I believe that when we open ourselves to art and it touches us, we get a spark, something indefinable, from the experience. This connection is the reason I keep creating sculpture. Getting to carve and live on Whidbey Island just makes a good thing even better!
When carving, I try to capture the natural essence of the stone in the choice of my design and to discover cohesive forms that use shape and texture to translate feelings, create moods and invite people to be drawn in. Each piece gradually takes on a life of its own through the stone-carving process, sometimes revealing itself early, and other times not until the final polish. Each work develops its own personality and helps create its own story.
I work in many different types of stone and many different themes. I find the poetry in the lines in the human body to be a source of inspiration, and other sculpture is inspired by beauty and rhythms found in nature and some themes explore ideas or feelings. I enjoy working on a small intimate scale as well as large garden sculpture.
Most often I work on multiple sculptures at any one time, sometimes these sculptures are all from a series of work, and other sculptures just come alive from independent inspiration. I try to stay open to this inspiration as it lays the foundation for using art as a language to connect with ourselves as well as with each other.
Studio tours by appointment or stop by and try your luck. I’m at the Freeland Art Studios at 1660 Roberta Ave, Freeland, WA 98249. (360) 626 3437.
(photos of sculptures on my site are by Michael Stadler (Stadler Studio/Langley)
Sue Taves Sculpture 