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Sculpting the Face of Professor Hathaway
As I mention so many times in my new book “Bringing to Life the spirit of the Deceased—A Sculptor’s Journey”, the essence of the individual comes from the face. Of course many have “felt” Dick even though his face was not complete. When presenting the pictures of him a year ago at the TW Wood Gallery I had roughed in Dick’s face as well as his body. Many looking at it ‘felt” Dick Hathaway. The glasses I placed on Dick’s face were his glasses that were sent by his daughter. They were however covered with clear acetate to protect the lenses. I had not yet sculpted the eyes
Now I have removed the head and have been focusing on the face of Dick Hathaway. This has been a very difficult task. When you look at someone who has glasses on their eyes have shrunken because of the glass. If you are looking at them from a ¾ view you might even notice that the side of their face, through the glass, is smaller than their actual face. All of these things are things to consider when sculpting the face of Richard Hathaway. There will be no glass, and so I must give the impression of what everyone sees with the glass, so that when they look at him they will say, “ah, yes that is the person I know.” And this will create an emotional bond with the piece. The scientific process of empathy that I describe in my book will take place.
I have removed the glass from the frames and have been working on the eyes. All the while I keep wondering, “Where are you?” I feel I am getting there, I am close.
Old or young? I ask myself as I move from photograph to photograph. There are a couple of very good younger photographs of his eyes and therefore I am leaning toward that. Hairline changes, jowls change. I hope to have the face complete this weekend and may try to reattach it to the body to finish the upper torso.
Focusing on The Face!
I heard someone say that Dick said something like “My body is just something that I use to carry around my head.” well not right now. The head has been removed from the torso so that I can focus on the finishing of his face. How old are you? Maida wanted him younger and he definitely appears to be younger. How much younger I don’t know. Seems like some photographs have him in a much heavier period and then thinner again.
“Come out, come out where ever you are!” This sculpture is so different than the others I have worked on because once again I don’t really have a client. No one to say- I want it this way! So I probe to see what is coming out.
Nancy said she did not want Dick’s glasses back and that was so much help. I could pop the lenses out of the frame and work on his face. It is very difficult working on someone who has glasses. The illusion of how the eyes appear because of the glasses is what I am trying to get. Their is of course no glass in a bronze sculpture, just the frame. These glasses have been one of the most important things for me to have.
The Books in the Satchel
This week my new apprentice has worked diligently on the satchel. The question is what books are pouring out of the satchel. I have given this quite a bit of thought. Remember not all the titles can be seen.
If you are to look at the spine of each book this is what you see
A Book for You!
VERMONT
History
I toyed with the idea of actual books but I thought this is best. Dick would always have a book for you, no matter who you are. Anyone who has ever seen his office would know why.
I listen often to the video of Dick’s lecture on progressive education. It is all I have of him.
I find myself needing the stimulation of those who knew him. It is interesting how important that is for me to be able to pull that emotion into the piece. Charlotte, you helped with this before!
I also wish I had something for the satchel that represented his auctions. An auction ticket? Any suggestions? I still don’t know what the letter will say on the top of the satchel. I think it will be from all of us.
That’s the update for now.
A Sign That Dick Hathaway Wants to Come Home?
I feel an urgency to get the life-size sculpture of Dick ready for the foundry. Not that I don’t like having him around, but when it got up to a couple of days of 100 something degrees here in Texas, the old Vermonter could not handle the heat and went to pieces. Literally! Yes, I came in and Dick’s leg had come off, then it was his hand. I quickly turned on the AC and told myself it was a sign, a sign that it was time to let go of Dick and get him into the next stage of bronze casting. So now we are going to finalize the details of our beloved Professor Hathaway, right now I am completing his back which never could be reached before. Then, as I add the appendages that have fallen off I am finalizing the details. It was great to have the hand cast of my dad, something I recently did while on a trip back home, the reference helped me with the details in Dick’s hands. You could say my dad lent a hand to the process, LOL!
I also have a new apprentice in the studio lending a hand a real one. She is taking over where the last apprentice, Bryan had left off. She is finishing up his satchel as we speak. A wonderful young girl who is a student and Lamar High school. I think Dick would have liked that idea that so many young people have utilized the sculpture of him as a experiential learning experience.
As the sculpture details are finished Dick will go to pieces again. This time pieces that are intentional. I’ll have to cut him apart to begin the mold making process. My goal is to have all of this done and Dick Hathaway to the foundry by the end of this year. I can only hope the gallery has good news about the raising of the funds. At least enough to put the deposit down on the bronze.
Satchel Is Coming Along
Bryan and I have been working diligently on the overflowing satchel that sits at the feet of Dick Hathaway.
Meanwhile, I have been adding the details to Professors Hathaway beckoning hands.
The Sculpture Goes Back To Center Stage
Bryan has been working diligently on Dick Hathaway’s satchel, and we moved the sculpture back to the center of the room. It is time to finish Dick Hathaway and get him home to Vermont.
