Renee Rhodes: a sculptor’s story from her compound in the woods

I went into a contemplative period in my life and retreated to my cabin for 10 years. I couldn’t find the words to express how I was feeling, so I started picking up clay. -Renee Rhodes

Welcome to the life of sculptor, Renee Rhodes.  She’s worked in publishing and advertising, and even has a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Clinical Psychology, but in her 40s, Renee experienced “a dark night of the soul” and retreated into a cabin on her property, deep in the Connecticut woods.   When she emerged, she was transformed and began a new chapter as a sculptor.   Recorded on a visit to Renee’s 10-acre compound on a cold winter’s day, this interview is a rare glimpse into the brilliant mind of an artist.   Inspired by mythology and the divine feminine, Renee’s figures evoke both strength and grace.   She’s devoted to public art and believes that “when you produce public art, it’s available to everybody.  It’s out in the street, and people can relate to it on their own level, which is an honor for a sculptor because now, you’re speaking to the world.”   Her latest sculpture is named Infinity, and she has taken years to refine.  Says Renee:“I live with it, I sneak up on it in the middle of the night,  and then it tells me how it needs to change.” Before Infinity can be enlarged and bronzed,  money must be raised for her installation on Ocean Beach, New London.   www.infinitepossibilitiesCT.org celebrates unity, peace, hope, and inspiration through public art.  Says Renee:  “Whateveryou can imagine, you can make happen.”  For a 23-minute glimpse into the life of a sculptor, just hit that download button.  #scupltor #publicart #thestorybehindhersuccess .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}