Best Of Artists & Artisans

It seems strange; here I am in the office on the computer working with my latest creation instead of being in the studio getting my hands dirty. Commissions usually begin with a concept, that consists of trying to figure out the best pose to represent your subject and to present to your client. This usually means many sketches. With a new program in my office, I can create images and make changes quite easily. The program, Poser 7, by Smith Micro is a 3D design program that allows me to bring subjects into a virtual reality and pose them. Smith Micro also offers Poser Figure Artist that is created specifically for artists needing reference. At $99.00 Figure Artist is quite a bit more affordable than Poser 7 is at $249, though academic pricing for Poser 7 is only $147. For the sake of this article I will be working with Poser 7, and will review Poser Figure Artist at a later date.

Not only can I create an idea of a pose in Poser 7, but I can also rotate that image and look at the sculpture from all angles, just as if I were walking around it in my studio.  

I can't say that this technology is new, Poser was first released in 1994. It has, however, taken me some time to get my own hands on it and get it in my office. Until this time I had to sit next to my husband as he works on the program prompting him, "Move this here, move that there." It is stifling for someone who works with movement to try and direct someone else. I am thrilled to finally have this in my own hands and delighted with how easy it is to work with.

Ellie Sculpture
I have used this program for presentations in the past. When creating the concept for the sculpture Ellie, I used a 3D model of a young girl and posed her in a seated pose that I found in my reference photographs, adding pertinent elements like a butterfly and her sketchbook, that contains the image of The Gift Heart. This was an important element to the parents because her artwork was chosen by MD Anderson Cancer Center and made into many different artistic elements.  The parent had originally considered creating just The Gift Heart as her headstone, so I wanted to be sure this was a part of the sculpture. By engraving it in her sketch book her friends could create a rubbing of her art.

Once the sculpture was posed it was brought into Photoshop and made to look like a bronze for a presentation to the clients. Of course the sculpture changed and morphed through the sculpting process, but it was with the sculpture of Ellie that I realized the value of Poser in the sculpture studio.

Lucas Sculpture

With the sculpture of Lucas, a little boy of five, for which I created a memorial, I wanted to create him running with a cape as he played Batman. If you have ever tried to prompt a child model to run and hope to catch that sort of action, it can be very difficult. I worked for hours and tired out the child, quickly running out of stickers and bribes to get him to try, “Just one more time.”  My live model gave me some reference material, but for my presentation I went back to Poser. We purchased a 3D model named Matthew from Daz. Within Poser you can actually make your model walk or run.  Walk Designer in Poser allows you to pick the gate of the walk, even head bounce, arm swing, and stride. With a little tweaking we made Matthew run, and I not only had something to show my client, but reference to work from.

Sculpture of Jenna

I utilized my recent commission of a 14-month-old little girl that I am going to create as a bronze cherub as an opportunity to try my own hand at using Poser. Poser has a limited amount of figures that it comes with, but you can easily buy more.  For example, it didn't come with wings or a cherub or a baby. I bought these 3D models, along with several poses from Daz. The total cost was about $55.00 for those extras, but it was worth it as it saves a ton of time in posing. Buying extra poses meant I had to make fewer adjustments to the 3D model.

The client and I went through several poses, standing, seated, pretending to take off her socks, climbing on the headstone, and finally with a butterfly on her finger. The winner of all the poses was Jenna with a butterfly on her right hand and her left hand configured loosely with the sign language symbol "I love you." I love that her leg is kicked up in glee.

Each change was simply done to the original, saved, and then I captured an image to email to my client to review. Creating these models and sending JPGS to my client made my process of defining a pose fast and fun.

I look forward to working with Poser for future projects expediting presentations and playing within a virtual worlds to help my clients see the vision that I already see, bringing these precious loved ones to life and quickly into the studio to be created in bronze.

Recently I received an e-mail in my inbox that caused me to clean my clay filled hands and take action.  It was from sculptor Boaz Vaadia in Brooklyn, NY, expressing urgency in supporting the Artist deduction bill S. 548 and HR 1524. The e-mail included links to Americans for the Arts. This is a wonderful organization that is working for each of us. According to their website:
Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With 45 years of service, we are dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.

This bill S. 548 and HR 1524 is described on the Americans for the Arts policy and advocacy page, but let me sum it up in this article.

