A North Carolina artist who has had his unusual work displayed all over the world is crafting his latest creation at the Atlanta Botanical Garden of Gainesville.
Patrick Dougherty calls his craft "Stickworks" and he makes his large-scale sculptures solely from wood, branches and sticks. Dougherty's initial career was that of a hospital administrator, but after spending several years in that profession, he followed his heart and his creative spirit into the world of art.
Dougherty's website says he combined his carpentry skills (he constructed his own log cabin) with his love of nature, using tree saplings as construction material. Stickworks was born with his first piece in 1982, entitled Maple Body Wrap.
"I guess I had to figure out what birds and beavers already know and that's sticks will hang together easily," Dougherty said during a break this past week at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville. "I mean their infuriating tendency to tangle is exactly the method of joining that I'm using here."
He said the material he uses resonates with people of all ages.
"You know, the saplings are a part of our hunting and gathering past. Children know everything about sticks and a lot of adults remember fondly their minutes in the woods, their first kiss, their moment under the lilac bush, a bird nest they've seen."
Dougherty has crafted sculptures all over the United States - from California to Colorado to Florida. He also has pieces on display in England, The Netherlands and Japan. After he finishes his work in Gainesville, he'll go to Sweden. He said he has built about 270 sculptures - in public galleries and at private homes.
Dougherty's Gainesville sculpture will be unveiled on April 9. Until then, visitors to the garden off Cleveland Highway can monitor the artist's progress during regular visiting hours.
