Andrew Vallee
“As a sculptor working with wood, I embrace the notion that this endeavor is a collaboration with nature. There is no blank canvas. Having a technical and aesthetic understanding of the material is essential. Trees live, breathe and move when they stand. When a tree falls and lands in the hands of a carpenter or sculptor that tree continues to breathe and move. Wood will expand and contract with its environment.
Creatures and artifacts of the sea, sky and forest are frequent subjects of my work. The first step in creating my work is to seek to understand my subject as thoroughly as possible. Understanding proportion, scale and texture are critical. Attempting to understand the spirit is paramount. Of equal importance is selecting the material. Wood comes in a seemingly infinite variety of color, hardness and characteristics of grain. I make the decision about what wood I am going to use based on the subject matter I am going to portray.
I balance precise replication and proportion, with subtle abstraction of form and texture. When carving I respond to the form as the sculpture develops. I simplify my subject into its most essential elements. A respect for subject and material are always kept in mind, if I succeed the spirit of a tree will have a second life.”