Sculpture

December 22-27, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we got to see the morphing of a sculpture.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

My, it was cold in the studio this week! We were thankful for the torches, but sitting on the ground and working on the shoes was something that neither my assistant nor myself wanted to do.

Last week I had wooden skewers in the place of the buttons. This helped me to be able to get my proportions correct and also greatly affected the folds. This week I have replaced them with buttons. Now I can really see what needs to be defined.

I also added a “fake” newspaper in Dusty’s left arm. It helped me to be able to see the arm and upper torso better. I also wrapped some Saran wrap around the suspenders and put them on Dusty. The wrap was to keep the suspenders clean. I put them in place with buttons and pins. Previous photos show strips of cloth for suspenders. I know the suspenders have not changed in size since Dusty wore them. Using them helps with proportions. Having them in place plays a great role in the folds of the shirt and pants.

Sometimes I will pin the photos directly to the sculpture. When I’m working I’m usually holding several of my favorite tools and a hand full of photos and then there is the torch. I wish I had an extra appendage to hold some things.

Some of my favorite tools are dental tools. They are very sturdy and can handle the stiff clay. They also can be heated up. As I understand it, dentists will often toss their old dental tools. If you are a dentist please don’t toss them, send them to me. My favorite two tools are the “hockey stick” looking tool and the one that looks like an ice chopper. Chris and I often fight over the tools.

Artists do get used to the feel of a tool, and you get so used to how it feels that it works like a part of your own hand. Change that tool and it throws your production off.

The blog will get back to student and teacher posts, but for now, let’s move on to see some Huge Strides in the Life-Size Sculpture.

December 14-21, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we learned a little about the frustration in the creative process

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

I have had assistance with the sculpture, this week. My daughter, Christina, is home from college and is helping smooth out the clay on the sculpture.

Remember that this clay is very difficult to smooth. You have to heat it up with a torch or brush it with warm brushes. I spend time putting clay on and taking it off and Chris comes behind me and smoothes out the clay. I have always liked smooth clay and I can see the errors better if the sculpture is smoothed out. Many times I come right after her, add and take away and she smoothes all over again. I guess we have a system going.

I have had assistance with the sculpture, this week. My daughter, Christina, is home from college and is helping smooth out the clay on the sculpture.

Remember that this clay is very difficult to smooth. You have to heat it up with a torch or brush it with warm brushes. I spend time putting clay on and taking it off and Chris comes behind me and smoothes out the clay. I have always liked smooth clay and I can see the errors better if the sculpture is smoothed out. Many times I come right after her, add and take away and she smoothes all over again. I guess we have a system going.

After such a frustrating series of days, last week, the sculpture is finally becoming more friendly. At least that is the way it feels to this artist.

I had a sitting with Dusty to take photos of his teeth. Before I met with him, I printed out all the pages of this journal and some of the articles that have been printed about the sculpture. I put them in a photo album and gave them to him, a scrapbook of sorts. He was thrilled. I can only imagine what it must be like to be 12 years old and to have your image created in bronze and put at the State Capitol building.

I have many measurements that I took of Dusty, but because I am actually starting from the ground up, I was very interested in getting his calf measurements.

He also gave me his mom’s boots, with her permission of course. These boots were used in the initial photo sitting. I was so thrilled to get the teeth photos, boots, and calf measurement. I felt renewed creatively

Having the boots really has been a tremendous help. I spent a day, laying on the floor and roughing in the right boot. Then handed it off to Christina who spent another entire day smoothing the clay and defining the details that I indicated. We still have not finished it, but it has come a long way.From the boot I am moving my way up the leg, and those calf measurements sure are coming in handy, then on to the left leg. By the end of the week it looked as if the sculpture is morphing from the ground up. It is so cool to see.

Now let’s keep going. Working hard and to the next post –Working Through The Holidays.

