Olympic Bronze Sculptor Shray Garners Highest Rating for
2008 Beijing Olympics Sculpture Contest
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The organizing committee of the Bejing 2008 Olympic Landscape Design Contest, chaired by Mr. Yuan XiKun, invited bronze sculptor Shray to participate in the contest. Her sculpture has garnered the prestigious “Excellent Works” distinction. "Sculptor Shray reaches out to collectors through her fluid bronze renditions of human emotion. This summer, that reach extends beyond these borders when her sculpture, “Raising Tomorrow’s Olympic Champions” (right), embarks on a worldwide tour beginning in Beijing to represent the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Invited to submit a sculpture for the games’ 2008 Olympic Landscape Sculpture Design Contest, Shray was one of eight Americans extended this honor, and just one of two given the “excellent works” distinction—the competition’s highest rating. (Other honored artists include Asherah Cinnamon and Scott Fuller, Edward Eyth, Mark and Diane Weisbeck, Carole Turner and Ralf Gschwend.) “My piece honors parents worldwide who nurture the Olympic dream,” she explains. “I’m so grateful the committee reached across the ocean to invite American artists to participate in such an auspicious event, especially since art knows no borders or boundaries.” Author Tara Wilfong, copy righted and reprint courtesy of Arts and Antiques Other Shray Websites
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Shray: Artist Statement
Rodin, What did you tell me? What were you trying to say to me as I studied you all those years? Human emotion in movement!
Moore, How far were you saying I could push the planes, the positive negative space? Push the form to the edge but don't ignore the human experience!
Brancusi - Simplicity? - Yes!
I learned from all your voices to combine the way I see in a cubistic-geometric way with a recognizable sense of humanity while pushing towards abstraction - in essence, to combine figurative and abstract without losing the human emotion so as to capture movement in stillness.
I see the emotion in form, the hard lines, the curves and allow them to carry the human condition through and around those negative, positive spaces I am concerned, as I think Rodin, Moore, and Brancusi were, with the fine line between the individual and humanity and how to achieve this without succumbing to sentimentality. This is one of the great puzzles figurative sculptors face. My approach is to let the form carry the emotion. This is not often undertaken in abstract contemporary sculpture today, at least in terms of love, kindness and beauty.
My objective as an artist is to create a piece that is not a static pose but one where the hard metal becomes the flesh and bone of humanity; to reveal a strong sense of universality and invite a personnel identification, to capture a moment, a quality of pureness and allow the viewer inside the work, to identify each in their own way with the story.
My mother made it safe for me to paint outside the lines ... so I was never afraid.
Artist Resumé
Education, Training and Teaching
2006 Continued exploration of patinas with Allan Osborn, owner of “Art Foundry”
2005 Continued exploration of patinas with master painter, Karl Reichley
1998 - present Private tutoring
1990 - present Sculptural Consultant for refinement of master artworks
1990-98 Mentored with Italy's Piero Mussi, founder of the internationally renowned Mussi Artworks Foundry of Berkeley, California; learned foundry functions, bronze casting processes, and experimented with patinas. It was during this time that I learned how to create sculpture that can be successfully transformed into bronze, while still honoring the concept of the original clay ... the process I call "from earth to metal." In other words, I learned how to have the form not fight the hot metal. I owe this ability to Piero's giving me free rein of the foundry to learn, and his unquestionable eye for form that he brought out in me.
1985-86 Under the tutelage of master painter, Patrick Haberman, studied color theory, sculpting and human anatomy for two years
1985 (ca) Studied ancient Greek sculpture and the works of Michelangelo at the Louvre; studied Auguste Rodin at Musée Rodin in Paris, France
1983 Studied the masterworks of Rodin at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco, California
1982-83 Extensive study of the bronzes at The Cantor Art Center’'s collection of Rodin, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
1981 Awarded full scholarship to the San Francisco Academy of Art
1980-1989 Color design for the interior/exterior of residential buildings
1980-1983 Interior architectural design for selected clients
1979 Grant awarded to attend San Francisco Art Institute
1978 Awarded full scholarship to the San Francisco Academy of Art
childhood Being the child of Pamela Winder Clancy, an artist in her own right — my mother began exposing me to art as an infant, and continued to do so for the rest of her life; she had an extensive background in, and love for, fine art and art history
Member
Artist Advisory Board, Artworks Downtown, San Rafael, California
National Sculptor Society, New York, New York
I.S.C., New Jersey
Marin Arts Council, Marin, California
Allied Artists of America
Awards & Commissions (Partial List)
2006 "Balance" Winner of Industry Award, 3rd Annual Sculpture competition, Sculptural Persuit Magazine
2003 "Forevermore,"” Heart of Hearts (philanthropic organization) donated this life size piece to the Littleton Hospital, Denver, Colorado
2002 "Her Story,"” First Place ‘"Balance"” Manhattan Arts, New York, New York
2001 International Sarah Faith Award, commission
Lady Spencer Collection, "Always"” commission
Selected Exhibitions (Partial List)
2006 East Meets West in Harmony - Art Foundry Gallery, Sacramento, California
2006 Special Demonstration/Lecture for VIP Guests at Borsini-Burr Gallery
2006 Shray's submission for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China was on exhibit at the Beijing JinTai Museum in Chaoyang Park. Among the dignitaries viewing the design "Raising Tomorrow's Olympic Champions," was Antonio Samaranch, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee, along with Chinese government, cultural and arts officials.
