Kent Kraus

I hand-make each sculpture. The clay sculpture begins on the potter’s wheel with several thrown pieces that are assembled. The image is then built and shaped through the process of hand-coiling. I use several types of stoneware clays depending on the intention of the piece. The sculptures are either fired with a self developed glaze or kept in their natural color to a temperature of 2167 degrees Fahrenheit. The original clay sculpture is then cast in bronze through the “lost wax” process and finished with a patina. I also use the same patina on clay after covering the surface with a metal coating. Caressing winds, flowing rivers, senusous flowers, graceful animals, and the elegance of the human form are a few of my subjects that are interwoven into a new life force. The beauty in each piece is achieved by discovering the tension and balance of life unfolding in its natural growth. The path between reality and the imagination of my soul is the language of art that I choose to express.