News from the Studio / October, 2008

A Moment       Clayton's new sculpture, A Moment, is of a young boy leaning on a spade, taking a moment to pause and reflect. It captures the sense of contemplation. Here is a youth who has clearly been working - shirtless, pants rolled, barefoot - and he is savoring the moment when he isn't shoveling. It is a moment which many people can relate to, whether they are working outdoors or taking a break from the computer. You've been pushing yourself hard, you need a break, and when you do take one you simply stare off, decompress, and, not focusing on anything in particular, zone out. Multi-talented artist      Clayton designed a Japanese water garden to fill a narrow space between his house and the wall which blocks the house from the road. This is a multilevel garden with steps that lead up to the top of a waterfall which empties into a pool surrounded by thoughtful planting. The water flows from the pool through some rapids then under a bridge of one enormous stone that conveys a 'mountain trail' over the rushing waters. Once under the bridge the flow continues as a stream to a distant mountain; another huge stone this one placed vertically. This stone and two others form a group, The Three Sisters, that leads one into the garden with their natural beauty. At the other end of the garden is a moon gate. Entering the garden there one can over look most of the garden then proceed down wide stone steps with succulents planted between the stones instead of mortar, meeting the path leading to the head of the waterfall. Not only did Clayton design and plant the garden, he built the pool, set the stones for the waterfall so it would run in varied directions, constructed the rapids, found the stone for the bridge and placed three large "sister" stones nearby. The effect exceeds anyone's expectations. In the heat of the summer it a meditative oasis: the sound of the water cools the mind, the sight of the bamboo, junipers, rhododendrons, yew, black gum and cypress offer respite from the hot humid weather, and a person doesn't even realize that a busy road is yards away.