Since 1969 those working in the arts have not been allowed to deduct the fair market value of their artwork when donating it. The bill “would allow creators of original works to deduct the fair-market value of self-created works given to and retained by a nonprofit institution.”  Currently, those working in the arts can only deduct what it cost to create it. Here is some more information from the Americans for the Arts website that indicates the importance of this bill and how immediate the effect of the 1969 legislation was.

• The Museum of Modern Art in New York received 321 gifts from artists in the three years prior to 1969; in the three years after 1969 the museum received 28 works of art from artists—a decrease of more than 90 percent.
• The biggest loser was the Library of Congress, which annually received 15 to 20 large gifts of manuscripts from authors. In the four years after 1969, it received one gift.
• Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, says, “The restoration of this tax deduction would vastly benefit our manuscript and music holdings, and remove the single major impediment to developing the Library’s graphic art holdings. [The] bill would also benefit local public and research libraries. When this tax deduction was allowed in the past, many urban and rural libraries profited from the donation of manuscripts and other memorabilia from authors and composers who wanted their creative output to be available for research in their local communities.”

H.R. 1524 and S. 548 are identical to legislation that the Senate has passed five times in the past few years, but that has not been reviewed by the House. This bill affects every creative person, not just sculptors. Please take note. 

Since I learn best by example, here is one for you to ponder. I have created a life-size newsboy sculpture.  There are 10 in the edition of the life size sculpture and they sell for $23,000. I have sold two in the edition. One for the Texas Press Association, who commissioned me to create the piece, the second for the Tabor City Tribune. It costs me approximately $6,000 to pour the newsboy in bronze. I have worked hard to develop a reputation as an artist and to sell the remaining in the edition spending hours on press releases about “Carving newspaper headlines in history,”  documenting the process on my website and in an online video, and I spent many hours and a great deal of money in mailings and marketing. 

It would make my heart skip a beat if I could somehow get one of these newsboys into the Albright Knox Art Gallery in my home town of Buffalo, New York.  If somehow I could find the funds to pour the sculpture and donate it, and if they accepted the piece, I could only deduct the $6,000- the cost of pouring this sculpture as my tax deduction and not the entire $23,000. That is a loss of $17,000 of income for my sculpture and my pocket book.  However, if someone else bought the sculpture and donated it, they could deduct the entire $23,000.

Another example is a piece I am currently working on of Richard Hathaway of Vermont College Union Institute and Goddard College. I am donating my labor and part of the casting costs, a total of approximately $25,000.  The City of Montpelier has donated the cost of casting the sculpture. It will be installed this year at the TW Wood Gallery in Montpelier, Vermont. My taxable deduction for a year and a half worth of work $0.00.

I contacted the executive director of the St. Louis Volunteer Lawyer and Accountants for the Arts. “Unfortunately, I often deliver bad news to artists: they can only claim the cost of their materials when they donate a work of art to a nonprofit organization, while a collector can claim the fair market value. The proposed legislation, which includes some caveats, would allow some artists to receive an equitable tax deduction. It's been on the table before, but it looks like it has some momentum this year, so artists should take a moment to contact their legislators,” states Sue Greenberg.

The Americans for the Arts website makes it quite easy to get involved.  By going to the artist’s action center you can fill in your zip code and see if your senator supports the bill. There is a simple form for you to e-mail to your representative or print out a letter with your request for support.

I know it is difficult to take time away from our creativity to become politically involved.  It is however, very important to our livelihood. Thank you for your support and your actions.

Here is an update on some of my Creative Endeavors! Recent articles written by Ms. Mongeon:
“Exploring Digital Technologies as Applied to Traditional Sculpting.” Sculpture Review. (Winter 2007) 30.
“The American.”  Sculpture Review. (Winter 2007) 32.
“Artful Business-The Basics of Designing your Website.” Sculptural Pursuit. Vol. 7 No. 1. (Spring 2008) 50. March 2004
To see a list of all articles visit the artist's works published page
Sign up for my online newsletter to receive regular updates.

Seven Houston, Texas-area high school students were selected as grand-prize winners in the eighth annual Culture Shapers Visual Arts competition, winning $5,000 each. With more than 1,370 entries, the competition awarded $83,000 to 71 students at a January 31 ceremony held at Westfield High School. In addition to the grand-prize winners, dozens of other finalists received cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,500.

