When you have many interns on a project, there are multiple things happening at the same time.  After roaming and searching for just the right texture for the floor of this sculpted scene, I have found wood that will work.  I prefer to have a wooden base rather than a sculpted base as the floor gets much use from moving things on and off. One of my interns comes in and makes a rolling base for the sculpture and the floor.  James, another intern spray paints the base a brown color. I like to have everything the same color as the clay that I am using. It helps me to see the projects as a uniform piece and offers less visual distraction. I also think it helps the client to see the sculpture.  James also fills in the cracks.

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.

Upon my arrival back to Houston, I realize that the next few weeks, which also happen to be holidays, will be extremely busy. I warn my family that I might not be able to do much during the holidays.

We have already planned The Upside Down Christmas Party and Art Show.  It is a tradition for the studio.  We hang the tree from the ceiling, and it is decorated from anything on your person, in your car or found.  The party is pretty much planned, and the visiting artist has their work hung.

The first part of the DBU job takes place in my computer and not in the studio. I’m up in the office on the computer gettings files ready. I know once the party is over we will have our physical materials to create this work of art.

The first job is to create a digital model of the sculpture so that I can have it enlarged quickly.  My traditional vendor for this project is Synappsys Digital Services in Oklahoma, but on such a quick deadline, I decide to use a local vendor.  Mental note: never use a new vendor on a tight deadline.

My job while working in the computer is to sculpt the folds so these will translate into the foam when it enlarged. This will save me lots of time when sculpting.

The chair is also recreated digitally. It was originally going to be milled in wood.  I cannot even list the amount of problems we had in recreating this beloved chair during the holidays on such a tight deadline.  I will end with saying it was with determination and an act of love that this chair came into being.

For each project,  I create I put out a call for interns. Some of the interns that work on my projects have worked with me before.  Other interns are usually aspiring art students who want to learn and have new experiences.  Here is my list of my helpers for the sculpture for DBU. If you are an art  student at DBU and live in the Houston area and are interested in interning during your summer break, please feel free to contact me.

James
James is a student at Houston Community College.  An international student from the Philippines, James is a registered nurse who is now following his heart as an artist.  James is a wonderful asset to the studio. He is industrious and has a passion for “fixing things.”  So far I have 3 torches, a compressor and a couple tools that are in better working order because of James.

Antoinette
Antoinette is in the Industrial Design department at the University of Houston.  She is  a hard worker and has the key element I look for in interns, passion and commitment.   I tell interns,” I can teach them what needs to be done, but passion and commitment are something that you must have. “

Ephraim
Ephraim is the youngest of the interns, but with the holidays he is excited about getting to work with clay. Ephraim is a high school student from Carver Magnet School

Allison
Allison is a regular intern. She has worked with me on the Panther Project for Prairie View.

Shirley
Shirley is an assistant sculptor on the project.  She is trained a bit more than the other interns, and I count on her for specific jobs. She too helped with the Panther project.

OTHERS

Bill
Bill is my son-in- law and he can be counted on for helping me put things together. He is going to create my floor.

Christina
Christina is my daughter.  She has worked with me her entire life, and though she is very pregnant I can always give her some clay and a sample shoe and say, “rough this in.”  Chris’ claim to fame, “my sculpting is in the shoes of a lot of mom’s projects.”

Mike
My husband, Mike does not help in the traditional studio , though I have to say he has rallied to my aid with the problems with the rocking chair. God bless my husband.  Mike’s forte is my digital and computer problems.  He fabricated the digital chair, and helped with other aspects of the project.

ART STUDENTS
If you are interested in learning more about internship in my studio here are some blog posts about what  it entails.
What is an Internship?
Looking for Interns ASAP

Summer Sculpture Internship

I leave Dallas with a pose, an agreement and an extremely tight deadline.

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.

