Damon Chatterton

My enchantment with creating Gourd vessels demands that I experiment with new mediums. Polyclay has become a focus, bringing together several disciplines into one. I strive for innovations in design, finer details, and vibrant colors.  Sculpting with polyclay has led me to doll-making, where I am free to bring fantasy to life.

I was influenced at a young age by artistic members of my family; there have been painters, seamstresses, commercial artists, a teacher, even a candy chef and a porcelain doll-maker.  I feel that certain movies I was lucky enough to witness at the local Drive-In while very young heavily influenced my imagination, and later in life has fueled my interest in sculpting figures.  When I was 7 years old my parents opened an antique mall in Joplin, Missouri, where I was exposed to many kinds of art and treasure.  My favorite things were Art Nouveau and Art Deco, particularly prints of Aubrey Beardsley and Maxfield Parrish, period costume and jewelry, sculpture of any kind, and vintage Halloween decorations.   Although I was a model Art Student through public school focusing on oils, I have had no formal training as an adult.

About 15 years ago my maternal grandmother gave me some gourds she had grown herself from seed.  Gourds have challenged me to learn new mediums and techniques, such as engraving, pyrography, weaving, leatherwork, stained glass, and ultimately polymer clay.  All I have learned about polyclay I taught myself through research and experimentation.  My recent gourd vessels emulate Ancient Greek clay amphora and chalices.  I also enjoy making Cricket cages, and even use gourds in my jewelry and dolls.  In my most recent jewelry pieces I challenge myself with increasingly intricate canes, Art Nouveau motifs, smoother beadwork, and the chatoyant technique using mica-infused metallic clays.  My dolls and figures are creatures of fantasy; elves, goblins, ghosts, and maidens.    

Up until 2009 most everything I've made has been a gift for a loved one or commissioned by a friend.  It makes me incredibly happy to create a unique treasure that is perfect for just the right person.  I gain a sense of legacy and that I am fulfilling my purpose in this life.  I hope that reaching out through galleries and online will allow me to share this with others.

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