Dragon in a Bottle
The Dragon in a Bottle was a project that went outside the box (or outside the bottle). The goal was to create a piece that looked like the dragon was inside the leather bottle. I made a bottle with five different points of view of the dragon out of leather and havesewn them together around a huge bottle.
Each dragon panel has an image of the dragon tooled and embossed in the leather. The leather embossing involves pushing the leather out from behind, so it appears raised and cut from the background. I used leather filler (leather sawdust and rubber cement) to help hold the shape of the embossed image. Only then could I apply leather acrylic paint and dye to the piece.
The Dragon in a Bottle was a fun piece to create. I am definitely thinking of new ways to make art forms out of leather.
Phoenix Sun God
This large 24”x24” piece will be displayed at the 2025 World Leather Competition in Sheridan, Wyoming, from May 16-18, 2025.
I love Aztec and Mayan art and their use of bold colors. I hope to do more work inspired by these ancient cultures.
I do most of my design work on paper, then transfer it to the computer for final cleanup and background design.
This design is printed out on 24”x24” paper and hand-transferred to a quality piece of vegetable tan leather.
After it is carved and tooled, I use various tools to push the leather into form. The form is filled from behind using leather sawdust and rubber cement. Using the rubber cement, I have time to push and mold the different shapes of the wings and breastplate.
I use leather acrylic paints to bring the Phoenix to life. A coat of leather resist is applied over the painted areas to protect the colors.
The final step is to apply a leather Hi-Lite stain over the entire piece and wipe off the excess. This brings more depth to the tooling and carving, and ties the piece together as a finished Leather Artwork.
Behind the Scenes
Red Pacific Octopus Wave and Weave
I honestly believe that octopuses are aliens that came to Earth on meteorites. They are unique, with nine brains (one for each leg), as well as the capability to camouflage instantly with whatever background they are on. Just the way they maneuver in the ocean currents is peaceful. So cool!
This is a Pacific Red Octopus that I have tooled and embossed onto 16" x 8" vegetable tan leather. The leather embossing process involves stretching the leather from the back and applying a combination of leather sawdust and rubber cement to help it maintain its new shape.
I’ve done two different Octopus pieces. The first piece incorporates an ocean wave pattern into the background. The ocean waves have cut embossing on the underside to help give the piece more depth. The second piece has a weave pattern incorporated into the background. I love using weave patterns and having them flow through the picture like waves.