Ryan Spangler

Artist Statement

I get my carving inspiration from figures in nature, mimicking objects and giving them my own twist. Hunting for jade is what got me hooked; my grandfather took me jade hunting when I was eight years old, and I reflect on that memory as the beginning of my life with the stone. It fuels my fire to go out into the remote canyons, walking through the river and finding that one jade stone amongst thousands. As a wise man once told me, 'It's a good day to be on the river, it's a good day to be alive, and if you find a piece of Jade, that's a bonus.' To be lucky enough to find the beautiful heart stone and transform it into a carving or a fondle piece is an intimate and spiritual experience for me.