Introduction

For more than thirty‑five years, I, Beau Smith, have been sculpting and selling human‑sized frog sculptures done in bronze, copper, and stainless steel. These pieces are monumental art, built to stand the test of time outdoors.

These Frogs are anthropomorphic — they do the kinds of things people do. They read books, play music, climb trees, play sports, and relax with children and friends. Anything a person can do, one of my Frogs can do. Moreover, these Frogs are wholesome entertainment. They truly make people smile. They make people happy.

Every piece is original art. I create each one entirely by hand, shaping sheet copper into a Frog. My hand is in every curve and surface. I use a technique called direct metal sculpture, which simply means I form them by hand — welding, brazing, bending, and shaping the metal rather than casting it. This allows every piece to have more life and vibrance than something cast — and certainly more than anything mass‑produced. People feel that. They connect to these sculptures, and that connection is part of why the Frogs remain so intriguing.

There’s always a hint of wry humor in them too — a knowing grin or playful pose that reminds us to play, laugh, and experience joy in life. To that end, children adore these Frog sculptures.

These Frog sculptures are in many public places and gardens, but not enough of them, and that is why I am putting together this vision, a vision that will see these Frogs exhibited in way many more beautiful botanical gardens, and after that, find a home in new botanical gardens and parks. That is my vision. 

These Frog sculptures are permanently installed in many public places and gardens across the US and in other parts of the world as well. They are in many beautiful public places, but not enough of them. Indeed, most of my work has been for residences – private collections. 

I want everyone to have the chance to enjoy these Frogs, to smile, laugh, and feel the same sense of delight they inspire in private homes and gardens. Also, large groupings of Frogs will maximize fascination and joy. It will be like a Frog theme park, filled with beautiful metal sculpture. 

The Vision

This vision began as an idea to have a traveling show of my large, human-sized frog sculptures. A grouping of around 30 would be astounding. They could travel to various botanical gardens in the United States and be put there as a temporary installation. This would not be impossibly difficult to do. One reason is I make the work by hand. If one were to cast such pieces, the cost would be phenomenal and prohibitive. The type of work I do is figurative. One does not normally see this type of work with direct metal sculpture. Way more often, works of direct metal sculpture are abstract. But I don’t do that. My work is figurative. The very way that I work allows for figurative, monumental metal sculpture that is affordable, which is not what you have with cast bronze. 

As sculptors and builders do, I have figured out a way, invented a way, you might say, to create an effect otherwise impossible to do with limited resources. A lot of collectors see the work and have that understanding. I could own this, they think, and find that the cost is not phenomenal as a bronze would be. And yet, the work is figurative, and deeply so. I touches them in the same way a beautiful bronze might. Actually, even more because the work is fresh from my hand and not a result of a casting procedure. 

So then I thought, if 30 sculptures would be a great show, and not prohibitive in cost, why not have two traveling shows? Again, due to the way I work, this would not be difficult to do, given some assistance. Two traveling shows would be ideal. Now, another thing is that the work is sturdy metal sculpture, so there is not the same concern about it being possibly fragile and difficult to move around that a show involving, say, glass, would cost. Now, it is true, though, that Dale Chihuly had a traveling show of his work and this was tremendously successful and garnered a lot of fans. Actually, Chihuly taught at the same art school where I received my degree (many years – decades – ago), The Rhode Island School of Design, a prestigious art school known for inspiring in its student innovation and great craftsmanship. 

Well then, as the idea progressed, I saw the final value. For, after the show travels, what to do with the sculpture? It would be sad to separate all the pieces. Why not use them to help establish a new botanical gardens or park based on the frog sculpture? If you have, for example, 60 of these human-sized frog sculptures in one place, that would be a phenomenal attraction. People would come from near and far just to see it. 

Now, I understand that creating a new botanical gardens or park is a bit out of my expertise and ability – if I were the only one involved in this. I am not expecting to do this all by myself. With help, this could happen. For example, there are many situations where a group wants to revive an area. There are other situations where there is desire to create a park or botanical gardens that would be a perfect fit for the Frogs. I myself have some property that I have thought to do this with. But I cannot do this all by myself. Many such areas can be found for the Frogs. In fact, this could become a regular thing, so that we use the Frogs to create several such parks and gardens. 

In short, the Frogs lend themselves well to such an idea. The traveling shows would create great public delight. Imagine, for example, the fun your child would have in such a place. Imagine the delight the child within you would also have. It would be a time you would cherish and never forget. Disneyworld is great. But how about a reconnection to nature, as well? The Frogs lend themselves to that.