December 7-13, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we learned a little about the possible history of the this newsboy sculpture.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

I have a hard time actually seeing my progress at this point of the project. The work is progressing very slowly. I just keep working and working, and working, moving around the sculpture, taking clay off and putting clay on, comparing it from all directions, looking at the many photos. It is very frustrating. I wonder if anyone else can see the progress?

In many different art projects there is a point of frustration. Sometimes it is a feeling of being overwhelmed; sometimes it just doesn’t seem to come together quick enough and you end up frustrated with the process. All artists go through this. It is important to push past the frustration, stay motivated keep pushing to greatness. I have told this to my own children as they have worked with their creativity. I’m not sure if they understand totally. I think the more you push past the frustration and then finally see the finished art, the easier it is to continue in this difficult part of the creative process.

As artists, my husband and I have many years of creativity between us, and the frustration with our art still comes. The most welcoming part of the frustration is that you know there is a wonderful feeling on the other side of it.

TEETH
This is the first time that I have ever had to sculpt the inside of someone’s mouth. I need to set up another sitting with Dusty to get more reference photos.

BOOTS
The boots that Dusty wore in the photo sitting were his mothers. She collects antique clothing. I plan on getting the real boots to work from next week, while at the photo shoot for Dusty’s teeth.Being able to work from life, even if it is a boot, will be a tremendous help. I can hardly wait.

Let’s move on to the Morphing of a Sculpture.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

History
• There was a sales campaign for the zipper in children’s clothing in 1939. Can you search the history of the zipper link above, and tell me what items the zipper was used for before it was used on pants?

• There is a copy of the newsboy strike printed in the New York Times, July 21, 1899. Kids your age were able to change the minds of very powerful people.

“Friens and feller workers. Dis is a time which tries de hearts of men. Dis is de time when we’se got to stick together like glue…. We know wot we wants and we’ll git it even if we is blind.” 

The New York Tribune quoted Kid Blink’s speech to 2,000 strikers:

November 29-December 6, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we were watching the process of the beginning of sculpting the life-size newsboy

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

Remember that this sculpture is intended for the State Capital. I thought that this might be a good time to look at the road that the newsboy will have to travel to get there.

Our destination is the Texas State Preservation Board. “The State Preservation Board was established in 1983 by the 68th Legislature for the purpose of preserving, maintaining and restoring the State Capitol and the General Land Office building, and their contents and ground for the benefit of the citizens of Texas”

You can read about the State Preservation Board on their web site. According to this web site “the Texas Capitol building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its significant contribution to American History.” The state preservation board will determine the future of our newsboy.

What road do you take to get to the State Preservation Board? It is a long journey. To be put on the agenda for the State Preservation Board the project must be brought as a resolution before the state senate.

The Legislature meets every odd-numbered year for 140 days. The 79th regular legislative session begins Jan. 11, 2005. If you would like to find out more about the legislature processes the Texas Legislature site Online web site is excellent.

There is also quite a bit of information at the Association of Texas Professional Educators.

WHO IS MY REPRESENTATIVE?
I am very proud to report that John Whitmire, the state senator who represents my district will file the bill supporting the Texas Press Association’s statue request.

If you live in Texas and you are interested in finding out whom your own state representative is, you can do so by going to the capitol state web site and typing in your address.

If you would like to learn about the Texas Senate you can play games and collect senator trading cards, like the one above, at Texas Senate Kids web site.

There is a section for preschool children as well as a special section for parents and teachers. You can also take a capitol tour. When take the tour you will see the sculptures of Elizabet Ney that we spoke about in the October 26th journal. I love the Texas Senate Kids web site, it is so much fun!

THE JOURNEY’S END
We really will not know the standing and destination of our newsboy until next year. The designated date of placement for the sculpture is May 19th 2005. This is the 125th anniversary date of the Texas Press Association.

If for some reason the newsboy should not make it through the legislation process, with favor, the sculpture will be placed at the Texas Press Association’s office building in Austin, Texas.

