Cameron Owls--Original owl sculptures in Soapstone Bronze Pewter Copper

Clarence P. Cameron a Wisconsin native and longtime resident of Madison. He attended the University of Wisconsin before eventually obtaining a degree in mortuary science at the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in Milwaukee. In 1965 he decided to go into business for himself and he opened the Double C Ceramic Shop, a wholesale-retail hobby ceramic business. After first experiencing it in mortuary science school, his real love was hand-building in clay. In 1974, he sold the business to pursue that full-time.

A photo of Clarence P. Cameron taken in 2001, when he was the Commemorative Artist for WHA-TV's Art and Antique Auction in Madison. He created 21 bronze owls to help raise funding for the television station. The photo is by renowned photographer, James Gill. Read more below.

Photo by James Gill of Madison, Wisconsin

Over the years, he gained a noteworthy reputation for his unique stoneware and porcelain owls. After working as a sculptor in clay for twenty-four years, Clarence turned his attention full-time to soapstone, pewter, bronze, and copper. Although he creates only owls, he strives to capture the spirit of the owl, sometimes in realistic, sometimes in abstract representations. Clarence has exhibited his work at art fairs around the country and has won many awards. By invitation, he has also exhibited at the Florida Wildlife Expo and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

Clarence is a Signature Member of Artists for Conservation Foundation (AFC) - formerly the Worldwide Nature Artists Group (WNAG). It was founded in 1997 and is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to the celebration and preservation of the natural world. The Foundation represents the world's leading collective of nature artists and an unparalleled pool of artistic talent focused on nature. The organization's mission is to support wildlife and habitat conservation, biodiversity, sustainability and environmental education through art that celebrates our natural heritage. www.natureartists.com/

In 1989, his first time entering, his soapstone sculpture, Capture, was one of 114 artworks selected from over 850 national and international entries. It was then selected for the yearlong Birds in Art touring exhibition. Another sculpture, Fight or Flight, was chosen in 1993 and Impression on a Winter’s Eve was selected in 1995. Both were also included in the touring exhibitions. In 1997, Midnight Mouser was in both the exhibition and the touring exhibition. This piece was acquired by the Woodson Art Museum for its permanent collection.

Prairie Home Companions, an East Indian soapstone sculpture of two burrowing owls, was selected for the 25th Anniversary exhibition in the year 2000. In 2003, his sculpture, Tundra Talons, was in the exhibition and, in 2005, Full Moon Tonight was selected. For 2007, Clarence’s dendritic soapstone sculpture, Dinner at the Hard Rock, was chosen for the exhibition and the yearlong tour. His translucent Chinese soapstone piece, My Pink Hibou (Owl in French)was included in Birds in Art in2011, while the 2012 exhibition included In the Moment, a Northern saw whet owl in Montana dendritic soapstone. 2013 marked Clarence’s eleventh time in the exhibition with Watchful Waiting, a rather colorful piece of Montana soapstone. Both of the last pieces were included in the yearlong touring exhibitions. Not in My Backyard was the title of his 2014 dendritic soapstone owl in the exhibition, while 2015 presented The Gleaner. These latter two were both dendritic soapstone but showed the extreme variations in colors in this Montana material. (lywam.org)

Clarence’s work is also in the permanent collection of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery at Penn State University, and in numerous corporate and private collections around the world, including the Ministry of Defence in Singapore. Over the years, he has received a great deal of publicity including a July, 1995 article featuring his soapstone owls in Lapidary Journal and inclusion in a special sculpture edition of the July/August, 2002 Wildlife Art magazine. His work has also been featured in OWLS magazine, and in 1997, photographs of two of his sculptures were included in the book, Owls of North America, by Jeffrey Whiting. In 2006, a feature article about Clarence titled, “Man of the Owl,” appeared in Madison’s Sunday Wisconsin State Journal. In 2008, seven images of Clarence’s soapstone owls were included in the book, Illustrated Owls: Barn, Barred & Great Horned by Denny Rogers (Fox Chapel Publishing). In November, 2015, the Sunday Wisconsin State Journal included another feature article titled, “Owlman Bids Farewell,” about Clarence’s retirement from art fairs.