The traveling shows would certainly help bring the kind of support that would make it possible for the Frogs to finally have a home at the end of their journey. So that is what I am proposing, a cost effective way to create Frog themed parks and gardens. The truth is, and I have always known it because I have been making these Frogs for so long, they are perfect for gardens. 

In summary, this is monumental, figurative humanistic sculpture designed to touch hearts and fill one with joy. It is possible not only to create traveling shows, but also to create homes for the sculptures once they are finished traveling. A traveling show would be around 30 large, human-sized frog sculptures. 2 traveling shows gives us 60 such sculptures. Imagine a park with 60 beautiful, whimsical, fun, figurative sculptures of anthropomorphized frogs, each frog with its own personality, each frog a work of art unto itself. This would be an incredible tourist attraction.  As I say, this would not be impossible to do. In fact, it is quite possible. But I cannot do it all by myself. I need your help. 

The History of the Frogs

In the early 1980s, my father, who was also a direct metal sculptor, was approached by a patron. Would you make a frog for me, Charles? The patron said. My father busied himself with the first human-sized copper frog. It looked rather like a large alien. But it was a great sculpture. The patron, a retired diplomat living on Seabrook Island, liked the sculpture and bought it. My father liked the direction of this work, and made some more large frog sculptures. (Wouldn’t it be nice to find those first ones? Somebody has them. All my father’s work he signed and dated on the sculpture itself, in stainless steel. They are out there, somewhere.) He refined the design. As he did, he found that he had stumbled onto a niche. I don’t know that he would have called it that, but indeed, that is what happened. People love frogs. They love copper sculpture in the garden, and copper frog sculptures turned out to be something people want, particularly to enhance the outdoor space and the garden. 

Now, there are others who have made frog sculptures for the garden and outdoor areas. But not like my father. He was especially interested in creating public work, and prided himself on whenever a work got placed publically. So he was making large pieces – human-size. That is the difference. It is not every day one sees a large, human-size copper frog. Although, if I have my way, that may not be true in the future! 

It so happened that my father was so successful in selling this kind of work that I and my brother – with his permission – started making them as well. For a time, we exhibited together. In the early 1990s, I, together with my father and brother, exhibited our work in several spring shows at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I lived in Atlanta, at the time, with my wife and then our son. So it worked out well for us to do this. These shows were highly successful, so much so that the gardens acquired, through the help of doners, many Frogs for their permanent collection. 

As time went on, all three of us, my brother, father and I kept making large copper frogs. Now, with artist egos and all that – I will not say more – we did not agree on everything. I mainly worked separately, while my brother worked alongside my father. All three of us quietly made our frogs and sold them, and that is how each of us supported ourselves. 

Now, especially after the Spring shows at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and once they had a permanent collection, many more opportunities came for these frog sculptures. To date, there are many frog sculptures placed publically in many places, including [look this up to get spelling right and stuff] Les Quatres Vents, a gardens in Canada. (There is a coffee table book that shows the gardens and has the Frogs in them.) and there was a botanical gardens in France, a children’s museum in Honduras, a museum in Minnesota (i think, in Minneapolis area friends of sculpture), all sorts of places in and around Atlanta, GA and in Charleston, SC (where my father lived and worked.) These are just some of the places Frogs are publicly placed. But that is just one or two. Although, yes, the children’s museum in Honduras has 15 pieces, and Les Quatres Vents may have that many as well. 

This is the sad part. My wife tragically died of breast cancer and then I moved with my son (our son) to Cahlreston after my mother then died of Leukemia. So then I remained in Charleston area making sculpture, and, after raising my son, that became my entire life. Besides that, I am a devout yogi and a writer (I love to make all sorts of art, not just Frogs). 

So that is the story. Two years ago my father passed away – in obscurity, I might add. There was not even a funeral. That was not my choice. That was the choice of my brother and sister who were managing my father. My father and I did not see eye to eye on many things. Particularly, I must say, that my frog sculptures got the attention they did on the internet because I simply knew how to market my work that way. He never allowed me to help him in this regard. He was territorial about that. 

Now, it would be sad for the Frogs to continue in semi-obscurity. They are in many places, but they have not had the effect they can have, that they should have. And I am trying to change that, but not just for myself. Honestly, I prefer to spend much of my time writing novels (which I will publish on blogs, mainly). But I feel the Frogs deserve to have their chance to really shine. As I say, this is a cost effective thing to do, and it is very possible, with some help. Please help us allow these Frogs to have their day and shine, and contribute to gardens and the natural beauty in this world. 

In Summary

The Frogs present a cost effective way to renew areas of land and bring attention and tourism and money to an area. They also present a cost effective way to have large number of large, metal, figurative works in one place. Let the Frogs not only inspire gardens, but also create them. Help me do that.