In Loving Memory of Ellen Ada O’Neal 1993-2001
The parents of Ellie struggled with ideas of what to put on her gravesite. They wanted something that would let people know who Ellie was. Ellie’s artwork had been chosen by the Children’s Art Project of MD Anderson Hospital. Originally it was thought that the artwork might be reproduced into a tombstone. When I met Ellie’s parents I suggested a likeness of Ellie, and the sculpture evolved from there.
The sculpture project was a creative endeavor involving Ellie’s family and myself. Her parents decided on the seated pose- legs out to the side, this was a typical pose for Ellie. We opted for putting her artwork on a sketchbook on her lap. With a sketch book created in bronze children who visit the sculpture can do a rubbing of the artwork with paper and crayon.
A computer-generated sketch was created for approval by the parents.
Ellie loved butterflies so we put a monarch on her finger. Real monarchs regularly visit the gravesite. Originally the sculpture was created on a metal plate, but further on in the design process we did away with the plate deciding to place her in the grass, so that she would look like she just decided to sit down and sketch.
Another element of the sculpture is her bunny Floppy. She took it with her everywhere and wore off the fur from the end of the ear by rubbing it under her nose.
The real floppy was buried with Ellie so I worked from photos. Floppy was placed behind Ellie; head resting on her leg looking up at her, jealous of the attention Ellie is giving the butterfly.
In creating the sculpture we found one of Ellie’s friends who is the same size as Ellie was. She posed for the sculpture. I took photos all around including details. I also acquired many photos of Ellie from her parents. I used these as reference.
The most difficult part of the sculpture was her hair. Most photos showed Ellie with a wig or no hair. One professional photo gave good reference of her hair, however it had been consistently combed during the photo shoot. We messed it up a bit, tucking it behind her ears, as Ellie would often do, and the final touch was made.
A second casting of this sculpture will reside in a prayer garden at Ellie’s home church St. Marks United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
To purchase Ellie’s art through the Children’s Art Project
Articles I have written concerning Ellie
Heights Artist Helps Children With Cancer through Artwork
A life remembered helps 6 children go mad over art
The Rodeo Awards- Howdy!
Last year I was commissioned by a committee at the Houston Rodeo to create several awards. This year they came back to have them recreated. This is Howdy. It is a replica in 3D of the Rodeo logo. There are three other awards that look different. But I kind of like this one.
Richard Hathaway in The Snow
I have loved receiving the photographs of the Richard Hathaway Memorial sculpture during the different seasons and at different Montpelier events on the Campus. It is wonderful to see Dick still beckons to each of the students.
Welcome Hannnah Ahn
We would like to welcome Hannah Ahn to the office of Bridgette Mongeon Fine Art Sculpture and the office of God’s Word Collectible sculptures. Hannah will be working as a public relations and marketing intern for both companies. Hannah has a BS in communications studies, corporate communications and a concentration in Business from the University of Texas at Austin.
We are especially glad that she appreciates that every day is dog day in our offices. Hannah will be working with both the marketing and public relations of both companies as well as my writing and speaking engagement. Her challenge will be to learn to juggle everything that I do.
I’d like to personally thank the PUblic Relations Sociey of America- Houston Chapter. I posted the need for an intern on their job board and I had many qualified applicants. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Hannah.
A Beautiful Subject For The Book That We Are Writing
My husband and I have been contracted by Focal Press to create a book titled Digital Sculpting with Mudbox: Essential Tools and Techniques For Artists.
I will be creating a portrait of this beautiful little girl digitally for the book.
I am also creating her traditionally in a water based clay and documenting the entire process. I will be making that video into an instructional video on sculpting a likeness that will be for sale on this website. My new intern Elizabeth is also creating the sculpture along with me, which is helpful because she is new to sculpting and I am taking note to my instructions to her as well as her many questions. I expect the video to be ready at the end of the year. The book Digital Sculpting with Mudbox: Essential Tools and Techniques For Artists is not expected out until next year.
New Article- Milling- An Additional Tool of Advanced Technology For the Traditional Sculptor
Created for Best of Artists and Artisans website
By Bridgette Mongeon © 2008
In this column’s May 2008 article, “Using the Computer and Poser in the Sculpture Studio,” I spoke about using the computer program Poser and Daz 3D to create my presentations for a sculpture called Jenna. I’d like to expand on that process to further assist the traditional artists utilizing technology in the studio. Some sculptors are utilizing digital scanning and milling to help enlarge their sculptures. I will expand on scanning in a later article, as there is quite a bit of information to relay about digital scanning. For this article we will focus on milling in foam.
If you remember with the sculpture of Jenna, both Poser and Daz 3D figures were combined to create several different visuals for the client to look at and approve. From there we took the computer generated 3D pose and sent it to Blue Genie Art Industries in Austin, Texas, for milling. First we made sure that the mesh, the underlying structure in a 3D computer model that gives it its shape and form, was watertight. This means that there are no holes in the mesh. Blue Genie Art Industries can examine files for an artist and provided this service as well.
Blue Genie Art Industries then took the Poser file provided and sent it to the (CNC) Computer Numerical Controlled milling machine. Here the CNC milling machine uses drill bits that move back and forth along the foam, carving out a foam replica of the 3d model that is in the computer.
Happy New Year
The studio has been quiet over the holidays as we spent time with family and friends. We had a Posada at the studio inviting friends and neighbors. A posada is a Mexican tradition of going to a different house each night for 7 nights. two people are dressed as Mary and Joseph and ask for lodging, which is done through singing. Several people stood outside the studio door and sang while others were inside signing back. In the end we all eat. It was a cold night.
The posada went well, and part of me wishes we would have also had an upside down Christmas Party as we have in the past. Maybe next year.
There are great adventures planned with the God’s Word Collectible series as well. And I am really looking forward to our Inspirations/Generations podcasts. A new one is up on New Years Resolutions. May you all have a wonderful and creative New Year.
Merry Christmas—And A Prayer For Those Who Are Ill
Recently I recorded a podcast about traditions. It was for Inspirations/Generations podast that I record with my mother, and daughter. It was about Christmas traditions. You can find the podcast on the God’s Word Collectible website, or if you like you can subscribe to it in 
In it we talked about reading the Christmas story from the bible and reenacting the scene with the nativity figures. Well my children are grown and my daughter lives in another state, so instead I read in front of Jenna’s candle. Jenna’s candle was given to me by her mom and I was instructed to light it on special occasions.
Because a good deal of the year I am working on sculptures of loved ones who have died, I have a great compassion for my clients and others who have lost a loved one. This time of year is especially difficult. So I lit the candle for Jenna, and for all of those other children and I read the Christmas Story. I also prayed for those families who have family members who are struggling with cancer and illness. I thought about the children as I sat alone in my studio and read and prayed. May all families feel God’s comfort at this time.
Jenna’s candle is on a place that might be referred as my alter. It has special things that I like, a picture of my mom and myself, a stone elephant that I mention in my book “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased-A Sculptor’s Journey.” And a sculpture that someone created for me saying, “this sculpture represents your spirit. “
May all families feel God’s comfort at this time.
A Completed Sculpture For The University of Memphis
Today I completed, or should I say almost completed the commission of Willard R. Sparks for the University of Memphis. There is just some minor smoothing out to be done and then he is off to the foundry. I expect he will be going through the mold process by the weekend. His daughter came by and approved the sculpture. I have really enjoyed sharing not just memories of Mr. Sparks but also her love of animals and other things. Here are some final pictures.
Sparks Commission- Update -Moving Along
Moving along and trying to finish Mr. Sparks for the University of Memphis by next week. That is if my thumb holds out.