"Wildebeest", a raku sculpture by Red Bluff sculptor Jay Murphy
Jay Murphy, popular Red Bluff sculptor, has been selected to be in the prestigious “National Drawing & Sculpture Exhibition”, sponsored by the Santa Cruz Art League.
Jay’s sculpture entitled “Wildebeest”
Jay specializes in “raku”, Japanese pottery notable for its fired surface textures and vivid glazes. Jay incorporates his playful fascination with toys and funny creatures into his use of the medium.
“In high school, in Redding, I had a desire to become an art collector, which very quickly transformed into creating art,” Jay says, “I had a very keen visualization ability but lacked skills or training. I followed the belief that if you pretend to do something long enough, you will become that. By the age of 20 I had created dozens of paintings and sculptures and though my life has taken many turns and I am 55, art has been a continuous strand sewing my destiny together.”
He met Paul Rideout, a well-known Redding ceramic artist, in 1990 and with Rideout’s guidance, soon had the skills to pursue his dreams.
Jay’s work is shown at the Red Bluff Art Gallery on an ongoing basis, where he is one of the “core members”. He is in his second year with the gallery, which features his work regularly.
The National Drawing & Sculpture Exhibit is a prestigious event. An artists’ reception will be held at the Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, on Saturday, December 12th from 3-5 PM.
You can see Jay’s sculptures and painting on his website at www.SculpturalEccentrics.com or in the Red Bluff Art Gallery, 601 Walnut Street. More information is available at 529-1332.
