Artist Profile:

A raven in basalt, a swimming bronze polar bear, and a bronze eagle swooping up from the water with a fish in his talons greet visitors to the studio of Matthew Gray Palmer. Peering from the shelves and work benches are maquettes of two hippos, a rhino, and a tiger with two cubs. On the wall are two collages of branches, while a raven of carved driftwood and metal on a pedestal is nearing completion. Suspended from the ceiling is Ol' Blue, a great white shark looking very realistic, as streaks of blue and copper on his body suggest gliding through the sun's rays in water. A family of life-size bighorn sheep in clay is in the center of the studio, commissioned by Arches National Park. On first glance one might think the studio is a natural history museum, but in reality it is the working space for an artist whose passion is to create an appreciation of our environment through his art.

In 1995 he started Parallaxis, an endeavor dedicated to making a difference in the world by educating people about natural science and conservation through public works of art and multimedia events. A visual learner himself, Matthew aims to create an opportunity for people to engage their multiple intelligences. He feels that his current public works support this goal, and he is looking forward to exploring avenues for bringing the Parallaxis concept into the conventional educational system.

While many artists concentrate on one medium, Matthew works in bronze, mixed media, wood, and stone and also paints and draws. (He recalls his first commission was from a day care teacher who paid him $25 to make an E.T. doll out of masking tape; at age 12 his medium was newspaper and duct tape from which he created life-size creatures in his basement.) Growing up in Ohio he was selected to participate in the vocational fine arts program at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus. He then chose to get hands-on experience, passing up scholarships to art institutes, and worked full-time for six years at Old World Stone Carving in Ohio. There he gained experience in executing commissioned sculptures and working with architectural elements as well as learning the skills to work in stone, marble, wood, and bronze.

When I asked Matthew if he had a favorite medium, he said each has its own challenge. He likes the fact that stone is a direct reflection of his process--the marks he makes are the ones you see. He commented "when working with stone there is an overwhelming feeling of connection with the lineage of sculptors and artisans of centuries past ... they are our teachers." He created two life-size panthers in Indiana limestone commissioned by Hanover College and a larger than life-size bulldog mascot for Butler University, and has carved fireplaces and fountains for private residences. He currently is working on a stone sculpture of Popeye, Friday Harbor Port's seal mascot of many years.

The desert bighorn ram, ewe, and lamb plus a whiptail lizard, a collard lizard, and two ravens will be cast in bronze and installed on natural sandstone boulders in front of the new visitors' center at Arches National Park in Utah. Matthew commented that one of the problems in bronze casting is that often the intentional marks made in clay get destroyed in the "lost wax" process, so he has to recreate them when he does the metal finishing. However, he likes the strength of bronze and says "its natural luster and the myriad of colors that can be achieved with different patinas lend it an attractive versatility."

Ten years ago Matthew saw the islands for the first time when his mother was in the B.C. Ironman Triathlon. Later, when he and his partner, Danielle Dean, were ready to make a break from Ohio, they chose the islands for "their obvious beauty, the water, the wildlife, and their strong arts community." Danielle, a photographer who specializes in documentary photography as well as fine art, shares a studio with Matthew on Argyle Avenue across from the County Fairgrounds in Friday Harbor. View her work at www. danielledean.com

Since Matthew's studio is his work place, he will appreciate your calling for an appointment to see him and his work--370-5520. His art can also be seen at www.matthewgraypalmer.com.

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