Time spent in wild places inspires my time making. Time making inspires my time in wild places.
These two quotes capture much of what I’m working for and say it better than I can say.
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
-William Morris
“There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen.”
-Rumi
I am living & working as an artist & craftsman in Alaska. I work with Wood & Clay making functional craft & art pieces.
I find an object especially interesting when it's clear that it was made by human hands or when it suggests its place in nature, reminding us of ours. Handmade objects offer a relationship between maker and user, a human connection.
As well as art & craft, I am passionate about wild places & wild experiences. Rivers, mountains, the sea & the wildlife that live in it are all exciting & meaningful to me. Boating, running, skiing, biking, climbing as well as quietly observing & meditating outdoors all inspire & help create connection & balance for me. Living in Alaska offers this experience readily.
Other work I do: Teaching has been a big part of my life. I’ve taught in public schools, universities, folkschools, museums, galleries, nature centers & creative settings like rivers, woods & yurts. I also spend a few weeks of each summer helping to gather data for Killer Whale research collecting identification photographs as well as scat samples. I’ve done some work with historical preservation of log buildings, namely at Dick Proenekke’s cabin and a few others.
MEDIA/AWARDS:
https://www.homernews.com/life/wood-carver-to-host-workshop-at-bunnell/
2022 Juror. Bunnell Street Art Center annual Community Supported Art project.
2022 “Creators” video serious feature. https://vimeo.com/bradhillwig
2022 Contributing artist with Bunnell St Art CSA (community supported art) program.
2021 Individual Artist Project Award. Rasmuson Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska.
Outdoor Explorer Podcast. A nice talk with Paul Twardock and a small panel of Alaska outdoor gatherers. We talk about connection to wild places, mushrooms, berries etc. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/08/27/gathering-and-foraging-in-alaska/
The Firnline Podcast. A great talk with Evan Phillips for the firnline podcast. We talked about carving spoons, living simply and about wilderness. Evan is a real creative and passionate about adventure and music culture. http://thefirnline.com/episodes/the-creative-path-tony-perelli/
Alaska Public Media. It was great to have Annie Fiedt visit the workshop yurt while we made awards for the Little A Triathlon. Annie does awesome radio and this event is very special too. http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/04/29/ak-with-the-little-a-triathlon-a-father-grieves-and-gives/
Book list.
Art as a Way of Life, Ann O’Shaughnessy & Roderick MacIver
A Handmade Life, Wm. S. Coperthwaite
Loving and leaving the Good Life, Helen Nearing
Raven’s Witnes, Hank Lentfer
Payne Hollow, Harlan Hubbard
The Curve of Time, M. Wylie Blanchet
The Anarchist's Design Book, Christopher Schwarz
One Man’s Wilderness, from the journals of Richard Proenneke, Sam Keith
The Unknown Craftsman, Soetsu Yanagi
A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle
Living High, June Burn
And so many more…mostly about creative living, wildness, making stuff, natural history etc etc