Pokey Park
For the past 20 years Pokey Park has been working in bronze. Although most of her sculptures are now largerthan-life size, they all start small. The artist has a studio in her backyard, where she has gotten inspiration from trees, flowers, animals and insects that surround her.
“I see things in 3D rather than flat,” she says. “I see objects in other objects. I tend to see things in the round.” In addition to textures and shapes in nature, her inspiration comes from exploring mythology, ethnography and traditional cultures.
Her love of travel has also inspired her work. Park’s interest in disparate cultures, researching endangered animals and the environment that supports them has taken her to Egypt, Africa, Turkey, all over Europe, Central and South America, Asia and Cambodia, among others.
At this point of her career, the artist especially wants to bring art to the public. Her current commission of 36 animal habitat sculptures for the expansion of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital started in 2011, and it will have the last three sculptures installed in August 2019.
Park says, “My work gives me great pleasure. I dwell on the good things in life. I know there are sad things, but I choose not to dwell on them. My desire is to add joy to the world. My work is my passion, my passion is my life and now my passion has become a profession.”
She will exhibit with Women Artists of the West from September 12 to October 12 at Mary Williams Fine Arts in Boulder, Colorado, and in the Society of Animal Artists’ 59th annual exhibition from September 19 to December 31 at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.