Ann Fleming

“I have been having a life long affair with clay. In harmony with my very practical nature I created colorful functional ware and architural accents for over 25 years. I thoroughly enjoyed the years creating bright and happy work that would grace the daily lives of people. But as the years went by pottery took a physical toll and my creative mind longed for something different. I think the hardest thing that I had to face is to give myself permission to just have fun.

But one day I gave myself that permission. I went into my studio in 2004 and created my first figure in clay simply for the joy of working in a material that I know so well. In 2006, urged by friends, I cast the first piece in bronze.

Each new sculpture became a joy to me. My women are full and round and playful and thoughtful. My animals are quiet and companionable. I soon recognized that things that mattered to me crept into my work, stories that reflected human nature surrounded by our natural world. And though in the beginning I thought this work had no utility but to bring back to me the joy of process, I can now see that the stories the pieces tell are their utility. And if my stories bring a little moment of peace or a smile, a little insight or a warm memory, then my work once again graces daily life.”