For the moment I’ve all been waiting for!
It is with great pleasure that I share with you my completed sculpture of San Miniato and the other fruits of my 4th year. My Graduate in Residency at the Florence Academy of Art, which began September 2024, has come to a close. I barely had enough time to wrap up my myriad of projects while continuing to teach, but alas, the long labor has come to an end. I shall not be studying at or working for the school any more but move on to my private practice in a new studio.

The thing I spent the most time on this year, without contest, was my sculpture of San Miniato.

The Story of San Miniato

As the legend goes, around the year 250 A.D. in the city of Florentia (now known as Florence) there was a hermit who lived on the outskirts of the city, up on a hill. San Miniato (or Saint Minias) likely came from Armenia as a pilgrim and some say he had been a traveling merchant or even a prince. Well, living in the pagan Roman Empire in 250 A.D. as an outspoken Christian was usually a good way to yourself killed. San Miniato and his companions enjoyed this privilege. As the story goes, the Romans tried to execute San Miniato several times but to no avail. Our hero was thrown to the lions den, but the lions did not eat him. He was burned alive, but did not catch flame. Tortured, shot, and attacked in any way you can think, but nothing worked.

Eventually, they had enough and decided to slice his head off. When his head fell to the ground, San Miniato simply bent over, picked up his head, and began to walk away. He walked out of the city and up the nearby hill to where he had his Hermitage. There, he fell and died. Now at the site of his death you can find the famous Church of San Miniato al Monte, one of the oldest in the city of Florence.

I love this story for so many reasons so I decided to make a sculpture of it. After 9 months of labor, here is the piece.

San Miniato verso il Monte

I would also like to share the finished photos of my sculpture of Saint Hildegard von Bingen. This recently completed commission will soon be carved into marble by the master artisans in Carrara, Italy before being sent in its new home.

Saint Hildegard von Bingen

Adam and Eve

I have another new sculpture but I am not at liberty to share it yet! It is a sculpture of Adam and Eve made for an exhibition I will be a part of in November called Path to Paradise

Path to Paradise Exhibition

This Fall during the first two weeks of November I am honored to be a part of a group exhibition which will take place in Florence, Italy sponsored by the Pneuma Art Foundation and Galleria Frilli, involving 37 artists. The official venue is yet to be announced, but trust me, it’s a good one.

The concept of the show is to display bronze copies of the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti alongside paintings and sculptures created by living artists. We artists have created works inspired by the different stories depicted in Ghiberti’s baptistry doors. My story is the one of Adam and Eve, so I made a sculpture about this. If you can join us in Italy this November, I’d love to see you there!

Find the Exhibition details here!

Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

I was featured recently in the Fine Art Connoisseur magazine both for their May/June issue and their July/August issue. The first, with my sculpture The Garden. In the second, in their “Three to Watch” article series where I received a one page article on my work. Also in that magazine was an entry detailing the sculpture Corpus.

Art For Sale

As always, my work is available to you! All sculptures are available in bronze, most in marble, and some in resin for a more affordable price point. If there is anything you see here or on my website don’t hesitate to reach out with any and all questions. I would be glad for you to own one of these works of art.

What’s next?

In the fall, I will be remaining in Florence, Italy but relocating to a new studio. I will no longer have my studio at the Florence Academy of Art, but transfer to the studio of another sculptor named Cody Swanson. I will work for him part-time as an assistant and work on my own projects the other part. I am currently taking commissions, so if you have need of a sculpture please reach out! As well, I will continue to make the personal art work that I want to make. In the fall, I will be a part of that exhibition mentioned earlier. So, there is a lot to look forward to!

Check out my website to see which sculpture speaks to you. If there is one you desire, please reach out!