James Ford

Both of James' parents were artists. Surrounded by art as a child, James developed many skills at an early age. Through daily exposure, he learned design, color and composition from his mother and the more academic studies of anatomy and proportion from his father. Then his first experiences with sculpture brought to light a natural aptitude for form and dimension.

Subsequent coursework at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, classes in sculpture at Western Illinois University and continuing participation with self-study figure drawing groups allowed James to refine his skills.

James believes sculpture combines a special love for the figure, pose and ethnic diversity. Each piece he creates has an overall feeling of tranquility and introspection, with just a touch of tension. While he loves seeing the composition of each piece come together, his real passion is capturing the quintessential look of the people.

The best compliment he has received is from Native Americans when they tell him, “Your work looks like my people.” On the surface it may appear that Native Americans are the focal point of his work, but he does not restrict himself to that subject. James prefers to look at his work as a study of early American history, specifically 18th and 19th century.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Barbara Frets-Simmons

Irrepressible energy and undeniable talent have taken Barbara Frets Simmons to her third career: sculpture. Acknowledged as an artist since she was a child, she was voted “Class Artist” in high school, and dreamed of going to art school. Her father, however, had a more practical career in mind, so she earned a degree in teaching . . . art. Even after she married and began a family, she could not repress her artistic leanings. She designed jewelry at home when her children were young, but developed her considerable talents as a painter and spent most of her art career painting, focusing on figures.

She was a well-established painter in the 1990s when she expanded her artistic direction and began sculpting. When she had created four or five pieces of sculpture that she really liked, she applied and was accepted into Loveland, Colorado’s juried exhibition, Sculpture in the Park. Her sculpture has garnered acclaim nationally, with exhibitions such as the Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and the Festival of Women in the Arts in Kansas City, Missouri.

She continues her interest in figures - their expressions, attitudes and gestures - and captures the ordinary moments in life that people can instantly identify with, and divides her artistic expression between painting and sculpture. She’s quoted in Southwest Art saying, “In the paintings, I create the environment, whereas in sculpture, you put them in the environments.”

Her works are in the permanent collections of the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and Chicago’s Australia/New Zealand Bank, as well as in the collection of Prince Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam.

(Sculpture title: Conversations)

Chris Gabriel

(no photo for artist available)

This young Charleston sculptor has prepared himself well for the future he has chosen, with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a Master of Fine Arts-Sculpture from East Carolina University. But his being born into an art-loving family may have had as much influence on his becoming a sculptor as his years in a university.

He had his first introduction to Brookgreen Gardens at age six, and still remembers that as much as he loved the sculpture, he was fascinated with the lizards there. His interest in reptiles and amphibians became intertwined with his exposure to all sorts of art.

Both Chris' parents had relatives in Europe, and since his father taught gothic architecture, he (as Chris describes it) was "dragged to museums all over Austria." When he visited his mother's family in Italy, he was fortunate to see some of the finest examples of classical sculpture in the world. His mother also painted, and when she took classes at a gallery in Charlotte, Chris frequently accompanied her. Is it any wonder that both he and his brother are now artists?

He credits his college professor, who provided him the freedom to pursue all types of art, with his eventually finding his way to sculpture. He originally concentrated on human figure drawing, and has taught an adult figure drawing class at the Gibbes Museum of Art. He began creating realistic human figures from clay in graduate school as an escape, and discovered that it was fun and challenging. His path has been directed to sculpture ever since.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Martin Gates

Growing up in the antiques business is not the usual route to take for becoming a world-class wood sculptor, but Martin Gates has proven that for him, it is a natural progression, and one that has been an asset to his career. Surrounded by European antiques in his father's shop, he began carving at 14, and found that he enjoyed creating the little missing parts of ornate French molding or figures.

His carving was just a fascinating hobby until 1984, when a robbery at the shop resulted in the deaths of two people who he considered a second set of parents. The tragedy made him examine his purpose in life, and solidified his decision to dedicate himself to his art. Gates entered the 1987 Ward Foundation World Championship without ever even entering a local carving competition. Amazingly, his "Snowy Essence" won First Place in the World Class Division Natural Finish category, at what many people believe to be the most demanding bird-carving competition in the world. He was an unknown, self-taught artist who had just changed the path of his life.