Dick Hathaway Takes Center Atage…
It has been months since I have worked on the sculpture of Dick. I have put him aside waiting for the rest of the funding to come through. I heard the T.W. Woods Gallery is getting very close to having the funding. As I have said before, I will have to cut the sculpture up into pieces to cast it into bronze. I hate the idea of Dick going to pieces without knowing he will soon be put back together.
I have pulled Dick center stage for a couple of reasons. The first is that my new apprentice Bryan is doing such a wonderful job I know we can work through this quickly with his help. And I’m feeling that it is way beyond the time of sending Dick home to the Green Mountain State. Maybe he can be there by fall, and if not maybe by sugaring. Though we would have to be sure the ground was not sill ice so that we could install the sculpture. I can’t wait!
It is sometimes good to get away from a sculpture for a while. Rarely do I have the opportunity to do so. Commissions come and have deadlines and it means working one after another. But walking away from a sculpture and coming back gives you an entirely different perspective. I can’t wait, give me the pot of hot clay, the large tools. Time to finish the upper torso of Dick Hathaway and then the details in the face.
In Love With The Human Form
“As a figurative sculptor I am entranced with the human form, male, female, young or old.”
Created for Best of Artists and Artisans web site
By Bridgette Mongeon © 2007
Recently the editors of this column wrote me concerned that people were shying away from sending in nudes to the Best of Artists and Artisans art competitions. Are nudes a controversial subject to submit? As an artist I would certainly have to evaluate each competition carefully, before entering a nude. I posted this same topic on the sculpture community forum and received some enlightening responses.
Here are some of my own experiences with nude/naked art.
The human form is an important element of focus for any artist. My husband, who is also an artist, and I are always telling art students, “Draw from life, and make sure you can draw the human form.”
Working with nude models and creating paintings and sculptures of nudes are all part of the learning process. There was a time when there were more nudes in my repertoire of art. Although I rarely sculpt a nude these days, it is not because I have outgrown them. It is because of my very busy schedule, working with a live model would be a luxury; working from a live nude model would be a way to relax. All my work is through commission and I keep very busy doing just that. Unless someone commissioned me to create a nude, and I have had a few of those, then you won’t see many nudes coming out of my studio.
By far the piece that gets the most attention and always initiates comments from those who enter my studio is “Ethel” – a nude. It is also one of my favorites, and if I crave to do other nudes, it is because I have fallen in love with “Ethel” and want to see more of her, no pun intended. The Ethel sculpture startles individuals, but at the same time seems to make them secure within their own body.
Before the time of digital cameras, I would take pictures of the nude model, with their permission of course, and when they were not at the studio I could continue to work on the sculpture. There was a time when I was banned from coming to the local pharmacy photographic processing center, until they learned more about what I do, but even then they suggested I take these “type” of photographs to a professional lab.
The most controversial of nudes is the child nude. During the creation of “Le petit pollison,” individuals were concerned that you could tell the sex of the baby. It infuriated me that I should change my art to appease what others thought, but in the end I compromised by pushing down the child’s rear end.
I love sculpting children. I long to study that tiny little form, watch the process of the growth of the skull and bones, and yes I desire to sculpt nude children. To be perfectly honest I long to sculpt every human form. I’d love to find another Ethel, and would also love to sculpt a very old person as a nude. The thought of it immediately brings to mind the science behind what I am doing, how does the muscle and skeleton change over the years? But more than that, what emotion is exhibited from each form? The young child with his/her plump cheeks and swayed back, rear end sticking out and chin down initiates a feeling of innocence. On the contrary the frail form of the elderly, stature bent over with time, skin hanging, exhibits the ravages of life and in that wisdom. As a figurative sculptor I am entranced with the human form, male, female, young or old. When that longing is transmitted to the clay, accompanied by the emotion and the artistic passion, it can become an award-winning piece of art, one that, with the proper competition, could be submitted to without hesitation!
A Wonderful Link and Picture of The Sculpture
I found this link today http://www.twwoodgallery.org/hathaway.html Update 2020 The TW Woods gallery has been absorbed by Vermont College of Fine arts. The article is no longer visible.
A section of the TW Woods gallery website. Thanks ladies, for making such an effort to bring Dick Hathaway back to the woods.
Fundraising For the Dick Hathaway Project Almost Complete
I’ve been busy here in the studio creating other sculpture, both posthumous and living subjects.
I just spoke with the TW Woods Gallery and the fundraising committee about the Dick Hathaway project. It has been on hold for a while. I am hesitant to continue the sculpting process unless there is money to bronze the sculpture. I just cannot handle Professor Hathaway in pieces in the studio. I would much rather have him in the corner on the bench. I am told that this month is the final push to have the funds for the project. It will be wonderful to have him complete. Though I will be sad to have him go. I suppose I should really give a push to find another apprentice. Florencia has taken a job and that leaves me alone to finish Dick Hathaway. More later.