Sculpture
Another Child Goes Home
The sculpture “David” has gone home. It is a tiny piece with the chair measuring about 7″ in height. I just had to put together something to put on the ground so he could be looking at it. This is of course a David pose, at least what I saw him do when I was there.
His mom came and picked him up this week. I made a copy for myself, but I will have to buy a small chair to display my sculpture. I loved working on David. He came to my studio and played, It was a great excitement for me as I miss interacting with little ones. Together we fed my turtle Tilly and we threw pebbles in the pond, giggled and laughed.
Newsboy Goes to Canada!
The best part of the newsboy sculpture is that it consistently becomes an added part of the celebration of history. The Newsgroup in Canada purchased the sculpture to honor those involved in the celebration of the 100th birthday. Here is the copy that they sent, just in case anyone else is interested in the history.
______________________________________________________________________________
Monday is our 100th Birthday!
The story of the O’Brien family is a great one, as the first pioneer in our business in Canada.
E.H. O’Brien was born in 1886, and left school in Grade 6 to support his family.
Ed O’Brien started his business on the 26th of November, 1907, with the Toronto Daily Star as a part time operation with ten dealers. At the same time, he was working in a cigar factory making cigars. The business resided in a small office on King Street East in Hamilton, with about 150 square feet of floor space which contained a desk and a telephone. Deliveries were made on a child’s wagon.
In 1909 the business had grown to the point that Ed went into it on a full time basis. He rented a horse and bought a wagon for deliveries. The “Hearst” franchise was acquired at this time. In 1914, the “Curtis” franchise was acquired, and in 1916 the first truck was purchased at a cost of about $600.
By 1918 the business had grown with acquisitions of Muncey, Macleans, Consolidated Press and others. In 1921 Ed purchased the F.J. Roy News Company. At this point, Ed was an earlier consolidator, as all independent franchises in existence at that time were acquired.
In 1923, publishers supplied E.H. O’Brien for the Brantford, Ontario market as the former operator had gone out of business. A new company was formed, General News and Novelty Company, which supplied over 150 dealers in Western Ontario.
In 1934, Ed started the National News Company in Ottawa, Ontario, and subsequently purchased the other independent news companies in Ottawa.
Close behind E.H. O’Brien, was H.H. Marshall, who founded a newspaper and magazine distribution business in Halifax in 1908. Harry Marshall was born in 1883 and started his career as a newspaper boy. By the turn of the century Harry had several routes in Halifax, and had opened a men’s apparel store, along with his newspaper business in 1906.
As they say, “The Rest is History!”
Today we are proud to continue in the traditions of E.H. O’Brien, H.H. Marshall and family to supply over 45,000 customers in Canada and the United States. We continue to serve our fine publishers of magazines and books, delivering knowledge daily to millions of Canadians and Americans.
A Younger Dick Hathaway
Well a younger Dick Hathaway is coming to life. I have attached the head of the sculpture and I am working on pulling everything all together. I changed the arm, raising it a bit. I was not sure I could do this, because the armature is rebar. Standing on the bench I pulled up. It worked. I also reattached the hand. Dick’s right leg is still removed so that we can get in close the finish some details. I keep moving around the shirt trying to get things just right. Shoulders, left arm and back. Every now and again I look up at the face and change a thing here and there.
The Satchel is Almost Complete
The satchel is almost complete. The books, with their titles are carved and even the sheet of paper on the top of the satchel has been done.
It reads,
Dear Richard Hathaway,
May all that come after you emanate your love of family, history, education, and philanthropy. With great appreciation your family, friends, colleagues and students.
The elephant and feather are pouring out of the bag. Funny thing is that I have an irresistible urge to put in something round next to the elephant. I don’t know if this is a design thing or an intuitive thing. I don’t know why a round thing? Either coins or marbles. Why would I pick either one of these? I don’t know. Anyone have a clue? Anyone know anything about either coins or marbles relating to Dick Hathaway?
My apprentice needs to do some work on this satchel yet. Not much just clean up some areas, but she is busy smoothing out the Dick’s shirt If we could get it done we could actually put this satchel into the mold process. Then on to the bronze.
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.
Bronzes come back to the studio
I picked up the two bronzes from the foundry. next week they go home to their owners.
