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