Jane DeDecker

By Belinda Clarke

Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Meet May's Mom of the Month, artist and mother Jane DeDecker, whose renowned sculptures depict children at play.

When it comes to art, people collect what they value, DeDecker says. So it's no surprise, then, that pop star Michael Jackson takes a special interest in her work. Drawing inspiration from her own childhood growing up in Iowa, virtually all of DeDecker's bronzed monuments depict young children engaging in daily play or doing simple, everyday activities.

Jackson purchased several of DeDecker's pieces for his Neverland Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. "The natural setting is just right for these pieces," she says. "I can think of one in particular that is in a really pretty spot, sort of nestled among the oak trees. It just belongs there."

Another household name associated with DeDecker's work is Kathy Lee Gifford, who also is a collector. Gifford values and loves children and her purchase, Safe Haven, represents the feeling she has about her home, according to DeDecker. "Creative people appreciate and collect art," she says. "I think my pieces help to further inspire them."

Though many of DeDecker's pieces can only be found in private homes, more and more are being purchased by public organizations for display in city parks and art centers. This pleases DeDecker immensely because it makes sculpture accessible to more people on a daily basis. "We live in such a two-dimensional world with the proliferation of computers," she says. "I want people to appreciate the three-dimensional reality of sculpture in their everyday lives."

One particular piece, Shortcut, which depicts a row of five children crossing a log, was so inspirational it caused an entire family to relocate to DeDecker's hometown of Loveland, Colo. As she tells it, a family was visiting Loveland and was so taken by the sculpture and the surroundings that they chose to become part of the local scenery themselves. "They told me that they decided to move to Loveland, because they wanted to be part of a community that so valued beauty, children and the feelings they evoke," DeDecker says.

Family plays a major role in DeDecker's work on several levels. Not only are her own children (and her childhood) the inspiration for her art, her family members are part of her creative team. One sister, an art historian, helps DeDecker put her work into perspective by contributing her knowledge of great artists. "Often she will jostle my memory with a reference to a great painting or piece of art," she says.

Another sibling, her brother, is the "inventor" of the family and is always coming up with better ways for her to do her work and run her business. All in all, five family members – including her brother, three sisters and her mother – help keep her business and creative juices flowing smoothly.

"My family allows me the freedom to create, because they have taken over all of the jobs that I used to have to do myself," she says. "This gives me the opportunity to focus on my art and just sculpt."

Her inspiration comes from being a mom and a daughter, DeDecker says. "My work is about my life," she says. "I look around and am inspired by watching my family." One of her most cherished pieces is one she did of her mother and her then 10-month-old baby. "The baby is standing on my mom's feet, and my mother is holding her hands," she says. It is these most personal depictions that she tends to keep for herself and not sell.

The subject of her work also helps increase people's appreciation for both her medium and her message, according to DeDecker. Because her monuments depict everyday, simple scenes featuring children, they help remind people of "what's really important."

One of her pieces is a rendering of her husband bending over to tie her son's shoes – a simple, yet fleeting gesture. "Children grow and learn so fast, and I think it's important to depict them doing things we can look back on and remember fondly," she says. At the same time, creating scenes people can relate to and reflect on increases their appreciation for a medium that most people consider "abstract," she says. "Sculpture is not an abstract language; it's something we all can understand," DeDecker says. Her context – children – helps make that happen.

DeDecker's work is represented by Cavalier Galleries, Inc. in five U.S. locations: Greenwich, Conn.; Claggett/Rey Gallery of Vail, Colo.; Columbine Gallery in Loveland, Colo.; Nedra Matteucci Fine Art in Santa Fe and Pitzer's of Carmel in Carmel, Calif. More information about her work can be found on DeDecker's Web site at www.dedeckersculpture.com.