Cathryn Jenkins

Stone Sculptures

Biography
 
Cathryn Jenkins is a sculptor whose work brings to life the beautiful stone found in her home province of British Columbia, Canada. Her stylized work reflects the natural world in powerful figures of northwestern animals and humans - grizzly bears, cougars, river otters, eagles, hawks, owls and loons as well as figurative human forms make up the main body of her sculptures.

Inspired by her mother Fran, who is also a noted sculptor, Cathryn practically grew up in her mother's studio where she learned about stone and the joy of sculpture. As the daughter of a successful sculptor, she was able to observe the relationship between the artist and the medium at an early age and to gain an understanding of the techniques and the requisite skills necessary to sculpt stone.

Cathryn and her mother quarry all of their own stone from a soapstone and serpentine from a deposit of rare purity. She still spends her summers prospecting and exploring in the interior of Canada and winters in her studio recreating the world she loves. Her sculptures reflect a deep and abiding love of the wilderness. Even as a child, she says, she was fascinated by the shapes and colors of rocks. "I love stone and I love animals," she says. "If you put the two together and work hard enough, something is bound to come from it". What comes is truly wonderful indeed, her works exhibit an instinctive ability to capture the strength and fluidity of movement that is the very essence of the animal's being. "My work is not detailed," she says. "I am not interested in detail unless it has something to express about the animals. I often take out detail after using it to get the proportions right. You have to be aware of what the stone is saying and know how to respond to it." She tries to match the rhythm of the stone with the movement of the subject to create natural proportion and balance in each piece. Sometime, however, the subject takes control and aggressively develops its own personality which stretches both me and the stone to our limits.

Although the learning process is a constant in an artist's life, she says, "I know that without my mother's influence, I would never have chosen the artist's path. She has been my great inspiration and has provided me with the natural assurance that my development as an artist contributes to the value of my life journey".

Cathryn’s work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the world.