In 2008, Clarence became a Professional Member of Wisconsin Visual Artists, formerly Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. This is a statewide, non-profit organization of visual artists and friends united to advance opportunities and services for artists and the general public. It is committed to the importance and value of art and its creation in our society. (WisconsinVisualArtists.com)

In 2012, he was honored to be invited to join the Society of Animal Artists as a Signature Member. The Society of Animal Artists is an association of animal and wildlife painters and sculptors. Founded in 1960, the Society is devoted to promoting excellence in the portrayal of the creatures sharing our planet, and to the education of the public through its informative art seminars, lectures, and teaching demonstrations. Some of the finest animal artists from around the world are represented in the Society's membership. Over the past 40 years, the work created by these artists has established new standards of artistic excellence and respect, helping animal and wildlife art to achieve a place of honor in the field of fine art.

In 2013, Clarence’s soapstone owl, Waiting for the Moment, was selected for the Society of Animal Artists’ 53rd annual exhibition, Art and the Animal, at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington, Vermont. That piece was selected for the yearlong touring exhibition. His work has been included in the Art and the Animal exhibition each year. His sculpture, Not in My Back Yard, after being accepted in 2016, is currently in the yearlong touring exhibition. (SocietyofAnimalArtists.com)

Other recent Wisconsin exhibitions have included the 2015 Wildlife Biennial at the Miller Museum in Sturgeon Bay, and, in 2016, Critters at the Plymouth Art Center, Plymouth, and In Our Midst, an invitational of Wisconsin’s Contemporary Native American Art at the Scarabocchio Art Museum in Stevens Point.

Clarence is also founder of the Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftspeople, Inc. (WAAC). It is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization with approximately 350 professional artists and craftspeople from throughout Wisconsin. WAAC works to develop exhibition opportunities for its members and to encourage and promote young artists and craftspeople. It sponsors the Winter Art Fair Off the Square at the Monona Terrace and the July Art Fair Off the Square, which was established in 1980 with Clarence as a co-founder with the late Aimee J. Wittwer.

Artist Statement: Prolific—or just obsessed? That I have created owls in various media for over almost fifty years is almost unbelievable, even for me. However, there are few creatures, other than we humans, who can be represented in so many different ways and still be identified. I have always strived to capture the essence of owls, but I feel that it was only with my discovery of soapstone that I found myself. I have often heard or read of sculptors saying, “The stone will tell you what is inside.” The fact that I have found so many owls should be expected. For almost fifty years, I exhibited my work at art fairs to have direct interaction with my customers. Many became good friends. Now, having aged a bit, I am no longer exhibiting at art fairs, but still use my website to sell my work and “to keep the creative juices flowing.”

VERY EARLY,
one of the first
EARTHENWARE OWL

Gee, don't owls have green eyes? NO!

Some of my earliest sculptures were owls. In 1966, a freelance writer approached me and asked if he could photograph my owls and ask a few questions. The Associated Press picked up his story and it soon became evident that the public was going to buy owls and little else from me. Over the years I created every imaginable form of an owl in stoneware and porcelain, but by 1982, I was burning out. I needed a new medium.

MY FIRST SOAPSTONE CARVING

A woodcarving friend suggested soapstone. She gave me a short demonstration, and I headed for a local rock shop.

Clay was an "addition" medium. Soapstone was "subtraction," and I had never subtracted. But the first owl I carved impressed me enough to try a few more. Once again, the creative juices were flowing! I took my carvings to the art fairs, and despite the reaction of longtime customers, I was extremely happy with my new medium. Finally, in 1989, I gave up clay entirely.

A STONEWARE OWL

Hand-built, low-fired, glazed, then high-fired.

A COUPLE OF MY POTS

I wasn't a potter but I had fun trying.

A bronze owl I created for the Retirement Research Foundation to be given as awards

THE NATIONAL MEDIA OWL AWARD

(Bronze Owl was 7.5 inches high on a
4 x 4 x 4 inch Black Walnut base)

From 1987-98, I designed and created the National Media Owl Awards for the Retirement Research Foundation in Chicago. Originally hand-built in porcelain, beginning in 1990, the owls were cast in bronze. The foundation is a philanthropy established by the late John D. MacArthur, who is better known for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each year, the Foundation held a national competition for recently produced videos and films relating to aging. Among award recipients were the late actresses Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, Patricia Neal, Geraldine Page, and Helen Hayes; the producers of the films, A Trip to Bountiful and The Whales of August; the producers of television's The Golden Girls and ABC-TV's 20/20; and actors Rita Moreno, and Ellen Burstyn. The program was discontinued.

