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William M. Duffy

William M. Duffy

Kentucky Crafted Artist
  • Sculpture; Stone

    Bio

    My earliest experience with art came from drawing comic book characters. I discovered that I had a special gift when I became known in school as "the guy who can draw". Drawing has been one of the greatest joys of my life, but I always had a strong desire to see how my sketches would look in three dimensions.  After graduating from college with a degree in painting, I taught myself the ancient art of stone carving.

    I work primarily with stone and replicate many of my carvings in bronze. I also work with wood, steel and paper, but stone is my favorite medium. I enjoy grabbing hold of a rock and working it into shape with hand chisels.

    The human head is most interesting to carve because in depicting its many different planes and the movement and texture of its hair there are a myriad of potential outcomes for a piece. I am not moved by any one type of feature, but by how the stone reacts to the chisel. It is always a challenge to come up with what works best for the material with which I am working. I create rounded, angular, smooth, and textured surfaces to invite the viewer to touch and think about my sculptures. I blend African, Egyptian, Oceanic, Eskimo, and other zonal art imagery into my work to portray the human bond that exists between us all.

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