Sculpture
Another Newsboy to Be Created
Many times when I create a sculpture I reserve the rights to pour additional castings of the sculpture. That is the case with the newsboy. I had a client that contacted me and asked if they could purchase the sculpture and could I change the newspaper.
I think the idea is marvelous. Each newsboy with the headline and masthead of the newspaper that is pertinent to their history. I am sorry I can not reveal the purchaser or the headline, though it is fascinating. The sculpture is a being created as a gift for someone who used to work in the publishing industry. Just in case that person happens to be surfing the net and finds my litte obscure blog, I’ll hold off on the details until the gift is presented. I am thrilled that another newsboy is being cast. It is at the foundry now.
If anyone is interested in one of the life size newsboy sculptures, the price, at this date is $20,000. If you would like the newspaper changed to fit your headline and masthead there is an additional $2,000 charge. To do this I hand carve each of the papers, and there are many. There is one in the newsboys hand, one under his other arm, and several on the ground. My client sent me a copy of the newspaper that they wanted to produce and I created a mock up to show them what it would look like. OF couse we can’t put all of the copy, there is greeking or scribbles where the body copy is. There is however the masthead, the headline and the look of their paper.
I also won’t change the back of the paper. The copy reads “in memory of Skinney and others” If you are interested in the history and the hidden meaning behind the back page of the newspaper check out this part of the journal by following the newsboy category, and then read the link to the death of a newsboy.
The Newsboy Placed
A couple of months ago my husband and I were in Austin, Texas for a wedding. While there I had the opportunity to see my sculpture of the newsboy that was installed at the Texas Press Association. It was created to be placed at the capitol grounds in Austin, however it must go through legislation to do so. Until it is passed it will reside at the Texas Press Association building. You can read about the process of this commission by following the newsboy category in this blog.
The Texas Press Messenger covered the story of its placement.
Lucas is Flying Like Batman!
I love it when the foundry calls and says that a sculpture is ready for completion and can ship home to its rightful owner. I especially love it when it is a posthumous sculpture. I have worked for months trying to find and get to know my subject. Once found the sculpture must go through the bronze process. This means that the work that I labored on and enjoyed for so many months is now cut into pieces. When those pieces finally come back together in bronze and I see it, it feels like seeing an old friend.
Today I went to the foundry to look at Lucas. I still need to go back in the next week for one final look over. The foundry is checking out all of the final details. We decided that this sculpture should have a base, especially because the client wants to put it in their home. Though it would be best if they secured it to their floor just to be sure that Lucas does not “run” into anyone. The base is created and engineered to accommodate the weight of the sculpture, the cape and the action of the piece.
A bar was welded on the back of Lucas so that he could be hoisted in the air. It will be cut off after the foundry is done with the sculpture. Miguel takes a piece of wood cut in a shape for the base and shows me what that same piece, created in metal will look like. As he hoists Lucas in the air, I can’t help but think, “he really is flying like batman!” I know it is strange but I can feel Lucas with me when we are at the foundry looking at the piece. I took a wax replica of that wooden piece back to my studio to put a sort of grass texture on it. Now that will be cast and everything will be welded together.
Introducing Dick Hathaway
Another project that I have in my studio right now is of Professor Richard Hathaway. He was a teacher at Vermont College Union institute, and Goddard College. He passed away not long ago. I am working on a sculpture of him to be placed outside the green on the Vermont College Campus. The keeper of the Dick Hathaway sculpture is officially the T.W. Wood Gallery. They are also helping to raise some of the money that is needed for the casting of this sculpture.
My Dear One -Jeanine
Jeanine is the third posthumous commission that is write about in the book “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased—A Sculptor’s Journey” I learned a tremendous amount from this commission and she helped me with my epiphany! Thank you Jeanine
Jeanine is also at the foundry and is expected to go home before Christmas. It is a life size bronze bust.
I have also been asked to create a casting of Jeanine’s face from a life mold that her mother had created when she was young. 
Update on Patsy Sculpture
Patsy was approved and completed. I have not yet seen her placed yet. The project became part of a book that I have been writing in conjunction with my studies at Vermont College Union Institute. The book title is “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased—A Sculptor’s Journey”
I began the book with the question of “How do I capture the spirit of those I have never met?” Many people comment that my work has a tremendous amount of emotion and spirit in it. Is this just because I am highly trained? Or is there something else? I know many sculptors that have the mechanics of the work down, yet their pieces seem hollow-soulless. How do I do it? That is the question I asked myself at the beginning of the book and I have found some incredible answers.
The book is the personal journey of the artist and the documentation of 4 commissions, Patsy being one of the first. I am finishing up the book now and hope to have it to a publisher within the next 6 months. I am indebted to my clients for allowing me to be a part of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. I have learned so much through this journey.
Great News!
By the way, it was approved by the TW Woods Gallery. All donations can now go to them, designated for the memorial. They are now tax deductible. THANK YOU!
Also, the TW Woods called the day before yesterday and said that they received an anonymous donation toward the sculpting project.
Here is a financial update
$7,000 needed for balance of bronze
$2,000 needed for delivery (though I might be able to bring this cost down if I rent a car and put Dick in the front seat. How about a road trip Dick? Any friends of Dicks between Texas and Vermont? )
$9,000 Total needed
$4,060 received to date
$4,940 needed
WE ARE ALMOST ½ WAY THERE!
( PHOTOGRAPH- from the memorial photographs, Dick Hathaway with an ADP packet)
Travel To Vermont
I traveled up to Vermont College for several reasons. The Dick Hathaway sculpture that I am creating was a part of my study at Vermont College. I graduated on November 1st. I presented two lectures one at Vermont College and one for the T.W. Wood Gallery. Both were about sculpting the deceased, the process and the research for my book “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased—A Sculptor’s Journey”. I especially liked the TW Wood lecture as many friends of Dick Hathaway were there. It was good to have their inspiration. To be fed stories about Dick Hathaway refreshed me. I’m looking forward to getting back to the sculpture. It should be done in about a month or so.
One was for school and the other for the gallery.
The photograph that I created of the progress on Dick Hathaway now resides at the TW Woods. The sculpture needs a bit of work and there is going to be a pile of books near his foot. The question is, “What are the names of the books?”
The other rose was for my sweet instructor Charlotte Hastings.
Proceeding With Dick
I have to admit that since I have finished writing my black book Dick Hathaway is receiving a lot of attention. I am down in the studio until late at night usually leaving around 11:30. My apprentice comes in at 9 and stays until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Then I take over. It feels good to have Dick’s hands and feet all attached. Still need to do a lot of detail but now that I have him all together it is much easier to see things. Here are some photograph that my husband took for press purposes. The sculpture goes through its completion from the feet upward. Notice there are no ties on the shoe laces. The foundry fabricates these in metal. I work my way up the socks to the pant legs. The fold in the pants and the hands will take a tremendous amount of time. Once I work my way up the entire torso I will take off the head and work the details separately from the torso.
When the sculpture is cast in metal the entire thing will shrink about an inch, making Dick appear a bit smaller.
More Photos Of Dicks Office
While at the campus last October I was taking pictures of things that were Dick Hathaway. I have a blog about my adventures in undergraduate and graduate school, if anyone is interested.
Here is his mailbox, with incoming mail.
and the phone in his office with 12 messages.
