18 Monolithic Free-Form Twig Sculptures Created By Patrick Dougherty
Patrick Dougherty has made a name for himself through his giant wooden sculptures crafted from twigs, sticks, vines, and saplings. The North Carolina-born artist creates various geometric shapes and whimsical additions to houses, sharing his work under the ‘ Stickwork ’ brand. Since 1985, he has completed 335 large-scale sapling sculptures, each built on-site. In 2023, he retired from travelling and constructing larger installations, shifting his focus to smaller wall pieces suitable for homes and lobbies. He is also proud to have released a new book from Radius Press, which chronicles 16 of his recent larger sculptures.
Speaking to DeMilked about his artistic influences, Dougherty stated, “I believe that one’s childhood shapes a sculptor’s choice of materials. Growing up in the woodlands of North Carolina, surrounded by small trees and the intricate lines of nature, has profoundly influenced my work. I’ve always been enchanted by the winter landscape, where one can imagine fantasy shapes among the branches. Tree branches and saplings evoke memories of childhood play and animal shelters. Picking up a stick often sparks big ideas for me, a reflection of our shared legacy from our hunting and gathering past.”
More info: Stickwork
#1 Monks’ Cradle (2012) College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN. Photo: Thomas O’Laughlin
#2 Sortie de Cave/Free at Last (2008) Jardin des Arts, Chateaubourg, France. Photo: Charles Crie
Dougherty elaborated on his creative process, expressing his passion for sculpture, which has involved extensive travel and outdoor living. His quest for the perfect sapling has taken him to various scenic locations worldwide. He has created sculptures in the branches of a sacred tree at Rinjyo-in Temple in Chiba, Japan, and used a tree in Dublin for a round tower at the Tallaght Community Art Center. His work includes stick pyramids in the sculpture garden at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art in Alabama and a series of twenty-foot-tall Japanese-style jars at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado. For more information, visit his website at: www.stickwork.net .
#3 A Waltz in the Woods (2015) Morris Arboretum of UPA, Philadelphia, PA. Photos: Rob Cardillo
#4 Uff da Palace (2010) Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN. Photo: Todd Mulvihill
#5 Far Flung (2018) Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH Photo: Robert A. Flischel
#6 Just Around the Corner (2003) New Harmony Gallery, New Harmony, IN. Photo: Doyle Dean
#7 Cell Division (1997) Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA. Photo: Wayne Moore
#8 Standby (2001) RDU Airport, Raleigh, NC. Photo: Jerry Blow
#9 Summer Palace (2009) Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA. Photo: Rob Cardill
Dougherty further explained his construction method, which involves a layering process. Each layer of branches adds strength to the sculpture. The structural phase consists of large saplings set upright and intertwined with smaller materials, followed by an aesthetic phase where sticks are used like lines to create a luxurious surface finish. The final cosmetic phase polishes the piece by covering unsightly areas with smaller saplings. Achieving this requires saplings of various lengths: larger structural pieces, long thin saplings, and many small pieces, typically less than five feet long and three-quarters of an inch in diameter.
#10 Running in Circles (1996) TICKON Sculpture Park, Langeland, Denmark. Photo: Hatten 18
#11 Out in Front (2013) Sarasota Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL. Photo: Dick Dickinson
#12 Call of the Wild (2002) Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA. Photo: Duncan Price
#13 Catawampus (2008) Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, CA. Photo: Michelle Gerdes
#14 Simple Pleasures (2001) Bowdoin College Museum Of Art,Brunswick, ME. Photo: Bowdoin College
Dougherty also expressed his hopes for aspiring artists and art enthusiasts: “I wish for everyone to feel the impulse to create a sculpture. If your readers have yet to tinker, I encourage them to grab a bit of the material world and create something fanciful or functional. Such activities have personalised my world and opened a portal to an enhanced life.”
#15 Spinoffs (1990) DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA. Photo: George Vasquez
#16 Roundabout (1997) Tallaght Community Arts Centre, Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Karl Browne
#17 Step Right Up (2017) Ackland Art Museum of UNC, Chapel Hill, NC. Photo: Diane Davis
#18 Hocus Pocus (2008) Bittersweet Farm, Ennice, NC. Photo: Robyn Dreyer
Shanilou Perera
Shanilou has always loved reading and learning about the world we live in. While she enjoys fictional books and stories just as much, since childhood she was especially fascinated by encyclopaedias and strangely enough, self-help books. As a kid, she spent most of her time consuming as much knowledge as she could get her hands on and could always be found at the library. Now, she still enjoys finding out about all the amazing things that surround us in our day-to-day lives and is blessed to be able to write about them to share with the whole world as a profession.
