DustyAnn at foundry.JPG

        "As an artist, I am inspired by nature and animals in particular. My work is influenced by my childhood, my career as a veterinarian, my lifelong love of art and my faith. The main focus of my work has been the beauty of animals and the bond we share with them."       

                   

         The idea for a piece will initially be based on a multitude of images I love. Inevitably, it will also express some feelings about events in my life. I am able to develop a strong enough mental image that I rarely sketch or draw. Once I have visualized the piece, I begin the modeling process. Working in oil based clay gives me the freedom to repeatedly change forms until they are visually appealing to me and consistent with my mental image. It also allows me to work in the small blocks of time I have available without worry that the clay will dry. As I work, details emerge and change in an effort to bring power to the image. 

          Regardless of the subject, I am always looking for beauty of line and balance. My hope is that the form alone will attract a viewer who, once engaged, will experience a response that connects them to the subject. I believe that the process of observing a three-dimensional piece gives the viewer multiple opportunities to find something visually appealing and allows time in which they may consider their own emotional response