Maybe we should embrace our wrinkles
One of the great things about being commissioned to do different animal sculptures is that I get to ‘study up’ a little about each animal along the way. It helps me understand what the sculpture needs to look like along with trying to capture the personality of the animal I’m sculpting. Right now I’m working on Sal, a sweet Pug, who will be joined by his sister Olive on a totem pole for their family.
Pugs make great family dogs. They love the companionship of being part of the family and are excellent lap dogs. They have a playful side and are clowns at heart, but they carry themselves with dignity. I see this in Sal’s face and posture– he likes being the center of attention and all those wrinkles are fun to sculpt.
Legend has it that the Chinese, who mastered the breeding of this dog, prized their wrinkles because they resembled good luck symbols in their language. Especially prized were dogs with wrinkles that seemed to form the letters for the word "prince" in Chinese. I wonder what Sal’s wrinkles say? I sure hope I got the translation right!
I hope I had better luck capturing the meaning in Sal’s wrinkles and that it’s a message of good fortune for him and his family.
Do you see messages in wrinkles?
Alexis Moyer