As we follow this legislative process it will be a wonderful educational adventure. I am hopeful about the placement at the State Capitol building and I look forward to uniting with many people at the unveiling. My job, right now, is to keep sculpting. The rest will be history.

Now let’s move on with the sculpting process in the Frustration of the Creative Process.

November 12-21, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, started the sculpting of the life size newsboy.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

Headless
The sculpture is coming along. I am working on the head separately from the body. This enables me to work on it from all directions. Sometimes turning a head upside down helps me to get the details and proportions correct. For the brim of the hat I have used the pattern that I purchased and cut it out in cardboard and then covered it with clay, pinned it to the head, and added the top of the hat. I have to be careful; I don’t want to add these details too soon, because I need to be able to reach the eyes.

Torch
This clay is very hard. After heating it up and putting it on the armature it cools down and hardens. To put more detail in the sculpture I have to heat it up. The torch is my best friend. The process of doing the life size sculpture is very physical. This is where my Popeye forearms come from. During this process I’ll sculpt for two days and then let my arms and hands rest. In between I spend a lot of time cleaning up. This processes is messy, messy, messy.

Paper
I have taken real newspapers and coated them with wax. They are just pinned in place for now. Putting them in place helps me with proportions. Later I’ll carve the headline in the paper.I am really counting on the small wax sculpture. I spend a lot of time holding it up, in line with the large sculpture, to see how it is progressing.
Next week I’ll take some time off to spend some time with my family for Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Time to continue on with the process, but first, let’s learn about the possible future journey of this newsboy.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Learning how to enlarge a sculpture

There are several ways to enlarge a sculpture.  There is a method called pointing up that is described by Christopher Pardell in his article.This You Tube Video by Joe McCluskey shows the pointing up process with a pantograph. might help you to understand the process. A new way of enlarging sculpture is done by a company called Synappsys. They scan artwork and then take the image into a computer and enlarge it. Foam is cut out by another machine. The pieces are then secured with rods through them, to keep them together.  And then she put clay on top of the foam.  Now that is quite a bit of hot wax to put on a sculpture! The artist’s Alice in Wonderland Sculpture was created this way. Watch her video to see how it is done.

November 8th-12th, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon documents the creating of a limited edition, bronze figurine and life-size Newsboy sculpture for the Texas Press Association. Bronzes are available for purchase in both sizes.

This week I started on the life size sculpture of the newsboy. As with the small newsboy, an armature needs to be built. Wire is not strong enough to hold the amount of clay that will be on the sculpture, and weight is often a problem, so the goal in making an armature for the large piece is strength and not too much weight.

The large wooden platform was first constructed. It was necessary to make this strong enough so that if necessary I could stand right on top of it. Next I examined the small wax sculpture. I decided I wanted the pipe to enter the body in the lower back, behind the right leg. It will be a little difficult sculpting on the left leg as it will be close to the pole but I have opted for this placement anyway. 

The armature in this large piece consists mainly of 3/4-inch plumbing pipe. I worked with the angles and pipe to configure the torso. If I had a welding machine in the studio I would have preferred to weld the armature together, using the angles that I need.

After figuring out the plumbing pipe I then added wire and chicken wire. In the chicken wire I added spray foam insulation. This stuff is very messy to work with but it really does a great job of adding volume without adding weight. After it dries I cut it away in the shape of the newsboy. I’ll be adding on about an inch or two of clay to this armature. I study the small wax and the large sculpture to be sure I have the correct size and shape.

I have also added some flat foam pieces to the base of the sculpture. I am unsure if this life size piece will have a large base or sit flush with the ground. I would prefer it sit flush with the ground, so that it looks like the newsboy is walking in the grass, but that will depend on the client and the placement and many other variables. I have decided to put the base on the sculpture and if it is not needed I can cut it off in the wax. These flat foam pieces, which are really foam that you use to insulate, work like the spray foam. They add a little volume to the base. I could do the base with the clay but it would take more clay.

