From Canine to Clay: A Q&A with Scotts Valley Business Owner and Soquel Artist Stephanie Schriver

It would be unjust to call Stephanie Schriver merely a sculptor. She is politically active with the Tannery Arts Center Project, and is also a painter, a world traveler, a mother, a business owner and an Oregonian. Artist, though, might be the most apt descriptor for the Soquel resident.

Schriver moved to Watsonville 40 years ago with a painting background and then pursued ceramics at Cabrillo College. While she has since dabbled in multiple art forms, her last six years have been spent sculpting people's pets, bringing out their humorous side, as she says.

Schriver, who maintains a studio in Santa Cruz and also owns Scotts Valley Sprinkler and Pipe Supply, spoke with Patch this week about her work.

Patch: How did you get into pet sculpture?

Stephanie Schriver: It’s fun to be able to come to the point in life where you can devote your time to the thing you really want to do. So, I had a friend ask me if I would do a dog for her husband. He wanted a Bull Terrier and she didn’t want him to have a real one, so she asked me to make him a ceramic one for his birthday. That was about six years ago. So, we had a big birthday surprise party for him at her house and...we unveiled the dog for him. He loved it.

Patch: What is the process of pet sculpting?

Schriver: I like to meet the dog if I can. My emphasis is on the personality of the animal. Meeting the dog in person is important. I like to take the photos myself if I can. I do have a website and I get orders from all over. I have them fill out a form that tells me all about the animal’s personality — if they’re playful or if they’re sneaky or always hungry or very friendly and so forth. I always tell people the head is going to be a little bigger and out of proportion and the eyes are going to be the major feature because that’s what we relate to — eye contact and personality in the face. Then I include a toy if they have a special toy like a Frisbee or a ball or a squirrel.

Patch: What is your favorite pet sculpture you've ever done?

Schriver: I think it was the Boxer that was bowing down to greet his owners with the piece of toast. He loved to have toast every morning with his owner, so I made a piece of toast with a bite out of it. Another one was a big Neapolitan Mastiff. He’s a huge boy and he brought me roses. He was a great guy.

Patch: Do you have to brush up on your dog breeds to do these sculptures?

Schriver: I have breed books. I use those for reference. It talks about their personality in the breed books and what kind of fur they have. Many times, the photographs I get from owners are not completely what I need, so I go to the breed books to fill in the holes.

Patch: What projects do you have planned that are coming up?

Schriver: I am transferring my energies more into larger pieces and I have been asked to do a series based on one of my oils. If I could clone myself, I would do all of it. But, I think the large impressionist pieces right now are what I’m doing.

Patch: Are you still taking orders for pet sculptures?

Schriver: Oh, absolutely.

Patch: Where can people find your work on display locally?

Schriver: There's Sierra Azul Sculpture in Watsonville and I have my display gallery and work studio on River Street across from the Tannery. People can come by there. I have my pedestals and all my dog stuff set up in there. It’s 1111 River St. across form the Tannery in Studio B.