Benno Schotz often took inspiration from walks though nature, noticing figures within the shapes of trees. He would take inspiration from tree branches, flotsam and interesting pebbles, keeping the composition and sometimes making slight alterations in his sketches to create human forms. Schotz would often redraw the same form multiple times, until he felt he had something worthwhile. When he saw a figure within nature that needed no alteration, he called this “heavenly sculpture”.
Within his sculptures, Schotz enhanced the simplicity of his shapes, keeping the composition of that which he saw around him. The pages show similar figures to that of Schotz’ sculptures The Window on the World, an eleven-foot-high sculpture which is currently located in Vale of Leven Academy Alexandria, and The Psalmist in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow.
