This gorgeous and talented couple met dancing. And, what are the chances that they not only could dance the tango together beautifully, but would begin sculpting together beautifully? A love story worthy of any Valentine's Day, I say....
Although Kristine and Colin both lived in Santa Fe, It took them 20 years to find each other. But when they met in 2008 and stepped onto that dance floor, it only took them a year to marry and begin their extraordinary collaborative journey creating their CHIMAERICAL CREATURES.
These other-worldly, life-sized ceramic sculptures seamlessly blend human and animal forms into beguiling creatures that are both familiar and wonderfully mysterious. "Each figure is based on a particular world myth," explains Kristine. "But it also tells its own story through the viewer's imagination."
Q. When did you both know you wanted to be artists?
K. "I was born to be an artist," explains Kristine. "For as long as I can remember I've been creating art from anything I could wrap my mind around and get my hands on. One of my earliest memories is of my mom lifting me up on a high chair at our kitchen counter so I could draw. From that point, I never stopped creating."
C. "My grandmother, sculptor, UNA HANBURY (1909-1990), was my mentor and hero," says Colin. Her work is in the National Portrait Gallery and in museums around the world, including the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. She seeded lessons in my childhood that continue to blossom."
Q. How does your collaboration work?
K&C "Neither of us had collaborated with another artist before. We were both extremely private and introspective about our work; we wouldn't have wanted anyone to see it, let alone touch it, before we were finished. But with our sculpture series, we became one person with four hands and two minds creating each piece. It feels like the most natural thing in the world for us to work together as closely as we do in creating these works."
They begin by selecting the pose together and then the myth. Kristine sculpts the human part of the figure, and when they choose the animal that will suit both the myth and the energy of the body, Colin sculpts the creature's head. And then they meld the two together and finish every detail.
"Part of what is unique about how we work is that we both bring specialized backgrounds to the table," explains Kristine. "My extensive background in ceramic sculpture and anatomical study is the perfect complement to Colin's 25 years of experience as a professional painter and sculptor."
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Their studio accommodates both their collaborative undertakings as well as their individual work. And Colin's prized collection of his Grandmother's sculpting tools are finding new life.
Now for a visual tour of their beautiful
GALLERY SPACE
Q. If you could create a larger-than-life sculpture anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be and what mythological head would you choose?
K & C "We would choose to feature our Chimaerical Creatures in the TUILERIES GARDENS outside the Musee du Louvre in Paris. These beautiful gardens and the Louvre are very dear to both of us. We've Tangoed in the gardens by moonlight, spent countless hours wandering the museum, and enjoyed leisurely picnics in the sun near the Grand Bassin Octagonal admiring the permanent outdoor collection of historical sculptures."
"We would use these figures as the inspiration for contemporary interpretations of their myths and allegories, ultimately incorporating myths from other world cultures as well. We can envision our creatures cavorting through the grass, lounging under the trees and interacting with their permanent counterparts around the pool. "
K R I S T I N E & C O L I N P O O L E
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