Wayne Sturgeon’s wonderful world of miniatures
A steady hand and a keen eye for detail keep these figurines in line
The sculpted clay figurine of the Canadian 48th Highlander officer standing at rest looks so natural it could almost come to life to ask one’s opinion about the turnout of the troops. Every detail of the uniform is spot-on: The buttons on the tunic, the regimental insignia on the sporran and belts, the pleats of the kilt – everything is exactly as it should be. But it is the detailed expression in the figure’s eyes, and in the lines of the face, that suggest that the soul of a real person might have been captured in the clay, as indeed was the case.
Kanata sculptor Wayne Sturgeon produced the figurine on commission – one of the few he has ever accepted – while he was working as an air force officer in Toronto in the 1980s. The woman he sold it to as a surprise gift for her husband gave Sturgeon a photo to work from, as well as temporary access to the uniform so that he could check it for points of detail. The quality of the workmanship in the finished sculpture is simply outstanding.
Sturgeon, who is also an accomplished acrylic landscape painter, could have made a career selling his artwork, but said he was never interested in pursuing it commercially. The house he shares with Melinda, his wife of 43 years, is neatly decorated with his paintings of Andrew Haydon Park, Percé Rock, and other places, and his figurines are everywhere. A small platoon of imaginative, googly-eyed soldiers he has made out of clothespins keep an eye on things from inside a glass-walled cabinet in the living room.
“I’ve sold several pieces to friends over the years, but never considered it a commercial enterprise,” Sturgeon said. “That would only have created its own stress. The painting and the sculptures – they’re de-stressors.”
Sturgeon worked on a number of high-risk projects during his 32-year career as a biosciences specialist in the Royal Canadian Air Force, including trips to Qatar and Bahrain in late 1990 to set up a chemical agent detection and warning system just before the First Gulf War, and then to Iraq after the war to destroy rockets filled with chemical nerve agent. He said Melinda noticed a few changes in him, especially after he’d had a close call with one of the rockets.
Perhaps for this reason many of Sturgeon’s award-winning figurines contain an element of whimsy, something fun to show a different side of life. His figure of an 1879 British Army corporal from the Zulu Wars depicts a wounded soldier amusing himself with a butterfly. Other sculptures of a circa 1810 Napoleonic French Cuirassier enjoying a moment’s revelry in wine and song, and an 1880s-era cowboy inspecting the bottom of his boot after stepping on a cow pat, show just how wonderfully playful Sturgeon can be with his art.
“It’s daily life,” he said. “I’m trying to create everyday figures who have been around, and I like to add a little bit of humour. When I’m working on a piece, my mind is clear of everything except what I am doing on that sculpture. I find it so relaxing.”
Sturgeon pulls out all the stops when it comes to researching his figures to get the correct uniforms for the period, right down to the exact colour of a knight’s armour. His own impressive reference library contains more than 100 books on historic military uniforms, armour, weapons and tactics, as well as histories of famous military campaigns.
“I just love reading about the big battles, including the side notes to history,” he said. “The things that swirl around the main event are what interest me. It’s the tidbits of history that I like.”
For his air-dry clay sculptures Sturgeon works an additive process, starting with a simple wire stick figure that serves as the support for what is at first an undraped figure. Only when he has the anatomy correct does he begin adding the outer wear – the uniform coat, the boots, the cap. For his cowboy figure he made a full pistol, then added the holster around it so it would look right.
“I work from the inside out,” he said. “It’s the only way I can do it to give substance to the body, so that when I add the clothing it looks like it is being worn by someone.”
When the figurine is almost complete he begins to add the landscape details. Sturgeon uses toothbrushes, dental picks or whatever else he can find or improvise to achieve the desired look for a figure’s hair, clothing and accoutrements. Once the fine details have been added and the model is completely dry, he goes to work with his acrylic paints. Since the acrylics can be mixed with water, he can apply them in any consistency, and the brushes clean up quickly.
I’m trying to create everyday figures who have been around, and I like to add a little bit of humour.
Whether Wayne Sturgeon is trying out a new sculpting method, or researching a different historical period (his latest project is a NorthWest Mounted Police sergeant from 1880), he continues to push himself to refine his technique.
“My art began as a stressrelieving hobby, then became one of creativity and continuous learning through experimentation,” he said. “It’s been a progression of challenges, creating sculptures that are ever more complicated and ever more historically accurate. Each one is a little bit more detailed than the one before. I like the complexity and the challenge.”