He would go on to win many more first-place awards: at the California Open in San Diego, 1988; another Ward Foundation First Place in Interpretive Wood Sculpture in 1989; First Place in Southeastern Wildlife Exposition's Interpretive Wood Sculpture division in 1991, and was also SEWE's 1992 Featured Sculptor of the Year. He was honored in 2003 with his sculpture, "Mayan Wind" selected for permanent placement in Loveland, Colorado by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council.

(Sculpture title: Mayan Wind)

J Gail Geer

Wood carving was Gail Geer’s first love before age ten.  Today she carves figurative and animal forms from Carrera marble and Virginia soapstone.  Gail discovered the joy of working in three-dimensions while learning lost-wax jewelry making from the Navaho at Glendale Community College in Arizona.  Later, when she was studying stone carving with Chi Che Davis at Virginia Western Community College, she fell in love with the feel of finished stone.  Her most recent training was at Artspace in Pietrosanto, Italy where she learned the techniques for carving marble.

“I consider myself an abstract minimalist,” Gail says.  “My work is always changing.  Originally the sculptures were stiff.  Now they have more movement and feeling.  They cry out to be touched.  If you don’t want to touch my work, then I didn’t do it right.” 

In the winter when she cannot work in her outdoor studio, Gail works in pewter.  Gail teaches sculpture at the Art Museum of Western Virginia, and at Roanoke City and County Schools, sponsored by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge and the KICS program. She recently received a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts for an Artist in Residency program at Allegheny High School

Originally from upstate New York, Gail is a New York City educated Registered Nurse.  After spending over twenty-five years in Roanoke, Virginia, she calls it her adopted hometown.  Gail and her husband David have three grown children, and one grandchild, Andrew.

(Sculpture title: Walking with Grandma)

Bobbe Gentry

She says she’s been an artist from the time of her first memories – originally working in crayons, of course. Later she evolved into the medium of oil paints, and eventually found her spirit in clay. Her formal studies began at Sam Houston University in Texas, concentrating on painting. After taking a course in ceramic arts, Bobbe developed a passion for clay. Although basically self-taught, she is a persistent student and has studied with many other professional artists, such as Stanley Bleifield, Lincoln Fox and Fritz White, among others. 

Working in one of a kind terra cottas or limited edition bronzes, Bobbe uses the figure to create emotion through body language.  Whether her subject is a lively child or a woman in reflection, her figures convey thoughts and emotions in the same way that an actor portrays his mood with just a gesture or his body language. For Bobbe, the figure is a never-ending source of inspiration, whether it is draped or undraped, moving or passive, and has the ability to express every range of emotion.

Today, her graceful, realistic figures may be seen in galleries from the coast of California, to the coast of South Carolina and in between.  In addition to gallery representation, her work is seen in many public places, such as the Memphis Botanical Gardens, The Longview Museum of Fine Arts, The Bosque Conservatory of Fine Art and Clovis Community College in New Mexico. She teaches workshops regularly at The Creative Arts Center of Dallas, as well as her own studio in central Texas.

(Sculpture title: The Offering)

Jim Green

Experiences as an artist started early for Jim learning from his father, a talented artist and draftsman. He entered his adult working life in his family's steel fabrication business in Rapid City, SD which transitioned into a fine art bronze casting foundry. His talent found it's voice after he moved to southern Utah, where prominent artists and a large sign manufacturing company helped his myriad artistic skills flourish. In his work balance, proportion, and subtle movement are key elements that provoke an emotional response that suggests a story. Sculpting full time since 2010, he has had several temporary public placements at the Dahl Fine Arts, and Pelican Ahoy! has been selected for permanent placement in the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado.  

(Sculpture title:Pelican Ahoy!)

James Goshorn

Goshorn has been interested in all of the arts from a very early age. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he attended Auburn University in Alabama where he pursued a degree in Fine Art. Later, at Rhodes University, in Memphis, he studied sculpture under Lawrence Anthony and painting under Dolph Smith. Although he always kept a hand in creative pursuits, he didn’t begin full-time work in the arts and sculpting until 2002 after his two daughters were grown.

The figures of elongated women that make up a large portion of Jim’s work are derived from the women he remembers in childhood including his mother, aunts and their friends. Other subject matter includes birds, wildlife and fantasy figures. In addition, custom pieces can be created for indoor or outdoor installation including gardens and fountains.

