I’ve been so busy finishing my panels I haven’t had a chance to continue posting the process, so now that I am done sculpting them I thought I’d post how I got there!

Here is where the idea began – a drawing I did in 2009. They originally were designed to go in an entry door made by Real Carriage Door Company. I’ve worked on this piece off and on between commissions and after each commission I would come back and change an aspect of the design. It has been evolving over the past two years.

Where I was in early January of 2011

Detail

Working on getting the leg of Dusk in the right place.

Dusks drapery is complete.

My Husband, Jeremy Broderick, really helped with the project being the perfectionist that he is!
He designed text, determined placement, and sculpted the text. Jeremy helped stay true to the organic yet perfect balance of the Art Nouveau style!
I couldn’t have completed it without him!

Above are pictures of completed Dawn & Dusk in clay before we started the molds. They are now at the foundry (2 Raven Studio in Tacoma, Washington) and being cast in Bronze for Real Carriage Door Company in Gig Harbor, Washington. The door has been awaiting the bronze panels for quite some time now.

Poem Credit goes to my sister: Kim (Rees) Smith on bottom right and left panels. She is also the beautiful model for Dusk. She is always an inspiration to me and I don’t tire of sculpting her.

Sculpture dimensions: 21.75″ x 13.25″ x 12.75″ (1/3 life size scaled model)

Detail of the German Shepherd

We arrived at Shawnigan Lake School to present the maquette (1/3 life size scale model) on October 23rd. It was the schools Founder’s Day & Alumni Reunion. There were Alum there who had graduated as recently as 2000 all the way back to the 1940s.

Mardie Rees with sculpture!

C.W. Lonsdale & Dog – was presented to the Gold Club (Alum for 50 years or more). The class of 1960 had an induction ceremony and all members listened to my presentation on the sculpture.

The maquette was presented on a base to better depict how it will be installed in bronze.

SUSA Fund (Shawnigan USA) members and also Gold Club Members.
From Left: Sharon Elmaleh,  Stuart Milbrad, Francois Elmaleh, Mardie Rees (sculptor), Katharine Burr, John Burr.
Missing: Mary Milbrad and my husband, Jeremy Broderick

Many alum had a good look at the sculpture at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday night!

Banquet and Reunion drawing to an end Saturday night in Marion Hall

The maquette was crated back up for the return trip home by ferry from Vancouver Island, Canada. It survived the trip there and back without any large cracks!

We are getting prepared to present the sculpture at Shawnigan Lake School this weekend for Founder’s Day (Oct 23rd).

I’ve got 3 more days to finish last minute details.

Here is my husband, Jeremy, making some measurements. Because of the height limitations the maquette and gray base he built will have to be assembled on site.

Portrait still has a lot of work…but look at the dog! = )

After a little more work on the portrait.

The armature has been fixed a few too many times! (maybe 4 or 5 times?)

He is finally coming into focus! It has been challenging sculpting a German Shepherd from the 1930s with a squared off back but with the common German Shepherd head as we know it.  Breeding has made the look of the dogs seen in the picture below nonexistent.

My inspiration! I am sculpting Pete who was Lonsdale’s male dog in the 1930s

The maquette (model) of Lonsdale and his dog stand about 22 inches (1/3 life size).  The final sculpture will be larger than life size (size yet to be determined and it will really depend on the location of the sculpture on campus).

Lonsdale has come a long way with his suit and all – now it is time to catch the dog up!

I’ve been busy in the studio the past couple weeks! Lonsdale went from having one arm unfinished to starting to wear a jacket! (just in time for the winter! – kidding)

I finally placed his right hand after I finally knew the height of the pocket. Thanks to some alterations made to his pants my model now has a jacket, vest, and pants that fit and are true to the 1930s era!

The toothpicks are like little measurement ‘notes’ so I don’t get lost. As things go from fussy to more refined I pull them out.

Can you tell I’m having fun sculpting the pants?

I did a quick portrait of my sister-in-law, Alison Broderick who is moving east this Fall! She sat for me Sunday of the Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour (Septemeber 18th & 19th) and I was able to get a great likeness! Plan to come out next year and watch the process!

I’m working in scale: 1/2 life size

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What is so interesting about the creative process is you may think you know where you are going to end up when you start, but what you learn along the way (over and over again) is that you need to “Trust the Process,” and walk the road and see where it takes you.

Let me explain:

After returning from a two week break from a family wedding and Grandparents visiting, I get back into my studio to explore the answer to an email that simply read: “What about a standing dog?”
So I thought…I procrastinated…had a few too many cups of coffee and THEN I finally came up with this sketch (see below).

After that I knew where I wanted to go so I moved to 3-d since I work so much better in dimension.

I cut out the sitting dog and put in a standing dog. He later got his legs lopped off since he was too tall (my actual dog is too large so he is going to be scaled back by about 10% so he fits the part – Lonsdale’s dogs were smaller). As I spun the quick study around I suddenly really liked the idea of a standing dog because the piece as a whole is more dynamic from all angles. A sculpture is most interesting when there isn’t a so called “Front” to the piece. After USA Shawnigan Foundation paid a visit to my studio (Stuart Milbrad along with Francois & Sharon Elmaleh) it was settled, so back to the armature I went.

Standing dog armature seen on right.

Above : This is what I worked on today. I’m really trying to get his weight balanced and his feet in the right place. The 1930s shoes fit my model (yeah!) so now I know what the proper height is as he is now wearing wing-tipped shoes with heels. I will start adding his coat, etc… soon after I know I have all his anatomy in the right place.

I’ve been busy finding 1930s era attire. So far I have found a jacket and now I am just looking for some shoes.
The vest is going to have to be made since I can’t find any vests that start so high up on the chest.

It has been an interesting experience going back in time – back in time looking at Men’s Fashion!!

Details of Lonsdale’s Shoes