“Veterans’ Memorial”
Plaquemine, Louisiana

IN PROGRESS:

The process of creating a sculpture begins with the idea sketched out on paper, followed by photography of the models in their perceived activities. The four figures of Richard's Plaquemine Veteran's Memorial — an old WWII veteran sitting and remembering; a young man with his hands behind his back; and a mother holding her small daughter's hand — are currently taking shape at the Arnold Telluride Studio. The life-sized figures begin as “stick–men” made of rebar and welded into shape. The stick–men are transformed into male and female figures with foam that creates their muscle mass. The foam is then covered in clay, and detailed to create their skin, hair, and clothes. On large figures the clothing is often created with epoxied real clothing or fabric that is then covered in clay and carefully detailed.

The heads and hands of the figures are created separately and sculpted as portraits, with the artist fine-tuning expression, attitude, age, or youth.

This entire process is illustrated below with the actual figures in progress at the Arnold Studio. When the clay figures are completed, they will be taken to the foundry and cast in bronze, the head and hands being cast separately from the bodies.

ABOVE: ARTIST'S SKETCH OF THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER FIGURES

ABOVE: PHOTOGRAPHED MODEL OF THE OLD VETERAN

ABOVE: ARTIST RICHARD ARNOLD WITH THE PARTIALLY CLAY-COVERED FIGURE OF THE MOTHER AND FOAM FIGURE OF THE DAUGHTER

ABOVE: THE OLD VETERAN IN FOAM AND CLAY AND EPOXIED CLOTHES, WAITING FOR HIS HEAD AND HANDS

ABOVE: THE BODY OF THE YOUNG MAN TAKES SHAPE IN FOAM AND CLAY

ABOVE: THE ARTIST APPLIES CLAY TO THE MOTHER FIGURE

ABOVE: SMOOTHING THE CLAY ON THE BACK

ABOVE: PLASTER-CAST HAND

ABOVE: RICHARD AT WORK ON THE YOUNG MAN'S HEAD

ABOVE: DETAIL OF THE YOUNG MAN'S FACE IN PROGRESS

ABOVE: THE OLD VETERAN'S FEATURES TAKE SHAPE

ABOVE: THE OLD VETERAN SLOWLY COMES TO LIFE WITH AN EXPRESSION OF ANTICIPATION

PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK BACK TO WATCH THE PROGRESS OF THIS SCULPTURE. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE INSTALLED AT PLAQUEMINE IN SPRING OF 2009