What is your primary medium?
Well, obviously neon. But I do other things too, some porcelain enamel, which is basically powdered glass melted on to steel or copper, but mostly neon.
What got you interested in working with neon?
Well, I'd always loved working with glass. They had a nice program at College of Idaho where I attended. But many years later I saw an ad in the Idaho Statesman for an apprentice, and I was sick and tired of what I was doing. So I answered the ad and I fibbed a little bit and said Oh, I know all about neon. They hired me.
Is it complex to work with gases and glass?
It's simpler than one would think. You start with a glass tube that either has phosphor coating on it to give it color, or it's just clear glass. There are a couple of different main gases, we use argon and neon, neon being that sort of orange color that you see behind me. And argon is a blue gas. And between those two and the phosphor coatings on the inside, you can get maybe 120 to 140 different colors. So the color palette is fairly large.
How long have you been doing this?
Oh, people ask me that and I don't even remember anymore. I've been at this location for 21 years and I had my own shop a couple years before that. So maybe 25-26 years.
Is neon lighting becoming obsolete?
Oh, completely dying off. However, there's still a call for it. It's much like what my landlord neighbor Noel B Weber does, which is the gold leaf, which, you know, it's fancy, but it's not a modern technique by any means. There are lots of people who just love the look of neon, and it's got a special glow and a look to it that people really enjoy and they're nostalgic for it. So there's a lot of calls from folks that want to either restore something or make something that looks vintage. And then of course, the vast majority of my work is wholesale work for other sign companies.
How often do you get to work creatively beyond commissions?
I try to make something once a month whether anyone wants it or not. Most of what you see behind me have been in shows before and just haven't sold. So like I keep them and once in a while someone will wander in and see something and go, “Oh, I gotta have that.” Plus, I like the pretty glow.
I imagine this is labor intensive.
It is, yeah. That's why it's so expensive. Because everything is done by hand. There's no jigs, no troughs, no help. I just follow a pattern kind of like paint by numbers almost. Something like that.
What kind of clients are looking for neon these days?
Other sign companies. I do work all over the state. One group was from Pocatello that drove in to pick up some glass that I did for them. But mostly other sign companies. What I'm working on today is a commission. I think it's gonna be a gift for a friend's birthday. But mostly it's wholesale work. Which is not very exciting. I've frankly never been busier than this last year and a half, which I find stunningly weird, considering.
Why do you think art is something worth pursuing?
Well, personal satisfaction, mostly. I mean, when I make a piece of art, it's first and foremost, it's because I want to make it. And frankly, I don't care if people like it or not, it's for myself. But on the other hand, I can also tell stories, I can show my inner feelings sometimes through the art. It's a process that I just enjoy so much. The creative process, like for most artists I think is the main goal. At least it is for me.
Do you host classes?
I don't really. I've done a few one on one projects with folks and young folks sometimes. Which is very satisfying. I enjoy showing people how it works and how it's done. There's actually quite a bit that goes into it. I've done it for so long it's just second nature, but it's always an adventure for someone to come into the studio and look around and go “Wow, this is great. How do you do that?” I get a lot of joy from showing folks.
How important is it for you to have a space to work in?
Well there are people that do this in a garage or a shed out back. For me I just need more space because I do a lot of work for other companies and so often there are racks of glass laying around all through the studio. You got to miss all of that. But yeah, the space is good and it's nice to be in a building that also has creatives working. Often I find that stimulating for the creative process.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Often just laying in bed at night. Or I'll have a thought, I carry a little notebook with me everywhere I go and if I have an idea, I write it down and if it's still valid in a day or two and makes sense, then I'll proceed. Right now I'm working on a series of skateboard neon art. There's one in the back that's finished, that you'll get to see later. But right now, that's been my main focus.
What drives you to get out of bed in the morning and create?
Well, that's where the espresso machine is. But I love getting up in the morning and thinking about my day and what I'm gonna do that day. I'm not a terribly driven person, necessarily. But I do love what I do, genuinely. So coming to work is a joy, not a not a chore.
What's it been like for you to support yourself with your craft?
I feel very lucky. Most people who are artists can't do that and they have to have another job to support themselves. So I'm very lucky that I don't have to do that.
Are there opportunities you've had being in Boise you might not have had elsewhere?
Oh, probably being a bigger fish in a smaller pond has been helpful for me over the years. I know places like Portland or Seattle or LA are still pretty big neon hotspots and there are a lot of neon artists that work out of those cities, at least on the west coast that I know of. And frankly, they're fantastic.
Do you have any work around downtown?
Everywhere. So the Veltex sign downtown is something I restored. One of the very first restorations. The Olympic Hotel, the wings at the airport. I don't know if you've ever seen those things. There's a few downtown art pieces. Amy Westover did a sculpture with sort of these curvy aluminum things that have neon inside to illuminate. And then tattoo parlors galore; Blackcat, Chalice, and a few others.
Do you think art is something you will ever stop?
Never, never. I will die with an idea in my head, I'm sure. wishing I could make it happen.