Charles Smalligan : Wood as a Medium - Spring 2007 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Charles Smalligan : Wood as a Medium

by Helen Ranta

Joe’s Pride – Wood sculpture, 17 x 5 x 13, by Charles Smalligan.
The last work of art Charles Smalligan entered in competition won first place in sculpture at the annual Art Auction and Competition of The Harness Tracks of America in 2004. Charles has had no formal training in art, but a series of events helped him to discover a natural gift for sculpting in wood. In 1976 Charles traveled to Barcelona, Spain, and he wandered into a woodcarving studio. He was fascinated and watched the master carver at work sculpting a horse. Charles then purchased several carvings from that shop and the following summer he began carving mainly in hardwoods namely walnut, cherry, and Honduras mahogany.

Charles feels fortunate to have been influenced by the late Joe Gaydos, whom he considers one of America's best horse carvers. A lifetime of owning and loving horses had given Gaydos an intimate knowledge of equine anatomy. Charles relates, "About a year after Joe died, his wife contacted me and asked if I would finish the last piece that Joe was working on. It was a spiritual experience, and I later created Joe's Pride that was patterned after his drawing of his last piece. It still sits on my mantel and is not for sale. I have made others in this same gait, and it always reminds me of Joe." Charles tries to tell a story with each piece, but he wants the script to be flexible. He is not a purist, using only knives and chisels, but will use any type of tool to achieve the desired result. He loves the warmth and vitality of wood as a medium.

Horseplay was definitely Charles’ biggest stretch as an artist. It was carved from a single piece of cherry and it represented over 600 hours of work. It was carved from a wild black cherry tree that had gone down in his brother’s yard in a severe wind storm about eight years prior to carving it. Charles comments, "I wasn’t sure exactly where I was going with this piece. I had to lay it out in such a way as to deal with some of the cracks that had developed in the drying process. Joe Gaydos always wanted his horses to be free, so I guess his influence has also contributed to this piece."

Charles continues to carve a variety of pieces for sale and offers carving instruction for students at all levels of ability and experience. View Charles Smalligan’s sculpture at www.charlessmalligan.com.

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