Royal Richardson Miree

The son of a civil engineer and a mathematician with a love of nature and wildlife, Miree spent much of my time walking construction sites or the local zoo.  At fifteen he began an apprenticeship to kinetic sculptor Edward Hendricks and found an entirely different side of art not bounded by the margins of a static canvas, but an art that utilizes every piece of itself to be realized. 

“Over the past 20 years I have worked with movement and form. There is a certain fascination wit being able to create a form with basic fluid elements that may come fully to life with the intuition and imagination of the observer.”
   
Designs for each kinetic sculpture start as basic line drawings exploring how to translate a historical event, a landmark in technology development or an inspiring event into a sculptural form.  The challenge is to create physical forms that reflect balanced relationships for a non tangible event.  He has to pay attention to the visual flow of elements and how each one represents an element of the event so the final form can tell a complete story. 
  
As a design develops, the relationship between concept and materials becomes more important with each piece.  The intent is to create a fluid, figurative image using the minimal amount of material. While the materials are of themselves hard, the aim is to soften them and have them almost dance as they move and reflect.  To this end, the smoothness and speed of the counter balance point plays a critical role in the visual affect the work will have in motion.

The design is transferred to actual size on a board with concentric circles designating rotation of the various elements. After this basic layout is complete, the raw metal stock is cut, measured, weighed and milled for the anchor components. Various counter weights made earlier are used for testing the balance points of the assembly. This is a process of checking different sized pieces for their weight and position to achieve a smooth rotation and match to an exact position of horizontal balance.

Miree has received national awards and recognition through his work.

(Sculpture title: Gabriel)

Karla Runquist

The overwhelming beauty of wildlife and the ever-changing environment surrounding it have always brought Karla Runquist a sense of spirituality. “There’s magic in Nature, and it’s that magic that excites me and ignites my creativity,” she relates.  Her farming background, with its immersion in Nature, actually laid the foundation from which she drew her inspiration for her artistic endeavors. Always fascinated with art as a child, she set aside that pursuit for the full-time demands of marriage and family.

But passion for the creation of art can be denied for only so long, and as her children grew, Karla directed her energies toward painting again, with their encouragement. A happy discovery was made that she also had an aptitude for teaching painting, and the income allowed her to take a sculpture workshop that literally changed her life.

Karla's studio is located in Macomb, Illinois, where she also attended art related classes at Western Illinois University.  She received an Illinois Arts Council Grant to attend the International Sculpture Conference in Chicago in 1998, the Award of Excellence at “The Salute to the Masters,” and has work in collections around the world, including Holland and Japan. Karla notes, “I choose to portray the positive, the beautiful, the caring - and most of all, the love and joy of life.”

Karla Runquist sculptures in our B.I.R.D.S. collection:
Painted Bunting (above, #7 in the BIRDS brochure)


Blue Jays (#20 in the BIRDS brochure)

Nick Ryan

You could call Nick a "natural-born" artist, brought up in a family with considerable interest in art, but an artist who didn’t really receive any formal art training until middle age, years after he had completed a fine arts minor in college and taught art in the public school system. Over the years, his artistic interests have evolved from drawing, to watercolors, to culminate in his passion: sculpture.

Born in Chicago and raised in the lake country of northeastern Illinois, Nick clearly has been influenced by the wealth of outdoor experiences he encountered there and in Utah, his home since the mid 1960s. Wildlife themes have dominated his bronze works, but he also has a significant body of figurative pieces, mostly of children. With his own family of ten children to help raise, it does seems a wonder that he ever found the time or the solitude for artistic creativity. His subject matter remains diverse, and he enjoys the freedom to create whatever subject calls to him. A decided asset is the strength of his compositions. From that base, he can create works of intricate detail, or depart into subdued textures and striking abstractions of life forms, though sufficient detail and realism are usually incorporated to make the focal point of his pieces recognizable images.

