A treat to work from a live model - Page 3

Heidi Maiers · 06-11-2004, 12:29 AM

Linda, Geary, Jeanine, and Denise,
Thank you all so much for your generous comments and I love looking at all of your works as well. This forum is a treasure indeed.

Denise, hi, I don't think I've run across you in the forum yet. Ceramic is a fun medium I did a lot of experimenting trying to figure out how to fire a nearly solid piece without even a single hairline crack. The secret is to steam dry, not air dry them.

The only piece I've ever had break beyond repair was, unfortunately, a piece that was not mine. A young gal had made a bust of her father's dog to give to him as a Christmas present and at that time I used to do some firing for people through the local ceramic outlet. I told her to make sure it was completely dry before she brought it over for me to fire. The day she brought it was a cold (minus 25 degree) morning and I just assumed the piece was cold because it had been in her trunk and it didn't dawn on my that it was still wet. She also was not sure what kind of clay it was or what the cone was. It looked like a terra cotta red, so I mistakenly thought it must be a cone 5 clay. Two days later when I looked in the kiln to take it out, I was mortified to see nothing but a pile of red dust.

To this day, over 20 years later, I still get a sick knot in my stomach thinking about the phone call I had to make to her to let her know that it was ruined beyond repair and not to come pick it up. She was not a happy camper. I never fired any one else's stuff again after that until just this month I fired a friend's first bust and it turned out perfectly, thank God.

The only galleries I showed in were in Idaho from 1990-99. Now most of the work I make are one of a kind commissions, so there are no pieces currently on display at any public locations. I thought about approaching galleries here in Phoenix, but there is so much competition here that I have often heard that the galleries resent being "confronted" by artists every day seeking representation so that has kept me away.

Denise Hall · 06-11-2004, 09:34 PM

Heidi,

I do have a rudimentary website - but it's still got a lot of kinks. I haven't posted for critique in this forum in a long time - mostly due to horrible digitals of my work I continuously end up with!

I have a painting, Portrait of Marie, which was juried into the Portrait Society of Atlanta's spring exhibition this year which I may post here. I still don't have a really good photo of it and the one they have on the Atlanta site is not that good either (sorry to the powers that be)

Your story about the firing and the "blow up" brings back bad memories. I really am so sorry that it had to be someone else's work but to get that far and not realize that your piece is not dry was really not to swift on her part! Give yourself a break on that one! Also, if she wasn't sure what cone to fire it to - thats a major prob. as well. I'm surprised you even fired it but then.........I can tell you are a nice, helpful person! I'm sure she understood even if all she had was a pile of dust.

Again, I love your work and please keep em coming!

Denise

Heidi Maiers · 06-29-2004, 12:44 PM

I didn't want to start a new thread, but could use some opinions so I thought I'd add this post here.

This piece is "Gretchen" from the Scottsdale Artist school which was made in three consecutive Saturday Open studio sessions. I took it home and thought I'd have some fun with it by adding some flowers.
Do you think they add to the piece, or do they just look like stuck on "cake frosting" decorations?

Henry Wienhold · 06-29-2004, 01:13 PM

Just beautiful Heidi, your sculpture is a joy to look at.

Michele Rushworth · 06-29-2004, 01:23 PM

I like the flowers. I guess it depends on what you and the client (is there one?) are aiming to express. If the goal is traditional, classic sculpture, then the flowers take away from that. If the goal is something more modern and personal, then the flowers work.

Mike Dodson · 06-29-2004, 03:02 PM

Heidi,

Beautiful work! I like the flowers. I think it forms a nice balance with the one in her hair, it completes the composition to me. Lovely!

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.