Paige Bradley Fine Art

Starting with a dream and a vision of what we can become, it is only hard work that stands in our way of achieving excellence. ~ Paige Bradley

Apex is about striving toward something higher, even though we may not be perfect, we must always aim for it, and keep our dreams and ideals high. The world around us is far from what we envision it should be, but it was built on morals and values, aimed at the highest pinnacle we could imagine. And hopefully humanity will never be at its summit, because its important to keep aiming higher. We might miss our mark, but we should never stop trying to find it. ~ Paige Bradley

I have had the good fortune of working with principle dancers from all over the world. Ballet Femme is a culmination of three different dancers, who each brought their elegance and strength to this piece. In this third edition of Ballet Femme a very different sculpture emerged. The flowing ribbon behind the dancer adds a modern twist; expressing the harmonious marriage between form and space. ~ Paige Bradley

Playful and meditative, Blossom holds that which is important, possibly even sacred and begins to welcome magic into her life. She is thoughtful and still, but at the point of blossoming into action. The moving pendulum of the sphere reminds me of patience. As long as we stay open and receptive, what we need in our lives will come to us when the time is right. ~ Paige Bradley

Bow is an ode to the powerful or athletic woman who also enjoys being absolutely feminine. This is a fun and spirited piece that is a play on words - there is a Bow in her hair. Additionally, the archer as a sculpture has historically been portrayed as a male. I love it as a woman, the shape her bow forms in space, her eye down the shaft of the arrow, her intense concentration. ~ Paige Bradley

The sphere is a metaphor for the eternal seed that is within us all. We can watch it grow from the first breath, blossoming into a perfect balance and then finally becoming a sharable, all encompassing birth of love. ~ Paige Bradley

Spiritual inspiration will always remain a mystery. The fabric becomes a graceful light of energy lifting her upwards in a dream state or safely delivering her back to consciousness. The fabric surrounds her and cradles her with love and hope as she gives herself up to faith. Conception is miraculous. Whether it is the conception of a child or the conception of an idea, it comes to us when the moment is right. ~ Paige Bradley

My fascination with fabric as confinement leads me to explore the abstract with figurative sculpture. Each figure is contained, but struggles to break free from self-inflicted boundaries. These figures, wrapped in extraordinary tension, bring to mind fears of ostracism, the feelings of not belonging, and the emotional stress form hiding our true selves from the world. They are elegant and esthetic personalities, yet something keeps them smaller than they should be. They struggle to reveal themselves in order to become understood and known. At that moment, their true beauty and power will shine through. ~ Paige Bradley

This new era of woman is a fit and physical type of woman. But this piece is about having fun, and becoming playful, not just athletic. Moreover Cycles is about our perception of femininity and how a woman cycles through life into new perceptions of herself. Life is always evolving and often it happens within a single lifetime. Here we are; moving from a physicality that our previous generation could not imagine, into a realm of childlike playfulness. Here, fitness is only a bonus and focusing on things that make us feel happy and free is the goal. Think of the ring not literally, but as a window into the soul. And the Cycles continue on... ~ Paige Bradley

Falling feels frightening, but in a dream world where gravity has no concept, falling can feel as free as floating. They are essentially the same once we choose not to fear. The ground does not have to exist solely as an inevitable future once we can see our full potential. We must be courageous and creative on how we choose to identify ourselves from this new place. ~ Paige Bradley

As we contemplate the timeline of our life, we have to ask if we are we truly evolving into a more spiritual and free human being, or are we even more encumbered by attachments to our desires. Aging does not necessarily give me the wisdom to evolve into a better human being. All I know is that I must stretch this portal open and see the truth for myself. ~ Paige Bradley

When I first created Expansion it was more about the effort, centering, and finding the power within. Now that this particular sculpture has been gifted with an energy all her own (thanks to the internet, the powerful bloggers, art-appreciators... and you), she deserved to be reimagined. With a powerful feminine aura, and a upward, vertical energy, Expansion Rising is where the abstract and contemporary come together in a singular piece. She is a constellation of unique sensibilities, yet as a whole, as the gestalt, the Rising version of Expansion is a harbinger for the feminine spirit of our age. Expansion Rising is our phoenix from the flames; our fractured heroine. ~ Paige Bradley

From the moment we are born, the world tends to have a container already built for us to fit inside: A social security number, a gender, a race, a profession or an I.Q. I ponder if we are more defined by the container we are in, rather than what we are inside. Would we recognize ourselves if we could expand beyond our bodies? Would we still be able to exist if we were authentically "un-contained"? ~ Paige Bradley

A relationship is merely a series of threads woven by two people. Eventually an entire tapestry can wrap us together and become a foundation. Yet, as we grow together we must also grow independently. Freedom Bound is about stretching the ties that we weave to remain individuals. We can spread our wings and a metamorphosis begins. A bind often begets the desire for freedom, and freedom often begets rebirth. ~ Paige Bradley

Illumination is the second figure in the Expansion series. The figure represents the energy of our spirit within us. When we allow ourselves to live life to the fullest, and feel deeply alive, nothing can stop our momentum. ~ Paige Bradley