The teacher in Nick is inseparable from the artist, and he’s likely to be found unlocking the mysteries of three-dimensional art for newcomers to the realm. His proclivity for smaller, mantel and table-top sized bronzes has made it possible for new (or would-be) collectors to be able to purchase his works, allowing them to own an original piece of art for what they might invest for a good quality framed print. But his work has also been chosen for public art, as well. In 1998, his "Genesis of a Thunderbolt" was selected for the Purchase Award by the Loveland Sculpture Invitational Show, and is now part of Loveland, Colorado’s permanent public art collection.

(Sculpture title: Emblem)

Kenneth G. Ryden

Born in Chicago, artist-sculptor Kenneth G. Ryden is one of the Midwest’s most accomplished sculptors. Working primarily in bronze, his works range from compelling abstractions to heartfelt renderings of man’s deepest aspirations and most etheric visions. Ryden is also proficient in glass and ceramics and other artistic media. Perhaps his most applauded talent is the ability to animate form with content as he brings the living viability of the human soul into play in his life-size and larger figurative works.

Kenneth has enjoyed a rich and full career as professor and Artist-in-Residence at major Universities in the Midwest. Concurrently, he is owner of Ryden Galleries and continues in public commission work creating large fountains and public monuments. He is experienced in the process of site planning in collaboration with designers and architects.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Wayne Salge

Even though bronze is his current medium of choice, Wayne Salge’s life has always been dominated by a wide range of art.  Painting, sculpture, illustration and graphic design have influenced his signature style which is distinguished by sharp angles, long thin lines and smooth planes.  Wayne says that although his style is recognizable, it is not easy to label or describe. “If it were a painting, I would use the term impressionism. It falls somewhere between realism and abstraction,” he explains.  Children catch the essence of the subjects very quickly, while adults sometimes take longer. One man said “I like this work because it leaves something to my imagination.”

Born and raised in San Antonio, Wayne trained formally at San Antonio College and La Villita School of Art in his hometown. His career has ranged from a television art director to an Army illustrator to an advertising agency art director and to a free-lance graphic designer and illustrator.  Wayne has been sculpting and casting his stylized works in bronze for the last ten years.  His body of work numbers over eighty pieces primarily in small limited editions that range in size from five inched to nine feet in height. 

Numerous articles in Southwest Art, InformArtandWildlife Arthave profiled Wayne and featured his artwork.  His outdoor installations include “Antonio,” Steamboat Springs, Colorado; “Spirit of Reconciliation” the Conflict Center, Denver; and “Cimarron,” Loveland, Colorado. Wayne is represented in galleries across the United States, from California to North Carolina.

“Antonio” by Wayne Salge was selected for purchase as the 18th sculpture in Summerville’s permanent collection.  This 8-1/2’ bronze communicates strength and optimism, and it is relevant to every age, any gender, all ethnic groups and languages.  Installation was at Gahagan Ball Fields in the Fall 2007.

Wayne Salge sculptures in our permanent collection:
Antonio (above, #19 in our brochure)

Wendy Salin

Wendy’s artistic education began early at the Los Angeles Museum of Art enrichment program where she first discovered her passion for form.  Her talent and determination earned her a scholarship to Art Center College of Design from the Ford Motor Company where she studied industrial design.  During her career, she has worked in the field of Corporate Aircraft, Automotive Design and Conceptual Product Design.  Wendy traveled extensively during her design career, spending time in Japan and Europe, but it was during a trip to Rome where she was profoundly affected by the sculptural masterwork.  It was then that she felt driven to sculpt and after fifteen years as a designer and fabricator, turned her sights to sculpting.  She hasn’t looked by since.

Wendy Salin’s love of form can be seen in her figurative sculpture.  Her work entices the viewer to experience the energy that each piece carries.  Her work is quietly personal yet at the same time universal in theme.  Her intention is to give form to the emotions that reside within us all and explains, “My work is the culmination of my experiences.  My family has been a perpetual source of inspiration to me.” 

Wendy is represented by Visions Fine Art in Sedona, AZ; Act I Gallery in Taos, NM; and Gallery 1000 in Palm Desert, CA.  She maintains membership in the National Sculpture Society, the California Art Club and American Women Artists.