Goshorn and his wife Jennie, also an artist, enjoy working with children (and adults) sharing their love for the visual arts, literature and music. They live and work in the Honeycomb area of Grant, Alabama, just north of Lake Guntersville.

The artist’s work can be found in many galleries throughout the southeast including: Loretta Goodwin, Birmingham, AL; Bennett Galleries, Nashville, TN; Hollis Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, Chasen Gallery, Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC and Fortune Rocks Gallery in Guntersville, Alabama.

(Sculpture title: New Skirts Zapp)

Jeff Gottfried

Born in California in 1971, Jeff Gottfried developed an early interest in art and nature. A school teacher by trade, graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, with a Master's degree in education, Gottfried gave it up to follow his dream to be an artist. In the time that he has been sculpting professionally, his success as an artist has increased steadily. Gottfried has found success selling speculative works both privately and in galleries. He has also completed several commissioned pieces, including a 25% larger than life size grouping (7.5 feet tall) for Huguley Memorial Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, depicting Jesus standing behind a doctor and mother holding her small child. He has most recently completed a life-size sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd for the Good Shepherd Catholic Community Church in Colleyville, Texas.

Ideas for Jeff’s western art come from daily life. Whether at home, trail riding, or eating at the local café, his surroundings are full of western flavor, and these influences make their way into his art. Jeff says, “I feel inspired to interpret the beauty I see in nature into works of bronze. I try to accurately portray what I see. I also try to tell a story by freezing a split second of real life and sharing it with the viewers of my work in an artistic way.”

Christ is also an important part of Jeff’s life and art. “I made a special prayer to God early on in this sculpting venture. As long as he provides a way for me to do inspirational art, shows me how financially (Christian art is harder to sell), I will do it. No other art has as much profundity, importance, direct application to our lives, as art that points to God, to our reason for being here, to what happens when we leave here.”

(Sculpture title: Brush Jump)

Lou Greiner

A sculpture major at Virginia Commonwealth University, Lou Greiner has worked in various mediums including fiberglass, metal, and porcelain.  She produced her first miniature clay scene thirty years ago. Because her technique has taken so long to develop, Greiner teaches workshops to spread interest in miniatures and her unique process.

Greiner has won regional and national awards and participated in wildlife and miniature across the country. April of 2006 found Greiner as artist-in-residence for two weeks at Callaway Gardens, Georgia followed by  Sculpture in the South in Summerville, South Carolina and Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville GA in November of 2006.  In 2007, she was commissioned to do three botanicals for the Smithsonian.  In February of 2008 these botanicals were installed in the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum.  They are in a new exhibit about butterflies and co-evolution.

Though commissioned pieces have been done on various subjects and the artist continues to focus on wildlife of the Blue Ridge, bringing its unknown beauty to the viewer.  Greiner’s current work is on the second of a series, “In our hands”.  This work will also include Bronzes.

“I am intrigued by the natural world and every detail in it.  Surprises abound in nature.  I try to incorporate this in the miniatures and hope that individuals viewing them will remember with a sense of awe and reverence when taking a woodland walk.”

(Sculpture title: Hawaiian Bouquet)

Gary Grossman

It is the multi-dimensional nature of stone sculpture, its tactile sensuality coupled with arresting imagery that engage sculptors and collectors. I carve stone primarily to bring forth an aesthetically and emotionally pleasing object from what literally is a mere chunk of rock. It is this process of exploration and discovery, the revelation of form and substance through successive removal of materials that is so satisfying to a stone carver. Many characteristics of stone appeal to the sculptor, in particular, variations in grain, hardness, color and texture. Rather than concentrate on a single type of stone, I carve everything from soapstone to marble so the characteristics of the stone can be matched to the esthetics of a given piece. Instilling motion and angularity in the works enables them to hold a viewer's attention and fill larger spaces.

(Sculpture title: TBD)

Hap Hagood

Contemporary in nature, Hap Hagood’s sculptures are an expression of the essence, the inner spirit that is the inherent nature of a thing.

Hagood’s works have been shown at exhibitions of the National Sculpture Society, Allied Artists of America, Brookgreen Gardens, Salmagundi Art Club, Audubon Artists, Inc., Breckenridge Fine Arts Center, Bosque Conservatory, Society of Animal Artists and Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” exhibition.

