colorful fabric leaping figure with white yarn hair, beaded belt, and color pencil wood face.

The Dancing Spirit

A small Tea House made of vertical sticks of driftwood on green base.  The windows are covered with tracing paper and each has a Japanese symbol on it.  The roof is made from small rectangles of birchbark which are cut to appear like  wooden shingles.

Little Tea House

A suspended kinetic sculpture made from red acrylic and brass wire that depicts a fish's flowing pectoral fin.

Pectoral Fin Study in Red

A sculpture of houses with flying skull heads and inscription, “I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.”

Ghost House 1

An arrangement of feathers, pine cones and seed pods in a tree branch knot.

Gifts from Nature

Disposable tray with coffee cups and found objects like doll arms, spiky ball wearing doll sunglasses resembling the COVID-19 virus and city buildings made from scratch by artist.

Architects' Java With Visitor

A bronze sculpture created from a live model who held the pose where her body created the shape of an "O" for three hours.  People typically exclaim "Oh!" when they see the sculpture and understand how it was made.

A Padauk and Ebony wood turned sculpture with gold gilding in the form of a Portal with Art Nouveau design influences

Urania Incognita, 2006

Brad P Jirka