Critique the Collection vol. 1: Sheryl Clark Best

Frances Marie Gage tells a love story with her bronze entitled Duck Preening (1971).

It starts as he paddles gracefully along the surface of the pond.  He is on his way to find a mate. He stops to see his reflection in the calm water.  Is he a vain little duck or proud to be green? That question you can decide for yourself! He makes a bold decision. If he is going to capture her eye, his feathers need preening.  I can imagine his head twisted under his wing, plucking and plumping to restore his handsome good looks.

With his jade coloured plumage glossy and glistening with water droplets, he is ready for romance.  In only a few more seconds, his sleek green body will unwind and present himself to the world, but for now its just the beautiful asymmetry of his profile. 

I only wish the base had been the colour of water instead of wood so I can imagine him floating down the river.

 

I’m an Air Force brat.  The second daughter of four girls, I grew up with never knowing when we would be moving or where we would be going.  The only constant was reading so my imagination grew as my adventures in life grew.  I have a wonderful daughter who lives a plane ride away.  I am approaching retirement age and that means another adventure.  A long career in Quality has given me travel and the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people and places.  For right now, its me and my two cats and an appreciation of talented artists!