Harold F. Clayton
Encyclopedia
Harold F. Clayton is a noted sculptor and stone-carver
, best known for several sets of life-size sculptures of cows on display at various public sites in Texas.
Initially interested in painting, Clayton studied art at the Massachusetts College of Art
in Boston, Massachusetts and the University of North Texas
in Denton, Texas
, graduating cum laude with a BFA
in 1977. He moved to stone as a medium, and spent the years from 1982 to 1987 in Pietrasanta, Italy
, studying carving
in the studio of Sem Ghelardini.
While still in Italy, Clayton accepted a commission for four sets of five marble
cows from for the Trammell Crow
Company, a large Dallas real estate development concern. Three of the sets now stand in Texas at the Arboretum at Great Hills
in Austin
, at Las Colinas
in Irving
, and at Trinity Lake Park in Dallas. The fourth set is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. A sculpture of a half completed cow, emerging from stone, sits in Clayton's front yard in Dallas.
The cows at these sites stand where live cows actually grazed in the recent past. In fact, the models for the sculptures were made in 1980 from cows standing on the hill where the Las Colinas cows now appear to graze. Each cow required four tons of marble. The cows at the Arboretum site are much loved by children.
Clayton now maintains a workshop in Dallas, and is a member of the Stone Carvers Guild.
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
, best known for several sets of life-size sculptures of cows on display at various public sites in Texas.
Initially interested in painting, Clayton studied art at the Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
in Boston, Massachusetts and the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, graduating cum laude with a BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
in 1977. He moved to stone as a medium, and spent the years from 1982 to 1987 in Pietrasanta, Italy
Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a town and comune on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about 32 km north of Pisa...
, studying carving
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
in the studio of Sem Ghelardini.
While still in Italy, Clayton accepted a commission for four sets of five marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
cows from for the Trammell Crow
Trammell Crow
F. Trammell Crow was an American real estate developer. Crow is credited for creating several famous real estate projects, including Dallas Market Center, Peachtree Center , and San Francisco's Embarcadero Center.-Biography:Crow was born in Dallas, Texas...
Company, a large Dallas real estate development concern. Three of the sets now stand in Texas at the Arboretum at Great Hills
The Arboretum
The Arboretum is an upmarket retail trade area in the northwest portion of Austin, Texas, centered roughly on the convergence of U.S. Route 183 , Capital of Texas Highway and Mopac Expressway.-Arboretum at Great Hills:The Arboretum at Great Hills was developed by Trammell Crow Company, opened in...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, at Las Colinas
Las Colinas
Las Colinas is an upscale, developed area in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas.Due to its central location between Dallas and Fort Worth and its proximity to DFW Airport, Las Colinas has been a viable place in the Metroplex for corporate and business relocation.As a planned community, it has many...
in Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, and at Trinity Lake Park in Dallas. The fourth set is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. A sculpture of a half completed cow, emerging from stone, sits in Clayton's front yard in Dallas.
The cows at these sites stand where live cows actually grazed in the recent past. In fact, the models for the sculptures were made in 1980 from cows standing on the hill where the Las Colinas cows now appear to graze. Each cow required four tons of marble. The cows at the Arboretum site are much loved by children.
Clayton now maintains a workshop in Dallas, and is a member of the Stone Carvers Guild.
