L. Darwin Dower - Artist's Statement

My art is so interwoven with my life, that it is inseparable. Stories of early frontier life surround me in my studio and grow into sculptures. Hand carved, one of a kind creations in wood, honor the lives and struggles of past times. I walk in the footsteps of those gone before me through my art.

My process is very much akin to composing, choreographing or simply. . . thinking and remembering. I listen to the voices within the wood for inspiration, and strive to connect images and color with sensations and memories. I want to bring a moment of quiet reflection to the viewer, a pause in time and a moment of peace. My sculptures, with their immense detail and color cause a double-take, requiring a closer look. Is it real or sculpted? Unlike bronze sculpture, wood imparts a warmth, depth, richness and life to the setting where it is placed.

My work has always been in process. Finishing a piece often leaves me with an idea for the next one. I do not think of each sculpture as a completion, but rather a short stop on the way. I believe that when we leave this earth, we leave little behind except an expression of ourselves. Through my sculptures, I try to leave a bit of history and memories through a story told in delicate accuracy. Something that can live on forever.

- L. Darwin Dower