After a year or two of duty, Ivan went west to 700,000 acres of Australian sheep ranching. But he soon tired of sheep and headed back to America and the girl he met in the Philippines.

Back in Point Reyes, Ivan began making a living of metal work. With his self taught welding skills, he sold gates and functional objects and now realized he had a talent for the art object, selling sculptures and other decorative pieces. At this same time Michelle studied, Ivan worked. He discovered marble sculpture. An artform he still practices with great passion today. But for Delia what matters here is that for the first time his designs had the potential to be sold as production pieces. The Critter and other cut out candleholders you see today are descendants of this time.

With her degree completed, Michelle and Ivan once again moved, this time to Greenwood Mississippi. It was the start of fruitful times for the McLeans. They married and soon after arrived their first two daughters. It was also at this time that Ivan began working with Cedanna Design Group. Now in league with his brother Jason and a handful of other Bay Area artists things started to happen. Ivan started to create one new good design after another and with the success of CDG the two were growing quickly, culminating in the birth of his all time best seller, the Menorah with Figures.

In 1996, desiring to return closer to Michelle's family in Portland, the McLeans formed their own personal eighteen wheeler convoy and moved West. Ivan set up shop on the North side of town and the family nestled into a home which on a clear day offers views all the way to Mt. Rainier. The move did not slow Ivan for long. Soon he had another daughter and there was a noticeable change in his work.

Perhaps it is the maturation process. Or maybe Ivan's work with marble sculpture had an affect. But no longer were his designs purely figurative cutouts. Out came the Wine Arch, Freestanding Bookcase, the Tesla Coatstand and most recently the Wine Spine. This was new. Yes, Ivan is still a virtual master with a torch and can cut with the best, as the new Cat and Dog Stands attest, but they are now the exception not the rule as Ivan is now producing far more sculptural pieces than cutouts. But this is the nature of Ivan McLean. Not finding much peace with objects at rest, he stays in motion for the sake of moving. This is what seems to keep him going.

Meanwhile those girls are growing quickly. The house has a new basement floor and Delia just faxed wanting 50 more.