By Harold Reutter
harold.reutter@theindependent.com

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Independent/Scott Kingsley Doug Jensen stands by two bronze head studies of Dobermans at Prairie Winds Art Gallery. Jensen has 13 pieces in the exhibit which include a male and female life-size sculpture of the breed. Independent/Scott Kingsley Doug Jensen has developed a technique of airbrushing bronze sculptures and then lacquering them as seen here in the depiction of the four colors of Dobermans. Click Thumbnails to View

Little wonder, then, that Jensen has a higher aim than just making a sculpture of his favorite breed of dog.

His sculptures, now showing at the Prairie Winds Art Gallery, show the standard of the perfect Doberman, including both proportion and size.

Jensen recalls that he once had a woman try to start a conversation with him by saying, "I have the biggest Doberman."

Jensen, who is an assistant principal at Grand Island Senior High, shook his head at the memory. He noted, "Bigger isn't better."

When he creates his sculptures, Jensen said, he works with a mirror, turning the sculpture so he can see it from all directions, in a 3-D mode.

He said he would never attempt to sculpt a different breed of dog, such as a Boston terrier, "because I don't know them."

Jensen said he does know Dobermans, though. He said he can close his eyes and put his hands on a sculpture and tell if it's "right" with regard to proportion and size.

He noted that he placed ribbons near one of his sculptures for "color." But when prompted, Jensen acknowledged that the ribbons are real.

Each year, ribbons are awarded to the 20 best Dobermans in the country, those that most closely adhere to the ideal of the breed, which numbers between 400,000 and 450,000 in the United States. Jensen has earned ribbons for one of the best 20 dogs for many consecutive years, including a 13th in 2004.

Jensen has 13 pieces at Prairie Winds, including a full-sized male and a full-sized female. He also has sculptures of several heads and chests of Dobermans.

He has airbrushed and lacquered four sculptures to represent the four colors of the breed: black, red, blue and fawn. He said he has never seen anybody else do that kind of work.

Jensen said he knows that he drives the people who cast his bronze sculptures crazy because his dogs are so smooth. He said people would rather cast bronze sculptures that have texture. Getting a perfectly smooth surface is much more difficult.

But he does not create the smooth surfaces as a temperamental artist.

"That's the breed," he said.

Jensen said he did not intend to create Doberman pinscher sculptures for a show at Prairie Winds.

He had shown his sculptures at the Doberman Pinscher Club of America National Specialty Show.

That led to selling some pieces all around the country and also around the world, including four sculptures he shipped to Australia.

He also ended up showing some of his sculptures at the Minden Opera House and that led to an invitation from Dee Rodgers to show his sculptures at Prairie Winds.

Jensen's work is on display through March.