(Sculpture title: Moonsoon)

Stefan Savides

California native Stefan Savides came into this world with a total fascination of birds. At age twelve he began what would become a lifelong career in taxidermy. By the age of sixteen he was instructing adults in taxidermy through the City of Vacaville recreation department’s night school curriculum. After graduating from Vaca High school he moved to the Klamath Basin, an inspiring area of northern California where birds abound.
Stefan is an artist who has never worked a day in his life in mainstream America. His self- employed career, while mainly centered on taxidermy, has included painting, carving and sculpting birds.

Savides’ forty-six year career in taxidermy has carried him to the top of his profession internationally. He has spent many years traveling the United States, Canada and even Europe judging taxidermy and carving shows and conducting seminars and workshops. His clients include Dick Cabela, founder of the popular outdoor sporting company, and works as Mr. Cabela’s personal field taxidermist, traveling with him and his wife on their hunting safaris around the world. Savides’ works can be found in collections and museums around the country, including the Shedd aquarium in Chicago, Cabela stores, and the Smithsonian.

Sculpting in bronze is a natural progression for Savides as it provides a lasting expression of his knowledge of avian anatomy and design. Years of intense study coupled with a flair for simplistic design equates to renderings that capture the essence of his subjects in tasteful clean works of art.

Stefan Savides sculptures in our B.I.R.D.S. collection:
Pigeon (above, #2 in our BIRDS brochure)


Grackle (above, #14 in our BIRDS brochure)

Valerie J. Schafer

"Forms found in nature, the splendors of the human figure, and reaching deep into my Cherokee roots serve as the inspiration for the sculptures in [the 2011] show. In my sculpture, I tend to take a ‘less is more’ approach. I believe that by paring a thing down to its essence, the spirituality behind it more easily revealed to the viewer. The simplicity of these forms, even those inspired by ancient American artifacts, evokes a sense of elegance with a decidedly contemporary feel."

"The more I sculpt, the more I find I am learning acceptance. I learn acceptance of many things including the letting go and enjoying the act of sculpting itself, while experiencing a sense of flow with the desires of the medium in which I am working."

"My formal education includes holding a Bachelor of Science in Fine Art degree from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana: an Associate in Science in Education degree from Ancilla College in Donaldson, Indiana: and several years of study in bronze casting at Indiana University in South Bend."

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

John Sewell

Working with single large pieces of wood, sculptor John Sewell carves free-form sculptural vessels with designs focused on various expressions of the feminine form. He carves the outside of a piece and then the inside, leaving a wall of uniform thickness. The interior is then burned, and the resulting charcoal sandblasted away. The exterior is finely sanded and then finished with multiple coats of lacquer, each wet sanded to a fine, smooth surface.

John’s work resides in the public art collections of: Loveland, CO in both Benson Park Sculpture Garden (“Blossom”) and the McWhinney Haun Sculpture Park (“Two Leaves”); Fountain Hills, AZ (“Blossom”) at the east entrance to the Community Center; Memphis Botanical Gardens, Memphis, TN (“Three Graces” fountain); St. Louis University, St Louis, MO (“Cat” and “Two Leaves” Fountains); and Weston Botanical Gardens in Ft. Worth, TX (“Sassy”).

(Sculpture title: Little Sassy)

Scott Shaffer

Scott’s inspiration to sculpt began in high school, when he became intrigued with the sculpture of wildlife artist Jim Gilmore. Drawn to the works in Gilmore’s sporting goods store, he examined the sculptures more closely on every visit, wondering if it were possible for him to create that type of art. When his family vacationed in Santa Fe soon after, he found himself surrounded by the creations of artists from all over the world. The spark was ignited for his future career before he even finished high school.

Interested in nature and its complexities from an early age, Scott had developed love and respect for the natural world as he was growing up in Littleton and Alamosa, Colorado. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, he thought he would work in a fish hatchery or for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. But a visit to a foundry for a bid to cast his first bronze sculpture, instead led to a job offer, which he quickly accepted. Much like the sculpture apprentices of long ago, he spent the next two year learning every intricate detail of the lost-wax casting and finishing process, and was able to use the facility and tools after hours to cast more of his own works in bronze.