After the foam is cured I carve it to the correct shape. Then my assistant, Miguel, adds a thin layer of wax. This is an extra step that I take to prevent the little pieces of foam shavings from getting into the clay. I am a very tactile sculptor and I hate bits of things in the clay.

Now it is time to put on the clay. It is done the same way as the small sculpture. I heat the clay up in crackpots and add it to the armature in a frosting like manner. I usually have an apprentice do this work. They add the clay enough for me to come in and do the final detail. Working in this wax base clay at this scale is often very physical work. When it is cold the clay gets very stiff. Sometimes I will work with a hair dryer or even a torch to soften it to enable me to work.

I’m working on the head separately and will report on that next week. I have made quite a bit of progress.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

I often will continue to do research as I proceed with the project. It helps to keep me motivated and interested, it keeps the passion alive.

When trying to research the amount of money that the young boy would be carrying in his pockets I tried to find out about the cost of a newspaper. Here is an article that introduced to the “Penny Press” The penny press offered lower income citizens an opportunity to read the news.

PBS has a link to a very interesting subject called yellow journalism.

Here is a source that states that the Sun was not the first newspaper to utilize newsboys.

History Buff also had a nice article about newspaper production 1892-1992

And if you do float around on the History Buff web site and read about newspapers, then try their newspaper-collecting quiz.

November 2-8, 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we learned about preparing the artwork for the foundry.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

It is been an exciting week. I was so busy the last couple weeks that I did not have the time to really relish in the idea that the newsboy was born. I want to take a little time to go over just how much work there has been and how far we have come in the last three months. The steps in creating an original work of art are never easy.

PRELIMINARY PHOTOS
In August we had the first preliminary photo shoot, where many different photos were taken to come up with a pose for the client to approve.

RESEARCH
There were many months of research. What type of clothes would a newsboy wear how do I get them? What would the newsboy’s action be? Through out the past weeks we have learned about everything from the strike of newsboys, where knickers came from, when a zipper came into being, how to find vintage clothing patterns, as well as how to sew from vintage clothing patterns. At times it was extremely frustrating to try and get all of the details correct and to make sure I had made no mistakes in historical facts. It has been a wonderful adventure of exploration and learning. their newspaper-collecting quiz.

FINAL PHOTOS
After weeks and weeks of research and sewing the original 1920’s outfit, we finally had our 144 photos to work from. Detailed photos are an essential element in getting all of the details correct.

MOLD AND WAX
The details are preserved in the mold and waxes that were created of the newsboy sculpture.

TO THE FOUNDRY
The next step for this small newsboy sculpture is the foundry process.

THE LARGE SCULPTURE
Now it is on to the large sculpture. My assistant and I are in the process of preparing the large armature and I will post photos next week.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE WAXES
I did fail to mention a few things about the waxes. Each wax has my signature with the date of completion and a copyright notice ©. The copyright notice is to protect the artwork so that no one can make copies of my art. Copyright is a very important element for those working in the arts. This is how I make my living, if someone where to make copies of my artwork it would be illegal and the copyright notice protects me. Although the Texas Press Association has commissioned me to create this sculpture I have retained the copyright. Therefore I can sell further pieces in the edition as based on my contract with my client.

COPYRIGHTS
Copyrights can be a little confusing, let me explain. I can copyright my newsboy, but I cannot copyright the idea of a newsboy, just my design of the newsboy. Let’s say I painted an Indian I cannot say, ” No other artist can paint an Indian. Or if they do paint an Indian they can not use feathers or war paint, because I used feathers and war paint.” That would be trying to copyright an idea. However if someone reproduced my art exactly as I have done it, that would be copyright infringement.

