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Difficult Posthumous Commission Sculpture

Richard Arfsten

United States

Sculpture, Metal on Bronze

Size: 14 W x 16 H x 8 D in

This artwork is not for sale.
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About The Artwork

I was approached by a man whose father had passed away several years prior and wanted a portrait bust of him. Not a problem I thought so I said, "Show me pictures of him." It turned out he had several small snapshots of his father in family pictures. Every picture showed him with a big open-mouth smile at different times of his life. He lived until he was 85 but the family wanted an accurate representation of him when he was 55. On top of that the father always wore his glasses so the bust had to have glasses, which is a nightmare for a sculptor. The kicker was that the family and the father's former staff had to approve of the design in the clay state before casting in order for me to get paid. The client had seen some of my work and liked it but could I make his father's image as his family remembered him when they were children? That was a tall and difficult order, to say the least. The pictures were so lacking in information it could be a futile effort. As it turned out the client had four brothers. I asked if they resembled the father? Each had some of his characteristics. So I told him I might be able to mine enough information from their faces to come up with a suitable likeness. I made a rough sketch in clay for a start and got all the brothers together. They told me who had the nose, eyes, etc. Then I took pictures with each of the brothers against the maquette sketch and took notes as to what part to put on the bust. I modeled as much as I could with that information and left the clay with them and a notebook so as they had time they could look at it and make notes in the notebook. Then I would retrieve the clay sculpture, go back to my studio, make adjustments and return it for further perusal. This went on for months. Finally they agreed I was close and when one of them got tears in his eyes and said, "That is my dad," I knew it was finished.

Details & Dimensions

Sculpture:Metal on Bronze

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:14 W x 16 H x 8 D in

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Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.

I have an ambitious approach to life ... and to art ... make something happen every day ... but most of all have fun doing it! A sculptor first, and now working in 2D, I do my best to do just that. Presented here are examples of some of my work. •• My sculpture runs the gamut from abstract, to figurative, to architectural. The materials and methods used are diverse ... from figures modeled in clay or wax, then cast in pewter or bronze ... to aluminum maquettes (produced by evaporative pattern casting) which serve as the 3D blueprints for the pieces that are enlarged and fabricated from sheet metal of all kinds. •• My 2D pieces range from abstract to figurative. You’ll find Originals done in oils or acrylic, one-of-a-kind monotypes, collages, mixed media paintings, and more ... I love working in all mediums. Some of my 2D work may be available as reproductions on this site. ••• MY FASCINATION WITH SCIENCE FICTION & MAKE BELIEVE - When I was in second grade, television was new and the hottest thing. The "Adventures of Flash Gordon" was my favorite program. There was only one kid in the neighborhood who had a TV. We, all the kids, gathered at his house for every episode. I was a huge fan of the characters. Flash was cool and my hero. Dale Arden was OK but Princess Aura was way cooler because she was naughty. Ming The Mercilous was very interesting. But Dr. Zarkov and his super duper telescope - that could see into time forwards and backwards, far and near - was the star of the show for me. The spaceship was really hoakey. You could see the wire that it was traveling on and the little puffs of smoke coming out of it were a joke, even for me. But the concept of the show was magical. Also at that time there were radio shows about space travel and aliens and monsters. I would listen to those shows with my grandfather as I sat on the floor next to the big wooden box radio so I could get the full impact of the sounds. •• These shows inspired me to draw spaceships, mostly "new and improved" versions of Flash's ship. I taped them all over my bedroom walls. At night I would travel with Flash. We would go to distant parts of the Universe and explore ancient ruins - like what I saw in National Geographic when I was not looking at the bare-breasted girls of exotic cultures. (I think artists and sculptors, are to a large part, voyeurs.) Those memories pop up in my art over and over. •• Faces also intrigue and inspire me.

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