Updated: Sep 23
By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | September 11, 2026
Every sculpture begins the same way. Long before Don Campbell of Skillman touches the clay, he says an image quietly settles somewhere in his imagination.
Don Campbell in his studio.
“It lingers for days, sometimes weeks, until it becomes impossible to ignore,” Campbell says. “That’s when I know it’s time to begin.”
In a recent case, it was the vague image of an ancient Tang Dynasty horse. He said he originally thought it would be a copy of a traditional Tang horse sculpture, but he did not know where this journey would lead.
“As I began to sculpt the horse, I sensed that it was set high on an abstract foundational base from which the horse was emerging,” he said. “I began to feel the horse carried a purpose—a quiet message. At this stage, it is about listening, sensing, and allowing my hands to respond to an inner intuitive impulse.
“It is like midwifing the birth of something new while also being the one giving birth to it.
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Like many creative people, Campbell says he constantly experiences the tension between analysis and intuition. “My mind wants to ... direct the process, while the sculpture asks something different of me—to stay present, listen, and trust what is emerging. Interestingly, I’ve found this is not only how I create art, but also how I try to live my life.”
Campbell describes his sculpture as follows:
“The Fire Horse found form through my hands attuned to the living current of stillness that resonates with the soul. It is the return of an ancient voice—stepping forward, not to perform, but to lead those who are ready.
"Fire Horse" by Don Campbell
“Fire Horse energy can be brilliant but volatile. The antidote is a strong base that moves and steadies the surge and sets the tempo for the horse to express. This horse carries stability that can host momentum without losing center.”
Campbell, author of “Creativity, It’s Not What You Think,” will have his “Fire Horse” on display, along with other works, at Morpeth Contemporary, 43 West Broadway, Hopewell, from September 19 through October 4.
The exhibition will also be part of the Hopewell Tour Des Arts, September 26–27.
Campbell will be there in person both days.
Tour: hopewelltourdesarts.org
Artist: doncampbellsculpture.com
Gallery: morpethcontemporary.com
43 W. Broad St, Hopewell
609.333.9393
Hours: Wed to Sat: 11 am to 5 pm
Sundays: 11 am to 4 pm
Don Campbell works on display — with other amazing artists —September 19 through October 4.