In 2009, his sculpture, “Horus,” received the Eliot Liskin Memorial Award for Realistic Sculpture at Audubon Artists 67th Annual Exhibition; in 2008, his sculpture, “Phoenix,” received the Cleo Hartwig Award at Audubon Artists 66th Annual Exhibition ; and in 2007, his sculpture, “On a Winter’s Morn,” received the Award of Excellence at Society of Animal Artists 47th Annual “Art and the Animal” Exhibition. Other prestigious awards include:  Dr. H.A. Fadhli Award, National Sculpture Society, 2004; Patron’s Award for Realism, Caldwell Arts Council, 2005; Salmagundi Award, Salmagundi Art Club, 2007.

In 2006, Hagood was featured in Wildlife Art Magazine, in Sculptural Pursuit magazine in 2007; and in American Falconry magazine in 2008.

Hagood is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists, Allied Artists of America, and Artists for Conservation foundation.

(Sculpture title: On a Winter's Morn)

Alan H. Hamwi

Alan Hamwi was born, raised and currently resides in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Antioch University where he majored in sculpture. His art education continued at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California; the Aegean School of Fine Arts in Paros, Greece; Wright State University; Columbus College of Art and Design; and The Ohio State University.

Alan spent 12 years as a professional firefighter/paramedic for the City of Huber Heights and the City of Columbus Fire Department concurrently maintaining his career as an exhibiting artist.

In 1996, he retired as a paramedic and dedicated himself to full time production in bronze, clay, welded steel and, most recently, stone carving and mixed media pieces.

Alan participates and has won numerous awards in fine art festivals throughout Florida, Illinois, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and Ohio. His work is often used by designers and landscape architects. Alan produces many commissioned pieces working in collaboration with the patrons, such as the piece presented to Jimmy Carter by the Windstar Foundation in Aspen, Colorado.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Heiner Hertling

Heiner Hertling, the host of the television show Your Brush With Nature and author of the book Your Brush With Nature, is a very talented multi-media artist and sculptor. Creating art in variety of media has become one of his trademarks. His talents encompass carefully rendered watercolor paintings, plein-air paintings, and loose impressionistic oils, small and life-sized sculptures. Heiner, a member of the prestigious Society of Animal Artists, exhibits his work regularly in the Society's shows as well as the Southeastern Wildlife Expo. Other annual events are the Waterfowl Festival in Maryland, Susan K Black Foundation's artist workshop and many others locally and across the country. Some of his many awards include first place in seven state Duck and Trout Stamp competitions, several Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year and invitations to Birds in Art in Wisconsin. You can find Heiner's art in numerous museum and private collections internationally. Heiner has also created numerous sculptures for Milford, Mi and other cities.

Heiner received the formal art training in Hamburg, Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1965 where he owned a commercial art studio until his recent retirement, which now gives him more time to paint and sculpt. He moved to Milford, Michigan where he has established an open art studio and school, where he teaches and shares his passion to create art with others.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Jack Hill

All of Hill’s sculptural work is bronze, cast in the “lost wax” technique. Besides sculpting the original work, he is hands on with all the phases of the casting process, including the molds, waxes, metal and application of the patinas. Hill’s foundry experience allows me to ensure the quality and integrity of each idea, from inspiration to final presentation.

“The ideas are born from observation of the human existence, in all its splendor and absurdity. The addition of my own whimsy and uncommon approach brings about an expression of life in the permanence of bronze. People are only one part of the whole planet and my anthropomorphic works are an exploration of the blending of man into various parts of the environment. With attention to anatomic detail and a tongue-in-cheek twist I wish to stimulate the imagination and, maybe, tickle the funny bone.”

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

James Hixson

James Hixson is an art instructor at a high school in Southwest Florida. James views this experience as a venue to enhance his own art, while educating the community of creative expression.
 
James first became interested in art while in elementary school, when he won an award at an art competition. This interest flourished when in high school, he entered several sculptures in the "Governor's Art Show" in Ohio, and won a top prize. He then sold several pieces from the show and received commission for four more pieces.
 
In college at Ohio University, Hixson majored in Art Education, with an emphasis on Sculpture. He received several commissions while in school, including designing and creating an award for the Voinovich Center.
 
Ever since then, Hixson has been creating work, and exhibiting them from Ohio to Florida. His works center on feminine forms, with the medium primarily being wood. He chooses wood pieces carefully, allowing the natural curves and knots to influence each sculpture.