COMMEMORATIVE
BRONZE OWL
FOR WHA-TV

(Bronze Owl was 5.5 inches high on a
3 x 3 x 1.5 inch Black Walnut base)

In May of 2001, I was honored to be the Commemorative Artist for WHA-TV's Art and Antique Auction. This is an annual fund-raiser for the Public Broad-casting Service (PBS) station. It serves most of central Wisconsin with a viewership of about 300,000.

With ArtCasting of Illinois' generous help and the contribution of their time and materials, I was able to produce a limited edition of 21 owls. (WHA-TV is Channel 21) Fortunately, the owls sold very well.

LOVEBIRDS

This is, now, an old photo of my lovebird flock. From 1986, when I started raising lovebirds, all of those I kept, except for six birds, had names that started with "L." Two male lovebirds were my first parrots. They were given to me by a friend who had received them as a wedding gift. They were named Love and Lust. That's how the "L" tradition started. Besides being colorful, they are very intelligent. They flew in a flock from one end of the house to the two-story garden room. Believe it or not, they had very few "accidents."

LULU AND LUTHER

Two old bachelors who had to put up with Little Lily. Lulu died in September of 2000 from unknown causes. Luther, the last of my lovebirds, died on November 21, 2012. He was seventeen and spent his remaining life with a friend's lovebirds. He came home to join my other birds and pets in our backyard cemetery.

I raised lovebirds from 1986 until 2009. They are extremely intelligent for their size.

MR. GREEN AND LEONA

An old couple who lost their original mates. Leona flew over the Rainbow Bridge in September, 2010. Mr. Green suffered a "stroke" in August of 2009, losing his ability to fly and almost stand up. I built a special little ladder for his cage. He did nothing but climb down to eat and climb up to sleep. He died on August 31, 2011. What a fighter, to live in that condition for so long. He joined all of our other pets in the wild flower garden in back of our house.

Little Lily, a young lovebird

LITTLE LYDIa

A young one, too full of energy for old Luther. She never liked Mr. Green. She hatched in March, 2006. In August of 2011, I gave her to a woman who had 4 males and 3 females. Her birds are free-flighted, which was perfect for Lydia.

Leona and Mr. Green, two old lovebirds

MR. GREEN AND LEONA

Chica, a Mexican Red-headed Amazon parrot

CHICA

(Mexican Redheaded Amazon)

Chica was my first larger parrot. I got her as a newly-weaned baby in 1990. She talked a little—^"How ya doin'? Hi, Chica! Whatcha doin? Come on." She whistles Beethoven's 5th, the first four notes anyway, and imitates the sound of a GameBoy. Chica was a bit nippy but she was the cleanest of my larger birds and very laid-back. She loved women, and talked and displayed when they were around. She was hand-fed by a woman and always preferred women.

In late March of 2011, I gave her to Diane T., my bird-sitter. Chica was very happy in Diane and Pete's home. I visited twice, and the second time, she wouldn't even step up for me. Instead, she was only interested in biting me. So much for long friendships. NOTE: Chica died quite suddenly on September 26, 2013, after an emergency trip to the vet.

Sierra, a Timneh African Grey parrot

SIERRA
Seen here with an old flight feather
she has been using to scratch her head.

SIERRA

(Timneh African Grey)

Both Sierra and Leone (below) were purchased from a "bird ranch" in southern Arizona in 1994. Obviously, they were wild-caught, when that was still legal, and their previous owners must have given them up, quickly, when they learned these birds have a vicious bite and can be noisy.

Sierra had no head or tail feathers, and I felt sorry for her. It turned out that she had Psittacine Beak and Feather disease. Stupidly, I had not had her checked by a vet, so this deadly virus infected my entire flock of 14 birds. Two young lovebirds and a cockatiel were unable to fight off the virus, and they died. A U.W. avian vet brought four students to the house to draw blood from each bird. Only Sierra tested positive. The rest had sloughed off the disease. Sierra was checked in 30 and 60 days and also sloughed it off. I was very lucky, as this virus can easily wipe out every bird.

With patience and a lot of love, Sierra has become a very trusting bird. She's decided, if she has to live with humans, she's happy to have found me. She lies on my chest each night to have her head scratched. She has learned to clearly say, "How about popcorn?" and "Hello," but nothing else. She is potty-trained. and still with us.

