Newsletter Excerpts

December 2002-January 2003 Issue of
The Third Dimension, newsletter of

[sculpture]

Sculptfest 2002: New TSOS Board member
Maria Retzlaff's
built-up cement pieces
at the South Austin
Art Harvest at the
Great Outdoors landscape
nursery in October.
photo by Ellen Gibbs

Contents on this page include:

Sculptfest 2002 Followup
New TSOS President
Member News
New Coaching Forum for Sculptors

Sculptfest 2002: Cold and Wet

by Marla Ripperda

38 artists exhibited and we had 712 visitors to a cold and rainy Sculptfest 2002. Chair Marla Ripperda was so grateful for the perseverance of all who showed up and apologizes for those who stood in the rain without a tent or tarp. Although setup was a struggle, takedown went surprisingly quickly.

Nelie Plourde, curator of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, has sent a glowing complimentary e-mail to TSOS. She made special mention of Bee Bee and Sherman Echols who did the hospitality kitchen for us. They donated the food and drinks and worked hard all day to keep the coffee pot full and/or filling.

Children's Corner was also successful. A large number of children visiting earned their "artistic licenses"! Special thanks to Bobby Pearl and her large crew of very special volunteers. And she was in the rain for much of the day. Bobby had a blind group travel here from the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center in Austin, and a Girl Scout troop came all the way from Tyler, Texas to work on their art badges. Bobby deserves her very own cheer!

The TSOS and Austin Sculpture School tables stayed manned and welcoming all day thanks to the untiring efforts of Mary Griffin and Melanie Thomas. We had artists/exhibitors drive from Wichita Falls, Alvord, Sulphur Springs, Galveston, Bellaire (really a part of Houston), San Antonio, Driftwood, Kyle, Marble Falls, and of course Chair Marla Ripperda from Lake Buchanan. This was certainly the most diverse Sculptfest ever. And Marla is living proof that you can chair a committee from out-of-town!

Marla has been involved in Sculptfest since 1996. She was artist liaison for '98 & '99, co-chair for '00 with then-President Herb Long, and Sculptfest Chair for '01 & '02. It's been fun and rewarding but she's ready to share the glory. Theresa Bayer has come forward to co-chair with Marla for Sculptfest 2003 and take over as chairperson in 2004.

Thanks to Children's Sculpture Volunteers

Dear All of You,
I got so many compliments on how well-run the Children's Corner was this year and it is all due to your efforts. Despite the rain, the children and their parents were delighted and enthusiastic. I am amazed at how beautifully it all progressed. All but one 25-pound box of clay was used. The entire turtle was covered. We gave out around 167 Artistic Licenses and over 700 people came. That is about 1/3 of the amount of people we got last year but considering the rain it was terrific! I hope, by now, you have all recovered and have forgotten the damp and downright wet circumstances. I can't thank you enough but I will tell you this: As a token of my appreciation and regard for all of you, I am keeping the list and will call on you next year! By then you will have forgotten your exhaustion and will be only too happy to renew the experience. You guys were great.

And thank you to the Blue Genie Company (www.bluegenieart.com) that made that marvelous styrofoam turtle for us. The children loved it! -Bobby Pearl.

Bobby's crew: Richard Von Hatten, Jean Barbuto, Maria Retzlaff, Val Mills, Margaret Fowler, Jane Vaninger, Jody Royder, Malou Flato, Joanne Levin, Beth Colonna, Linda Dubov, Emily Conyngham, Billie Casselli Clark, Siri Dehipitiya, Nancy Cardozier, and Bob Coffee.

Editor's note: For more photos of this year's Sculptfest, see Sculptfest 2002. In addition, TSOS members are urged to contact Bobby at bobbypearl@aol.com if they would be interested in a tour of the Blue Genie studios, and she will try to arrange one.

New TSOS Board Officers for 2003

by Marla Ripperda

At the November Board Meeting President Reynaldo Alaniz asked for someone to come forward as TSOS President, and new member Gilbert Barrera of San Antonio accepted the nomination to serve. The board unanimously voted the following officers for 2003:

President: Gilbert Barrera
Vice-President: Marla Ripperda
Treasurer: Richard Von Hatten
Secretary: Rabia Clark
Webmaster: Kelly Borsheim
Remaining Board Members: Reynaldo Alaniz, Meredy Crisman, Nancy Cardozier, Theresa Bayer
New Board Members: Valerie Mills and Maria Retzlaff

Board meeting December 11:
Gilbert is bursting with new ideas to revitalize TSOS, including referring to its acronym as T-saus! Come meet our new President at the December board meeting on Wednesday, December 11th, at the Austin Sculpture Center (305 E. 45th Street) from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gilbert hopes to hold board meetings (at which all TSOS members are welcome) on the second Wednesday of each month at the ASC to get back into a routine and increase attendance.

[sculpture society presidents]
Outgoing TSOS President Rey Alaniz passes the torch to incoming President Gilbert Barrera
at Sculptfest 2002; photo by Maria Alaniz.

Member News

Member news is sent in by you the members (contact editor for submission guidelines).

Katy Artist Named Best of Show

Houston, TX: Katy sculptor R. David Mattiza was awarded "Best of Show in Sculpture" at the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown, according to Art Colony Association Board of Directors president Michael Piana.

