As the early morning light steals in, it illuminates a stand of reeds. You watch in anticipation, breathlessly waiting, ready for the full light to capture the scene. Suddenly, as the light reaches a certain peak, a rush of birds—about 20 green-winged teal and mallards—descend as a unit. You hold your breath as the scene unfolds. The birds, exquisite in flight, weightless and graceful in their speed, race to the heights.

These waterfowl, however, are not actually out in nature; they are a Walter Matia sculpture that spans an immense, indoor stone wall at business tycoon Boone Pickens’ Mesa Vista Ranch in Pampa, Texas
The Maryland sculptor describes the cascade of waterfowl as “a mix of chaos and order.”

Walter Matia (Maryland)

Seeing Things Whole
Bronze
35″ High
“Any animal with so rich a lexicon of images and legend is dangerous turf for a sculptor. Making an eagle your own is one of the great challenges.”

Walter Matia (Maryland)

First Light
Bronze
70″ High
“The challenge of modeling the magic of flight is to seamlessly engineer weightlessness. This poses two problems, structural integrity has to be carefully balanced with the illusion of detachment.”