2006 Invited to exhibit, "Sculpture in The Park" Juried exhibition, Loveland, Colorado
2006 "Harmony"” Featured Sculptor, Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2006 "From Earth to Metal" Lecture and Demonstration, Half Moon Bay, California
2005 "Holiday Show" Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
"Eskelporter Art Exhibition" Juried exhibition, Featured sculptor, Benefit for Sierra Adoption Services, Sacramento, California
"Sculpting the Emotions of Life"” One-Woman Exhibition, Half Moon Bay, California
"New Beginnings"” Featured Sculptor, Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
“From Earth To Metal” lecture Creation of Bronze, Borsini-Burr Galleries California
2004 “Three Women Sculptors” Rice Gallery, Denver, Colorado
"Sculpture in The Park" Juried exhibition, Loveland, Colorado
"Balance of the Soul"” Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
“Sculpture Exhibition” Rice Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2003 Featured Sculptor Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Christmas Show” Rice Gallery, Denver, Colorado
"Heart of Hearts Gala” Guest Sculptor and Speaker, Denver, Colorado
2002 "Two-Person Show/Featured Sculptor” Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
"Her Story"” 1st Place, Juried competition, Manhattan Arts, New York, NY.
“10th Anniversary Group Show” Exclusive Sculptor, Portnoy Gallerie, Carmel, California
“Associate Member Show” Downtown Art Works, San Rafael, California
2001 "Time and Space"” Featured Sculptor, Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2000 "The Work of Shray"” One-Woman Exhibition, Carmel, California
“Two Person Exhibition” Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
"Invitational Bronze Sculpture” Bank One Cover Invitation and Press Release, Featured Artist, San Francisco, California
1999 "Beauty That Surrounds Us"” Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1998 One-Woman Show, Carmel, California
“Subtractionist Method” Lecture/Demonstration Portnoy Gallerie, Carmel, California
"The Forms in Clay” Lecture/Demonstration, Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1997 Group Show: May Galleries, Scottsdale, Arizona 1996
Featured Sculptor, Portnoy Gallerie, Carmel, California
"Miguel Domingues Show," Portnoy Gallerie, Carmel, California
1995 Featured Sculptor: Jacques Dunoyer show, Carmel, California
1995 "Open House Gala” Exclusive Exhibit: NFL Players Assoc. San Francisco, California
1994 One-Woman Show, Carmel, California
“Sculptor” Exclusive Sculptor, Juried Show, Out of Bounds Gallery, San Francisco, California
Juried "Group Show," Ludwa Gallery, Carmel, California
1993 "Women in Bronze" Invitational Artworks Foundry and Gallery, Berkeley, California
“Exclusive Sculptor” Juried Show, Ludwa Gallery, Carmel, California
“Annual Membership Show” Berkeley Art Center Berkeley, California
Juried Exhibition at Bay Arts Gallery, San Francisco, California, provided feature piece "Arise" Foutain
1992 One-Woman Show, Juried Show, San Francisco, California
1986 Juried "Group Show" San Francisco Art School, San Francisco, California; provided feature piece
1984 One-Woman Show "Color and Form": Putnam Associates, San Francisco, California
1982 (ca) Juried “Group Exhibition” San Francisco Academy of Art, San Francisco, California
1979 "Group Show"” San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, California
1978 Winner "Juried Scholarship Competition", San Francisco Academy of Art
“Group Show” San Francisco Academy of Arts, Acrylic paintings
Phyllis's
works can be seen at Waxlander Gallery, 622 Canyon Road.
Hours: 9:30-5:30 daily. (505) 984-2202 or (800) 342-2202.