"We judge in each of the 17 categories featured at the event. All judging is anonymous and the awards are presented by Lynette Wallace, executive director of the event and members of the Board of Directors," explained Piana. "The artists never meet the judges nor know who they are even after the awards are presented."

David Mattiza was one of 300 fine artists from across the country selected to exhibit at Houston's premiere fine art festival, The Bayou City Art Festival Downtown. Included in his exhibit were his Southwestern and Native American bronze pieces, some of which are life-size or larger. Mattiza says, "I was so surprised when I received the award because I have been told that it is rare for a first time exhibitor to be named best of show! Theresa and I were very pleased and honored."

"In addition to exposing my work to 30,000 art aficionados and collectors, one unique benefit the festival provides is the ability to see an immediate reaction people have to my work. If I move someone emotionally, I have done my job," says David. "Art is definitely a way of communicating emotion."

[sculptors award Bayou City Art Festival]
R. David Mattiza was a guest of TUBE TALK television show, Houston. Mattiza was named Best of Show in Sculpture at the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown. L-R: Jan Glenn, show host Lara Bell, Mary Paulette (Board of Directors/Bayou City Art Festival), Mattiza and his wife Theresa on the set of Tube Talk.

Mattiza begins his bronze sculptures with a basic idea of what he wants to sculpt. His "sketch" is a three-dimensional maquette of the idea in his head, but says that nine times out of ten, that is not the direction the piece takes. He explains, "It is a collaboration with me and the materials. With three dimensions, one can feel and touch and work together-there is always action."

His work is meticulous in detail and authenticity. Mattiza sculpts every component in his artwork and researches every subject he chooses. A life-size work may take 6-8 months to sculpt and another 3-4 months to accomplish the approximately 65 steps and 9 major processes that have to be completed to produce a finished bronze piece.

"A final step, the 'Lost Wax' process, begins with the foundry. The foundry is very important because they can make or break a piece. If they don't do their job correctly, the sculpture can be lost forever. I work very closely with the foundry while a piece is in production. No step in the process can be rushed," explains Mattiza.

Mattiza works from his Katy location, Epiphany Studio in the Great Southwest Equestrian Center at 2501 South Mason Road. He and his business manager/wife encourage spontaneous visits from those interested in the artwork. More information and examples of his work may be found at www.thesculptor.com or you may contact Catherine Noyes, 281-392-6802.

TSOS Artist's Work Displayed in Tennessee

A museum in Tennessee is the new home of two bronze statues of children. Nancy Cardozier donated the pair to a nature center and veterans memorial museum in her home town of Covington "in memory of a happy childhood." The life-size figures were created as part of a commissioned grouping entitled "Christ with Three Children," executed by Nancy and Ken Burns in 1999. In the process, Ken made such excellent molds that it seemed a shame not to make use of them again. Nancy had Dan Pogue of Pogue Studio and Foundry cast two of the children in bronze. They were installed on the museum grounds in October, holding hands and gazing up at the tall trees.

Alice Fisher, museum director, stated, "We feel the subject of the sculpture is fitting, since children are a large part of the museum's educational pursuits."

[sculptor bronze children Covington Tennessee]
Nancy Cardozier (center) helps install her bronze children in a museum in Covington, Tennessee.

Other Sculpture News

[stone sculptor gives talk Grace Community School]

Rey Alaniz delivered a talk at Grace Community School in Austin on October 28. He described carving a marble piece, Sojourner, and showed the kids a video. Teacher Annette Anderson reported that the children enjoyed it and noted that they asked lots of questions, and that "even the 'lunch lady' was thanking me later in the day for the great speaker! Another teacher asked about getting you back for another visit next year . . . It was fun to watch the kids cart their clay creations out to show their moms after school. I had several kids asking for the few left-over chunks of clay to play with at home. Who knows? Maybe you inspired them to turn off that Nintendo and get on with sculpting!" photo by Annette Anderson

[sculptor bronze Rockport Center for the Arts, Texas]
Bob Coffee's bronzes were featured in a one-man show at the Rockport Center for the Arts in October. photo courtesy of the artist.

[sculptor bronze]
Rose Van Vranken exhibits at, and is currently represented by, the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, www.biblicalarts.org.
Shown: Variations on a Theme # 1, bronze, 42" x 34" x 30". photo courtesy artist

"Sursum!: A Coaching Forum for Sculptors"

Marla Ripperda is hosting a monthly get-together the first Sunday of the month in her home on Lake Buchanan. The meeting will include lunch and a 1-1/2 hour meeting with a professional facilitator the first Sunday of the month beginning in January 2003! It will be limited to 10 persons and cost $20 each meeting (to pay the presenter and cover lunch cost). Reserve your spot with your $20 check made out to Marla Ripperda at 508 Lakeshore Dr., Burnet, TX 78611 by December 31st. The "coach" is Sue Hart, Marla's friend and neighbor. Visit Sue's website at www.highest-vision.com for an introduction to Sue and her methods. The intention is for this to be a year-long activity for us to grow in our art setting and accomplishing goals, motivation and support.

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Texas Society of Sculptors
P. O. Box 49291
Austin, Texas (USA) 78765-9291
www.tsos.org