For wildlife artists, immersing oneself in the field is imperative to fully take in one’s subject matter. This is a practice not only employed, but prosthelytized by artist Sandy Scott, whose sculptures and etching will be on display at Bonita Springs’ Center for Visual Arts from October 2 through December 31. “Sandy Scott: A Retrospective” will include more than 70 sculptures, etchings, and drawings from the artist, depicting eagles and duck, horses and dogs, as well as moose, buffalo, bears, and more.
Coyote Clipper
An avid outdoorswoman, Scott splits her time between studios in Lander, Wyoming and Lake of the Woods, Ontario, as well as the rugged mountains of northern Colorado. At home amongst streams, lakes, and mountain peaks, Scott’s penchant for realism comes to the forefront in striking detail in her work, where her observations in nature, either while hiking, hunting, fishing, or even while flying—as a licensed pilot for five decades, Scott points to her experience with aerodynamics as a key to the illusion of movement in her works depicting birds—brings her face to the face with her subject matter. For Scott, her work is about knowing the subject, knowing the anatomy of the animal—her work is biology put to art.
Her sculptures start with clay and are cast in bronze at a foundry not far from her Wyoming home. The subject matter, either the horses from her childhood on her father’s farm, her dogs, or the wildlife observed in the wild take on a striking realism that is prized for its lifelike qualities. Her etchings, a process that starts with zinc or copper plates painstakingly scratched and carved, then packed with ink to transfer to paper, are finally hand painted before landing in the gallery.
Young Pointers on a Grasshopper
The travelling exhibition, produced and curated by David J. Wagner, gives viewers an opportunity to see some of Scott’s most recent, and award-winning works of art. On the teaching staff of the Scottsdale Artists’ School, and the master sculpture workshops at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Scott is also a member of the National Arts Club New York, the Society of Animal Artists, a fellow in the American Artists Professional League and a fellow of the National Sculpture Society.
- “Sandy Scott: A Retrospective” will include a range of her work in a number of mediums. On display from October 2 through December 31, an opening reception will take place on Friday, October 2 from 6-8 p.m., where admirers of Scott’s work can meet the artist. The opening reception will be held in conjunction with a campus-wide open house; the event is free and open to the public.
- On select Saturdays throughout the exhibition (October 3 and 17, November 7 and 21, December 5 and 19), the Centers for the Arts will offer free Family Activity Days for children and adults, starting with a guided tour of the exhibit, and art projects suited for the whole family. For more information, visit artcenterbonita.org.
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