Shelley Curtiss sculpture is smooth and stylized representational bronze with rich organic patina. Her fundamental approach is to deliberately remove detail that detracts from the overall composition and add lines or planes that will enhance the visual impact she is seeking. Usually, less is more. “When I create a figure, whether animal, human or abstract, I try to subtly balance my voice with what the subject itself ultimately wants to say.” As a result the essence of the subjects mood or intent flows powerfully- this sets her work uniquely apart.
Because Shelley found an extraordinarily beautiful setting in the Wallowa Mountains that hosted a particularly fine bronze casting foundry and a growing number of sculptors, she moved to Northeastern Oregon in 1986. “Joseph is a lovely and creative community. As soon as I moved there I began teaching college drawing classes and acquainted myself with the local arts council. I coordinated arts festivals, and actively promoted Joseph as an art mecca. I was then hired to design and coordinate a fine art gallery on Main Street and give foundry tours."
Her community recognizes her as an enthusiastic advocate for all the arts. Her friends and associates always enjoy her disarming wit and humor. more...
Welcome to the Gallery
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"Leloup Solitaire" French for "The Lone Wolf" Entering his first Spring season, as an outcast alpha male, chewed ear and hungry belly, he pauses to look back . . . |
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"The Wild Hare" One may argue that the Jack Rabbit is wilder than the Wild Hare. But…so, why do we all claim to have gotten a wild hare? There it goes again… |
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"Pastoral" A white-tail doe is watchful in the shadows. |
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"He Who Thinks He's Invisible" We should ask Cougar, “Is invisibility a mental process?” In the year 2000 a life-size version of this sculpture was purchased by The City Of Joseph, Oregon, and is permanently installed on main Street. |
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Shelley entered the world of sculpture with a degree in the sciences in 1983 when she discovered she had a talent for drawing. From there she progressed to modeling in clay, going to art shows and visiting foundries.
At the age of fifty, she has accomplished a wide variety of works including commissioned pieces for five New York City Parks, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Forest Service.
Having been a co-owner and operator of a foundry for six years, Curtiss cultivated high standards and respect for the artisans who cast and finish her bronzes. “I work with a group of guys close to my home in Joseph, Oregon, that do a wonderful job for me. Though I used to get an incredible thrill out of pouring molten bronze into my own shells and playing with patina chemicals, I now devote more time to my studio. These guys know exactly what I want before I put my signature on each piece.”
Once Curtiss began casting her own work, she was juried into major shows and enthusiastically represented by galleries. Her work is now in numerous private and corporate art collections across the nation and in 1997 she was invited by the sculpture department at Eastern Oregon University to be the Artist in Residence. “I am fortunate that I have been taught, encouraged and supported by a lot of really good people in my community and in the extended bronze industry.”
Shelley has been an active member of the Eastern Oregon Arts Council and Oregon Advocates of the Arts, as well as a participant in many less formal groups of art enthusiasts dedicated to cultivating wider public appreciation of the arts. She has chaired numerous art festivals. Shelley also designed and managed the first major fine art gallery in Joseph.