This is my most recent work, a life sized statue of First Lady Ellen Wilson. She was commissioned by the Rome Area Council for the Arts to be placed in her hometown Rome, Georgia.
A full size statue begins with an armature, foam, and finally wax so that the statue will be ready to receive the clay. Once the clay is applied the sculpting begins. I used many different photos and information to get the most accurate likeness of Ellen that was possible. She was a talented artist in addition to being First Lady and is portrayed in a dress in which she was photographed. She stands in front of an easel with one of her paintings recreated in clay. The palette she holds is the exact shape of her own palette she used.
I use a model to reference the folds and stance of the life sized statue.
I love details such as the fingernails and veins in the hand.
This is the impressionist painting that I recreated in bas-relief for the statue.