(Sculpture title: Aligators)

Kim Shaklee

Shaklee, a successful wildlife and marine sculptor, distinguishes herself from other artists by her ability to transform static metal into fluid motion to capture the essence of an animal.

Shaklee is a native of Denver, Colorado. She spent summers and holidays of her youth at her family’s summer home in Estes Park, Colorado.  The rugged beauty and grandeur of Rocky Mountain National Park served as her backyard.  It was there; she developed a deep appreciation for the natural world and an intense love for wildlife.  Shaklee was able to study an abundance of wildlife first hand, giving her a strong foundation for her future as a Sculptor.
Combining her life experiences, knowledge, strong artistic abilities and love for creatures of land and sea, she has become a skilled wildlife and marine artist.
“I described my work as a cross between realism with a contemporary feel and a touch of abstraction. I find that, for me, this makes a good balance.”

Shaklee's works have been shown in many national and international exhibitions and are included in collections around the world, including the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the Oklahoma City Zoological Gardens; Oklahoma City, OK and Benson Park Sculpture Garden in
Loveland, CO. She has received numerous awards including the Gold Medal of Honor from Allied Artists of America, the Paul Manship Memorial Award and the Anna Hyatt Huntington Bronze Medal.  She has garnered several Best of Shows and People’s Choice awardsfrom art competitions throughout the country.

Her sculptures have been the subject of several editorial features in well-known publications, including Art of the West, Southwest Art, Wildlife Art, Sporting Classics, American Artist and InformArt.    

Memberships include: American Society of Marine Artists (Fellow), Allied Artists of America, American Artists Professional League (Fellow),Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Arts Club, Pen & Brush, Inc. and Women Artists of the West.

This artist's creation "Hop To It" was the first piece of sculpture to be placed in Summerville's permanent collection in Azalea Park

Kim Shaklee sculptures in our permanent collection:
Hop To It (above, #1 in our brochure)


River Rapture (#20 in our brochure)

Ken Smith

His works have been described as "expressionistic figurative sculpture", and when you encounter Ken Smith's art it will not surprise you to learn that he has studied anatomy at George Washington Medical School and has had professional experience as a medical illustrator. But his is not merely technical expertise.

 "Expressionistic" is the operative adjective relating to his art. He takes his talent for accurate anatomy and elevates it with a remarkable creativity. It is beautiful, or stunning, or horrific - but never ordinary. He is one of a select few whose work has been approved for acquisition by Brookgreen Gardens. His massive stone sculpture, Freedom's A-Comin' will be placed at Brookgreen in the year 2000.

Winning numerous awards for sculpture in the Grand Strand area, he has also been chosen for participation in National Sculpture Society Exhibitions in New York, the Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition at Chesterwood in Massachusetts, and Sculpture in the Park, in Loveland. Colorado.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Roger Smith

Raised on a small farm in southern Michigan, he always loved the outdoors. Smith dreamed of being a wildlife artist as long as he could remember. The spark started as a youngster and flickered during his high school years. For a few years he found taxidermy and taxidermy manikin sculpting satisfied his appetite for art. He then took a 14 year sabbatical from art of any kind while raising a family, building a business and serving his church and community. Then in 2000 at the urging of his wife, Vicki, he picked up the clay again with an eye toward bronze sculpture.

“I love the look and feel of sculpted clay and the permanence of bronze. I find real beauty in the organic shapes and curves of a Bison’s back or a fawn’s ear. Then I strive to share what I learn from His creation with those who view my art.”

