Forty years after Piha saw his first bottle whimsey, and now living in Athens, GA, he was visiting a friend’s studio when he noticed a large number of discarded gallon-sized jugs that the friend was happy to get rid of. These bottles, plus broken wooden boards from Barnett Taekwondo, gave Piha complete permission to tackle an art form he fondly remembered from graduate school. The subject matter and images Piha incorporates in his bottles are an extension of those in his paintings and sculpture; the new challenge he faces is fitting everything inside the container. 

Piha began his artistic journey as a child, and by the time he reached high school, he knew that art was going to be his life. Over the years, his processes have involved clay, wood carving and construction, installation, glass assembly, steel welding, tin punching and fabrication, acrylic and oil painting, cardboard sculpture, and bottle whimseys. Despite utilizing all these different materials, Piha has developed a distinct style and visual vocabulary of themes that are consistent throughout his artistic career. Realizing that the more personal the themes and images in his work are, the more viewers can relate to them with their own personal experiences, has given Piha immense satisfaction. His ultimate goal is to create an inspirational environment on his property that invites people to come explore and engage with one another.