While at Dallas Baptist University, we took a walk and looked at the art, as well as the placement of the  proposed sculpture.  Then we began to brainstorm about a pose.  At first Dr. Blackburn was posing, but it was understood that the sculpture was to be of a younger man, so I encouraged Dr. Blackburn’s assistant, Shannen to step into the creative process.

Finalizing a pose and obtaining photographic reference is a huge part of the process. For those artists reading this blog, the rule of thumb is— you can never have enough photographs as reference.  We still had not settled on the chair, and as mentioned in a previous post, to expedite the process and make the deadline, I intended on finding a chair in Houston and taking it apart for mold making.

Then I was introduced to Dr. Cook’s chair.

It is safe to say that I became emotionally involved with this chair.  More on that later.

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.

It is a whirlwind of a day.  The idea of this entire piece started from a sculpture that was seen elsewhere. Dallas Baptist University wanted to have a man praying to represent Dr. Gary Cook’s investment into praying for the campus and the students. They wanted a sculpture that would demonstrate the passion and importance of interceding and seeking God for direction.

I came with a few ideas. The sculpture could not look like any others. It had to be an original design.  I had hoped that my investment into the processes would help us to get our creative juices going and finalize a design quickly while visiting DBU.  One thing was for sure, with such a short time to create this piece we had to move fast in every aspect of this job, including the design process.

The proposed sculpture had a traditional chair. Using a chair that I could find at a store and then make a mold of to cast in bronze would help me to make this almost impossible deadline of the first week in April.  That entire concept of using a store bought chair would change. As you read on you will see what I mean.

FOR ART STUDENTS
If you are interested in learning how I create my sketches for presentation I have several blog articles about this elsewhere.  They are created digitally using several different computer programs.  Here are some links

Presentation for a Park 
The completion of a project 

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.

Things are already moving fast.  Within just a couple of weeks of talking to Dallas Baptist University about the possibility of creating a sculpture of a praying man, I’m headed to Dallas to meet Shannen Smith and Dr. Blackburn.

Usually a life size sculpture of this size would take an artist about 3 months to sculpt and an additional 3 months in the foundry- at a minimum. I have one month to sculpt and three months at the foundry.

When Shannen from DBU first called me about sculpting a praying man I was reminded about a desire that I had many, many years ago.  When I first began sculpting I had a vision of creating a series of bronze sculptures of praying people and having them set within public places. I envisioned a man in a suit kneeling next to his brief case, a housekeeper kneeling, a student on the way to school and others.     Prayer has always been important to me.  I felt that the series would remind others to pray.  I had that vision nearly 30 years ago.  I figured if that sculpture series  happened it would have to happen through a client. You see bronzes are so expensive to create. After so many years, I had almost forgotten about that vision, until this phone call.  When I received a call from DBU, there was a part of my heart that leapt at the fulfillment of a portion of this old creative vision.

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.

I am especially excited about the praying man project for Dallas Baptist University because, through the years my life has been full of prayer, and I have had a burden of intercessory prayer for others.  I think it is something I inherited from my mother, if you ascribe to the idea that you can inherit spiritual gifts. I do know there has been generations of faithful Christian women, and I’m immensely pleased to be a part of that inheritance.

• Over the years, many have said that my talent for sculpting is a “God given gift.”  That is a huge responsibility.   I pray often for that gift and guidance.
• Throughout my career, I have done several sculptures of people praying.  Years ago I had a garden sculpture line and created two sculptures of children praying. One was of a little girl, and the other is this one of a little boy praying and peeking up at God
• One of the first pieces in my God’s Word Collectibles line was of two girls praying with the scripture James 5:15 “Pray One For Another.” Each sculpture in the series comes with a letter from me saying why this scripture is important in my life. 

Pray one for another…


Confess your faults one to another; 
and pray one for another; 
that ye may be healed. 
The effectual and fervent prayer 
of a righteous man availeth much. 
James 5:16

Continuing our work on the Praying Man for Dallas Baptist University. You can find their project blog on Blogspot.