John Carnes

Being primarily self taught, and with a background in music, I was drawn to the expressive potential of the Japanese art of Mokume Gane. Creating my own Mokume Gane affords me the luxury of working with a wide range of color a patterning opportunities. When I sit at the bench, my inspiration is derived mainly from the materials I work with. What can and cannot be asked of a given material defines the boundaries within which artistic decisions are made. Paradoxically, the more clearly one understands these limitations, the more limitless the creative possibilities become.