The competition’s seven categories include Drawing, Electronic Media, Film, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography and Sculpture. Many of the students entered and placed in multiple categories.

I am one of the three sculptors that judge annually for the Culture Shapers Art contest.  The sculpture category contains a variety of sculpture–clay, wire, welded bronze, glass, jewelry, and fabric, basically anything 3D that does not fit into the other categories. The two other judges that accompany me in the sculpture category are Richard Fielden and Ben Woitena.  It is a good mix of judges, because our styles and background in sculpting are all quite different.  When I come across a piece in the competition that is created in a different medium than what I am familiar with, such as carved alabaster or a welded abstract, I fall back on the expertise of these two men.  I am not; however, bashful about sharing my own opinion and fighting for the pieces that I love.   

It is important to have more than one judge and to have time to communicate with each other about the pieces. Often one judge may notice something about a piece that another will not. This is easy to do when you are looking at so many pieces of art.  I am always reminded of the Esther Ruiz piece in 2003.  Upon first glance it was easy to walk by this entry.  I refer to it as “Baby in a box,” but the title is “Unbecoming Becoming”. Upon the initial viewing, you would think that this piece was nothing, but upon close investigating there was much more to this sculpture than met the eye.  The other judges were glad that I pointed it out.

Judging for many years, I am still surprised at how subjective the process is.  I try to express this to the students.  Just because your piece did not make it into this show, does not mean it would not place in another show. It really depends on the judges and their likes and dislikes.  I even overheard one judge state that they mark the student’s work lower if they have misspellings on their entry forms. I was appalled at this statement. We are not judging their spelling but their creative process, and as an artist and writer who struggled with spelling, I know these two are not the same.

There are, of course, pieces that you see where you know that the students did not push themselves as far as they could.  Creating has that false point of abandonment. It gets difficult and often you must wrestle with it. But if you say, “I give up,” it shows in the work. It is said that artwork is never finished, only abandoned, but this “good” abandonment comes after a great deal of wrestling. Those who could not stay with the fight in their own creative process never make the cut to the finals.

This year there were no arguments between the judges when it came to the grand prize in the sculpture category. You can tell that Hung Pahm with the piece “Verbal Struggle” really wrestled to the final “good” abandonment.  It was the artist’s description that made me think about this piece of art. The piece by Pahm was created after moving to America and reflects the struggle of not being able to speak the language.  This is apparent in the sewn lips, but it had not occurred to me that it not only affects the speaking but the hearing, and this was cleverly displayed by this artist’s omission of ears! 

These descriptions are so important to me as a judge. They give the piece meaning. My eyes glass over when I read a description that states, "I created this artwork because the teacher made us create in clay." It is honest, but it lends nothing to the emotion of the piece. And I must say, I judge on emotion.

You can sense the uncertainty of the future in many of the young artists.  Their own inner struggle with growing up, leaving home, and becoming what they should be. This is apparent in the 2nd Place winner’s piece by Anda Brown, “I am only Human.”  Close observation shows the rocks have statements such as “great expectations, measure up, have it all, ugly.” The head turns on a base, amidst the wall of thoughts.

Often there are pieces that I become emotionally involved with. That was the case with  “All that’s left," by Merlene Robertson. I would have placed this piece much higher; however, there are other judges.  Subjectivity is apparent when I explain my reasons, “My daughter recently graduated college and left home.”  This sculpture depicts the empty nest.  Certainly it is my own emotion that swayed my judging of this piece, but it was the artist’s work that brought that emotion to the surface, and that, in my opinion, should be accredited to the artist.

Of course I love to look at the art in other categories.  There was one painting on painting section of the Culture Shapers website that I thought was spectacular, and I could not wait to see it in person. In fact, it was one of the reasons I looked forward to the awards night. It was Ahra Cho’s Self- Portrait. I was very disappointed because it only received honorable mention and it was not displayed at the awards ceremony.

I cannot look at the finalist on the sculpting section of the Culture Shaper website without noticing that Teacher Bob Mosier from The John Cooper School had four students in the finals and two students in honorable mention, along with Terri Fotz-Fox from Clear Creek High School who was the teacher behind this years first and second place winners.   My hat goes off to all teachers who invest their time into coaxing out the creativity and encouraging the wrestling to continue until the final “good” abandonment of the student’s artwork.

