Jacquie Bresadola/Crystal Hawk

I knew I wanted to be a sculptor since I was three. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., I spent a lot of time at The National Gallery of Art, The National Portrait Museum, and The Phillips Collection. My favorite, was The Hirshhorn Museum of Sculpture Garden. I was fascinated by the work of sculptors including, Barye, Zuniga, Maillol, Lachaise, Nevelson, Kolliwitz, Rodin, and became absorbed in the study of three-dimensional forms-in particular the human figure. I continue to be intrigued by the work of the Masters from the Classical and Renaissance eras as well as the Art Nouveau period.

I am passionate about the figure as it relates to art; it is so complex and challenging to sculpt. That coupled with my early love for stone carving has led me to pursure sculpting as my art expression. I studied with a remarkable wood carver and figurative sculptor Leslie T. Posey while attending Ringling School of Art and Design, in Sarasota, Florida. I learned about anatomy as well as the beauty and simplicity of the rythms of the human figure.

I have worked in many media including plaster, mixed media, clay, bronze, leather and stone. Currently, I am working with leather by soaking it and applying it over finished sculptures I have created out of other media. Once dry it takes on a new form translating the sculpture into a subtle version of the original by softening the figure with fewer details and creating a suggestive interpretation.

My work is connected to my spiritual path. These sculptures resonate with my psyche; they are a layering process an uncovering of something not yet known, a deeper place, a subconscious or spirit world. Each one has a life of its own and although I mold over the same scuptures many times there are never two alike.

I believe making art is a spiritual practice that connects us all. I am committed to my personal path through my art exploration with leather, clay, bronze and stone of the human figure. I love what I am creating with my art.