Since his debut exhibition in 2005 he has shown his work in numerous juried fine art shows in MI, NY, OH, LA, KY and SC. He was the featured artist for the autumn 2006 issue of Whisper in the Woods Nature Journal. His work has been chosen for the Ella Sharp Museum Fine Arts Competition, the International Exhibition on Animals in Art, the Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit and the Society of Animal Artist’s “Small Works – Big Impressions” show. His Watchful Doe, life size is installed at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY and the Charlevoix Public Library in Charlevoix, MI. In 2008 he was accepted as an Associate Member of Society of Animal Artist. He is represented by fine art galleries in MI and CO.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Stephen Spears

Growing up as a "military brat," Stephen Spears was fortunate to live in many exotic locations, and his work evidences his experiences in the Orient, among other locales. Creating artwork has always been an important part of his life. He has studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and has participated in workshops with some of today's finest sculptors. A champion of endangered species, Stephen enjoys promoting awareness about animals and their habitats, and his life-long love for animals shines through in his wildlife sculpture.

Spears' medium of choice is bronze, and he speaks of the challenge "of bringing the illusion of movement, a variety of textures, and a feeling of warmth to an essentially cold, still piece of metal.  It’s exciting to bring the metal to life, to create a story with my bare hands.” His first foray into sculpting children was inspired by Stephen's daughter, and has resulted in a number of commissions for life-size sculpture. The bronze "Joyous Infant" celebrates the excitement a baby exhibits as it masters each new experience, and the life-size bronze "Charlie" (an engaging little boy in summer overalls) is able to hold either a butterfly net or a flag.

Family is a major focus in Stephen’s life.  He and his wife are raising three daughters and a son on their alpaca farm in Fairhope, AL.  Stephen is active in promoting the arts in his community.  He has offered classes and sponsored art workshops with nationally known artists in order to enhance arts education in his region.  Stephen has been active in establishing Fairhope’s own public art program.

(Sculpture title: Against the Grain)

David Springer

David fell in love with the Lowcountry in 1997 when his daughter came to the College of Charleston. His love of the Lowcountry found expression in sculptures of the wildlife and gentle flow of this beautiful country.

David’s sculpture develops from a shape, or texture, that catches root in his imagination. A twisted piece of steel, or quiet time on the water, inspires an image. He sketches the shapes and motion onto sheets of metal, he cuts and begins to shape and stretch the metal to create the flowing edges and bulges of motion. David’s inspiration comes from fleeting memories of the flowing tides, and motions of water, wind, and flight.

He carves stone and wood, but direct metal is his current passion. Metals are cut, folded, hammered, rolled, and heated into shape. The torch brings a rainbow of colors to the freshly worked copper. The chemical dyes and patinas that he uses adds burnished leather, jade green, or velvety turquoise to the pallet.

“I just love to explore the organic shapes that come from working and annealing and reworking copper and steel.”

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Mary Tanner

Tanner is from wide open western Nebraska. She grew up surrounded by horses and wildlife. She worked as a scientific illustrator for both the Nebraska State Museum and the Univerity of Kansas Natural History Museum. In 1999, she was given the job of repairing and restoring a badly vandalized limestone sculpture, a 9-foot tall local monument. She cleaned off the blue spray paint, found matching stone to repair many broken parts, and carved a replacement arm and face. The sculpture now stands proudly on the county courthouse lawn. Through this experience of repairing limestone, she discovered her love of stone carving.
 
She says, "For me, stone is the most rewarding and satisfying material to make shapes with, although I work with wood also. I love the carving process, actually doing the work. Part of the joy of working with stone is the interaction with it, paying attention to what it has to say. Carving is a little like solving a puzzle of sorts, searching out a form and idea that will fit into the rough, given original piece. I find great joy in following the forms as I am carving with the hammer and chisels and creating beautiful shapes. And every enjoys the natural beauty of finished and polished stone. Stone has such strong integrity and honesty as a material."
 
With a background in illustration, Tanner’s form are anatomically structured, but she searches for forms within that anatomy that wil, first of all, make intersting sculpture, and will also bring out the beauty of the stone.

(Sculpture title: Satin Swirls)

Richard Thompson

Most of Richard Thompson's work involves the depiction of wildlife and the contemporary cowboy. He sculpts from life, feeling that observation of live models results in a more exciting interpretation of the finished product. His sculpture blends accuracy with sensitivity (and frequently with humor) so that each piece does more than simply represent exact anatomy.