Onward with our own creative wrestling! Remembering that the opinion of artwork is subjective, and our job is to push ourselves past wanting to give up and striving onward until the final “good” abandonment of our sculpted work.

Here are a few of my favorites from other categories.

4th Place: Painting. "Diminuendo" Lauren Laumbach

4th Place Drawing. "Abba, Father" Autumn Farrell

8th Place Drawing. "Homework" Abby Cho

Honorable mention."Colors of an Enlightened World" Meng Chen

CLAY
In my twenty-three years of sculpting, the process and materials have changed very little. Moving from water-based clay to a wax-based clay was probably my biggest change over the years. It was really done out of necessity. Being a commissioned sculptor, the time between starting a sculpture and a final approval could be months. Trying to keep a water-based clay portrait or a life-size figure from drying out and cracking was a nightmare and when introduced to Classic Clay (brown firm AB200) from Reynolds Advanced Materials, I made the switch.

Almost all of my work is created for reproduction by either the manufacturer of my gift items or my foundry for bronze. I rarely fire sculpture in the kiln. In using Classic Clay I no longer have to keep my sculptures wet over the months of time that it takes for an approval, but having to heat up the Classic Clay, with crock pots and torches is a bit inconvenient. The studio is less dusty with the wax-based clay, than it was with water-based clay but I miss having the feel of the water based clay. Even the process of drying out, that caused me such tension, gave me that leather hard stage in the during the drying process that was perfect for adding fine texture to the sculpture.

Casting Outdoor Sculptures
I also keep my eye out for changes in technology as it pertains to casting material, especially outdoor material. Many years ago, when I cast in concrete, I was desperate for additives or different strong but lighter casting material. Whenever someone would tell me they had a product it always fell short of my expectations. Upon further research, it would not withstand the elements. It would chip or it did not come in bright white so that concrete dyes could be added. I have not poured in concrete in a while, so I do not know if anything new is on the market. Though it would be interesting to know if something is now available.
 
Mold Making Material

Mold making material is another area where technology is vital to my production.  If someone could invent a mother mold material with the strength of fiberglass, but not the smell and toxicity, that would be great. (A mother mold is the structure that is put over a rubber mold when making a mold. The mother mold holds the rubber in place, so that when you pour something in it, it is not deformed. Usually the mother mold is plaster that is heavy or fiberglass resin that is toxic and uncomfortable to work with.) I have tried Plasti Paste, a mother mold material purchased from Reynolds Advanced Materials but personally I was not happy with the results. (photograph shows rubber mold with plaster mother mold) I'm intrigued with the materials used in special effects and frequent the web sites of Reynolds Advanced Materials and Smooth On (Reynolds Advanced Materials is part of Smooth On) to see what new items they have. 

I have spent some time ordering and utilizing their free dvd’s and pamphlets. The Reynolds site has an entire section on How To. I would love the free time to play with all of the fun things that can be found from these vendors.  And now Smooth On has Youtube videos! Like this one on how to create a face mold.

I recently utilized Smooth On's material for casting hands, and the process that they discuss in the second YouTube video, is similar to what I did. I cast my mom and dad's hand and they are now two of my most prized possessions. I wrote about them in my newsletter, and posted my thoughts and the process on my forum.  The process was the same as the Smooth On video, though I cast their hands in plaster and the Smooth On video shows plastic. ( picture shows father's cast, my hand, and mother's cast)

Digital Enlarging
My most recent endeavor into new technology in the art studio has been digital scanning and enlarging.  I visited Synappsys Digital Services and was intrigued by what I saw.
Before I go any further, I must first explain the process that a sculptor goes through to enlarge a sculpture. Often a client will want to see a small maquette, which the artist creates for approval by the client. Then the artist proceeds to enlarge the sculpture by creating a metal armature of pipe or rebar, foam and chicken wire. This armature gives the sculpture structure and support, and the foam offers mass that is light in weight. A final layer of clay is put over the foam and details are added. This process can take weeks. (If you would like to see the entire process of creating a life-size sculpture in this manner, please review my online journal of creating the life-size newsboy.) If a sculpture is going from maquette to monumental, the process is a monumental task!