EDITION NUMBER
The other item that is on the wax is the number in the edition. When you look at a bronze it will usually have the number that the sculpture is in the edition over the number of total pieces in the edition. The two small sculptures that are at the foundry are 1/100 and 2/100. Many collectors prefer the first pieces in the edition. They feel that these pieces have more detail, being that they are the first to come out of the mold. When an edition is sold out, the mold is destroyed. There may also be one other part of a limited edition bronze, the AP or artist proof. This is the first sculpture poured and it is used to compare all of the following sculptures.

Now, watch as the artist goes big. In the next post we get to see the beginning of a life size Newsboy sculpture.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

ART AND HISTORY
• Look over the links and the research that we have done. Which part did you find the most interesting? Was it learning about vintage clothing, or about the newsboy strike? Which area intrigued you the most?

• If you would like to learn more about copyrights check out the US copyright website.

• If your parents hired me to sculpt you at the age of three, what pose would you be in and what would you be wearing. What if I were to sculpt your parents at that age what would they be doing and what would they be wearing ? Would their clothes be the same? How about if it were your grandparents?

Oct 25th-Nov 1 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we watched the artist Finish The Small Newsboy Sculpture.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

What a week this has been. I was very busy. Once the small sculpture was completely sculpted, I had to prepare it for the foundry. This means making a mold and cleaning up waxes. Let me explain:

With every limited edition bronze, a mold is made. This mold is created in many steps. First I study the sculpture figuring out how the mold will come off the sculpture or how the wax will be removed. This foresight comes from experience. When I figure this out, I separate those areas with metal shims.

After separating the sculpture, I start to paint the sculpture with rubber. It is important to get the rubber in each crevice and detail without any air bubbles. After the rubber is painted on, a mother mold of plaster is put on the sculpture. This holds the rubber in place. You may notice that I cut off the right arm of the newsboy so that it would help with my mold making process. The paper he is holding is also separate as well as the papers that are on the ground. For each of these, I made separate molds. Once the mold is complete, I take it apart. There is usually no saving the original; it is destroyed in the demolding. (If you are an art student reading this journal, please check back to the main web site. I hope to provide free online classes in mold making, sculpting, and casting. I am working on them now. Or you could sign up for the newsletter, to be sure that you are notified.)

When the mold is complete the wax is poured hollow with three coats of hot wax. For each metal sculpture that you have in an edition, a wax is needed. The small newsboy sculpture is an edition of 100. So, I will eventually pour 100 waxes, but I will only do that as needed, as orders are placed. My goal was to have 4 wax newsboys by Friday, but I had three other projects that I was also finishing up and the dog sculpture that also needed a mold made and then a wax. When the mold is complete the wax is poured hollow with three coats of wax.

When the wax comes out of the mold, I work on cleaning them as well as putting some extra detail into the wax. By the end of the week, I only had two newsboys and one wax dog. The dog was the other sculpture going to the foundry.

I should mention that not all artists make their own molds and pour waxes. Many send this part to the foundry. I do it for a couple of reasons. Time and convenience- it saves me time to work the waxes in my own studio and take them there, instead of working at the foundry. There are also many artists who don’t work their waxes. I don’t really “like” to work wax, and many times I have apprentices in the studio doing this type of work for me. I do like making sure of the details in this process.

I packed each of the sculptures very carefully. I also packed a third sculpture in the car; it is a portrait bust of Nolan Ryan’s grandchild that I hope to deliver to Round Rock, just north of Austin.

Even working until late at night all week, I could not get everything that I wanted done. By the end of the week I only had two wax newsboys, the dog, and the Nolan Ryan sculpture. I had to abandon the 4th project until my return to the studio.

We headed for Austin. Saturday we delivered the sculptures to Ruth Ryan’s office and then went to tour the Capitol building in Austin. I wanted to see the grounds where the life-size sculpture “might” go. Remember, it still has to pass legislation to be put on the capitol grounds. There are several sculptures on the grounds. I took some photos and had the opportunity to tour the capitol building. I don’t have any say as to where the sculpture should be placed, but I thought this grassy area on the north side would be perfect. As I watched the people coming in and out of the capitol building, I thought, “this is where a newsboy would stand to sell his papers.”

