BARBARA DUZAN

I think of my art as a journal. I can’t resist collecting “treasures” when hiking or walking the beaches. I fill my pockets with everything from seed pods and pine cones to shells, rocks and sea glass. These objects make their way to my studio and then to my art as a reflection of my impressions of the world around me, and the paths I have traveled.

The world of nature excites and enchants me. Both flora and fauna invite me to study their forms and behaviors, but animals are the vehicles through which I share these passions. My goal is to captivate the viewer with the gestures and expressions that make each subject seem to be unique while at the same time representing their species as a whole. Sculpting in clay for bronze is the best medium for me to share their beauty and their quirks. It allows me to work in an impressionistic style with a touch of whimsy. I judge a piece to be successful if it makes the viewer smile and want to reach out to touch it.

In addition to working in clay, I create unique animal head sculptures to hang on the wall like a trophy head. No animals are harmed in their creation! I cover the sculpted heads in mosaic-like patterns using beads and found objects such as seedpods, shells, rocks and glass, which are pressed into the clay. Originally, they were a representation of camouflage for protecting prey animals; the irony being that they might end up as a trophy on the wall anyway. I still think of the surface as camouflage but also as an outlet for my love of color and organic shapes, as well as the substrate onto which I sculpt branches, birds and more.