Virtual Art Tour

Vic Payne, American, born 1960

Eagle Catcher

"Western art has been done so much that it's hard to say something in a sculpture that hasn't already been said," according to sculptor Vic Payne in The Santa Fean magazine. "My goal is to take basic themes and make a fresh statement with them. With each piece, I try to tell a story that says something about human and animal nature. As far as I am concerned, it's not enough to just create an attractive composition. The real challenge is to create a sculpture that people can relate to on an emotional level."

Son of well-known American painter and sculptor Ken Payne, Vic had not always planned on becoming an artist. As a pilot with his own plane, Ken made sure his children were exposed to the rich culture and heritage of the old west, flying his children to museums, art galleries and ghost towns. This had a real influence on Vic. "He knew stories about every place we visited," said Vic of his father. "That gave me a great background in Western art, which I certainly draw on in my work today."

But, Ken wanted his son to become a pilot and Vic wanted to become a rodeo bronc rider. Art finally won. Vic eventually took art instructions from his father, workshops from CAA member Fritz White and master sculptor Bruno Lucchesi. "A sculptor of old west themes in realistic style, Vic is devoted to subject matter of a bygone era and often works in Mountain Trails Gallery in Santa Fe," wrote AskART.com.

In describing "Eagle Catcher," Vic told Southwest Art magazine, "Legends tell of the capturing of the golden eagle by the Plains Indian, who believed the feathers were infused with the wisdom of the great mystery. These coveted feathers, when displayed in the war bonnet, symbolized the capture of the essence of the Great Spirit."

About his creative process Vic related, "The first step is to design the exact skeletal structure in aluminum wire . . . getting the proportions exactly right. After the wire skeleton is constructed, it's covered with clay and sculpted . . . . When the clay model is finished, I fly it up to my foundry in Wyoming, where a latex rubber is painted over the clay. On top of that goes a plaster that holds the exact form of the sculpture. The clay is removed and molten wax is poured inside the plaster cast, creating a wax model that is identical to the original clay model. A ceramic mold, called an `invested' mold, is then created over the wax model. When this mold is fired in a kiln, the wax is 'lost,' burned out through screws and rods that were applied in strategic areas. Bronze, an alloy that is 95% copper, is then heated to 2,150 degrees Fahrenheit and poured into the mold. After it cools, the ceramic mold is chiseled away, revealing the bronze sculpture inside. This technique, called the 'lost wax method,' is ancient, one of the oldest art forms known to man . . . . The multi-colored patinas are a complicated artificial aging process. In the olden days, they used to bury the bronze in the ground and urinate on it for a few months. Nowadays, we get the same effect using sulfurated ash and nitrate."