Biography
Meditation Upon Nature Provides Inspiration
In stone carving there is a search for meaning from a material alive long before civilization. Isamu Noguchi implied that stone had the capacity to comfort us with the reality of our earth origins.
Carl G. Jung said, “Stone carving is basic to man.”
In carving stone the creative process is from a center point – out in all directions – to arrive at the created form. In exchange the stone requires you to speak of the spiritual and physical forces of the earth. This is an intimately perceived dialogue. The stone has an energy which is revealed this way.
The great Michelangelo said, “All one needs to do is remove the surface stone to reveal the form.”
In my work a great source of my inspiration comes from my observations and meditations of Nature. Through that continual looking, sometimes receiving impulses from nature, one can establish a dialogue. The main function of my work is the distilling of ideal form from the objects in nature. I am interested in nature’s structure and organization. I am looking for a glimpse of that order in a unified vision.
The Learning Process - Querceta, Italy
When I arrived in the marble region of Italy I was introduced to Professor Gian Carlo Citi. At that time he was the head of the sculpture division of Henraux, communicating and coordinating with all the artists who's work was produced in stone. He invited me to work in their studios. For seven years I carved marble at the famous Henraux sculpture studio in Querceta, Northern Italy, where many of the big sculptors had their monumental works realized in marble or granite. I saw the entire process, from the small maquette to the many-times-larger work of art.
Around a courtyard, a series of studios provided working space for the visiting artist. One was given to me, the others belonged to Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, and Marino Marini. The sculptors would show up several times a year with small works for a big commission. The Italian artisan carvers, in the main studio, meticulously enlarged the works.
I was immensely fortunate to be surrounded by the creations of these revered artists, and to see and learn this ancient process, which in modern times uses calipers, pneumatic tools, and a hand held diamond saw to facilitate the removal of stone. This was a “learning process” I would not find anywhere else at the time.
Eventually, the residency in Italy would come to an end. Leaving Italy was a most difficult but necessary transition. The Italian experience included marrying fellow artist, Tom Vanderzyl at the Palazzo Vecchio, in Firenze, and the birth of a daughter, Sarah Aurelia, in Pietrasanta. Some of our happiest moments and dearest friends are from this period in our lives. So, with a 3-year-old child who spoke mostly Italian, we would return to the USA and settle in Ft. Worth, Texas. Adjusting was difficult until we found a wonderful studio that reminded us of the working ambience we had known at Henraux.
Working With Stone And Steel - A Natural Evolution
The new working/living space located on the grounds of a busy steel factory is now our home of 20 years. Slowly this “industrial steel landscape” has greatly influenced the new works I produce. In combining steel and stone I was able to “lift” the carved form and attach it to a steel structure that grows out of nature, and becomes an integral part of the whole.
This symphysis was a natural evolution and brought a “structural material” into direct contact with the carved organic forms. Nature and steel shedding reciprocal light on each and other, giving me the opportunity to orchestrate a combined harmony which I feel is truly my personal vision.
Please click here to view Alice’s Resume.