While in Austin I also visited the Elizabet Ney museum. Elizabet Ney was a sculptor 1833-1907. She lived and worked in Texas, just before the time period of our newsboy. She has two sculptures in the state capitol building, Stephen Austin and Sam Houston. Her studio, the museum, is just north of this downtown area. It was a great treat for me to see her work.

Next week I will get started on sculpting the life-size sculpture. The trip to the capitol, watching the small newsboys go off to the foundry, and visiting Elizabet Ney’s museum all have increased my inspiration and anticipation for next week’s work.

Before we go on to the life-size sculpture, let’s do a Review of the Process.

TO PURCHASE THE SMALL SCULPTURE
The cost of the small bronze newsboy sculpture mounted on a wooden base is $1,350. If you would like to purchase a sculpture please fill in the contact form. A deposit of 1/2 or $675. is required. The balance will be due upon notification that the sculpture is ready for delivery from the foundry. You can send your check to:
Bridgette Mongeon, PO BOX 10562, Houston, Texas 77206. Or you can pay by e mail through pay pal.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
• How did Elizabet Ney have an effect on the history or art education in Texas? Search the Elizabet Ney links for a clue.

• It was unheard of for a women to be a sculptor in the time period of Elizabet Ney. She was greatly admired by many in Texas. In many ways, she paved the way for other women sculptors.

• Elizabet Ney lived on a plantation called Liendo, outside of Hempstead, Texas. What effect did General Custer have on the Liendo plantation?

• If our newsboy is set in the period of 1929, who was the governor in Texas at that time? Here is a hint.

October 19th-25th 2004-
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we watched her sew a vintage outfit.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

It has been a very busy week, and I know that all of the details of the work this week will take a lot of room to record in this journal. I hesitate about putting in all of the sculpture details, but I do have art students who are looking at the web journal, so I have decided to elaborate.

The work on the small sculpture is progressing this week; I have put my client on call for this weekend or Monday. It will be imperative that I receive approval as soon as the sculpture is finished. We are planning on going to the foundry next Friday, and there is much to do to get the sculpture ready.

There were some final details that needed to be decided on. One was the masthead of the newspaper that the little boy is caring. It has been decided that it will say Texas Press Messenger. This is the paper of the Texas Press Association. In all of the reference photos, Dusty is holding a Houston Chronicle newspaper. There was really no other reason for this other than I live in Houston, Texas, and our local paper is the Houston Chronicle, so it was easy for me to get it as a prop.

All week I have been culling through the 144 photos. Each time I work on a piece of the sculpture I search for all of the photos that showed that body part. People wonder in awe at what I do and how on earth I do it. It is very simple – I’m a copycat. I just copy the photos that I have taken. Cutting away and adding to the sculpture until it looks the same as the photos that I have taken. It is a long process.

DETAILS
When working on the suspenders, pants, and shirt I needed to be sure I had the suspenders correct. Notice the suspenders pull on the pants and push the shirt in. This creates what is called “a point of radiation for the fold” or where the fold begins.

I did not want to use clay suspenders on this little piece. I needed something that would be visually different for me to work around. I also didn’t want to use clay because I did not want it to mush into the folds. I needed something that would act like suspenders. I walked around the studio looking for something that was the right size to help me with this area. I opted for the elastic that was on a paper facemask. I pinned the elastic in place and then worked on the shirt and pants, all the intricate folds that attached or came in contact with those areas.

