Forrest Greenslade's newest venture is a series of clay pieces, "Audubon Impressions." which he is covering with a metal patina. All photos by David Hughey/The Samford Herald

Sculptor creates capricious characters

Never did molecular biologist Forrest Greenslade dream that: he would be recognized as a sculptor, albeit a highly original one

By SUSAN FARRINGTON
Herald Correspondent
FEARRINGTON VILLAGE
(reproduced and reformated for internet from the Wed, July 13, 2005 edition of the Sanford Herald with permission of the author FCG)

Forrest Greenslade owes a debt of gratitude to Martha Stewart, one that he readily acknowledges. The undisputed diva of domesticity provided the inspiration he needed to launch a new business enterprise, one light years distant from any of his past endeavors.

Prior to December 2001, the sculptor's career had focused largely on science related to the pharmaceutical industry, A molecular biologist, his various roles included clinical researcher at the Atomic Energy Commission and executive positions at biomedical organizations including Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. He was connected with The Population Council, delivering a speech on population and development at the last plenary session of the United Nations in Cairo, Most recently, prior to retirement, he served as president of Ipas, an international women's health organization.

The author of more than 100 articles and books on management and strategies, Greenslade's latest -"The Simple-Minded Manager: Cutting Through Your Work-Life Chaos" -was published in 2000, For its illustrations, he turned to his daughter, Kathtyn Greenslade Armstrong, a trained artist living in Pennsylvania.

Coincidentally, Greenslade was honing his speaking skills through Toastmasters International and earning the educational certification of Distinguished Toastmaster.Not long afterward, he was named North Carolina' s 2001 Toastmaster of the Year.

Never did he dream that Forrest Greenslade, Ph.D., would shortly be recognized as a sculptor, albeit a highly original one at that.

"Carol-Ann (his wife) had literally dragged me along on the 2001 Chatham County Arts Council Open Studio Tour," says Greenslade. "I was reluctant at first, but soon became caught up in the beauty and the energy of their creations. Suddenly it hit me how much pleasure artists get from their work. The last studio we visited was Zen Palkowski's right here in Fearrington. His unusual wood sculptures and carvings, especially the spirits he depicted, were fascinating. "Returning home in time for a late lunch, Greenslade looked for something to watch on television while they ate. "And there was Martha, making a garden trough out of cement and peat moss, demonstrating each step as she talked.

"I didn't even finish my sandwich, but went straight into the potting shed instead. Because we're both avid gardeners, there's always a supply of peat moss on hand, and Ihad bags of cement ready to mix for a home improvement project I was planning."

Inspired by everything he'd seen on the tour, Greenslade immediately began fashioning his first piece, a primitive African mask. When it didn't appear to be turning out as he'd hoped, he called his daughter to explain the difficulties. Her suggestion, to cover the object with chicken wire before adding wet concrete, worked like a charm.

Delighted with his handiwork, Greenslade continued experimenting with one-of-kind sculptures, whimsical pieces of varying sizes, some that resembled images from the Internet, others straight out of his fertile imagination. "I showed several to Kimberli Matin, a metal sculptor who was just starting a gallery, and her response was instantaneous. 'If you make them, I'll sell them.' It surprised me to realize there might be a market for these pieces. But there was, and this is how overnight I metamorphosed into an artist."

Despite the fact that many of his pieces are quite large, Greenslade uses an extremely colorful Yiddish word, "tchotchke" -meaning knickknack or trinket -to describe them. He's also coined the term "tchotchke-ist" to describe himself.

"I made an interesting calculation last year and decided it would be impossible to make my living as a sculptor, but this epiphany freed me from all constraints. I do this because I love making things...especially the large garden sculptures that I call 'Forrest Dwellers.' If someone buys one, that's my lagniappe. ..a little something extra like the tchotchkes tossed at Mardi Gras.

"Also, I make a lot of pieces, which can be auctioned for charities such as Chatham Arts Council, Women's Crisis Center in Chapel Hill, Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center in Pittsboro, the American Heart Association and others. This allows me to support issues I believe in at a higher level than donating cash. 

"It's a great thrill to be part of the Chatham County arts community, alongside so many wonderful lifelong artists. My vision has expanded beyond my wildest expectations as well, and I have been introduced to working in clay, taking sculpture courses with Susan Draughn at Arts Incubator in Siler City."

Greenslade has been invited to participate in the 2005 Chatham County Arts Council Open Studio Tour scheduled for Dec. 3-4 and 10-11. His
Forrest Dwellers and other sculpted pieces are available at Arts Incubator, the Chatham Arts Pittsboro offices and at the General Store in Pittsboro~

For an appointment to see Greenslade's fantasy creatures in his garden on Tinderwood in Fearrington Village, call (919) 545-9743. "Then, again, people show up unannounced all the time just to take a walk through. The landscape is full of surprises, just a wonderful place to bring children."

Visit the Forrest Greenslade gallery online at www.forrestgreenslade.com, one of several Web sites, including chathamarts.org, that he designs and maintains.

Read Susan Farrington's Concocting and constructing Forrest Dwellers