 Continuing to produce work while still an undergraduate, he won first place in the statewide "Earth, Fire and Fiber" juried show in 1976.This sculpture should have been an indication of things to come as it was a separation from his customary work which would define him as an artist and create controversy and curiosity in later years.Although he created art using the formline, he chose a different approach for a great deal of his work that did not neatly fit into either maintstream or Northwest Coast art.