Later I removed the elastic and replaced it with hard wax suspenders. I could have ultimately kept the elastic on the sculpture and they would have worked through the mold process, similar to the “real” clothes subject that I mentioned in the last newsletter. However I needed to sculpt on the suspenders and needed something more substantial. After I was able to get the folds in the pants and the shirt, I removed the elastic suspenders and replaced them with hard wax suspenders. For his buttons I rolled out little tiny pieces of hard wax into a snake and then cut out buttons with a hot exacto knife. There were little

SHOES
I loved the shoes. They were so much fun. For the laces I pulled apart a piece of small braided string, dipped it in wax and pushed that into the clay. The detail of the string laces will hold in the mold process. I hesitated in how to get the upper laces correct. The lower laces where no problem because they went into holes, though it was a little difficult trying to figure out which hole it would go into and which hole the string would come out of. Remember all of this was done with very small pieces of string that measured about 1/4 of an inch or less. The top of the shoe had little brads that the shoelace went around. I ended up sticking small pieces of shaved toothpicks in the shoe, around those pieces of wood, lacing up the shoe, leaving enough to tie a bow. I then covered the pieces of toothpick with clay to resemble brads.

This type of detailed work seems tedious to most, but I find it quite challenging. It is especially nice when my husband came in and said, ” look at those shoes, they look so real, like they could come right off his feet.”

I love doing this type of detail. It probably stems from my total fascination with miniatures. Whether it be dollhouses or model airplanes and tanks, I love miniatures.

When I talked with Mike Hodges at the Texas Press, he said that he could not notice the difference in the coins in Dusty’s pockets. A trained eye can. Look at how Dusty’s right pocket and side of his pants sag or are weighed down.

At a couple different points I had to cut the arms off. It is too difficult to focus on his fingers and the paper with the arm attached to him. I will put it back on him with toothpicks, or I may leave the right arm off as it goes into the mold making process.

I jump around on the sculpture quite a bit, working on different areas. I guess it keeps it interesting for me. Soon there will come a point when I will turn the sculpture to proceed to the next area and find I have come full circle, and there is nothing else to do. I’ll be finished.

FACE
I so want to redo Dusty’s mouth, but I am running out of time. It looks good they way it is. I may keep it this way and just modify the large sculpture. Dusty’s hat is totally different from the first photo sitting and I had to redo that as well. His hair is also a bit longer from the first sitting. I like this better and the added extra curls.

APPROVAL
Saturday Wanda Garner Cash, President of the Texas Press Association, came to the studio to approve the sculpture. There were a few things that needed to be done yet, like fixing his right hand, sculpting the paper and smoothing some areas, but the sculpture was done enough to get an approval.

It is good to have the client’s approval so that I can leave the appendages off if I need to. I was not worried about getting the approval; the sculpture looks really good and has a great feel to it. I am very pleased.

So, now what? Where does the artist go from here? She must Prepare the Small Sculpture for The Foundry.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Art
If you would like to learn how to draw folds you can focus on models in the class, and photos of people. Knowing how to draw people’s clothes can add depth and realism to your drawing. Here is an on-line course that I found where Patrick Shettleworth describes the process. Although this web site is working with comic art and computer graphics skills, it is a nice resource and will help you to start thinking about folds.

October 11-18 2004
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has documented the entire process of creating a figurine of a newsboy and a life-size bronze sculpture. Watch the artist work through these posts. In this blog, she has also included information for students and teachers. In the previous post, we learned a little about sculpting tricks.

If you are lost and want to go back to the chronological running list of posts, follow this link.

THIS WEEK
Ready, get set… GO!

Well that is what it feels like at the end of this week. I have waited for so long for the new outfit and the final photos.

Next week I get to sculpt! A few things like eating, sleeping resting and my weary hands will only halt the fervor of sculpting. Yes, in the past, I have sculpted so much that my hands have needed a rest.

At the beginning of this week I did get all of the patterns from Vintage Pattern Lending Library. I had purchased my material last week but when laying out the shirt I was short 6″ of material- back to the Joanne’s fabric shop. Then the pattern came for the knickers, which was sent with an entire suit including jacket and vest. You must remember these patterns had no instructions. So after cutting everything apart I had patterns lying all over my home. At one point I was walking from kitchen to den, back and forth mumbling, and looking kind of lost, “pocket b, where would this pocket go?” It was like putting a large puzzle together. Once these pieces were cut apart I had to try and figure out how they went together.

