When you step into the living room at First Flight house, your eyes are drawn to many beautiful details. Among the carefully curated collection of local art that fills our home, one piece commands special attention. Perched on the side table between our cozy couches sits "On the Rocks," a bronze sculpture that embodies everything we love about thoughtful, meaningful art.
A Sculpture That Transforms Before Your Eyes
Created by acclaimed sculptor John Clinton, "On theRocks" is the third piece in his Wayfarer bronze series—a masterpiece that explores themes of movement, form, and balance. What makes this piece truly magical is how it reveals different stories depending on your perspective. When we first happened upon it at one of Clinton's shows, we were mesmerized. From one angle, we saw a bird in flight. Shift slightly, and suddenly a whale's tail was breaking the surface. Move again, and the entire form of a whale emerged from the bronze. To this day, depending on the light, our mood, or simply where we're standing, we continue to see these different creatures within its curves.
This transformative quality is entirely intentional. Clinton shares the story behind the piece: "Using the same form and shape as 'Taking Flight' I wanted to use different texture and colour to tell a totally different story."Influenced by the seals that gather on the rocks near his studio, he was drawn to their shape and colour. Yet he didn't want to create just a seal sculpture."I saw the line on the reverse side of the sculpture as the line and form of a bird landing on the rocks much as the seagulls do every morning," he explains.
The serendipity of this piece finding its home in our First Flight house isn't lost on us—part of the Flight series itself, with birds woven into its very design, t feels like it was always meant to be here.
The Artist Behind the Magic
John Clinton brings a unique perspective to his art that spans decades of both creative and professional excellence. While largely self-taught, he received formal training in bronze sculpting at Central Tech in Toronto and has been an exhibiting artist since 1985. His background in advertising, publishing, and public relations—where he led creative and content for North America for the world's largest PR firm—infuses his sculptures with the storytelling mastery that makes pieces like "On the Rock" so compelling.
Clinton's artistic journey began as a wood carver, evolved through papier mâché, and ultimately found its home in bronze, where he combines his love of repurposing with his exploration of texture, colour, and line. This evolution is evident in "On the Rocks," where the bronze surface tells its own story through stunning variations. Using greens, blues, reds, browns, golds, and blacks, Clinton capitalizes on the rough texture on the top and bottom of the piece while defining its line with a mirror finish bronze. The result is a sculpture that catches light and shadow in endlessly fascinating ways.
Why This Piece Belongs at Warblers
The decision to feature "On the Rocks" at First Flight house came from a moment of pure connection. Visiting one of Clinton's shows while planning our retreat, the sculpture spoke immediately to the essence of what we wanted to create here. Like all the local art that graces our home, it doesn't demand attention—it earns it through quiet presence and endless discovery.
Clinton believes that movement in sculpture helps hold a viewer's interest and makes one want to engage. "On the Rocks" does exactly this. Whether you're enjoying your morning coffee or unwinding after a day of exploring, the sculpture invites contemplation and offers new perspectives with each viewing.
A Living Conversation Piece
What we love most about "On the Rocks" is how it starts conversations. Guests often find themselves discussing what they see, sharing different interpretations, and discovering new details together. We'll admit—we're just as captivated today as we were when we first saw it. Some mornings it's clearly a bird. Other evenings, as the light shifts, a whale tail emerges. And sometimes, the entire whale seems to breach before our eyes. This is exactly what we love and Clinton hoped for. "The idea of looking at a piece in different ways and seeing different things has always been important to me," he says. "I don't want my art to be boring. I want you to see something totally different 10 years from now that you never noticed or better yet, have someone else point something out that you never saw quite that way."
Clinton's question—"Can I lie on the couch and stare at this over the next 10 years and see new things?"—perfectly captures why this piece belongs at First Flight house. The answer, we've discovered, is absolutely yes.
Experience It Yourself
When you visit First Flight house at Warblers at Trinity, take a moment to sit with "On the Rocks." Let your eyes wander across its surface. Notice how the light plays differently throughout the day, how your perspective shifts as you move around the room. Clinton's work creates art that resonates on a deeply personal level, and we believe you'll find your own story within its bronze curves.
Art at its best doesn't just decorate a space—it transforms it into something more meaningful. "On the Rocks" does exactly that, turning our living room into a place where nature, creativity, and contemplation meet. As one piece among the many works by local artists throughout our home, it reminds us that Trinity is a place where art and life beautifully intertwine. We can't wait for you to discover what you see in its timeless form.
To learn more about John Clinton's work, visit his artist portfolio or follow him on Instagram.
