Bear Mountain Woodworx - Carving and Painting in Big Bear

Carving in Big Bear started warming up for me around the turn of the century (8 years ago). My father and grandfather were both artists at heart and avid woodcarvers. When I first got here, it was just my wife and I and a simple little cabin and a ’65 Mustang. 2 years later I was painting what remains to this day to be the biggest mural ever painted in Big Bear and our house was burning to the ground while we were both at work! Since then, “mostly murals” has turned into “mostly woodcarvings” and 1, then 2, then 3 little ones joined the adventure.

My Mother and Father both threw in artistic genes and my Mom is largely responsible for my creativity before the age of 10. My first paying gig was a colored wax illustration (a crayon drawing) of 2 kissing fish I sold to my grandpa for 6 bucks. I was 6 years old. My Dad taught me construction, mechanics, individuality and self-sufficiency. By a divine twist of fate, after screwing up big time as a teenager, I landed my first paying mural job in Riverside, CA. That mural remains to this day to be the largest mural ever painted in Riverside County. I always loved to draw. Always painted. Always had an eye, heart and soul for beautiful things, places and colors.

I focused on cartooning and technology as a child then pursued art and science equally as an adult. I’m really a nerd, by definition, at heart. The bulk of my education is in engineering, drafting and electronic circuit design with a minor in animation and compositional art. I attended, but did not graduate, from the following colleges:

Oxnard Community

Oxnard, CA - Electronics, Mathematics

Harbor Community

San Pedro, CA - Mechanical Drafting, Computers

Riverside Community

Riverside, CA - Environmental Science, Art Design

University of California Riverside

Riverside, CA - Art Design and Media, Art History

Lankershim Academy of Animation

North Hollywood, CA - Classic Animation Techniques

ICS Correspondance Academy

Scranton, PA - Master Art Course (Completed Degree)

So, as it turns out, I’m a long haired, eclectic 36 year old hippie with a patchwork resume and a staggering list of skills, qualifications and experiences that begs the question, “How did he find time for all of that?”. Well, the answer is simple. I did all of them briefly and moved on for one reason or another. But in the background there has always been, for almost 20 years now, an active business applying my art to pay my way. Believe it or not, I’ve been:

… An Auto Parts Clerk

…A Carnival Ride Operator

…A Video Arcade Manager

…A Disneyland Parade Performer

…A Game Store Manager

…A CNC Mill Machinist

…A Shipping / Receiving Clerk

…A Finishing Contractor

…A Quality Control Statistician

…A Landscaper / Gardener

…A Finish Contractor / Painter

…An Aircraft Refueler

…A Licensed Scuba Diver

…A Coffee Shop Manager

…A Rock Climbing Guide

…A Janitor in a Nuclear Facility

…A Commercial Sign Painter

…A Manufacturing Floor manager

…An Electronic R&D Technician

…A Hollywood Studio Security Guard

…A Digital Book Publisher

…An Art Gallery Manager

… and last, but not least – a Father and a Husband

Now I live in Beautiful Big Bear, CA (have for 10 years now) and I guess you could say the long and the short of it is this: I’m self-taught, self-employed, sufficiently educated and moderately experienced. I’ve never taken a serious injury or caused any damage to private property in my work. I do work “on-site” quite a bit depending on the project. Scheduling is something I’m working on. I’m dead-on accurate in projecting my deadlines, but I juggle a little too much and come in late more often than I’d prefer. The Lord isn’t finished with me yet. Always room for improvement. As so many of my friends and clients say,

“…You can’t rush art”.

If you’ve read this far I appreciate your curiosity and incentive. You can find out the latest stuff I’m working on along with all the info I can give you toward planning your own project on the projects page. My colleagues around town are listed below along with my friends and family connects. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to get to know me. My kids need feedin’ and there’s always room for new friends, so call me some time with an idea. Your spirit and my talent could come together someday and build a new masterpiece…