Meet Anna Togrye | Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Togrye and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I love to remind myself of a quote from Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day” that goes: “what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” It hits me like a ton of bricks sometimes, knowing that this isn’t a dress rehearsal here, we only get one life and god forbid it’s wasted going through the motions, tamely existing and wasting my opportunity at an extraordinary life. Of course, I’ve wasted time, wasted whole days even. But remembering the fact that this life is fleeting and precious encourages me to do more, be more, & create more. As long as I keep that lodestar, I feel more comfortable taking risks in the hopes of having a little more wild throughout my story.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s hard to say what exactly sets my art apart from others because I feel like I stand on the shoulders of the giants who have come before me and how they’ve all influenced my work. Though, one thing that sets me apart from most is how long I’m willing to work on one minuscule detail. I know many artists or creatives wouldn’t want to spend months on the same sculpture or piece, but I can get obsessive about the tiny details and do tedious work for quite some time. I am proud of my patience and the results that usually generates.

It hasn’t been easy to get to this point. I’ve had to develop that amount of patience over time and continue to persevere through the challenges each sculpture brings as I try to teach myself how to add a new method to my sculpting vocabulary. For instance, I just failed so many times at trying to create a sailing ship for this breaching whale I’m currently working on where the ship is erupting out of the whale, but I kept trying until it stopped looking wrong. Now, my drafting table is a graveyard of failed attempts, but I feel good knowing I kept trying until I succeeded.

That’s basically the story of my career so far. As an entirely self-taught sculptor who has only been at it for about 6 years and full-time for just one of those, I’ve learned that the key to getting where you want to be is to glue your ass to the chair and get as much practice as you can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love showing guests a good time! Especially during Spring, my favorite time of the year. I’d take them to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens for a couple hours in the afternoon, followed by an Al fresco dinner at Rolf & Daughters. On another day, we’d head to The Frist for some art, then over to Centennial Park to take a stroll around the lake and through the sunken gardens. Dinner would be at Redheaded Stranger, followed by a couple beers at Dino’s. That weekend, we’d go see a show at The Ryman, hit up Robert’s Western World, and grab a late night bite and nite cap on the way home at Mother’s Ruin. I hope we’d also be able to check out: Tailor, Attaboy, Rosemary & Beauty Queen, Dicey’s, and Urban Cowboy at some point during the week. And if they’re up to it, I’d love to take them go-karting, horseback riding, or on a little road trip to Cummins Falls.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve got to shout out my incredibly supportive Mother-in-law, Ginny Togrye. She’s also an artist (painter/sculptor) who has been such an inspiration in how she goes after huge projects and seems completely unfazed and unafraid. She’s very active in the local arts community, is always encouraging people to create, and she pushes me to do more to get myself out of my comfort zone. I appreciate that so much, it’s a wonderful way to grow as an artist but often hard to do.

Website: https://www.antsculpt.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ant.sculpt/

Image Credits
Anna Togrye