LEONA

This photo was taken by Lori in 2006

LEONA

(Timneh African Grey)

Leona hates cameras but allowed me to snap these while she inspected another early stoneware owl. She loved to whistle and tried to say "hello." She sat on her playpen, ringing a rather large bell which she managed to hold in her beak, (ALWAYS when I am trying to listen to the news on television.) Originally, we thought this bird was a male and named it Leone. Sierra Leone is where this species comes from.

Sierra, Chica, Groucho, and Leona traveled with us to Arizona, Ohio, and Florida a number of times. They loved to travel and were less trouble than taking a dog on a trip. All could live to be 40-50 years old. I've provided for them if they outlive me.

2002...FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Sadly, I have reached an age where five large birds required too much attention and energy. After another trip with the "five" to Arizona in December, 2001, I found a good home for Leona. On January 20, 2002, Leone went to live with Lori, Erik, and Sophie. In January, 2007, they moved to Illinois, but Leona paid another visit here while the movers cleared their house. They provided her with love and attention, and she was learning to talk a little. I do know that she is happy. NOTE: From just a drop of blood, Lori had Leone sexed and after all these years, we find that "he" is a "she."

2012...DING DONG .....well, Leona is back, for a while. Unfortunately, the above household has broken up. Along with Leona, I am caring for Zulu. (Below)

2014...DING DING.......Leona has gone back to Oak Park to live with Lori and Sophie. They missed her so much, they just had to have her back in the fold. They also have their old cockatiel couple, Cecil and Gwen.

2016...Ring-a-Ding.......Leona is doing fine. Lori remarried, so Leona now has Colin in her life, too.

Sunny, a beautiful Sun Conure who lived with us for a number of years before going to her "forever home" with an artist friend

SUNNY

(Sun Conure)

This little girl came into my life in August, 1998 after a friend had to give her up due to MS. After doing a little research, I found that Sunny was the Sun Conure I had planned to buy in 1992, but missed that chance by one day. And here she is, after all! She's a bit noisy at times, but her beauty and friendliness make up for it. She thinks she is the center of the Universe. Well, maybe she is.

2002 FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.
Oh, how I miss her! On April 7, 2002, Sunny went to live with another artist and his family. Robin and his wife, Angie, and their three energetic children provide a loving home for Sunny. She just took too much energy for me, and, after seeing her a number of times since, I know she is happy—and spoiled. She has been back here to visit when her family has gone on vacation. It is as though she never left, and she remembers all the old routines.

EASTER SUNDAY, 2015: I was informed that Sunny passed away today. She had a good, long life of 23 years.

Groucho, the largest, most intelligent, wonderful Congo African Grey who lived with us for 19 of his 37 years.

GROUCHO

My first photo with a new telephoto lens. I was lying on the couch; Groucho was on his stand.

GROUCHO

(Congo African Grey)

On September 2, 1999, Groucho came to live at our house. He was almost 19, at the time and, here he is in 2012. He's a Congo African Grey and about three times larger than Sierra and Leona. He should be named Goliath! Groucho belonged to an artist friend and, though well-fed, he was never handled. In this house, birds are expected to learn to "step up" and "step down." With my braving some nasty bites for a couple of months, Groucho soon learned that "good birds give kisses; bad birds bite." Greys are among the most intelligent of parrots, and some scientists now claim, the most intelligent animal (after humans?). The Great Grey Groucho Magoo, as I call him, has quickly learned the rules. He hasn't talked yet, but I expect him to do so soon......or else! (Just joking)

Well, Groucho never learned to talk, but he surely captured our hearts. I joked that he knew every word in Webster's dictionary; he just wouldn't say them. I was never afraid of his biting anyone, large or small, who wanted to hold him. Sometimes, he was a bit afraid that they might drop him.

AND THE BAD NEWS: In late September, Groucho nearly stopped eating and fell off my hand when we did our morning wing-flapping, where he held onto my hand, and I raised my arm up and down about ten times. On Friday, October 1, a visit to the vet revealed he had a heart arrhythmia.

We would take it easy. But at 10 PM on Monday, October 5, when I put him on his living room stand to watch TV, he fell off. I knew the end was near and held him until 2:30 AM. Both Bob and I scratched his ears, telling him what a good bird he was and how much we loved him. He passed sometime during my few hours of sleep.

