Welcome to Hawthorn Galleries
We offer an ever-changing collection of fine art from both locally and nationally renowned artists. Choose from original paintings, prints, sculpture, glass work, bronzes and a wide selection of one-of-a-kind jewelry creations.
Gallery Hours:
- Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 6 pm
- Saturday 1 pm - 5 pm
- Phone: 417-866-6688
Featured Artist
Louis Smart
Please contact Hawthorn Galleries for availability and prices.
Artist Statement
All of my work is now drawn from life models. I work with the model exclusively, following their movements until I see something that works. The female form has become a central metaphor to my work, simultaneously expressing sensuality and eternalness. I sense an exciting energy created by the attempt to convey love and devotion, as well as an invitation to caress a form by sight and touch. Sculpting the female form becomes a magical process, a discipline requiring long hours devoted to its definition. Each model has a different persona to translate. Some models can evoke a sense of creativity in the moment, participating by expressing their individual character in the poses they assume.
I become the receiver and translator – through me flows a ribbon which weaves around the forms, penetrating to the bone carved hollows, memorizing the intricacies of light upon the skin. I never quite know where the work will lead, to where it may evolve. I draw a number of quick sketches, trying to be as free as possible, with the model entering in the decision of the final pose. I then model in wax, first establishing the position of the feet. The strips of wax are laid, moving around the figure, creating a fabric layer by layer. A transformation takes place. After hours of work, the figure is no longer wax, but becomes an expression of the life force, lyrical and evocative.