Richard has exhibited nationally in juried shows such as the North American Sculpture Exhibition in Golden Colorado, and the National Sculpture Society Show in New York City. His works have also been included in the prestigious Mountain Oyster Club in Tucson and the Amarillo Art Center in Amarillo, Texas, and are usually seen in the "Sculpture in the Park" show in Loveland, Colorado.

Thompson is a member and past president of the Texas Cowboy Artists Association, and has been awarded several Gold and Silver medals for sculpture and Gold medals for painting in that organization's annual exhibitions. In the 1989 Texas Cowboy Artists' exhibit, Thompson won Best of Show, the Gold medal for oil painting, and was selected Texas Cowboy Artist-of-the-Year by his peers. One recent work was a commissioned life-size sculpture, Pioneer Woman, for a Texas college.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

John Tolmay

Sculptor John Tolmay was born in Southern Rhodesia during World War II.   While his dad was busy carving a cattle ranch out of virgin bush, he employed a raw, bush-wise African to look after and tutor John.  There couldn’t have been a better teacher for a small boy growing up in that enormous wilderness.

His formal schooling in Africa afforded young John the chance to enjoy the bush as much as the classroom, and it was there that John started to draw his observations in nature. His interest in the American West showed in his early sketch-books.  His Cambridge Examination piece in 1959 was his first sculpture, and it was a bust of an American Indian for which he received Honours.

After agricultural college in South Africa, John traveled to Europe and then on to America, where he worked in Nebraska and New Mexico as a cowboy.  In 1966, John returned to Rhodesia, married Dinah, and went ranching.  It was then that he taught himself to paint in oils and very occasionally made three-dimensional pieces out of wood or modeling clay.

In 1974 he started guiding Safaris for tourist hunters, and in 1980 sold the ranch, becoming a full-time guide.  Those years hunting and guiding were John’s anatomy classes for his future career as a sculptor.  He completed and sold his first piece of bronze in 1989.  Today, John and Dinah make their home in central Montana, and his work as a guide continues once or twice a year, but sculpting is his full time occupation.

(Sculpture title: Mirage)

Kate VanNoorden

“Her animals have such wonderful expression” is the comment most frequently heard when viewers see the wildlife sculpture of Kate VanNoorden.  She is able to capture the action and humor of her subjects, often arranged in composition – a technique for which she is well known. Working in clay and stone, Kate creates more than just wildlife.  Her works range from figurative and portrait to abstract – and in scale, from tabletop to environmental. 

Originally from the Boston area, Kate attended Rollins College and received her BFA in Art Education from Syracuse University.  For several years she served as head of the art department for the Carlisle, Massachusetts, School System.  On moving to Stratford, Connecticut, she began to pursue her life-long interest in sculpture, studying with internationally renowned sculptor, Stanley Bleifeld at his studios in Westport, Ct. and Pietrasanta, Italy.

Many of Kate VanNoorden’s sculptures have been selected for public installations.  The stately seven-foot bronze heron “Wings of the Morning” appears to be taking off from the mezzanine of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.  Bronzes of “Upward Wings,” a four-foot heron, can be seen in several Florida communities, as well as the two in the fountain of the Jupiter Medical Center Healing Garden.  A school girl feeding lettuce to a life-sized manatee and baby are the star attraction of the great plaza of the city of Le Lamatin, Martinique.  

During the winter, Kate shares her spacious Jupiter, Florida, studio with other professional sculptors wintering in Florida. Kate has three grown children and is married to Stanley Zerner.  Between them, they have 15 grandchildren (and 3 large dogs of their own).

(Sculpture title: Tortoise)

Ronny Walker

Ronny says, “All of my ventures through the arts led me to the most difficult and intriguing destination, sculpture. I create my sculpture in oil-based clay and cast in bronze. This method lends itself well to the kind of sculptures I create: musicians and embracing couple, dogs and groupings of people.