Synappsys Digital Services, along with a few others in the country offer the resource of digital enlarging.  They take your small maquette and digitally scan it.  Once the scan is in the computer, the data is compiled to create a 3D model. The 3D model is enlarged in the computer and milled out in urethane foam. I have written about this process in detail for an article in the up and coming Sculptural Review Magazine on technology. (Picture of the Ranger by Harold Holden maquette and enlarged urethane foam created by Synappsys Digital Services) I visited Synappsys Digital Services to review the process and was thrilled with this new technology. I can’t wait to use it myself. Of course it is a bit of investment. The cost ranges from $1,500 to 4,000 for scanning and milling a 6-foot man depending on the detail and the density of foam used. They can even spray clay on the foam before shipping it to your studio. This process will save me so much time and money, I am definitely adding it to my repertoire of new resources. While preparing the article for Sculptural Review Magazine, I called many different vendors that offer this process. Here is a short list for your records. Prices can vary between vendors as well as the detail that can be obtained in the scanning and milling. They say "necessity is the mother of invention", and looking over this article I can see why. It is necessary that I create, and I love vendors that can assist in my creative process.

List of 3D resources
Direct Dimensions
Digital Atelier, formerly Johnson Atelier
Synappsys Digital Services 

Blue Genie Art 
Cyber FX
Scan Site
Direct Dimensions specialize in scanning.
Daniels Engraving
Satellite Model specializes in milling.
Digital stone project This company mills in stone.

"As a figurative sculptor I am entranced with the human form, male, female, young or old.”

Recently the editors of this column wrote me concerned that people were shying away from sending in nudes to the Best of Artists and Artisans art competitions. Are nudes a controversial subject to submit? As an artist I would certainly have to evaluate each competition carefully, before entering a nude. I posted this same topic on the sculpture community forum and received some enlightening responses.

Here are some of my own experiences with nude/naked art.

The human form is an important element of focus for any artist. My husband, who is also an artist, and I are always telling art students, “Draw from life, and make sure you can draw the human form.”

Working with nude models and creating paintings and sculptures of nudes are all part of the learning process. There was a time when there were more nudes in my repertoire of art. Although I rarely sculpt a nude these days, it is not because I have outgrown them. It is because of my very busy schedule, working with a live model would be a luxury; working from a live nude model would be a way to relax. All my work is through commission and I keep very busy doing just that. Unless someone commissioned me to create a nude, and I have had a few of those, then you won’t see many nudes coming out of my studio.

By far the piece that gets the most attention and always initiates comments from those who enter my studio is “Ethel” – a nude. It is also one of my favorites, and if I crave to do other nudes, it is because I have fallen in love with “Ethel” and want to see more of her, no pun intended. The Ethel sculpture startles individuals, but at the same time seems to make them secure within their own body. Before the time of digital cameras, I would take pictures of the nude model, with their permission of course, and when they were not at the studio I could continue to work on the sculpture. There was a time when I was banned from coming to the local pharmacy photographic processing center, until they learned more about what I do, but even then they suggested I take these “type” of photographs to a professional lab.

The most controversial of nudes is the child nude. During the creation of “Le petit pollison,” individuals were concerned that you could tell the sex of the baby. It infuriated me that I should change my art to appease what others thought, but in the end I compromised by pushing down the child’s rear end.

I love sculpting children. I long to study that tiny little form, watch the process of the growth of the skull and bones, and yes I desire to sculpt nude children. To be perfectly honest I long to sculpt every human form. I’d love to find another Ethel, and would also love to sculpt a very old person as a nude. The thought of it immediately brings to mind the science behind what I am doing, how does the muscle and skeleton change over the years? But more than that, what emotion is exhibited from each form? The young child with his/her plump cheeks and swayed back, rear end sticking out and chin down initiates a feeling of innocence. On the contrary the frail form of the elderly, stature bent over with time, skin hanging, exhibits the ravages of life and in that wisdom. As a figurative sculptor I am entranced with the human form, male, female, young or old. When that longing is transmitted to the clay, accompanied by the emotion and the artistic passion, it can become an award-winning piece of art, one that, with the proper competition, could be submitted to without hesitation!