A treat to work from a live model

Geary Wootten · 06-29-2004, 03:33 PM

Well Heidi, I'm going to comment in the most prodigious and professional way I know how about your work here........

YOU RAWK DUDE!!

-Gear

Heidi Maiers · 06-30-2004, 01:25 AM

Golly, thanks for the positive feedback guys.
No Michele, there is no client on this one so I am free to make it however I see fit.
It seems these practice pieces don't move very well (after all, who wants a portrait of some stranger staring at them in their living rooms? I for one don't ). Making it a little more decorative might appeal more to John Q. Public. Giving it a title of, let's say, "Flora - goddess of flowers" or some such thing might help me actually sell it rather than not if it is left plain with a boring title of "Gretchen - a studio study".
What do you all do with your practice portraits? I have a room full of them I use for shows and either toss, donate, or give the older ones away eventually if I can find anyone who wants them.

Linda Brandon · 06-30-2004, 01:33 AM

Heidi, this is a beautiful sculpture. Your work is so lovely.

I think trying to sell this as a genre, figurative piece is worth a shot. Could you make it one of a series of people with flowers around them?

Michele Rushworth · 06-30-2004, 01:40 AM

Some of my earliest practice portraits are in the garage where they may never again see the light of day. The better ones are hanging in the homes of the subjects who posed for me, "on loan," where they have occasionally generated commissions from other people who have seen them. I donated one early sample portrait to a charity since the person depicted was related to their cause.

The more recent practice portraits I've done that were good enough are being used as my samples. Most of the year I hang them in my studio, or exhibit them when I do demos etc. I have about five portraits that fit into that category.

Denise Hall · 06-30-2004, 10:37 PM

Heidi,

Your work is much to good to be tossing around - literally and aesthetically! I wish I lived nearer to you so you could "donate" one of your sculptures to my school for my students to actually see a beautiful example of classical sculpture in the raw instead of just seeing them on a tv screen "visit to the art museum". When I think of all the "sculptures of (nearly) strangers in The Vatican, Uffizzi, Louvre, on and on, like The David, Moses, Aphrodite, Eros, etc. - well, I would love to have one of your pieces looking at me in my living room!

Keep up the good work - I think your talent is rare!

Denise

Elizabeth Schott · 07-01-2004, 12:04 AM

Heidi,

Your work overwhelms me, I think it is just wonderful.

As I encounter the constant questioning from those considering a portrait in oil or pastel and they seem to feel it is an indulgent out of their realm, I just can't imagine what you would run into with people thinking of a sculpture of themselves.

I would love to know the demographics of those who purchase your lovely work, and if it's not too nosy - what a piece like this would sell for if commissioned?

It's funny but it has always been a secret dream of mine to work for Madame Tussaud's, their sculptors are wonderful too. I even wanted to work sculpting fake foods!

Heidi Maiers · 07-01-2004, 12:53 AM

Linda,
What a sweet thing to say. That is a good idea about making a series. I have been thinking about making a series of portraits of Greek or roman gods and goddesses - either in full round, or high relief - each with a different theme. That could be interesting.

Michele,
I can't imagine that any painting you have ever made deserves to be banished to the garage. Your work is so serene and peaceful and would be a welcome addition to any wall.

Denise,
I may just take you up on that the next time I feel the need to put one up for adoption. I have shipped them all over the country without any problems, so distance is not an issue. It is nice to think that a piece I've made could inspire some young child to pursue art and come to know the joys of sculpting.

Elizabeth,
Madame Tussaud - as in the wax museums? Those works are eerily realistic. What fun that would be to be able to work for a place like that. It would really force you to be observant and pay painstaking attention to detail.
No particular demographics - orders come from all types of people (young and old) and from various locations, but all have been within the USA. I have a rep in Lake Tahoe who markets my work to the locals there through his site SandHarbor.net and we are getting a lot of interest there. Typical pricing for a life-size one of a kind ceramic bust like this is around $2000 and takes about 3 months from start to finish. From the research I have done, this is on the low end, but I couldn't justify them being any higher without a year or so waiting list.
Like the rest of us, I still feel like I have a ton of room for improvement. It's nice if we can look back on older pieces and be able to clearly see that we are slowly making those improvements. Makes us look forward to what we can ultimately achieve if we remain persistent.

Elizabeth Schott · 07-01-2004, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Madame Tussaud

Heidi, just a side note - there is a wonderful documentary about the artists who work in London. It is mainly about the sculptures and is fascinating!

Heidi Maiers · 07-01-2004, 02:15 PM

Now that I would like to see. Do you have any information on where one might find that documentary?

I guess I never did answer your question about demographics. I would say that most of the orders I get are of a person's dog (living or deceased), their child, a deceased or living parent, or grandparent. Every once in a while, someone wants a bust made of themselves. One musician fellow ordered a bust of himself and then his wife. He then later commissioned a bust of his favorite pianist. All I had to work from was a very old newspaper clipping in which he wore thick black glasses (which I included). I made the base in the shape of a grand piano in black walnut with an inlay of white maple for the keys. He was tickled pink with that one.

Another fellow was a retired war vet and ordered a bust to be mounted on his headstone that was already waiting for him in a cemetery. Another client wanted a portrait of himself and his wife to be made so that he could give copies to each of his 6 children. Another was a college student who wanted a bust made of his deceased grandfather. I'm sure like you, people come to me with a variety of requests to fit their particular desires and what is meaningful to them.