“ Now I sculpt what intrigues me. People, animals, and I like to sculpt what catches my imaginary eye. I try to capture emotion and thought. My musicians are created because of my love of music. I feel that music and hope to transfer it into cold bronze, making the bronze come alive. I know that I have reached my goal when people look at my musicians and comment that they can hear the music, or when they look at my romantic pieces and say that they can feel the love. I hope to give a feeling, a memory, a precious moment back to the viewer.“

Ronny received her formal education at the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas, and has studied privately under known sculptors. She is represented in galleries in California, Colorado, and Arizona. Ronny is a Colleague Member of the National Sculpture Society, an Associate Member of the National Association of Women Artists and the Allied Artists of America, and a member of the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Association.

(Sculpture title: Melody)

Garland Weeks

"Art allows us to be more than mere primates with car keys!  Public displays of art...let people join hand-in-hand with artists and emerge from the jungles of concrete, asphalt, and carbon monoxide and enter a world of beauty, imagination, and tremendous creativity."

Born in Amarillo and graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in agricultural economics, Garland Weeks traces his Texas roots back six generations to 1835.  With both collegiate and professional rodeo experience, Garland brings first-hand knowledge of cowboy life to his works.  While he has spent over 35 years sculpting native wildlife, insects, pets and livestock, he is best known for and always returns to the human figure as his personal touchstone. He states, "The West, with its unique brand of people and places, is what I know best and love most. Hopefully, my sculpture transmits this love for, and understanding of my chosen subjects."

Among his many public installations, Garland created the life-size monument of "Old Yeller" to memorialize the book's author, Fred Gipson, and the life-size monument at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, remembering Gene Cernan as the last man to step off of the face of the moon.  Currently engaged in a commission for a memorial to public safety "first responders" with six figures at 1-1/2 times life-size as well as two portrait busts, Garland finds the time to serve as the Kenan Master Sculptor in Residence at Brookgreen Gardens and to teach 24 high-school student art scholarship recipients at a 21-day art camp each summer.

In recognition of his work, Garland has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Western Art (1990), has been honored as the Official Sculptor of Texas (1995) by the Texas State Legislature, and was advanced to the status of "Fellow" by the National Sculpture Society (2004).  

Garland has been generous with his support and advice from the beginning of Sculpture in the South up to the present, having exhibited at every show since 1999.  Garland was the first Sculptor-in-Residence for Dorchester District II Schools, teaching a week-long sculpting class to the honors art students in local high schools the week prior to Sculpture in the South 2004.  In 2006, he completed a commissioned monumental-size bronze of Francis Marion for the Berkeley County Administration Office in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

Garland Weeks' sculptures in our permanent collection and other noteworthy pieces:
Mayor Berlin G. Myers (above, #21 in our brochure)

Francis Marion (located in the Berkeley County Administration Office, Moncks Corner, SC)

Allen Weidhaas

Not many artists are sure at a very early age that the art world will be their calling, but Allen Weidhaas was an exception. By the age of 16, he was intently focused on expressing himself through some form of visual art. Born and raised in Massachusetts, he had been captivated by the work of Daniel Chester French who created the Minuteman monument in Lexington and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Beginning his undergraduate studies at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, he later transferred to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to concentrate on art. After graduation in 1974, he worked as a graphic designer-illustrator in the advertising industry, but gradually was drawn more and more to three-dimensional work.

In 1976 he embarked on a three-year period of self-study in sculpture, exploring different techniques and materials. He dedicated himself to countless hours of training, resulting in the fulfillment of turning to sculpture as a profession. For years, he worked primarily in wood in order to achieve the extremely detailed works for which he is known, but he had also worked in bronze, stone and clay. In 1996, he returned to working in bronze sculpture with a new emphasis on limited editions.
His style is realism, and he credits the works of Frederick Remington, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and the afore-mentioned Daniel Chester French as having a marked influence on him. He enjoys a wide variety of subject matter, including wildlife, still life, and hunting and fishing figurative works.