This virasana pose appears to be a simple meditation, but it's actually so much more. Also called the Hero's pose, it demands intense grounding and an attitude of devotion. "Intention" is a word I like to say each morning, so not a day goes by wasted. Her focus might be toward a higher power or deep within herself, but there is an energy that is transforming and strengthening in her, as she sits and finds her daily intention. ~ Paige Bradley

This virasana pose appears to be a simple meditation, but it's actually so much more. Also called the Hero's pose, it demands intense grounding and an attitude of devotion. "Intention" is a word I like to say each morning, so not a day goes by wasted. Her focus might be toward a higher power or deep within herself, but there is an energy that is transforming and strengthening in her, as she sits and finds her daily intention. ~ Paige Bradley

My fascination with fabric as confinement leads me to explore the abstract with figurative sculpture. Each figure is contained, but struggles to break free from self-inflicted boundaries. These figures, wrapped in extraordinary tension, bring to mind fears of ostracism, the feelings of not belonging, and the emotional stress form hiding our true selves from the world. They are elegant and esthetic personalities, yet something keeps them smaller than they should be. They struggle to reveal themselves in order to become understood and known. At that moment, their true beauty and power will shine through. ~ Paige Bradley

I picture this piece large, like Logan Fountain (Philadelphia) or Trafalgar Square (London). I dream of creating a work that helps add to the life of a community: A place where children play in pools where verdegre bronze goddesses bathe forever; A sanctuary where teenagers can climb the bronzes to see fresh perspectives on their lives; An iconic place where multitudes of tourists photograph themselves in order to show their family back home; A secret spot for lovers to meet, stealing a kiss in the shadows of the over-life-size figures. This is the secret immortality of a sculptor. Feeling a community participate with a work in such a way, is the ultimate gift for the creation process. One of my greatest epiphanies as a sculptor is that I need to create Art on a larger scale so that I can feel the public's joyful interactions, eternally. ~ Paige Bradley

As a young female born in the twentieth century, I have grown up in a man's world where women are finally coming to power sitting as equals with men. But, I've learned that long ago we once held that same seat; we were appreciated, empowered and even considered sacred. I have lost a history that I never knew. I have lost a power that I could have had. I have lost a family that I should have felt. We have repressed a magic source of nature just because we could not measure it. I hope we will become a society that no longer covers up who we are, but discovers who we were meant to be. ~ Paige Bradley

Female Torso of strength and gracious curves, originally carved in gypsum from the sculpture Release, Half Life. ~ Paige Bradley

We all have attachments that we are tied to: an ideal, a task, a religion, a creed, a diet, a relationship, an obligation, a philosophy, a way of life. On bad days it can make us feel like a puppet. But imagine one day, those puppet strings are cut. Would we be free-falling through our life in a state of grace or would we weep for our loss of ties? Everything that we have chosen as our identity lies within our puppet strings. I take a moment to hear the quiet sound of my own breath and my soul feels bigger. My attachments begin to loosen, but do not give way. And that is just how I like it. ~ Paige Bradley

This is a sculpture focused on identifying that which cannot be touched nor seen, only felt. It is a spiritual, warm-hearted, connection. Some people might look at it as a meditating woman, or others might feel it as an other-worldly experience, perhaps even a feeling that connects us to our ancestors. It's the intangible, non-physical world that I am putting a form to. The color transitioning gently to the dark blue top gives it a "sky" or "atmospheric" feel. The ball and the figure are earthly. In fact, there are three different entities in the piece; the earth (tangible), the human (the spiritual) and the air (the metaphysical or intangible). The sky is the limit - no - the sky is only the beginning, when we put our heart to it. ~ Paige Bradley

As we confine ourselves with boundaries and walls, rules and prejudices we remain unknown and closed to the world. These works are thoughts on the liberation from our concealments, from the source of which the concealments became necessary to the clarity that allows us to see through these confines. We release the bonds and emerge triumphant and free. ~ Paige Bradley

A sense of vertigo comes over me as I grow closer to my dreams. As I reach a particular height, I look back and give thanks for my faith, risk and dedication. In partial disbelief, I hesitate to call any of it my own. It is unbearably sweet; yet as I stand here, I cannot bear to fall. The anxiety fills me and I almost yearn to be at the bottom; climbing skyward again; ignorant of the joys ahead. Now that I find myself gloriously happy, I fear I may become dizzy and fall. As long as the vertigo consumes me, I am contained by it. To let go and allow life to happen - to fall freely - is pure liberation. ~ Paige Bradley

As a young female born in the twentieth century, I have become more and more saddened by the loss of feminine power that generations have seen within the last thousand years. Understanding that long ago we held that same seat, I believe that we were appreciated, empowered and even considered sacred. The female body is a miraculous creator of life. Yet I know too many women who are ashamed by their age stretching out wrinkles, injecting anti-age poisons, and squeezing out any sign of the experience and wisdom they have earned. We all need to reclaim the beauty that is naturally ours. ~ Paige Bradley