Pastoral Dreamer
Pastoral Dreamer is a triple life size bronze sculpture originally commissioned in 2003 by President David Boren of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK.
The commission was funded with a generous donation from the Reynolds Foundation.
Pastoral Dreamer has it’s origins in California’s Central Valley Delta, a maze of rivers that meander and crisscross on their way to the San Francisco Bay then eventually, the Pacific Ocean. Middle River, Old River, and the San Joaquin River intersect to form the largest island in the Delta; Roberts Island. The threat of the island flooding left powerful memories and emotions
with Phelps as he grew up.
The Pastoral Dreamer image came to Phelps full blown in a vision brought about through extreme fatigue. He was working long hours in the studio and at two in the morning, turned and unexpectedly saw a wax head leaning in the corner of the studio. This triggered a full blown vision of this Pastoral Dreamer image in his mind. It was like a gift from a higher power.
Castings of Pastoral Dreamer are installed in:
Dallas, Texas
Chicago, Illinois
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Easton, Maryland
Golden Beach, Florida
Leawood, Kansas
Norman, Oklahoma