Jacque McDonald is a clay artist who incorporates emotion and posture in her sculptures by connecting her childhood memories with each intimate part of the child-like sculpture. By using clay and encaustics she can give the reality to the piece and a voice with emotion and expressions sometimes overlooked by everyday events in a child’s life. While growing up in Missouri, often children were not to be heard, and women did not have a say on certain topics, however; Jacque’s parents were very progressive. She learned to detach and hide her true self and it was only when she developed her art skills that was she able to project her thoughts.
Over the years she traveled and kept a sketchbook, noting how different children and people reacted to the world as one way to keep a record of life, but it was also useful in her profession at the University of Miami Medical School. There she was able to draw out X-rays and projections, assist in surgery, and communicate with children and their families about the facial changes.
After spending over 30 years in Florida, Jacque now is back in Missouri practicing her craft in her studio. Today, she photographs children, observes behavior patterns, role plays, and creates their voices through her sculptures. She also went back to college and completed her BFA degree and her MFA in Ceramic sculpture.
I make art to give a voice to the voiceless, emotion to the hardened, and a chance for the public to be aware there are real social issues involving small children. My work is touchable both physically and physiologically and is addressed in that manner.
Taking the time to draw out emotions and listening to the laughter and cries of a child is very inviting it tells a lot about who they are and who the parent is by the tones. Perhaps one cannot see but they can feel the touch of the skin, the creases in the face, the texture of the cloth with my sculptures. They can and I invite them to interact with my pieces.
Starting with a chunk of clay, each child is molded, carved, and hollowed out from solid clay. This gives me, the artist, the time to skillfully create a child with every emotion from the face, to the toes, yes, toes because they wiggle too. After firing a piece to stone, the color and textures become life with whatever emotion or posture I have chosen to present to the public. Sometimes, as with children in life, the clay reacts on its own while firing and a new person evolves. It is quite a transition for me and my audience to experience out loud; after all, it is clay.