Todd Warner has had a long and successful creative life in the arts as his impressive biography is testament. Today Todd has returned to his old stomping ground in Charlevoix Michigan where he lives on his farm surrounded by his menagerie of horses, mules, birds, dogs, cats and various other critters of the two and four legged kind.  

Todd Warner with pet tortoise
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Todd sculpting a bulldog

Todd finds a good home for a stray snapper

Todd’s pleasure is to live in peace surrounded by all that has delighted him for a lifetime and drawing inspiration from his great love and connection with the animal world.

His unique approach to using a wide variety of materials throughout his career has led him to this most recent body of work for your viewing at the Charlevoix Circle Of Arts new exhibit "Africa". In early 2008 Todd returned to his roots and his great love for sketching his signature animals that he has become known for. However in true Warner style, Todd was not satisfied with paper and pencil but felt the pull to rediscover paint and the brush. Todd’s innate desire to sculpt 

did not elude these paintings as parts of the animals are sculpted off the painting bring the animal directly into your space. Innovative and creative these paintings and sculpture will be sure to delight an enhance any environment they are placed.

Pumpkin

Born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in rural central Michigan. Professional career in art began in 1967. Warner currently resides in Charlevoix, Michigan.

Education:

• B.Sc. Central Michigan University. Major: Art; Minor: History
• Commercial Art Studies (two years), Ferris State College, Big Rapids, Michigan.

Art Instructor:

• Professional Sculptor since 1967
• Jr. High School Art Teacher - Fremont, Michigan (1968-1970)
• Art Instructor - Northeast Intermediate school, Midland, Michigan
• Public Schools - Midland, Michigan (1970-1971)
• Art Instructor - Dow High School Midland Public Schools (1970-1972)

With warmth, humor, and sensitivity, sculptor Todd Warner has been creating his imaginarium of sophisticated whimsy for over 35 years. From life-size cowboys and Indians, to butlers and Brahma, to bigger-than-life ostriches and armadillos, Warner's sophisticated whimsy adorns lobbies and living rooms, entryways and offices, zoos, museums, - even the Orlando International Airport and the New York Thruway.

From his Charlevoix, Michigan studio, Warner brings clay to life. A heartfelt smile from on-lookers and collectors is his measure of success. "There's an innate sense of humor in my work, but I'm not going for the belly laugh. I love to make people smile. I couldn't fight being humorous if I had to. Hopefully, my sculptures are whimsical and sensitive; they have their own spirit."

Internationally known for his irresistible animal sculptures, Warner captures with vision and insight the essence of animals, preserving not only the animals of nature, but also the nature of animals.

Above all, Warner seems to connect directly with the souls of animals, enabling him to recreate the llama who seems to beg for warm milk, the cow with loving eyes of a mother, or a quizzical orangutan.

Warner's love for animals was sparked in his childhood growing up in rural central Michigan. Spending most of his time in the woods, Warner made friends with the groundhog and owls. "I learned to walk quietly up to chipmunks and deer, or they would come close to me. There was a communication both ways. I don't believe animals operate purely on instinct. They have personalities: it's just whether you crack the code. It seems I can feel their souls and they mine."

A love for sketching drew Warner to study art over veterinary medicine at Central Michigan University. After a brief period teaching art, Warner realized that he was most attracted to the design and creation of his sculptures. Warner's decisive move to south Florida in 1982 brought new inspiration - the sun, people and wildlife. Warner's signature sculptures were born: Flattened, elongated figures with their varied personalities range from 12 inches to eight feet tall.

The sculptures are a tricky meshing of three different elements wedded structurally and visually to look like a single substance. The head is sculpted in clay; (the nostrils are always done first: Warner wants to make sure it can breathe.) the flat, skinny body is of birch cabinetry wood; the legs are of steel drilled into the body, and, for the free standing sculptures, into a fossilized coral base. Sculpted epoxy resin then covers it completely, unifying transitions. Finally, the painting pulls it all together and the fanciful creature is born.

In addition to his trademark animal sculptures, Warner is known for his not-so-everyday folk, bigger-than-life home installations, and public works. Warner creations live in the distinguished collections of the corporate headquarters of USA Today, McDonald's Corporation, the homes of Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress Kelly McGillis, Charles Gibson of "Good Morning America," and the public spaces of the Orlando International Airport and the New York Thruway, to name a few.

The artist has had over 40 one-man shows and is represented by numerous prestigious national and international galleries.

Current Exhibits Open to the Public

• The Public Spaces of the Orlando International Airport.

• The Public Spaces of the New York Thruway.

• The Public Spaces of the Young America Bank, Denver, Colorado.

Major Collectors and Collections which feature Todd Warner Creations:

• Alden Dow Collection

• Burt Weinstein Collection

• Byron and Barbara Pierce Collection, La Quinta, California

• David Calvin Collection, Bataa Oil, Inc., Greeley, Colorado

• David Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer

• Forrest Barbieri Collection

• Gannett Publishing, Washington, D.C., Headquarters of U.S.A. Today

• Gil Hodge Collection

• Marcia S. Zellner, Doral Ryder Open

• McDonalds Corporation Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois

• Mr. and Mrs. Art Carlson Collection, WPLG Channel 10, Miami, Florida

• Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ballard, Toronto Maple Leafs

• Mr. and Mrs. Brian Ralston, New Jersey Devils

• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gibson, ABC, Good Morning America

• Mr. and Mrs. Craig Janoff, Monday Night Football

• Mr. and Mrs. David Flint Collection, Flint Ink Corporation

• Mr. and Mrs. Don Childears, Young America Bank, Denver, Colorado

• Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bierstock, Chairman Of Jewish Studies, University Of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

• Mr. and Mrs. Donald Sucher, Kentucky Derby Winner "Winning Colors"

• Mr. and Mrs. Fitz Dixon, Philadelphia 76ers

• Mr. and Mrs. Herb Eldean, Eldean Shipyards, Holland, Michigan

• Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Dow Collection, Dow Chemical Company

• Mr. and Mrs. Howard Selland, Areoquip Corporation

• Mr. and Mrs. Mike Ilitch Collection, Little Caesar's Inc., Detroit Red Wings

• Mr. and Mrs. John Winn, Executive President, Four Winds Boat Co.

• Mr. and Mrs. Larry Packer, Packer and Packer, Las Vegas, Nevada

• Mr. and Mrs. Len Shapiro Collection

• Mr. and Mrs. Larry Share Collection, The Lawrence Share Companies

• Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Zales Collection

• Mr. and Mrs. Michael Batts Collection

• Mr. and Mrs. Murray Lender, Lender's Bagel's

• Mr. and Mrs. Randy Travis Collection

• Mr. and Mrs. Richard Donner, Lethal Weapon I, II, III

• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Grobman Collection

• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Roskam, Roskam Bakeries

• Mr. and Mrs. Ron Ambler Collection, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Mr. and Mrs. Sam Pencer, Cott Soda and Presidential Choice

• Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Dulman, The Lucky Companies

• Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Huizenga, Blockbuster Video

• Mr. and Mrs. William Lamothe, CEO and Chairman, Kellogg's Corp.

• Mr. and Mrs. Wrigley Offield, Wrigley's Gum

• Mrs. Charles Finley Collection

• Mrs. Ewing Kauffman, Owner, Kansas City Royals

• Ms. Kelly McGillis, Actress, "Top Gun" and "The Accused"

• New York Thruway

• Pat and Kate Maley

• The Greater Orlando Airport Authority, Orlando, Florida

• Vanderbilt Inn, Naples, Florida

• Young America Educational Foundation, Denver, Colorado

• Zsa Zsa Gabor