Canadian black chlorite with a succulent red Minnesota pipestone attached to it on a walnut wood base
A multifaceted stone with loads of colored brown, creme, fossils. THe stone is very hard so the outside had to be fairly simple form. The outside form is made of Canadian limestone. The bolt is made of black chlorite on a walnut wood base. The stone bolt looks like it goes thru the stone so both front and back are nice to look at.
	European marble with a small stone of Minnesota pipestone, the cone on the end is Utah Alabaster

the face	cat - Kansas Limestone
baby bear	henri

These lips are for you - Western Kansas limestone on sculpted metal holding the lips	The Duck- Western Kansas limestone on a Walnut wooden base
The Rabbit - This stone is Western Kansas limestone with Canadian Chlorite eyes	The Rabbit - This stone is Western Kansas limestone with Canadian Chlorite eyes
Polar Bear - Western Kansas limestone on a wooden base	Samurai Rabbit - Kansas limestone with Canadian black chlorite

Being an artist just came naturally to Joe since he was born and raised on a farm in Kansas. Those Kansas boys can practically do anything! Joe was born and raised around Dodge City, Kansas. He was the youngest in a family of six boys. The boys all started farming as soon as they could reach the gas pedals on the tractors.. Not only did they have to drive tractors but they had to learn how to fix anything that broke down. Breakdowns are very much a way of life with farming.

Joe taught himself how to build when he bought his first house. It was more than a fixer-upper. Somehow he managed to build a very unique and unusual home. It was the old lathe and plaster. He used a big wheat truck to haul out all the old stuff and haul in all the new. He dug his own basement with a pick, shovel, and a wheelbarrow. He used to time himself to see how many wheelbarrow fulls he could do in so many minutes. Needless to say this was when he was just a young man full of vitality and you-know-what.

This was the house that he set up housekeeping with his wife, Steph, and they had three children. He then went on to build a wonderful new home where it took him three years because he did everything by himself. In between building a new home, helping to raise three children, and working with Steph, he started working in stone. He started by inlaying her fused glass in the stones. He found out that he enjoyed the calmness that he got when he worked in stone. He put away his wood tools and started working in stones.

Just about the time the family started to settle into the new house, they decided to follow their lifelong dream and move to Colorado. Once again, Joe went back to remodeling the family house. Steph had started ‘the greencat ‘art studio in Salida, Colorado. Joe started putting his stone sculptures and wood furniture in the studio. He remodeled the house and did his art on the side.

Now that the children are almost gone, Joe wants to get back into his stones and wood full time. He will also do this on the side because now he has to remodel his studio that use to be a garage for the last 70 years. I guess fixing things, remodeling, woodworking, and stone carving will always be a way of life for Joe. It’s a good thing he’s a farmboy!