Douglas Hebert
Douglas Hebert is an award winning professional sculptor and comic artist with an academic fine art background. He has a deep interest in wildlife, nature, the environment, sustainability and humanities.
His recent sculptural work combines a complex array of form and texture with a very controlled, frequently complicated , hand-painted acrylic finish. All of his work features an animal mounted on a base that resembles topography found in nature such as trees, log, or coral. The terrain is generally quite textured (but not always) and practically never mirrors the animal’s natural habitat. When creating the creature itself, he makes a boundless attempt to augment and distort its structure and surface until it is virtually unrecognizable from the magnificent beast it once was. He takes the very same drastic approach when selecting the final color application and finish. The only exception being his early, single, solid color, glaze work which feature a very conservative color choice. His sculptural pieces inspires us to appreciate the beauty of all life forms.
His art is influenced by surrealism wherever it can be found in the art world: ” I hope viewers interpret my work with an open mind and take away a slight sense of bewilderment, fascination and love for all organic life forms.” (Douglas Hebert)
He grew up in Berkley, Michigan where he successfully acquired his BFA in drawing from Siena Heights University in 1999 and did his graduate work at Wayne State University. He acquired his teaching certificate at Wayne State in 2006 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he teaches art at Esperanza Elementary School, in Deer Valley. In his spare time he teaches special needs kids at the Focus comic free art camp.
He has a deep interest in wildlife, nature, the environment and sustainability. Douglas grew up surrounded by Wild life and pets in his personal and professional life ( he worked many years at a pet shop caring for a exotic animals and reptiles). He continues to spend time studying animals in their natural habitat and at zoos and aquariums. He encourages his art students to take an interest in animal conservation and the environment.
He is an award winning ceramic sculptor earning First Place in the Arizona Artists Guild Associates Body of Work Juried Exhibition and was an AAG artist of the month candidate. In 2015, he became a board member and sculpture group head at the Arizona Artists Guild.
Douglas Hebert is open for commissions.
Education:
Wayne State University, Teaching Certification, Art Education, 2006
Siena Heights University, Bachelor Fine Arts, 1999
Awards:
Goodyear Arts and Culture Commission: People’s choice award at the BAM! Comic Exhibition. 2021.
Pentel of America Art Award 2020
“Body of Work” Juried Exhibition, Arizona Artists Guild, AZ. 2015
Exhibitions:
2015, “Body of Work” Juried Exhibition, Arizona Artists Guild, AZ
2011, Desert Botanical Garden Permanent Exhibit – Collaborator
1999, BFA Student Exhibition, Klemm Gallery, MI
Collections:
Works held in several private collections in the United States
Teaching:
2023 to current: Esperanza Elementary School, in Deer Valley (k-6)
2018 – Present, Internship Coach & Art Teacher for Focus Comic free art camp for autistic kids and young adults.
2018- 2023. Present, Art teacher, Amberlea Elementary (k-8)
2017-2018 – Art teacher, Charles W Harris Elementary (k-8)
2007-2017 – Art teacher, Hurley Ranch Elementary (k-8)
2012-Present – Advanced Hand building and Sculpture, Desert Dragon Pottery
2015 – Sculpting techniques in paper clay workshop, Arizona Artists Guild
Positions:
2019 – Present Art Teacher for Focus comic free art camp for special needs kids and young adults.
2018 – Present, Internship Coach, Focus Comic
2015-June 2019, Program Director, AAG Sculpture Group, Arizona Artists Guild
2015-June 2019, Board Member, Arizona Artists Guild