Ken Lever Sculptor

Ken Lever

Sculptor

      I’ve always been fascinated by the inherent intricacy of wood, none of it is ever the same. Every time I cut into a piece its like a Christmas present, you never know what’s inside. To me that’s the biggest allure of sculpting, it just draws me in. It creates a palette that I could never dream of, or replicate.  Mother nature does the work for me, all I do is try to exploit it into something all can enjoy. I can see ideas in the wood before I start. Cutting into, peeling back the layers allows me to find the most interesting aspects of the grain, defects, imperfections to achieve the look I seek.

      My goal is to release the inner beauty of the natural medium. I like to think that my process merely frees the art trapped inside. Forms and shapes come from a life long appreciation of arts spanning centuries and cultures. Chinese, Egyptian, European mixed with current masters of the trade make for a good base to explore my ever-evolving repertoire. The Southeast is rich in various woods and even marble, which is a newer medium (to me) to explore, it has a lot of similarities, both are an extraction method, both have grain, and the processes of carving are really close, so it was an easy line to cross.

     I’ve been involved with the Sylacauga Marble Fest since 2012, working with Master carvers from Italy, and a wide variety of artists from around the world. Expanding the ever-growing repertoire of artistic styles, so goes the life journey of an artist.