His sculpture is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Virginia History in Richmond, and has been exhibited at the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach. He has recently been commissioned to create a monument of the famous Civil War Confederate General "JEB" Stuart to be portrayed in his youth. The monument will be installed on his birthplace property in Stuart, Virginia.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Dale Weiler

Dale Weiler began his art career at age 45, having honored his father's wishes that he pursue a more "financially rewarding" profession than the arts. Since his father was a world-renowned wildlife watercolorist and understood the vagaries of that world, Dale did his best to avoid the realm. But his love for art and his need to express himself artistically became too strong a force, and in 1992 he began to sculpt.

He describes himself as a sculptor of stone. When asked why he chose this medium, he answers that "the feel of the stone" and the technical challenge of working with the most unforgiving medium of all art forms probably were the driving forces. And then he adds, with a laugh, that maybe it chose him. The idea of imparting movement, suppleness and power into an inert mass of alabaster, marble or steatite is both challenging and exhilarating.

His entrée into the art world has been nothing less than dramatic. Armed with his father's artistic gift and his pent-up passion for artistic creation, he's been catapulted into a new life that has embraced and honored his talents. Accepted into the prestigious Society of Animal Artists, his work has been showcased in museums including the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum in Connecticut and the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in New Jersey. In 1995, father-and-son artists were honored with a joint exhibit titled "Weiler and Weiler: The Vision Continues" at the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont. This year, the renowned Ward Museum in Salisbury, Maryland will host an exhibit of his work from May through August.

(Sculpture title: Untitled)

Andrea Wilkinson

Always fascinated by animals, Andrea Wilkinson grew up watching them, loving them - and drawing them. Her interest in animals led her to a B.S. in Zoology from Oklahoma State University, with the idea of being able to work in close proximity with them. She now resides in Texas and volunteers at the Houston Zoo, where she educates children about wildlife and conservation. Her venture into sculpting came about almost by accident, despite her continued interest in drawing and oil painting.

She had little exposure to sculpture until she began attending sculpture shows with her sister, sculptor Jane Rankin. After attending the shows, she began seeking out sculpture workshops, and participated in workshops in New Mexico and Arizona. She's studied with Lincoln Fox, Eugene Daub, Dan Ostermiller and Sandy Scott, to each of whom she gives her gratitude for their willingness to share their knowledge and experience with novices thirsty for information.

Her devotion to animals through the years made her choice of subject matter simple: animals. "I love to watch them move," she declares. "They each have a natural grace and rhythm that is unique to their species . . . the way they're put together, and how Nature has modified everything from their bone structure to their coverings (fur, scales, feathers), to the exquisite sharpening of specific senses to create unique animals to fill unique niches. I'm not really trying to send any messages through my art - just trying to convey my own respect, fascination, and joy that we get to share our planet with all these marvelous creatures."

That concentrated focus has enabled her to advance rapidly in her chosen arena of sculpture, and she's already completed a memorial commission of two wrestling lion cubs for the Houston Zoo. She's excited about the future possibilities, including participating in sculpture events with her sister, Jane Rankin.

(Sculpture title: A Literary Scot)

Adrianne Winer

Adrianne Winer was born in Rochester, NY. She studied sculpture at the Rochester Art Gallery and took courses in sculpture at the University of Buffalo when she moved there with her two children. Like many artists, she juggled the responsibilities of parenthood with the desire to create. When her children began college, Adrianne returned to college as well to resume her art studies. She graduated from Daemon College in Buffalo, NY, with a BFA degree and an abiding love for creating sculpture.

She focuses mainly on the female figure, working in bronze, stainless steel and stone. Leaving minutely-detailed sculpture to others, her work has organic and tactile qualities with smooth surfaces that call out for the viewer’s touch.

During her professional career spanning 24 years, she has been represented in galleries in New York, Florida, Michigan, and Oklahoma. She has been selected for participation in the Loveland (CO) Invitational Sculpture Show since 2002. She has been commissioned to create life-size sculpture for private collectors, and has pieces (as she says) “living in” locations from Toronto to the Florida Keys.

(Sculpture title: Two Figures)