SANDY SCOTT’S PRODUCTIVE PANDEMIC

You can never tell how a global catastrophe such as the COVID-19 pan demic might impact a specific person. Fortunately, the Wyomingbased sculptor Sandy Scott (b. 1943) has done just fine. “Some artists fell into creative funks,” she says, “but I became more energized and actually experienced one of my most produc tive periods ever.”

Delighting Scott’s collectors and admirers nationwide this autumn is the arrival of more than 30 new pieces, which she has nick named the COVID Collection because “most would not exist had COVID not made possible the enormous amount of studio time I’ve enjoyed.” The artist is quick to note, however, that guiding each work through her trusted foundry (Eagle Bronze) has been challenging because its project backlog exploded during 2020, and because the casting and finishing pro cess is so detail-oriented and labor-intensive in the first place.

Born in Iowa and raised in Oklahoma, Scott admired animals from an early age because her father bred quarter horses. She studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and later worked as an animation background artist in the motion picture industry, turning her attention to printmaking in the 1970s and finally to sculpture in the ’80s. Today Scott works in Lander, Wyoming, near that superb foundry that casts her bronzes, though she also maintains a studio in Ontario.

An avid outdoorswoman who loves to hunt and fish, Scott has made 16 trips to Alaska as well as trips to Europe, Russia, China, and South America. A licensed pilot for more than half a century, she believes her “knowledge of aerodynamics has been helpful in achieving the illusion of movement in my bird sculptures.” Though Scott remains com mitted to conducting field work in order to know and accurately present her subjects, it goes without saying that several research trips were put on hold beginning in March 2020. “COVID-19 has had me studio-bound,” she says, “so much of the new work reflects travel that occurred before the pandemic, including — for example — my 2019 adventure in Morocco. Yet I still haven’t violated my self-imposed rule of never modeling an animal unless I have experienced it in the field.”

Everyone at Fine Art Connoisseur was delighted recently when Sandy Scott kindly offered to tell us about some of the new works — in her own words. Here, then, are 10 of our favorites, described by the master herself.

No bird better shows attitude than a rooster; with his chest out, tail up, and comb erect, he struts forward to meet the break of day. The passive and active elements of the bird’s shapes present an exciting design opportunity for any sculptor. I have combined the shapes of body mass and tail profusion with controlled modeling of the head and feet in an attempt to design a symbol of arrogance and spirit. Roosters look especially great displayed in kitchens; this one lives in mine.

My personal ideal of equine aesthetic perfection is an ongoing pursuit, so at any given time I have several horse sculptures in progress. I’m influenced by Greek and Renaissance prototypes as well as by the 19th-century masters Antoine-Louis Barye and Emmanuel Frémiet, and also Anna Hyatt Huntington and Adolph Weinman from the 20th century. My goal while creating Tempest was to present a feeling of dignity and drama with a symbolic pose of wind-tossed mane depicting power, beauty, and proportion. As a lover of horses, someone who grew up with and has always owned them, I enter the realm of instinct while contemplating the design of what I consider the most beautiful animal on Earth.

This head study was a nightmare for the mold maker and for the foundry to cast. We spent many hours consulting the technicians and relying on their assistance during the production process. The image stems from an unforgettable trip to Tanzania several years ago with a group of artist friends: John Agnew, Julie Askew, Robert Caldwell, Paul Dixon, James Gary Hines, Jan Martin McGuire, Tony Pridham, and Dale Weiler. With our guide and Land Rover, we spent hours at water holes in search of closeups and details of various species, returning home with more than 15,000 digital images. Famous for the long black plumes on its head, the secretary bird is a raptor closely related to the osprey and can be found stomping snakes in sub-Saharan

The American bison, or buffalo, has been elevated to the stature of the American bald eagle as an emblem of our great country. Under recent U.S. legislation, the bison became the National Mammal due to its economic and cultural significance over the centuries. More than 60 million of them once roamed North America, but by 1890 their story almost ended in extinction. Today the largest population resides in Yellowstone National Park — two hours from my studio. While the bison has long been one of my favorite subjects, it is more than an animal to me: it is an emotional manifesto that exemplifies my deep affinity for the West and its history.

The grizzly bear is common where my studio is located, at the base of the Wind River Range in the wild state of Wyoming. I’ve encountered the animal only once while hiking in the high country, but I routinely see them nearby in Yellowstone. The anatomy of an animal with such thick fur or hair must be fully understood in order to avoid modeling a shapeless mass; sometimes that means using artistic license to “trick” viewers into seeing the anatomy correctly.

The genesis of this sculpture was a scene I witnessed on a hike in Jackson, Wyoming. After hearing a riotous cacophony of croaks and squawks, I used my binoculars to spy a pair of ravens a short distance away. One bird was silent — with a seemingly aloof attitude — while the other was totally “in your face.” The drama of that event struck me and now this sculpture speaks for itself.

In the late 17th century, hunting scenes and still lifes became more popular than religious imagery in newly Protestant Holland because they reflected the “real,” secular world. And of course the depiction of fur, feathers, and gills in sporting scenes remains a traditional motif to this day. This work was inspired by an autumn hunt near my Lake of the Woods studio in Ontario with our beloved Brittany dog, Penny. The delicious bird was enjoyed on Canadian Thanksgiving, which occurs in October.

Rock of Liberty, of 25), 33 x 32 x 27 in.

My eagle sculptures have been placed at many venues nationwide, including the National Museum of Wildlife Art (Jackson Hole), William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum (Little Rock), Brookgreen Gardens (South Carolina), and San Francisco’s Presidio. This iconic bird continues to inspire me and serve as a reminder of my love of country. For this new work, which has been designed for placement indoors or outdoors, I combined uncomplicated shapes and a strong silhouette in an effort to communicate power. The rock merging with the bird’s mass suggests the solidarity and resolve of America.

Herons are long-legged, long-necked freshwater coastal birds that are also found along rivers and ponds. Their pointed dagger-like bill is perfect for catching fish and frogs. The design source for this image was the tricolored heron, a sleek, slender, and fairly small bird compared to its cousin, the great blue heron. Reference for this work was gathered at Port Aransas on Texas’s Gulf Coast; it is the latest addition to my growing portfolio of coastal, wading, and shore birds.

This work was modeled in the spring of 2020 when, like many folks, Trish and I bought a new puppy as it became clear we would remain house-bound for quite a while. We had lost our 14-year-old Scottie the year before, and we (along with our old bird dog) missed her terribly. As soon as the new pup arrived, everyone was happy again. The interaction between the old dog and the new one was sheer joy and presented the perfect models. Like many other works, this has yet to be molded and cast; many will be introduced in October 2023 at Cheryl Newby Gallery and Red Piano. (Please see Information below.)

Information: sandyscott.com, sandyscottblog.blogspot.com x width x depth. Scott is represented by the following galleries: Broadmoor (Colorado Springs), Cheryl Newby (Pawley’s Island, SC), Columbine (Loveland, CO), Davis & Blevins (Saint Jo, TX), McBride (Annapolis), Montgomery-Lee (Park City, UT), Mountain Trails (Santa Fe), Red Piano (Bluffton, SC), and Wilcox (Jackson Hole).

KELLY COMPTON is a contributing writer to Fine Art Connoisseur.

BY MAX GILLIES