Art
of Joy
The Sculpture of Catherine K. Ferrell
..The first time I met Cathy Ferrell,
I was struck by her intensity and her joyfulness, traits in some people
that do not always co-mingle in harmony. Since that initial meeting
nearly 12 years ago, I have learned that her intensity comes from
passion and her joyfulness is fueled by spirituality and a life well-lived.
For Cathy Ferrell and her artwork, harmony is an abundant commodity
to be cherished and shared. I have never ceased to be amazed by her
sources of artistic and personal inspiration, boundless energy, and
perennially positive outlook on everything. Joyfulness pervades her
work. Even when the subject pertains to an act of aggression in the
animal world, the joyfulness finds a way to come through.
.. She began her work in art portraying
native themes of the ocean. As the years have passed, her work has
flowed in and out from those themes, pausing here to render a sea
creature in stone, touching there to depict a bronze heron in flight,
and moving away from time to time to portray animals of the land –
domestic and wild – as well as human figures. As she explains:
“The ocean has always been the center of my life in Florida.
I live on an island, with the Atlantic Ocean in front of me, the Indian
River lagoon in my back yard, and the Archie Carr Turtle Refuge on
either side of our property. The ocean sounds, tropical colors, brilliant
light, and open spaces are all inspiration for my work.”
..Her body of work presents an evolutionary
process influenced and shaped by milestones in her life – places
lived, people loved, experiences embraced, and dreams embodied. Her
first pieces in stone were done more than 45 years ago. The native
wildlife of the coastal region near her Florida home have provided
the longest lasting and most expressive subject matter for her work.
Forays across the country to Montana, Alaska, Colorado, and New Mexico,
and trips up the East Coast to South Carolina and Maine, have produced
individual works related to those locations and experiences. The memories
of living on a sailboat in Caribbean waters and among artisan stone
carvers in Italy have both found their ways into her sculpture.
..Among
her most significant works are those that she first carved in stone
early in her career and then cast in bronze later when she began to
experiment with clay modeling and mold-making. Embodying the best
of both worlds, these streamlined compositions lend themselves to
stone as well as to cast bronze. Her Abaco Hogfish, sporting an array
of beautiful colors, was inspired by hogfish she encountered while
diving in the Bahamas. The stone Hogfish is an alabaster with strawberry-colored
striations, much like the actual colors of the fish. The bronze Hogfish
has been cast in multi-colored patinas that mimic the original striations
but provide a different appearance, from silvery to rosy-peach, with
each casting. A Sailfish, initially carved in a black stone polished
to a high shine, has been depicted in bronze with blue-black and green
stone-like patinas that provide the illusion of air bubbles floating
around its base. Watchful, a stylized heron with young, gleams white
on a silver-black base in stone, while its bronze counterpart has
been patinated to appear as if it were created of veined stone.
..As time passed and her body of work
increased, Cathy Ferrell became known to more collectors and she began
to receive commissions for larger outdoor pieces in bronze and for
portraits of individuals and their families. Some of the ideas for
portraits also evolved as thematic inspiration for compositions depicting
brother and sister or mother and child. Animal subjects in bronze
have transitioned from those found at the ocean depths such as Celebration,
an exuberant group of nine leaping dolphin, to Eagle Eye, an avian
creature of the mountaintops.
..A few works have been inspired by Cathy
Ferrell’s delight in whimsy, with titles that portray her sense
of humor. Asian Moose, perfectly depicted in bronze with fully palmated
antlers yet elegant demeanor, is modeled in the style of an earthenware
standing horse from China’s Tang Dynasty. Just Kidding Around,
a kid goat, head and hind foot meeting to scratch an itch, has been
impressionistically modeled to emphasize the goat’s shaggy coat
and ungainly posture. Beach Bunny, a portrait of the artist’s
own pet house rabbit, tugs a joyful heartstring among those who view
it.
.. The challenging art of bas-relief
has been embraced by Cathy Ferrell in several works. Dawn Patrol features
an elegant composition of a spread-winged heron, providing a frame
curving around a portion of the rectangular space. Much of the background
has been left without detail, offering open space for a lettered message
or inscription. The sculpture has been exhibited at the Salmagundi
Club in New York City as well as in the American Society of Marine
Artists show traveling to the Cape Cod Cultural Center in Massachusetts,
Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, RI, and the Maine Maritime Museum in
Bath. Depicting Florida’s state marine mammal, Manatees incorporates
both low- and high-relief in two complimentary designs. The gentle
creatures are shown underwater, their bodies modeled and extending
off the edges of the pair of rectangular reliefs – one horizontal,
one vertical.
..Many
artists were moved to express their feelings after the tragedy of
September 11, 2001. Cathy Ferrell’s response was to create a
figure in a flowing gown with face and arms uplifted. The figure is
purposefully amorphous with indistinct features, body and clothing
merged, and only the suggestion of hands. Titled Annunciation, it
speaks to each viewer differently, representing any number of actions
from supplication to ascension. In Christianity, the Annunciation
is the act of the Angel Gabriel revealing to Mary that she would be
the mother of God, and it has long been an important subject in Christian
art. Other recent works of a spiritual nature are her series of doves,
titled Noah’s Messengers. Singly or grouped in trios, the Messengers
evoke a sense of spiritual peace and a sense of delight in the wonder
and beauty of nature.
..During the winter of 2000-2001, as
sculptor in residence at South Carolina’s Brookgreen Gardens,
Cathy Ferrell had the opportunity to find new inspirations on its
9,000-acre property. Situated on the coast between Murrells Inlet
and Pawleys Island, Brookgreen Gardens provided to her an encyclopedic
collection of American figurative sculpture, the historic ambiance
of its location, and its abundant native wildlife. Since serving as
sculptor in residence, Ferrell has returned to take part in workshops
and other sculpture programs there. Harvest Basket, a subject of universal
appeal created at Brookgreen, was inspired by local sweetgrass baskets
and their makers, so named for one of the native materials used in
its creation. In coastal South Carolina, known as the Lowcountry,
the harvest basket often was used for rice. Described by Ferrell as
“a gatherer of wild herbs and materials,” the figure was
modeled with quick slashes of clay depicting the loosely gathered
clothing and emphasizing the theme’s timeless quality. Lowcountry
coil basketry is one of the oldest crafts of African origin in America.
..Cathy Ferrell has been honored during
her career, receiving the Silver Medal of Honor of the Audubon Artists
of America, the Bedi-Makky Foundry Prize of the National Sculpture
Society, and numerous awards from the Pen and Brush, Salmagundi Club,
and American Artists Professional League. Clarifying her personal
philosophy as an artist, she wrote recently in her journal: “A
life is not solely about making art, but the art of making a life…
Each of us has our own body of work to do, and a life to live. As
long as we stay true to our individual work, we have joy.” Always
on the quest for art, life, knowledge, and joy, Cathy Ferrell and
her work will continue to inspire, soothe, and delight the many viewers
who encounter and appreciate its stories and artistry.
Robin R. Salmon
Vice President for Collections and Curator of Sculpture
Brookgreen Gardens
Pawleys Island, SC