Saturday, November 30, 2013

Maine Talents - Ralph Moxcey

We've been spending time in the 'midcoast' part of Maine recently, as we're thinking of relocating there. One thing that attracts us is that the area seems to be teeming with multitalented people doing all kinds of arts and fine crafts such as sculpture, poetry, weaving, novel-writing, woodworking, painting, ceramics and music. Is Maine more artistic than other states? I don't think so, but we are struck by how many people have made the choice to move there to live some variation of the artist's life.


One of our favorites is Ralph Moxcey. A former Boston advertising executive with Hill Holliday, Ralph is a sculptor who lives with his wife Wendy (herself a poet) in Bremen, Maine. He doesn't have a website but his beautiful wood and metal sculptures can be seen in several galleries. Above is a photograph of one piece that is in the Stable Gallery in Damariscotta, Maine. A link to his page there is here.

Here is a 'blurb' about Ralph from another website dedicated to sculpture, www.sculptsite.com.

Throughout his lifetime, Moxcey has been a maker of things, an outdoorsman and a naturalist as well as an artist. His interest in creating wildlife sculptures began as a hobby when he was working in the world of advertising. Since his retirement in 1990, sculpting has become his major focus. Moxcey's work is influenced primarily by the natural world and its inhabitants. Intrigued by their grace, form and simple beauty, he keeps the lines of his animals, birds and fish as simple as possible, maintaining the essence of his subject while leaving no doubt as to its identity.

During his career in advertising, a span of more than 40 years, Moxcey received numerous awards including Andys, Cleos, Hatch Awards, the One Show Award and Art Director of the Year. He is most proud of his L. E. Sissman Award, which is presented to a career advertising man or woman who also finds time to pursue some form of fine art in a serious way.

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As winter approaches, the issue of heating one's studio becomes important. Ralph has to make a daily decision whether or not to heat up his studio since it takes so long to get it warm. Sometimes it's not worth it. And he often cuts stone outside to keep the stone dust in his studio to a minimum. That's dedication!
Bronze Sculture by Ralph Moxcey - "Falcon"