San Jose, CA Garden Contains Humorous, Light-hearted Sculpture

If you've ever thought sculpture was boring, hard to understand, or monochromatic, you've never been to Nancy Wiener's garden.

Towering over the garden is a woman in a polka-dotted dress - who happens to be ceramic and 6-foot-2. Her constant companion is a metal dog with a perpetual bone in his mouth. And that's just a few of the surprises you'll find in this San Jose, Calif., setting.

The figurative works Wiener has selected for her garden are colorful, eclectic, and humorous.

For instance, the polka-dotted woman - naturally called "Dottie" - has "blue hair, which I just love," said Wiener. "It harkens back to another era." It's the creation of California artist Leslie Safarik.

Dottie's constant companion is Buster, the metal dog, which Wiener bought in a Santa Fe gallery. He's positioned as though he's looking at Dottie. And his tail wags in the breeze.

In all, Wiener has five distinctive pieces in her yard, which was recently redesigned with her sculpture in mind. She and her optometrist husband, Kenneth, have been living in the home since 1977, and this was the second major garden renovation.

The sculpture garden started as a result of Nancy Wiener's service on the San Jose Arts Commission. Through the commission, she became acquainted with Seattle sculptor Buster Simpson and visited his studio. The first piece she purchased was Simpson's hanging fish, which twist according to the fancies of the wind.

Her other pieces include a whimsical ceramic house by Bay Area ceramic artist Gerry Wallace, which Wiener commissioned for her husband's birthday. The house is full of eye-opening sights - plants, a spade, and even a bespectacled face peer out.

Another impressive piece is a large metal piece, painted red and six feet tall, which resembles a human form. "Its arms are extended overhead in a hopeful position, and the arms swing around," said Wiener.