Victoria Klaas
Dan Klaas
Riverside, CA
Enamels by Klaas
Original enamel on copper art from Dan and Victoria Klaas, Riverside, Ca.
Featuring wall sculptures, enamel on copper mosaics, wildlife art, framed
art, tropical art and more..
Interesting Links
Artist Statement
Having grown up hiking endlessly through the chaparral of Southern California, I developed a deep and lifelong love for nature and the environment. I truly love "All Creatures Great and Small." I consider myself an amateur botanist as well as an artist, as I share a passion for gardening along with my passion for art.As child, I had much freedom to explore wild areas near where I lived, and I seldom returned without one or more small creatures in my pocket. Although I didn't always have the wisdom at that age to care correctly for these tiny captives, it did instill in me a lasting desire to learn more, and a feeling of deep tenderness towards all wildlife. While it may seem mischievous, perhaps children need to touch in order to develop the bonds that teach them to respect and love God's handiwork.
At various times in my mistaken youth I husbanded lovingly baby cottontails, kangaroo rats, pack rats, "horned toads," lizards and snakes of all kinds and descriptions, in addition to the annual spring ritual of collecting toad and frog eggs and rearing the subsequent tadpoles to maturity.
As I grew older, I became quite learned in the art of caring for and rearing orphaned wildlife, and I can proudly state that many an unlucky or unfledged creature owed it's life and freedom to my care.
I am inspired by the plants and animals that I routinely see on driving and hiking about . It is therefore no surprise that my passion for nature manifests itself in my desire to reproduce in my art what I see and love in the outdoor world . After many years of experimenting with various media: oils, watercolors, ceramics and pastels, I discovered the ancient art of enameling