(Sculpture title: Shyla)

Gary Hughes

There are those who believe that for art to be "fine," it must be S-E-R-I-O-U-S. One glance at Gary Hughes’ sculpture will change those opinions. Exuding personality, his works frequently are simultaneously smile-provoking and intimate. It’s almost like watching a spoof of ourselves while being assured that it is all in fun, with no malice intended. That’s difficult enough with words, and it’s an even rarer talent that is able to infuse that delicate sensibility into a well-composed three-dimensional image.

As a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Hughes began his career as an exhibits designer and papier-mâché sculptor. That evolved into his becoming an art director for film production, and later, to the establishment of his own animation company. Hundreds of animated sequences were created for clients in entertainment, education and industry, earning many awards along the way. The National Geographic Society, Smithsonian Institution, NBC and PBS were all recipients of the creative talents of Hughes and his animation staff.

Expanding his interest in sculpture, he began creating limited edition bronzes of his works, which won immediate acceptance in nationally acclaimed shows and exhibitions, and a loyal and proliferating group of collectors. A master at capturing ordinary events and people, Hughes elevates them with humor, originality and quality of form, to "art." His works vary in mood from the droll "Weather Report," to the gracefully serene "A Nice Rat," to a poignant "Can Man."

Commenting on his work, he says, "Taking a lump of clay and transforming it into an object of art that evokes response from a fellow human being is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It is ultimate communication. The physical act of working with materials is part of the magic. I love pushing shapes and dynamics beyond reality to emphasize or exaggerate a certain character or personality. All elements must then interlock in harmony from all points of view."

Although Gary Hughes was born in South Carolina, he and his family moved "North" when he was just one year old. He presently creates his magic in his Maryland studio near Washington, DC.

(Sculpture title: Woman)

Leslie Hutto

Leslie’s family endowed her with a strong foundation in painting, but being a little rebellious she started sculpting dogs, and received her first commission at age 16.  She continued on to study sculpture at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Old Lyme, Connecticut.  After studying figure sculpture for a year, she decided she would like to concentrate on animals, particularly dogs.  The next couple of years were spent working in kennels and sketching dog portraits.  The majority of her life had been spent outdoors with dogs, so they seemed the natural subject for her passion for clay.  It is the honesty of dogs that she loves most about them.

She later enrolled in SUNY Delhi’s pre-vet program where intense study of animal anatomy was offered.  She had planned on continuing to vet school, but she was re-directed back to sculpture part-time and raising two boys full-time. In the last couple of years she has returned to the study of the human figure and has taken workshops throughout the country.  Leslie combines her well-rounded knowledge of sculpture, animal behavior, and anatomy and marinates this into her own style of rhythm and flow, capturing the essence of the animal.  Her sculptures are known for their intense energy and sense of life and the moment. She feels impressionist work has to be based on the underlying truth – correct anatomy.

Among Leslie’s awards are 1997 Dog Fanciers Club NY, Honorable Mention; Birmingham Arts Association 2002, Honorable Mention; 2005 Ministry and Liturgy Visual Arts (Sacred Art), Honorable Mention; and 2005 Ministry and Liturgy Visual Arts (Devotional Art), Honorable Mention.  Most of Leslie’s pieces are in private collections, but she has done several public works for churches, hospitals, academies, dog clubs and associations.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Lorann Jacobs

When sculptor Lorann Jacobs visited the York, Pennsylvania, Martin Library as a child she was captivated by the bronze Turtle Baby standing amidst a fountain in the Children’s Library. Years later, sculptures she has created now grace the children’s area for all to enjoy.  In the last decade, Lorann has made her mark on York by creating eight pieces of sculpture for public installations.  York’s mayor observed recently that Jacobs’ gallery measures 5.2 square miles, the city limits of York.   This past January saw the unveiling of a more than 6-foot-tall rendering of the Marquis de Lafayette, his arm extended in a toast to George Washington. It's the first of what the city hopes will be many bronze tributes to historic figures in action.

After training formally at the Maryland Institute of Art and Design in Baltimore, Maryland, Lorann attended the York College of Pennsylvania where she studied sculpture with the late Zoel Burickson.  She commands a broad understanding of the mechanical processes connected to creating fine art, having taken instruction in welding and brazing. She applies the patinas herself to her finished bronzes. With all of Lorann’s technical expertise, she still feels that her greatest teacher has been experience. 

