Christine Baxter

Working in clay, wax or plaster, is drawing in 3D.  I am not just making a piece of sculpture but a vehicle to convey emotion, be it in a pose, a look, an expression.  It is that added extra, the communication with the viewer that I am after.  I only feel that a sculpture is successful if it the viewer gets an emotional response whilst looking at it.This is equally the case if it is an animal sculpture, a portrait or a figure.

Then there is an added dimension, the material, the act of making, should it be consciously finished or show the unconscious marks of the making and the thinking that goes into its creation.  There is something very special, a bit like an impressionist painting when the unconscious making marks are left visible.  I want the viewer of the piece to experience some of the love of beauty and grace that I understood whilst I was making the piece.

Lastly, I am very interested in the material into which the piece is cast, how this changes the appearance and perception of a sculpture, the colour of the patina can change its look enormously.