Frank Shepard

Awesome Opossum

20 x 8 x 7"

Wood and Stone

$1650

3D--Third Place, January All-Media Exhibition

The opossum skull was found in the same forest as the sculpture base – might they have shared the forest at the same time! It took years to find an appropriate base, which is a burl; an oddity caused by stress, adorned with 9 resin strikes perfectly aligned with the opossum fangs!

Artist's Statement:

My art is the resinous remains of fallen and decayed pine trees that have been transformed into unique sculptures.  These partially buried and decaying fragments of pine trees are carefully chosen and examined to determine their suitability for sculpture.  Once selected, the process of turning them into unique pieces of art is meticulous and challenging, requiring multiple steps involving hand carving tools, steel wool and several coats of wax to reveal their natural beauty.  Bringing these pine resin fragments to life is like a spiritual awakening that's been gifted to me by Mother Nature.