Perception is in the eye of the beholder, and David Englund says we use only a fraction of our observational abilities.

Englund, a philosopher, professor, and sculptor based in Mattapoisett, has sought out those things that are below the surface for much of his life. And, in some ways, this pursuit began when Englund worked his first lump of clay.

A native of the Midwest, Englund studied physical education in college and was a high school teacher for several years. While walking the halls one day, an art teacher threw a lump of clay at him.

“I sculpted a bust of Shakespeare, and it was good. It looked like him,” said Englund, still somewhat astonished. “In elementary school, I would draw and do artwork. The good ones would be put up on the wall, mine never went up.”

The athletic artist kept experimenting with portrait sculptures until he decided to get  a doctorate in philosophy at Boston University.

“My sculpting was set aside for a quite a few years,” said Englund.

After receiving his degree, Englund took a job at Bridgewater State University where he taught philosophy from 1963 to 1997.

But retiring is something of a misnomer for Englund. Since leaving the University, Englund has returned to sculpting busts with a renewed passion.

“Once you get involved, it’s like an obsession,” he said. “When I’m doing it, I can’t stop.”

For his sculptures, Englund chooses figures who have had a strong impact on him. In the past 16 years, he has done busts of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, authors Ayn Rand and Herman Melville, Leonardo DaVinci, abolitionist Frederick Douglas, and Metacomet, also known as King Phillip.

After drawing each famous noggin several times, he shapes the head in clay, which is eventually cast in bronze at a foundry. The whole process takes about six months.

How people perceive Englund’s work is up to them. All of his sculptures are made with “eye spaces” in lieu of opaque metal eyes.

“Michelangelo said every piece has a soul waiting to be revealed. You can look into the eyes and see whatever you want to see,” he said.

In the back of the sculptures’ eye sockets, Englund leaves a spark of bronze. “That’s the soul,” he said.

And while Englund said he gets emotional speaking about these famous figures who inspire his art, it is only one facet of his interests.

The professor continues to teach as an adjunct professor at Quincy College. He also leads a philosophy course at the Mattapoisett Council on Aging.

His latest course, still in the works, is a course on perception.

“We don’t really look at things,” he said.

To prepare for the class, he analyzed hundreds of images to find things not readily visible to the human eye. While the process helped Englund with his sculpting, he said he might set aside his sculpting indefinitely.

“The life I’ve found, I’m reasonably happy with…until I find something new.”

Englund's portrait of Metacomet is on display at the Millicent Library in Fairhaven. Other sculptures are in Bridgewater State University's collection. For more photos of Englund's work, visit www.daveenglund.net