Richland man’s sculpture of Russell Wilson a labor of Seahawks love

Michael Salazar’s latest sculpture was a labor of love. Literally.

“I’ve been a die-hard Seahawks fan since they opened up shop,” he said.

Salazar, 53, of Richland, sees quarterback Russell Wilson as something of a savior — a talented leader who brings out the best in his teammates.

“If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think (Richard) Sherman would shine as much as he does, I don’t think Earl Thomas would shine as much as he does. I think his greatness, his genius is that he (helps) other people shine to their potential,” Salazar said.

Now Salazar has used his artistic skills to make Wilson shine.

He created a clay bust of the quarterback, spending weeks honing and perfecting.

The Herald first wrote about Salazar’s Wilson sculpture in May, when it still was a work in progress.

It’s done now. On a recent afternoon, it sat on Salazar’s dining room table, atop of Seahawks flag.

Wilson looked calm and cool in his Seahawks jersey, the No. 3 emblazoned on his chest.

Salazar doesn’t have plans to sell the bust. He hopes to give it to Wilson as a gift.

If that happened, it would be an honor and fulfillment of a dream, said Salazar’s wife, Karen.

“It’s for the fans, the 12s. I’m representing them in terms of giving this to him — that’s what I’d like to do,” Salazar said.

Salazar has been an artist all his life but didn’t seriously take up sculpting until a few years ago.

He loves it. “To me, that’s the pinnacle of art,” he said.

Salazar has found sculpting success, with multiple pieces featured around the Tri-Cities. He created a bust of Col. Franklin T. Matthias, known as the man who built Hanford, that sits at the Richland Public Library. A replica is at the B reactor.

He also created a bust of Benjamin Franklin that sits at the Franklin County courthouse in Pasco.

While Salazar waits and hopes to hear from Wilson, he’s at work on a new piece.

He’s creating a bust in tribute to Elson S. Floyd, the Washington State University president who recently died of complications from colon cancer.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 9:04 PM with the headline "Richland man’s sculpture of Russell Wilson a labor of Seahawks love."