R & J Gumaelius

R & J Gumaelius - Juggling Behind His Back

R & J Gumaelius - Balancing Act in Two Parts

R & J Gumaelius - All for a Lick of a Lollipop

R & J Gumaelius - Performance Rider Saddling His Vision

R & J Gumaelius - Imagining with the Eye of an Astronomer

R & J Gumaelius - Power Hat Caged, Changing the Balances

R & J Gumaelius - Back to Back Conversation

R & J Gumaelius - Providing a Flexible Landing Place

R & J Gumaelius - Waiting for the Winged Hat to Take Flight

R & J Gumaelius - We Ride to Peace and Quiet

R & J Gumaelius - Spotting the Cart Wheeling Donkey

R & J Gumaelius - He Holds the Dishes Stacked for Her

R & J Gumaelius - These Thoughts Leave Wisdom

R & J Gumaelius - Wisdom of Courage and Peace

R & J Gumaelius - Wisdom of Courage and Joy

R & J Gumaelius - Dancing with a Caged Bird

R & J Gumaelius - Secret Books for a House Holder

R & J Gumaelius - Majestic Thoughts with an Open Heart

R & J Gumaelius - Birds Tell Him Where to Go

R & J Gumaelius - Not Much Without You Here, Just a Kangaroo Balanci

R & J Gumaelius - Still on a Moving Platform

(click thumbnail to enlarge)

Meeting on Solid Ground, Headed for Shore

17" x 10" x 6" ceramic, metal, wood

Musings of a Forest King

15" x 7 1/2" x 5" ceramic, metal, wood

Sharing a Small Boat

On Hold 21 1/2" x 12" x 9" ceramic, metal, wood

Willing to Share, A Halo of Birds

16" x 7" x 7" ceramic, metal, wood

Teatime Dance

15 1/4" x 6 1/2" x 6" ceramic, metal, wood

Juggling Behind His Back

21 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 9 ceramic metal wood

Traveling with a White Rabbit

10 1/2" x 6" x 6" ceramic, metal, wood

Animal Headstack

39" x 16" x 11 1/2" ceramic, metal

A Hat for Abundant Times

12 1/4" x 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" ceramic, metal, wood

Balancing Act in Two Parts

16 3/4" x 6 1/2" x 8" ceramic wood metal

All for a Lick of a Lollipop

24" x 14" x 3" ceramic metal wood

Performance Rider Saddling His Vision

SOLD 15" x 6" x 11" ceramic metal wood

It's Your Move

SOLD 10 1/2" x 4" x 6" ceramic wood metal

A Tight Squeeze

20" x 7" x 4 1/2" ceramic wood metal

Imagining with the Eye of an Astronomer

SOLD 27" x 10" x 9" ceramic, wood and steel

He Changes His Mind, A Hat for All Occasions

9 1/4" x 7 3/4" x 6 ceramic wood metal

Power Hat Caged, Changing the Balances

SOLD 28" x 7" x 14" ceramic wood metal

Back to Back Conversation

23" x 10" x 11" ceramic, wood and steel

Providing a Flexible Landing Place

44" x 14" x 8" ceramic and steel

Waiting for the Winged Hat to Take Flight

SOLD 9" x 8" x 6" ceramic, wood and steel

Dancing Tricyclist

SOLD

We Ride to Peace and Quiet

SOLD 40" x 9" x 9" ceramic and steel

Domestic Flight

SOLD 24" x 16" x 5" ceramic, wood and steel

Spotting the Cart Wheeling Donkey

SOLD 12" x 11" x 7" ceramic and steel

He Holds the Dishes Stacked for Her

20" x 8" x 4 1/2" ceramic, metal, wood

These Thoughts Leave Wisdom

36" x 7" x 6" ceramic and steel

Wisdom of Courage and Peace

70" x 16" x 12" ceramic

Wisdom of Courage and Joy

67" x 18" x 15" ceramic

Wisdom and Wonderful

59" x 13" x 11" ceramic

Skimming the Surface

SOLD 9" x 15" x 5" ceramic, wood and steel

Dancing with a Caged Bird

SOLD 17" x 9" x 7" ceramic, wood and steel

Secret Books for a House Holder

SOLD 27" x 8" x 6" ceramic, wood and steel

No Rocking the Boat

SOLD 11 1/2" x 10" x 6" ceramic, metal, wood

Ride on a Toy Horse

SOLD 16" x 10" x 17" ceramic, wood and steel

Majestic Thoughts with an Open Heart

SOLD 27" x 10" x 6" ceramic, wood, metal

Birds Tell Him Where to Go

SOLD 10" x 6" x 5" ceramic, metal, wood

A Slight Breeze

SOLD 32" x 17 1/2" x 9" ceramic, wood, metal

Not Much Without You Here, Just a Kangaroo Balanci

SOLD 13" x 11" x 6" ceramic, wood and steel

Still on a Moving Platform

SOLD 14" x 6" x 7" ceramic, wood and steel

Winged Hat

SOLD 13" x 9" x 5" ceramic, wood and steel

A Journal of Travels

SOLD 17" x 9" x 6" ceramic, wood and steel

Vested Owl

SOLD 16 1/2" x 8" x 8" ceramic, wood and steel

Birdwalk

SOLD

Bird Head

SOLD 24" x 9" x 10" ceramic and metal

The Welcome Committee

SOLD

Wise Head

SOLD

Robin and John Gumaelius incorporate steel, ceramic and wood to create animated human and birdlike sculptures. Robin creates all the colorful ceramic surface imagery and complex decorative glazes, and then John takes over and adds the exquisite metal armatures that bring the sculptures to life. In a highly unusual working relationship, Robin and John combine their skills and imaginations together as an artistic team to build a singularly unusual world out of clay and metal.

John says that "we begin by pressing clay into a crow-shaped mold, then cut, bend and build to alter that shape. We paint the entire figure with under-glazes then carve back through to the white clay. Watching clay peel away and images appear satisfies us; it gives immediate pleasure."

Robin continues: "Radio stories, history books, biking adventures, gardening notes, neighbors spied, strangers watched in stores and parks and cars jangle together in our heads and come so freely to our fingers that when we see the pieces finished we are often delighted – as if we are not their creators; they just come to talk with us for a while and then leave again".
John and Robin Gumaelius live in a tree house John recently built for the couple and their four children. In this wooded environment, the couple works in a slow ongoing conversation with each other. Each piece records a bit of their story.