Fred Whitman

As a freshman dental student I learned that I was really good at carving teeth. Upon visiting the Chicago Institute of Art, where my mom, Nancy Whitman, studied, I saw marble figures in a whole new light. If I was good at teeth, why not the eyes, ears and nose? I knew then that someday I’d carve figures in marble. A series of injuries made contorting to work inside someone’s mouth unbearable, so it felt like the time to ride a different horse.

I took on sculpture full time in 2005 at Art City, a communal sculpture yard in Ventura. There I was able to glean technique from a dozen talented and educated artists. 

I am inspired by the greatest artist of all – Mother Nature. My works are an homage to her splendor and imagination. The process of revealing something beautiful that lives within a block of stone still thrills me to the core. The rocks themselves often tell me what’s inside. I simply do my best to remove the stone that obscures the image within, allowing the stone to inform me of its inhabitant along the way.

All of my work is done with traditional Italian hand-tools. It takes more time, but when you love what you’re doing….

 Phone: (805) 804-7000

email: fredwhitman@mac.com