Sculpted Spirit- Chris Wilson's Natural Poetry in Wood

OurNarratives.net by Adelina Gowdy

Read the edited version at https://ournarratives.net/sculpted-spirit-chris-wilsons-natural-poetry-in-wood/

1. Your career kicked off over 45 years ago through the Creative, Able, and Committed program, with mentors like Marilynn Arn and Gary Denzler guiding your early steps. How did that experience—and their influence—shape the wildlife sculptor you’ve become? I am very fortunate to have had such great mentors at a young age. First, my mother, who was a teacher, had me tested in elementary school. Although experts didn’t test for being on the Asperger's syndrome spectrum back then, I scored the highest of any other kid in my school for creativity; therefore, I was placed in a special magnet school for the arts. While I was taught art history and exposed to many art forms there, including different kinds of drawing, painting, and printmaking, I always gravitated toward three-dimensional arts. My art teacher, Miss Arn was a very talented wildlife artist herself; but she lead me to Mr. Denzler, who created incredibly realistic birds of prey in wood. That was a huge turning point in my career in 1983. At 14 years old, I decided that that’s what I want to do for a living. Both their valuable advice combined with my parents and older brother’s enabled me to pursue my passion and dreams. 

1. From building a home aviary as a teen to sketching birds in the wild, observation seems central to your craft. How does that close-up study fuel the realism and emotional punch in your sculptures today? Art is about seeing and interpreting the world. I knew that studying my subject matter and really knowing it was the key to my success. The aviary of waterfowl or as we called it, “The Ritz Carlton for Ducks “, helped me capture the correct anatomy, colors, details, behavior, and essence of wild birds. 

1. You’ve spent decades carving birds and wildlife from wood—a material that’s alive in its own way. How does working with wood, compared to say metal or stone, shape the stories you tell through your sculptures? Wood has a warm, tactile, inviting quality with its own visible history if you look closely enough. I most enjoy the subtractive process of sculpting from a single block of wood or log as compared to the processes of addition and substitution. Having said that, I still enjoy combining wood with metal for my subjects to defy gravity. Often times, I carve stone bases, which has its own history and cold, earthy elements for contrast. 

1. You’ve said your sculptures share the spiritual connection you feel with wildlife. What emotions or moments do you hope collectors and viewers tap into when they see your work? Hopefully, my work evokes joy, happiness, and positive, uplifting feelings. Also, I strive to tell a story with my work, often depicting nature’s complexity and interconnectedness. In turn, I want the viewer to see the  beauty and importance of wildlife as well as the exigence to protect it.

1. In 2001, you retraced your ancestor William Bartram’s journey through nature. How did that adventure deepen your creative bond with the wild world you sculpt?  Fascinating by history and the natural world, I learned that my ancestor, William Bartram, is considered to be America’s first naturalist artist. He was the first to describe and illustrate many birds, plants, and animals, such as the great blue heron, Venus flytrap, and Franklin tree. This connection not only deepened and fueled my creativity, it provided me with a personal story and bond with the wild world. Consequently, I wrote my thesis in graduate school after retracing many of Bartram’s footsteps through the Southeast. This lead to an overwhelmingly spiritual feeling, which I try to convey in my work. In fact, my 2001 Master of Fine Arts degree thesis and solo show at Georgia State University was titled “Stirring The Soul: Meditations on The Travels of William Bartram.”

1. Your pieces often freeze a fleeting moment—like a bird in flight or a deer mid-step. How do you decide which split-second of an animal’s life to capture, and what draws you to that instant? I sculpt what I see. I both draw inspiration and remember such sublime, yet fleeting moments in my head, so that I can later capture them in my artwork. Of course, I spend countless hours of studying and researching my subject matter to accurately portray it too.

1. The textures in your sculptures, from feathers to fur, are stunningly lifelike. How do you bring that level of detail out of a block of wood, and what tricks have you honed over the years? Although I was trained as an indirect carver creating clay models first, now I enjoy direct carving, where the material itself helps inform me what to carve. Textures are just a process of techniques that I’ve refined over the years and teach in my instructional videos available on my website. Concepts, on the other hand, help elevate my work to a new level of artistry. Nevertheless, I enjoy experimenting and learning new tricks, which I share on my Instagram and YouTube channels. 

1. Your exhibit Three Billion spotlights how habitat loss and pollution hit bird populations hard. How do you hope your sculptures wake people up to these environmental crises? First, I try to do my part in acting locally- using nontoxic, sustainable materials, and thinking globally -educating and supporting conservation minded organizations. While there are three billion fewer birds in North America in just my lifetime, I hope that my sculptures not only show the beauty of wildlife, but help wake people up to its demise. Consequently, I strive to take part in art exhibitions about conservation, such as the Atlanta Audubon Society’s “Three Billion” show, curated by my friend and talented wildlife artist, Laura Adams. Also, I am currently creating a large public sculpture about pollution for a conservation themed festival this April in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

1. Can you share some of the most memorable experiences from your sculpting career — whether it was a unique project, a personal breakthrough, or an interaction with a collector that stood out? What stands out to me are the most kind, generous people that I have met over the years. They don’t have to be collectors, just viewers of my work. One example, is my courageous friend, Bob Jones, who unfortunately just passed away. Despite battling all kinds of health issues, even becoming paralyzed from the waist down, he would still somehow come see my work at a show and say, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Bob’s famous words to remember though was “never give up!”

1. If you could sit down with your teenage self—the kid building aviaries and sketching birds—what would you tell him about where this passion for wildlife sculpture would take you? I would tell my younger self to be more confident; that all my hard work and passion would lead me to become a pioneer in installation art and a successful wildlife artist. I would also tell myself that it is okay to be different with autism. Being resilient, dedicated, and confident are qualities that you learn in life that help lead to success.

“Breathtaking Burst”, Image credit: Chris Wilson

Our Narratives is a collection of original artwork, research, and commentary that fully encapsulates and displays each creator′s unique stories and experiences, with the purpose of inspiring as many readers as possible.