Stone

Stone

TJ Mabrey      BIRD      French Campan Vert marble      3 x 7 x 3 inches

 

TJ Mabrey      SLEEPING CAT     white marble     5 inch diameter x 2 inch

 

TJ Mabrey     PORTAL with ROSE WINDOW      white Italian marble, steel      12 x 8 x 8 inches

 

TJ Mabrey     HORN, EAR, STAFF     white Italian marble      6 x 7 x 3 inches

 

TJ Mabrey     EYE OF THE BUFFALO      black Egyptian marble      6 inch x 6 inch disk

 

TJ Mabrey     COMING UP FOR AIR (front)      white marble     18 x 13 x 7 inches

 

TJ Mabrey     BUCKEYE POD     white Italian marble     12 x 14 x 14 inches
TJ Mabrey     Water Gate with Boats    Pink, white, black marble     13 x 10 x 6.5 inches

Seeds

We got along without seeds until about 350 million years ago when evolution finally produced one. Now, with few exceptions, we can’t get along without them.

Why seeds and pods as a subject for sculpture? It is an idea that has evolved from early in my life when I began to save seeds for planting. Slowly, I took time to look more closely at the thing I was putting in the ground, and one day I didn’t see a seed, I saw a sculpture.

During the decade I have been creating sculptural seeds and pods in marble and bronze, the impetus behind them has changed, but the fascination endures.

six seeds in an egg carton — clockwise from the top left: human, grape, olive, wheat, corn, rice.
TJ Mabrey     Wisteria Seed     Black Belgian Marble
14.25 x 12.25 x 4.5 inches
TJ Mabrey     Wisteria Seed      Black Belgian Marble
14.25 x 12.25 x 4.5 inches

Pods which, of course, contain many more seeds

TJ Mabrey     Eye Con (Buddha's Palm)     Yellow Egyptian Marble     10.5 x 10.5 x 9.5 inches
TJ Mabrey     Encircled Pod (Secrets)      Pink Portugese Marble      14 x 14 x 8.25 inches
TJ Mabrey     Human Bean Pod     Red Persian Travertine
17.75 x 14.5 x 8 inches

 

TJ Mabrey     Human Bean Pod     Red Persian Travertine
17.75 x 14.5 x 8 inches
TJ Mabrey     Oak Pod with Faces      Porfirico Marble with Iron Element      13 x 7 x 7 inches
TJ Mabrey     Desert Pod (Seeds of War series)      Black Belgian Marble with Iron Element
12 x 12 x 17 inches
TJ Mabrey     Winter's Lemon       Yellow Siena Marble
8.25 x 6.25 x 10.25 inches
TJ Mabrey     Winter's Lemon       Yellow Siena Marble
8.25 x 6.25 x 10.25 inches
TJ Mabrey     DOA Patent Pending      Yellow Egyptian Marble
10 x 5 x 15 inches
TJ Mabrey     DOA Patent Pending      Yellow Egyptian Marble
10 x 5 x 15 inches
TJ Mabrey     Fluttermill (Buttercup)
White Italian Marble      6 x 6 x 7.5 inches
TJ Mabrey     Language 1-2-3 
Yellow Italian Marble       20 x 6 x 10 inches
TJ Mabrey     Choosing Sides
White Marble
6.5 x 6.5 x 18 inches

Boats and Barges

TJ Mabrey      Story Boat      Limestone, Steel, Gold Leaf, Wood      Approx. 5 x 1.5 x 3 feet
TJ Mabrey     Life Boat      Antique Marble and White Marble      33 x 8 x 8 inches
TJ Mabrey     Bean and Corn Barges      White Marble      22 x 8 x 4 inches (each)
TJ Mabrey     Rice Wheat Barges     White Marble
TJ Mabrey     Squash Barge      White Marble
22 x 8 x 4 inches
TJ Mabrey     Olive Barge      White Marble
22 x 8 x 4 inches

Story Stones

TJ Mabrey     Sky Fishing front       White Marble
12.25 x 5 x 12.25 inches
TJ Mabrey     Sky Fishing back      White Marble
12.25 x 5 x 12.25 inches
TJ Mabrey      Water Gate with Boats      Pink white black marble
13 x 10 x 6.5 inches
TJ Mabrey      I Lost my Balance      Cement Bronze
10 x 5 x 12 inches
TJ Mabrey      A River Ran Through the Gorge
White gray black marble      14.5 x 11 x 14 inches
TJ Mabrey      A Temple was Built on Old Mans Bluff
Onyx brick red marble      18 x 7.5 x 11.5 inches with base
photographs by Kathleen Brennan and TJ Mabrey