Builder. Handy person. Beachcomber.

Mike Clark has spent most of his life working with his hands. Born in Santa Maria and rooted on the Central Coast, he studied at Cuesta College, Cal Poly, and San Jose State before returning to a life that has always been closer to tools, tide pools, and stone than anything else. Over the years he has worked as a builder and fixer of things, the kind of person who knows how to make something useful out of whatever is nearby.

Somewhere along the way, rocks started following him home. Stones gathered from travels through Colorado, Arizona, and Utah—pieces of marble and rock from quarries and desert landscapes—eventually made their way back to Cambria. Here, slowly and patiently, Mike began carving them by hand. No grand plan, just curiosity and time. Some stones turned into animals. Others stayed closer to their original shapes, with only a few careful cuts revealing what might have already been there.

Mike wouldn’t call himself an artist. He’s more comfortable calling himself a builder, beachcomber, and someone who likes to work with stone. But after enough years of quiet carving, a small collection of sculptures has taken shape—each one carrying the marks of the hand that made it and the places the stone came from.

We’re happy to share a handful of those pieces in a small, personal exhibition here in Cambria.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 14, 4–6 PM
Cruise Control Contemporary
Cambria, California

Come by, say hello, and spend a little time with the stones.

The exhibition will run March 14 - April 5.