And remember that all of those pieces needed to be sized up to a size 12, before I could even begin. I had cut apart each piece in the appropriate spot, hoping I was making it big enough and hoping that I was cutting the joining pattern piece in a spot so they would all still fit together again.

Finally, all of the pieces were ready and then my sewing machine would not work. So it had to spend the day in the repair shop. I’ll tell you when I finally got to sewing those pieces I was elated! I did have a couple of extra pattern pieces left over. My husband said” isn’t that like taking a car apart and having a few pieces left over?” I was not worried.

The next step was to secure a time with Dusty, which I began to try and do on Monday, even though I didn’t really finish the sewing until Thursday. Dusty is very busy, between soccer and school photos and all sorts of other after school activities. When I was able to steal him away for a few hours on Friday I knew it was all coming together. The outfit worked out fine, a few details I can change in the sculpting but the reference material is great. You may notice the cap is a bit different from the original sitting. We also have our suspenders and the knickers have buckles. I would have liked the knickers a bit more poofy, but if I really feel it is necessary I can do that in clay.

I am not just taking photos of Dusty from one view but all around him, and close up photos of things like shoes, folds, fingers etc. I even stand on a chair and shoot as well as crawling around underneath him. You can never have too many reference photos. After 144 photos I think I can start.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. We stopped and got some change for Dusty’s pocket. I wasn’t sure if it would show up in the pose, but I was willing to try. I do wish I knew how much a newspaper cost in 1929. Anyone want to guess? I think in the movie Newsies they talk about their “take” for the day. I’ll have to pay closer attention. The change did weigh down the right side of Dusty’s pants. I may take artistic liberty and make the change a bit more apparent in the final sculpture. I also took some more photos of his face. I may have to change his mouth a bit in the small sculpture to show more teeth. Next week I’ll start to build the armature for the large sculpture while working on the small sculpture. I’ll be working on both simultaneously.

Saturday I had to teach a sculpture class all day at the studio. The photos were there and of course the little Dusty sculpture was there. A few times I broke away and put some clay on the sculpture. It felt so good, so familiar. I just can’t wait for next week.
I also sketched some ideas for the large armature. You remember I mentioned a few weeks ago that the armature is an important element to the sculpture. This life size armature will be made of metal pipe and I want it to enter the life size Dusty sculpture in his lower back. It will then come a bit forward and go up. Keep posted and you will see this process in the next few weeks.

Deadlines
When taking a look at my calendar I have set a tentative date with the foundry for October 29th. That is two weeks away. In that time I must
• finish the small sculpture
• have it approved
• make a mold
• pour two waxes.
It will be a very busy week.

Orders must be placed this next week
The small sculpture is going to be created in a limited edition bronze. If you would like to order one of the first bronzes of the small newsboy sculpture please do so in the next week. If you are interested in ordering one for yourself or to honor someone in the newspaper industry, please contact the artist.

We have come a long way. Let’s continue on watching how this project moves forward. Now the artist can proceed to Finishing The Small Newsboy Sculpture.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

History
As I became aware of Dusty’s busy schedule I wondered what my newsboy would have done in his leisure time? What games would he have played with? A web site called Ask Ruthie had some comments on young people’s toys as well as on their games.

There were some board games at this time period but many people were too poor to buy them. Snakes and Ladders started in England in 1890 and turned into Shoots and Ladders and Monopoly was patented in 1904 by Lizzzie J Magie.

The Yo Yo was around and became popular from word of mouth and competitions. Here is a story about the history of the Yo Yo. Or you can also go to the official Duncan Yo Yo web site and check out their you tube video.

Art
Look at the original photo sitting from The September 2nd meeting, can you see how the pose and the costume have changed?