Of all the birds I have had, over the years, Groucho will always be at the top of the list. I only wish he had been with us longer. He is buried in our backyard, surrounded by his favorite toys and flowers. It was the loss of a real friend.

Zulu, chillin' on his stand in the living room

ZULU

My first photo with a new telephoto lens. I was lying on the couch; Groucho was on his stand.

ZULU

(Congo African Grey)

On February 18, 2012, Zulu and Leona arrived. We don't know how old Zulu is but Lori got him from a bird sanctuary near Chicago. Apparently, he lived on Lake Shore Drive with an, obviously,very wealthy family. I think he was, somehow, abused, as he is a bit afraid to look you in the eye. We hardly got to know them before they, along with Sierra and Groucho, were transported to Sandee's. She offered to keep them all while we went on vacation for two weeks.

Zulu quickly learned to "step up" and now gives me kisses. The neatest thing is that he talks a great deal. He carries on a one-sided telephone conversation, starting with the phone ringing. If he is offered any food by hand, he says, "Apple?" He also says "Night, night, I love you" and many other things. When I put on a cap to leave, he says "Goodbye." Both Bob and I are having a little problem when we are talking and Zulu says, "What?" in my voice. Bob thinks I am asking. Anyway, he is a very intelligent bird and seems pretty happy, here.

UPDATE....In August, 2015, Zulu went back to live in Chicago with his original companions, Lori and Sophie. Colin was also in the picture now. After a bit, Zulu's personality changed and he became very noisy and bit Lori every day. They were warned that they might have to move out of their sun-drenched apartment. Totally exasperated, Lori finally gave up Zulu. She found him a "forever" home, where he seems very happy and can make all the noise he wants. Had I known Groucho was going to leave us, I would have kept him, as I have found, healthwise, I can manage two birds, both their maintenance and their need to socialize. But such was not to be. I am happy that Zulu is happy, anyway.

Nigel, a young Congo African Grey who came to our home about the 1st of March, 2016

NIGEL

Another photo of Nigel

NIGEL

(Congo African Grey)

Nigel came to live with us on February 20, 2016. He will be three years old in May, 2017, still a baby, considering he could live to be 70. Imagine a baby being passed from home to home. Ours is his fourth home at that young age. I do know he received good care at the two just before ours, but I have no idea how he was treated before that. He lived with a macaw and 8 or 9 cats and was afraid of everything when he came here.....and I do mean EVERYTHING.

He doesn't like his cage covered at night, he panics when the vacuum is run, the only time he has sat, momentarily, on my hand was when he escaped from his cage, he goes to hang on the far side of the cage when I approach.

Update: April, 2017
We are very patient, knowing that, eventually, he will learn he can trust Bob and me. We see tiny, incremental changes in his behavior. He no longer hangs on the cage when I offer a treat he doesn't want. He now takes treats from my hand.

I have told him the names of everything around him, so he knows I am going to "pull the shade" at night, or take out a food bowl. We kept our women friends away but found out that he loves women. He will press his head against the cage, when one approaches, to have his head scratched. He still won't do that for Bob or me......except at night, when most of the lights are off. Then I can open the door and he allows me to scratch his ears, head and neck. I don't use the words, "step up," as it is almost as if he expects to be punished. I tease him and tell him to "give me that old foot," and, many times, he does, and will sit on my hand in the open door of the cage. He will also "wrestle" with my hand, and nibble on it, never biting hard. He is the best eater I have ever had. He loves bananas, parsnips, and oranges.He will try any food (no sugar or salt added) and will eat almost everything.

The best thing is he talks.....A LOT! I would guess he has over fifty expressions, almost all are sentences, not just single words. A few things he says: "Good morning, Nigel! How about a piece of apple? Oy vey ist mir! Parlez vous francaise? Kan du Norsk? Get over here! Hasta la vista, Baby! Is anybody home? Bob is home.....everybody is home." So we are making progress. We will continue to be patient.

Bob, my partner of over 56 years, and I had a nice write-up in Our Lives magazine in addition to being on the cover with four other couples. You can click on the photo to the left by Roberto Amezcua, to read it, if you wish. Here I am with Waiting for the Moment, a soapstone owl accepted in the 53rd Annual Society of Animal Artists Exhibition. What an honor!

(And don't even think about playing ticktacktoe on my forehead!)

A MORNING RITUAL

Three of my best friends and me. At least the birds are pretty. Egads, this is an old photo!