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Jul. 28--Alexander the Doberman Pinscher, bounded into Constance Kohler's Victoria living room.
On a nearby pedestal sat a partially completed clay bust of the massive and surprisingly friendly dog.
Kohler, a sculpture artist, had been crafting the visage of her beloved pet when she realized something was slightly off about the piece.
"I was just about to finish and I knew something wasn't right," Kohler said.
While her daughter was visiting, she pointed out the problem. Kohler had put "horses eyes" on the dog.
This may not be entirely unexpected since Kohler's living room is filled with photos and past sculptures she's created of horses.
"I've just always loved (horses) ever since I was a child," said Kohler who grew up in Sussex, England. "Some people are born horse crazy."
She has trained and shown horses in countries including England, Zimbabwe, Australia and the U.S.
And refined equine figures have comprised a main focus of her sculptural work for many years. The quality of her work has been recognized by art leagues in Victoria and elsewhere.
While Kohler has been a member of the Victoria Art League for the past six years, she began dabbling in art for about 25 years ago. She said she initially began sculpting because she had a friend who was practicing the art form.
"It looked like fun, so I bought some clay and started," Kohler said.
She developed skills through reading books and analyzing pieces in galleries and museums.
She said she particularly enjoys capturing an animal's movement in her frozen clay or bronze embrace.
"I aim for the feeling and the movement," Kohler said.
Kohler does both standing sculptures that may be fired clay or cast in bronze or hanging relief sculptures, capturing the movement with a bronze-resin mixture.
With a small smile, Kohler ran her finger over one of her sculpted horses.
"I love the feel of it," Kohler said. "It's like it comes alive when you're feeling the muscles and the tendons."
She said Alexander has been a terrific dog but a difficult model. When she tries to feel his muzzle in order to sculpt, she said he becomes self-conscious and buries his head.
Just as each of her horse sculptures represent a creature special to her, Alexander's completed piece will as well.
And after Kohler finishes making her final adjustments to the supple clay, hopefully Alexander will approve.
--Jennifer Lloyd is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6516 or jlloyd@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Victoria Advocate, Texas
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