Lorann and husband Joe, a watercolor artist, have two grown daughters and three granddaughters.  When asked if she saw herself as one of her beautiful mermaids, Lorann said, “No, I see myself most in the abstract rabbit who is wildly trying to keep his balance on a pair of ice skates.”

(Sculpture title: World War II Memorial)

Jane Jaskevich

A reviewer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution once said, “Jaskevich is a carver of dreams in alabaster.” Jane’s mythical figures borrow elements from ancient cultures. She transforms big and bulky stones into curvy, smooth and ethereal figures. Some of her larger pieces are created by combining multiple stones. Her work can be seen at www.atlantasculpture.com.

A large body of her work portrays women. Some are alone, some wear masks and other are paired with animals. Like many stone carvers her first subjects were animals. Then she carved female figures because she could look in the mirror for anatomical help. Later Jane combined the two subjects. Her women had rabbits and birds on their heads. They wore fish. Owls emerged from their hair. The animals became spiritual symbols of the female form. Recently she has gone full circle. A new sculpture shows a hare looking at his watch. It is entitled, “I’m Late, I’m Late.” Now her fanciful animals hold symbolic objects.

Jaskevich has always been interested in the spiritual and mystical side of mankind. He inspiration to become a sculptor happened when her art professor told to create a vessel and give a lecture about it. Jane, taking a clay class at the time, made a pinch pot that resembled a female. The figure was hollow. When it came time for her to talk about her “vessel,” Jane said, “This is a vessel that holds the spirit.” Hundreds of sculptures have followed that vessel. Jaskevich is represented by “River Gallery” in Chattanooga, Hanson Gallery, Knoxville, Clayton Gallery, Tampa and www.postpicasso.com.

Her public collections include a garden sculpture in a Michigan church and three sculpture for Nationsbank Headquarters in Tampa. Jane has two stone sculptures in the permanent collection of the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, FL. One marble piece graced its sculpture garden. Her large-scale bronze sculptures are the focal point for the GTE Data Services building in Tampa.

(Sculpture title: Balopow)

Gregory Johnson

Artist Gregory Johnson was born in Chicago, Illinois.

From his earliest recollections, Greg Johnson’s work has always been representational in nature. It reflects a strong European tradition of a softly detailed surface quality, while expressing the energy and vitality of contemporary life.

The first step, which is the most important for him, is to capture the “presence” of the moment. This is done by creating a feeling of character, selecting the most expressive composition, and enhancing the feeling of movement. Artist’s describe this ability to capture movement as being gesturely rich. Even static objects can have an intrinsic feeling of movement.

With his sculpting tools, he looks for ways to have a rich texture, while having a faithful and sensitive relationship to the meticulous detail of the object being depicted. He believes in animated, softly detailed realistically figurative works that maintain classical proportions. While he has a clear personal vision of where the artwork is headed, he does yield to the surprises often discovered in the process.

Local collectors have sought him out to frequently portray monumental works for city parks. “People are simply in awe,” noted one collector, “It is as if the sculpture could talk to you.”

(Sculpture title: Nosey)

Ott Jones

It is evident from his sculpture that this Spokane, Washington native has both a fascination and love for wildlife, especially that which is discovered in the realms of the hunting and fishing kingdoms. "The outdoors has always been an important part of my life," Ott says. "As far back as I can remember, Dad and I were always hunting and fishing together."

Attending Washington State University on a tennis scholarship, he headed north to the remote Alaskan peninsula after graduation to spend the next three summers as a fishing guide, surrounded by an abundance of wildlife. It was here that he really became inspired to sculpt. "Living in the Alaskan wilderness and observing the native wildlife was an unforgettable experience."

Creating four or five new sculptures a year, Ott spends months researching and designing each piece before he ever begins his clay original. "You need to know the anatomy of each subject, as well as its behavior and personality," he says. He has won "Best in Show" at the Western Wildlife Art Show in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and his works are in hundreds of private and corporate collections across the country, including those of Robert Wagner, Jill St. John, and the Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York.

(Sculpture title: River Clowns)

Karryl

Direct observation and interaction with her subjects help bring out the joy Karryl feels for the natural world around her. Karryl’s African subjects have been inspired by adventures in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. Exploration in our National Parks sparks her imagination for creatures closer to home.

Karryl works in clay and casts in bronze. She works in a loose style, concentrating on capturing the spirit of the moment. Her sculptures range in size from miniature to monumental.
                      
