Another tremendous personal loss for me, as well as, for a community of creative, positive forces in the world.

Lars and I were friends for 6-7 years before we started bigfishdesign in Denver in the mid 90s after we had worked together renovating houses in Fayetteville, AR. He pushed and inspired me to explore art, boatbuilding, woodworking, design and countless other things, for which, I will forever be indebted.

I’ll miss his art burning sales, his (unfinished) boat destructions, his ability to turn a house priming task into a massive mural (before painting over it), his determination/ability to fix anything, his nasally laugh and his giant hugs.

The details of his death are still unclear - it sounds like he was biking with friends (in Crested Butte, where he lived) and at some point turned around - maybe it was a bike accident but waiting to hear more. I will update as information comes in. My heart goes out to all of his family, friends and anyone lucky enough to have known him.

UPDATE: It sounds like it was likely his heart and that there were no signs the fall was responsible - the thought is…it was quick. Here’s a little more from the Crested Butte News.

Please feel free to reach out if you need to talk.

These pictures were taken in a bakery in Fayetteville, AR 1993 (and that is good friend Kate in the background)

This is a self-portrait Lars made after discovering some 110 photographs he had taken in his late teens. He had been a gymnast in HS and early college. The iron-cross (from the rings) was a recurring theme/image in his work. Notice how he used concrete, wood, glass, photography, solder and sewing to make this.