Living on Virginia’s Eastern Shore where he was born and raised, Turner has always been intrigued and captivated by the abundant wildlife found there. Following in his father William’s footsteps, he too uses the peninsula as a primary source for his sculpting subjects.

Father and son own and manage Turner Sculpture, since 1983 their studios, foundry and gallery. The younger Turner has over 250 bronzes within the gallery, many of them figurative studies of species native to the Eastern Shore. It is a narrow strip of land between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

He received a degree in biology from the College of William and Mary but always imagined he would replicate his father’s profession: figurative wildlife would be his primary subject, bronze casting his favoured form.

The work he displays here is also on permanent display at his alma mater. More specifically, it resides in the centre of the college’s Memorial Grove. It is a great honour for Turner that his beautiful sculpture brings comfort to succeeding generations of former alumni remembered there. Equally rewarding is its presence in this year’s show.

Dove Spirit is intended to “evoke uplifting feelings of peace and comfort” and the lovely way Turner has styled his dove conveys transcendence and serenity.

The head and beak are raised high, the left wing drapes low and elongated to match a similarly fashioned tail feather. The right wing is extended outwards, providing balance and accentuating the forward, upward thrust of the sculpture. The extended wing and tail feather joining at the bottom of the sculpture, beautifully melding together, create a lovely open space.

Like all of David Turner’s bronze animal studies, Dove Spirit is stylishly accurate and beautifully sculpted.

www.turnersculpture.com