Meet the Artists: Teri Zucksworth

Interview with Sculptor Teri Zucksworth

COLORX3 at the Prairie Art Alliance Gallery closes on Thursday August 14th. 

Why birds—especially tropical birds? What attracted you this subject?

"Long Tailed Parakeet"

Birds have always been one of my favorite animals. I have rescued baby birds since I was a teenager, (sparrows, robins and a blue jay) along with rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons. The rain forest seems to be a magical place with all the brightly colored exotic birds and plants so I wanted to recreate a little part of it. If I had the chance to visit the rain forest I would have my bags packed in a minute!  

Paper Mache seems like such a simple material to create such striking sculptures. Why did you choose this medium over a more traditional fine art medium, such as clay?

The hardened Paper Mache mixture I use consists of "celluclay" (shredded newspaper), wood glue, powdered joint compound (aka drywall powder) and linseed oil to speed drying. This mixture is very easy to use versus clay. It can be applied about a 1/2 inch thick and, after about a 1/2 hour, you can use a tool to make the indentations/lines needed. Let it sit outside for a day (for drying) and it's ready to paint. It is lightweight, inexpensive, and extremely durable. Clay is very heavy, hard to get the fine detail I need, and pricey for the amounts I would need.

I start with a chicken wire form, cover with strips of newspaper that I hot glue together (to completely cover the wire form), and then I can apply the "Paper Mache mixture." I was using flour and water to apply the newspaper strips. However, hot glue is a lot less messy and the Paper Mache mixture can be applied right away versus waiting for the flour/water newspaper strips to dry.     

   

"Red Billed Toucan"

What other materials do you like to work with?

Oil and and acrylic paints are also on my list of favorite mediums. They both have their pros and cons though: oils are easier to blend but messier and harder on the brushes; acrylics are harder to blend but easier on the brushes. On my newer paintings, I am now under-painting with acrylics and finishing with oils.

My original medium was colored pencils, which I don't use much anymore. With the colored pencils, I worked from light to dark, and for the paints, I work from dark to light so that is still something I am perfecting. Since I have no formal training, I learn as I go. With the paints, it seems like I struggle with them but not with the Paper Mache. With the Paper Mache mixture I use, I know exactly what I am doing (most of the time) so it flows with little effort.

I also enjoy working with metal, as in aluminum cans that I have collected on the walks with my dog. I made a series of over-sized "can flowers" a couple of years ago. I would cut the last inch off the bottom of a can, pound it flat then form it into a curved shape to resemble a flower petal. Then I would punch a hole in one end and "rivet" this petal to a cooking pan lid and would continue this in a circle until the lid was covered—about 100 cans. These are fun to make and I like making something out of discarded "trash." There are so many aluminum cans discarded that I would never run out of cans!

What do you hope viewers will take away from your exhibit?

"Red-Headed Hummingbird"

If someone can forget about their worries for a minute while looking at the birds, I have accomplished my goal—and maybe they have viewed a bird they never knew existed.

And I believe everyone has a talent and I hope to be an inspiration to any budding 3D artists out there.

As a group, you tend to call your subjects “the birds” or “the flock” but when you speak about the birds individually, I have heard you personify them—giving them life, choice, and desires. Are you aware of the connection you have made with each piece?

Several years ago, I became interested in taxidermy mainly to honor the beauty of God's creatures and to preserve their spirit. However, I quickly realized this was not a direction I wanted to go in, but I still wanted to create a "taxidermy" look, so I decided to try to create my own taxidermy birds out of my own materials.

And I believe I left a little part of myself in each bird!

 What is next for you as an artist?

Since I love working in 3D more than painting, I will continue making more birds and maybe a few other animals. I plan on making most of my new pieces smaller, just to save time and materials—so many fabulous creatures out there ready for duplication!

COLORX3 closes on Thursday August 14. Don't miss it!