Local Artist and Sculptor Provides a Look into the Creative Process

By Misty Cryer

The artwork of Wren Prather-Stroud, a local artist and sculptor, can be seen across the community and state, along with a display in the Railroad Museum in Pennsylvania. Portrait commissions make up private collections in the United States and internationally.

Her resume shows that she has been featured in several publications and has engaged in public speaking and teaching, sharing knowledge gained through extensive studies and art training in the United States and abroad. She has served numerous professional and art associations, including local and state committees and boards.

The latest installation at Halagueno Arts Park is “The History Garden,” featuring Wren’s five bronze sculptures of early founders of our community. The process of sculpting these historical figures, according to Wren, begins with research into the subject’s life and the use of reference photos, as well as determining how the pieces will relate to each other in the final installation.

Featured in “The History Garden” are Charles Bishop Eddy, Joseph Sampson Stevens, Jennie Lathrop Pratt, Olive Elizabeth Clark Tracy, and Flora Stokes Ryan, all of whom lived in the 1800s and early 1900s. The time period before photography was common, make reference photos hard to come by, said Wren. The photos she used reflected different stages of life, which she adjusted to make the figures relatable.

Wren said that Mr. Eddy was wealthy and a prominent businessman. “He had his portrait done, and it was a good one, so I started with him.” She said that his bronze looks a lot like the original photograph. “There were a ton of details to have fun with.”

Known for deeding property that makes up Halagueno Arts Park, Wren said in the sculpture of Mr. Eddy, she placed the deed, crafted using Eddy’s handwriting and the date from the original document, in the pocket of his suit.

To the left of Eddy in the installation is Joseph Stevens, who is credited with deeding the second part of the land as well as investing in the town. According to Wren, he was a friend of Mr. Eddy.

“He was a really interesting character, it was fun to do the research on him,” she said, adding that he was an athlete, a polo player, and an adventurer from a wealthy family who joined the cavalry at one point and was part of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders during the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.

In the sculpture, Wren said she wanted to reflect Stevens’ adventurous life while trying to keep the subjects in “The History Garden” relatable. In the installation, she said Eddy and Stevens look like they were in conversation together, “You can tell they’re friends.”

Flora Ryan was the second librarian in Carlsbad. “She was there for decades,” said Wren, adding that she is credited with setting up the library and getting it to its prominent position.

“There are a lot of stories about her being a really dedicated businesswoman and a serious librarian, so that is how I depicted her,” she said. She described the sculpture of Ryan being dressed in business clothes with her hair in a bun, ready to go to work. Wren laughed when saying, “You should not make any noise in her library.”

Jennie Pratt is credited with being one of the women in town who contributed to the establishment of cultural institutions, such as the library. The interesting part of doing that sculpture for Wren was innovating the lace blouse like the one Pratt was wearing in the reference photo. She said that, as a sculptor, whether a piece will release from the mold and, for sculptures to be placed outside, whether rain will roll off or make puddles are things to consider. After consulting with her mold maker, Brad Neighbor, and others who worked on the project through the process, the lace blouse she crafted became part of the sculpture.

With a few photos to refer to, Wren described Olive Tracy as a scholar who was always well-dressed, wearing a hat and fancy dress. “She was really active in developing community organizations,” she said. In the installation, the hat would make her too tall, so Wren said she researched period hairdos to feature for the sculpture, along with her distinctive profile reflected in the photos, and a fancy dress with a pretty brooch.

Other pieces of art by Wren displayed in Halagueno Arts Park include two bronze sculptures, “The Reader” and “John Wooten,” a bas-relief sculpture gate, “Moon Over the Pecos,” and the four-panel bas-relief artwork, “The Four Elements,” which features the alchemical elements of fire, air, water, and earth.

“Moon Over the Pecos” bas-relief sculpture gate by Wren Prather-Stroud in process.