“As a child, I enjoyed watching the antics of foxes in the surrounding countryside,” says sculptor Carrie Quade. “I rode my ponies and horses in the farmland surrounding my home and also had the opportunity to ride with a local foxhunting group. In all my observations of foxes, the behaviors and attitudes were distinctive.
“While much of my bronze sculpture expresses some of my favorite animal personalities, my curiosity for new subjects, sculpture mediums, and Three-D technology has given me new inspiration for creating and casting sculpture.”
In her work, Quade strives at understanding the essence of the subject…what is it that needs to be translated to the viewer to capture the soul of that subject. She enjoys discovering new materials and techniques and continues to accept unusual commissions in all mediums.
I spent many summers with the animals at my grandparents farm. Cows, chickens, goats, mules, and horses. The pigs and piglets were my favorite. I got to ride the horses and mules without injury, got chased by the chickens and goats and learned respect from the pigs. The most profound lessons came from observing the personalities and animal behaviors I saw displayed for so many years at the farm.
Carrie Quade was raised and educated in Delaware, graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Art Education. Her life-long interest in animals led her through a variety of jobs in all phases of the horse business, working at zoos with exotic animals, and assisting local veterinarians.
After the birth of her three children she chose to spend more time on her artistic pursuits and began working in clay. She combined her love of animals and her talents for producing three dimensional work, in the form of pottery and sculpture. Her early ceramic work centered on equestrian themes and slowly began to take on more abstract forms as the work matured. Her projects are most remarkable for their ability to produce three dimensional likeness with accurate surface texture, conformation and overall construction. These efforts range from 26 foot ceramic trees and artificial environments for the National Geographic Society and The National Christmas Center to the very subtle features of plants, animals, and human portraits.
She has collaborated on projects for Disney, Pepsi Company, and W.L. Gore. Her public installations include National Geographic Society, Washington, DC; University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center; John Gilbert Reese Center, Ohio State University and two works in The Benson Sculpture Garden, Loveland, Colorado. This year her work has been selected for the National Sculpture Society 75th Annual Exhibition, and the Society of Animal Artist Exhibition and Tour. Visit Quade’s website for more images of her work.
Quade’s work is represented by the Chisholm Gallery in Wellington, Florida—a leading international dealer of polo and sporting art for over three decades. Founder Jeanne Chisholm strives for a mix of fine art from new and established artists in a variety of media and subject matter.
Posted February 8, 2017