Karryl received her BFA with an emphasis on sculpture from the University of Colorado. She continued her education with workshops at the Loveland Academy and an apprenticeship with artist Hollis Williford.

Karryl’s award winning sculptures have been shown in  invitational and juried shows across the country including the Western Visions  Miniatures and More show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY;  Artists for  the New Century, Bennington Center for the Arts;  Art of the Animal Kingdom, Bennington, VT;   Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Charleston, SC; Sculpture in the Park, Loveland CO; and the Waterfowl Festival, Easton Md.;  Birds in Art, Wausau, WI; and Artists for Conservation at the Blauveldt Museum in Oradell, NJ as well as the Society of Animal Artists juried membership show.

Karryl is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation. “My pieces capture a moment in time in order to bring others to a closer awareness and appreciation of the natural world.”

(Sculpture title: Playbow)

Dorothy Kennedy

Dorothy Kennedy made her start in sculpting when she began creating items for use in packaging the Kennedy Gourmet’s company products.   "My husband realized how much I loved sculpting those bottles shaped like tomatoes, peppers and strawberries and encouraged me to take classes in sculpting," Dorothy said.  Now, sculpting is Dorothy’s passion, and her motto is, “Touch the clay everyday.”  She likes to sculpt relationships that bring to mind the special moments in life – sometimes, with an attitude.  Her figurative bronzes capture life’s joy and happiness, and she wants the viewer to share those feelings with her. 

"Dorothy Kennedy is an artist of the first order. When I saw her 'Study Bug,' I instantly fell in love with her style. She produces images that sparkle with life,” said Dr. Rodney H. Mabry, President, University of Texas at Tyler at the dedication her sculpture commissioned for the Longview University Center.

Among other locations, Dorothy’s public sculpture installations can be seen at the University of Oklahoma Heath Science Center, University of Texas at Tyler Braithwaite Nursing Building, Good Shepherd Hospital Longview, and Trinity Episcopal Church Longview.  Dorothy continues to develop her talent through her studies with respected sculptors Earlene Heath-King, Bruno Lucchesi, Lincoln Fox, Eugene Daub, Rosalind Cook and Bobbi Gentry.  She is a member of the National Sculptor Society, the Texas Sculptors Association and the Portrait Society of America. 

(Sculpture title: Study Bug)

Mariah Kirby-Smith

There is "original art" and then there are "original artists." Mariah Kirby-Smith is definitely an original. Maybe, the original. She certainly defies the stereotype of the cliched artist whose talent wears a cloak of grandeur and arrogance. Possessing an immense talent, she also has an equally vast sense of humor, even about herself and her work.

With an eclectic educational background which includes a degree in Art History and English Literature from Southwestern at Memphis, she also studied Chinese Art History in Taipei, Taiwan, and apprenticed at Johnson Atelier Technical Institute in Princeton, NJ.

 This is an artist whose portraiture has been selected in national competitions for placement in museums and memorials and universities across the country, but whose creativity also leaps to flashes of zaniness. Who else would have sculpted a cockroach hidden on Strom Thurmond's bottom for the monument of him in Edgefield's courthouse square? Yet, this same Mariah Kirby-Smith created a Memorial in Richmond, Virginia of a policeman gently holding a child and her Teddy bear in his arms; a series of five life-size figures representing the branches of the Armed Services for a memorial in Bristol, Virginia; and a poignant rendition of "Christ - the Healer" for an Augusta, Georgia hospital.

A favorite in 1999 was "Victoria Pearl", an Angel Violinist reincarnated from one of "The Three Graces" original bronzes at St. Mary's School, Memphis, Tennessee.

(Sculpture title: Victoria Pearl)

Julia T. Knight

Julia Knight, a native of Cedartown, Georgia, began her formal art studies in 1973 at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.  She transferred to the Ringling School of Art at Sarasota, Florida, where she completed a four-year apprenticeship with the well-known sculptor Lelsie Posey.  She pursued additional training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

In 1979, she moved to Rome, Georgia, to establish an art studio focusing on sculptural portraits.  One of the artist’s earliest portrait studies was of Frederick Knight of Cartersville whom she married in 1981.  Julia devoted the next several years to raising her three children and helping to restore the family home on the Etowah River that had been in her husband's family since the 1830s. 

