Sculpture
Wax Newspapers!
One of the things that needs to be prepared for the life size newsboy to go into bronze, is his newspapers. I offer, for an additional cost, a change of the masthead and above the fold headline. That means my client can recreate any headline in history. That is really cool when you think about it. What it entails for me is to carve all of these papers. Now, I could carve one and make a mold, but frankly that is almost as much trouble as carving the entire paper. Here is how I changed the first newspaper for the second one in the edition that went to the Tabor City Tribune. The paper is covered in wax and then the new headline will be hand carved. Now all of this would be o.k. if it were just one paper. But the newsboy holds one in his right hand, a bunch were tucked under his left hand, and there are a pile by his feet. So basically I have to recreate at least three papers.
Of course the rest of the waxes also need to be cleaned. This is usually done by the foundry, but I like working my waxes and adding detail. The waxes are made from molds and where the molds come together there is often a seam of wax. Of course you also need to be sure that all of the pieces go together. It is much easier to put together waxes than it is metal.
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a Newsboy – Life-Size or Figurine
Body Parts About The Studio
Yes, it is once again time to have body parts about the studio. What you are looking at are the newsboy waxes. It is hard to believe that in just a few weeks these will be put together to look like the bronze below. The next newsboy sculpture in the edition number 3 is being purchased. More details on that later. meanwhile- pass the word more are available and we can personalize the newspaper to represent a newspaper in history. Maybe your newspaper? We did this for the Tabor City Tribune adding the interesting story behind the Ku Klux Klan.
It is Getting Moldy Around Here -LOL!
Molds, molds everywhere. Every time I create a sculpture, a mold is made for it to go to bronze. Usually I have the rights to pour more than one mold and so, I end up with many heavy cumbersome molds around the studio. Since we had the accident in the roof in the shed, these will sit right here. And we also need to build a loft to store these on. Oh my, not something else on my list of things to do.
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.
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.
The Secret Revealed!
For about 4 months I have been working with a new secret client. It was a secret because we were creating it for her husband to be given to him at their Christmas Party. The party was this past Saturday. The subject was Dr. Brown of the Houston Hand Center. You know the commercial, with his little daughter, who reaches out for the camera.
Rachel, Dr. Brown’s wife, and I have been working on this commission for four months and we managed to pull it off even though Hurricane Ike came in the middle and tried to slow us down.Rachel graciously invited my husband and I to their company Christmas party. Something quite fun as we don’t work for a company and rarely get to go to a Christmas party.I also loved being there for the unveiling.
I also worked diligently to put together a video of the entire process. Rachel was so much fun to work with sending me photographs and letting me tape her voice. It was a blast to have that extra little something to go with the sculpture. The video was played at the party.Mr. Brown was delighted with his sculpture, and Ms. Brown expressed a desire to have the kids captured as life-size bronzes. We all agree, the Brown’s will be keeping me quite busy in the next year or so, but not too busy to take on other work, I’ll just be hiring new apprentices.Here are some photographs from the event.
Sparks Commission Always Wanting More Reference
When trying to capture the likeness of someone it is much more difficult when you don’t have lots of reference. The more reference the easier my job. I tried to pull some photographs from a memorial video and they helped some but it is nice to have both profile and front view. Without that the sculpture may look exactly like the subject from the front, but from the side it will look like a stranger. I spent the weekend roughing in the sculpture and have a good start, I may have to hold off on doing any more until I have more reference. If the client can’t find any of course I’ll do my best. But here is the sculpture as it appears roughed in. This is Mr. Sparks for the University of Memphis.