"SKIMMING THE WAVES" - Bronze Sculpture Pelican

Growing up on the high Mojave Desert of Southern California, Bill just naturally was one of those kids that had to catch lizards, snakes and turtles. Smooth sculptured creatures with intricate scale patterns were particularly fascinating to the young Biophile. Mrs Hunt was less enamored with Bill’s Herps and drew the line at snakes in the house. Still, the flora and fauna of the Desert, the High Sierras and the Pacific Ocean instilled an early and life long interest in Zoology and Natural History. Bill is a 1974 graduate of Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. While Bill considers himself a Marine Biologist/Artist, his Degrees are in Fisheries Management, with emphasis in Invertebrate Zoology and Marine Mammals. He has worked as a Field Biologist, Salmon Hatchery Manager and operated an Aquaculture Lab raising Maine Lobster. He was a docent for the Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro, CA in 1979 when he produced his first fabricated metal sculpture. He was a guide for the Cabrillo Whale Whale Watch Program and met Rebecca on a whale watch trip in 1980. With that background in mind; “If it’s a Fish, If it eats Fish or if it is eaten by a Fish, It is potential subject matter for one of Bill’s sculptures. Case in Point:

. .

Offered here is a limited edition bronze of a brown Pelican in Flight called “SKIMMING THE WAVES”. An early masterpiece, the original work for this bronze was sculpted in wax over an elaborate metal armature in 1983. At the time, Bill and Rebecca were involved in the Marine Mammal Rescue and Wildlife Rehabilitation programs in the Monterey Bay area. One of his favorite birds, Brown Pelicans were frequent inpatients at the rehab center and Bill was able to photograph in detail, wing proportions, feather and scale pattern and other details. The pelican has a 24" wingspan. The green wave is a separate casting. There is a bolt cast into the underside of the wing, that runs thru the wave and locks the pelican onto the wave. The assembled bronze is mounted on a Black Granite base that measures 10" x 14". The right wing is 11" high at the highest point. The overall weight of this piece is 30 lbs. The edition size is set at 250. The first image (blue background) is the money shot for the brochures, taken years ago. The bronze we have on hand for this auction; Numbered 153/250, are shown in the following images. This is a true, hot cast, ceramic shell investment, lost wax bronze.