Julia returned to work in active portrait sculpture in 1996.  Her bronze sculpture subjects have included babies, young children, teenagers, businessmen, a physician and even a favored family pet, an English setter named “Sproully.”  Since 2002, Julia has made Pietrasanta, Italy, her resident art studio, casting and sculpting in the old art colony of Michelangelo’s Toscana.  “Working in Italy has made a big difference in my concentration and the quality of my work,” say Ms. Knight.

Julia Knight is committed to promoting creative expression through the sculptural arts at the high school level. She gives master classes to high school and college students to promote and open the ability to see forms sculpturally and maintains an artist proof collection of her work available for shows in schools, offices, and other public places.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

William Kolok

Like the limestone he carves William Kolok’s life consists of textured layers. Kolok was raised in a working class neighborhood in New England, completed his undergraduate and graduate work in GA and for the last 30 years had lived in KY.
 
Kolok’s limestone sculptures have been exhibited in prestigious art exhibits across the south and Midwest. His commissions include a limestone font and tabernacle for a chapel, a totem of wheel chairs parts for a special needs playground, and a wall of crosses for a church.
 
Each piece Kolok does fosters new ideas.  He continues to enjoy the physical labor of sculpture, the mental challenge and the search for new forms of expression.

His wood and stone sculptures delight his audience with their invitation to interpret, experience, see, and feel.

(Sculpture title: Wing and a Pear)

Matt Lewis

Lewis began his interest in sculpture at a young age. He grew up in Elmwood, Illinois. A small Midwestern town that is also the birth and resting place of Lorado Taft, an early 20th century master.  His monumental Pioneer sculpture looms large over the central park and had a profound effect on Lewis’s imagination. His formal studies began at Millikin University in Decatur,Ill. However, after spending more time in the ceramics studio than in other classes he decided it was time for a move south. Transferring to The Savannah College of Art and Design where he studied sequential art and illustration and earned a B.A. in 1998.

By 2000, the sculpture world had drawn him back in, and he found himself working at Ward Sculptural Arts foundry in Canton Ga. Working in an art foundry gives a sculptor an opportunity to not only sculpt, but to mold, cast, and finish each piece. Each step takes craft and care and will ultimately determine the final look of the sculpture. Lewis has also been lucky enough to work with, learn from, and befriend some of the South's most prominent sculptors, such as John Ward, Don Haugen, Teena Stern, John Michel, and James Spratt.
  
Lewis’s work can be found in both private and public collections including commissions from the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, Nassau. In 2006, he sculpted eight life size bottlenose dolphins that represent the rescued hurricane Katrina dolphins, and in 2007 an edition of six smaller bronze dolphins. Along with original sculptures and paintings, he has repaired and helps maintain existing bronze sculptures at Atlantis.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Mitch Lewis

Mitch has spent a lifetime studying art and creating it professionally. He attended the High School of Art & Design in New York, took classes at the Art Students League, and received his BFA from Pratt, where he first discovered sculpture. Mitch ultimately established a career as the Creative Director of a New York advertising agency. Now turning his creativity toward sculpture, his old passion, Mitch has undertaken graduate studies in the Sculpture Department at Eastern Carolina University.

While woking in advertising, Mitch says he “grabbed the gold ring and took a very beautiful and shapely young woman to be [his] bride.” As Mitch says, he “stumbled into nirvana” with an understanding, beautiful, full-time, free model, who could even cook. The Lewis’s exhibited Mitch’s work in their living room, but Mitch’s wife assigned each sculpture its own “modesty” sheet. Before any man entered their home, she insisted that each piece be discretely covered. So Mitch’s talents (and his wife’s exquisite form) remained a well-guarded, family secret, shared only by those ill-mannered friends who had the temerity to lift the sheets.

About his sculpture, Mitch says, “I enjoy freezing a body in motion when it is stretched, twisted and turned to its limit. I also love capturing emotion through the subtle changes in body posture and the nuances of gesture. Maybe it’s the gentle curl of the fingers of a ballerina, or the tension and strain on the muscles of an athlete. I want [the viewer] to identify with the triumph or feel the despair of my figures.”

Mitch is a member of the National Sculpture Society and serves on the Board of the Craven Arts Council. Mitch is represented by Objects & Images in Westchester County, NY, City Art Gallery in Greenville, NC, and Beaufort Fine Art in Beaufort, NC.

(Sculpture title: Rimwrecker)