How many bottles have you made?

In the neighborhood of 250. I have photos of most of the different styles in My Gallery, but did not record each similar (factory-made) bottle that had the same pattern. Unfortunately, documentation on who has which bottle does not exist. I do have specialized touches that make mine unique, so I could spot one I made from another artist's creation.

Why do you spend so much time figuring out how to put something inside the bottle?

To see if it can be done, I guess.

What is the weirdest thing you have put inside the bottle?

Myself, I would say. I was working late one night and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. You can check out some of the photos of cb InsidetheBottle.

What do you do with all of the bottles?

I give many of them away to interested people I know. I like to get them out there to get people to think about what' going on around them. I don't keep track of who has which bottle, but there's a bunch of them out there.

I have found that I will make a bottle and sometimes several years later, I will run into the person who I made the bottle for in the first place. I made an antique bottle with a bullet in the deck of cards and years later visited my aunt and uncle and immediately knew it belonged in their 'museum' of antiques.

A friend of mine and his wife are retired in Alaska and are big time fishing people. I made a piece of artwork inside a fish-shaped bottle. Years later they visited and regaled us with exciting stories of their passion, so I sent it to them for safe keeping.

How did you get started making Impossible Bottles?

I got started by reading an article on the undisputed master of Impossible Bottles, the late H a r r y   E n g. I was influenced by his creations and started making my own. You can find additional information on the master by searching the Web.

Are you the only one who makes Impossible Bottles?

No. There are dozens of people around the world that I know of who create and/or sell Impossible Bottles. Bottle designs vary, as do the prices.

What is the magic trick to this? How do you get the objects inside the bottle?

There is no trick and this is by no means magic. This is simply an art and science that involves the 3 Ps. This is a Process that relies on the principles of Physics and requires a great deal of Patience.

I do not cut the bottle. I disassemble every object and insert each object inside the bottle. If there is any "trick" to this art form, it is only the sometimes elusive "how-to" knowledge to get the different objects inside the bottle. Anyone can cram stuff inside a bottle. The trick is to make it look like it wasn't just stuffed in there.

Is this all you do for a living?

No, but I wish it were. I am an IT Director for an east coast Big Ten University. I sit in front of a computer all day every day. I was interested in finding something that was quite different from my day job and I found it!

Do you sell your bottles locally or via the internet?

Not really anymore. For me, the commercial venture made the art form less enjoyable. I'm not saying I wouldn't sell bottles, but that is no longer the focus of this Web site.

Comment: You must have a lot of spare time on your hands to come up with this stuff, make all these bottles, and run a Web site.

I have the same amount of spare time for hobbies and leisure activities that you have. I just spend my time differently.