A STUDY IN creative TENSION
THE TRUTH BETWEEN CLAY AND CHERYL METCALF by Robin Bishop r . Michael Carey , an associate professor of organizational leadership at Gonzaga University in Spokane , Washington , wrote an educational text called “ Heraclitean Fire .” It was one of the first things I read in my postgraduate leadership studies . It explores Heraclitus ’ most famous concept , logos , the Truth which is the synthesis of all truths . The “ Heraclitean Fire ” explores the dynamic tension , the fire , which burns away the illusions of the false self , therefore exposing the self that sees its connectedness to all things and how all things are united in the Truth ( logos ).
While this seems a deeply philosophical opening to introduce you to sculptor , Cheryl Metcalf , it does help establish the energy her work is rooted in . While all art is created with a specific energy and eventually displays a certain tension , much of the resulting piece can be boiled down to the essence of its creation . Cheryl Metcalf ’ s passion for sculpture began at an early age , but she never imagined herself an artist . “ I used to spend hours as a child in the library admiring imagery of the classical works of Rodin , Degas , Michelangelo , and all the rest .” As much as Cheryl confesses she obsessed over those images , she never dreamed she ’ d be able to create sculpture herself .
As fate would have it , a lifetime later she gifted her very artistic daughter a sculpture class . Once the initial frustration waned from her daughter ’ s resolute , “ Sculpture ’ s your thing Mom , not mine ,” she regifted the class to herself . She found something she never realized she was looking for in that first live sculpture class . Cheryl intimates that “ Suddenly the lump of clay came to life in my hands . In that second , I found my passion . It was pure joy !”
Fifteen years ago , experiencing her initial encounter with the clay , Cheryl knew she desired to do this full time someday . She began her sculpting journey , with that gift-gone-awry sculpture class under Terry Lee , a renowned Northern Idaho wildlife artist . Terry ’ s giving ways , compassion , and commitment to community , eventually translated into low-cost , weekly live sculpture classes offered in his old business location in Coeur d ’ Alene , Idaho .
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