A Hiking Stick, History, and Love of Family
From The Sculptor's Studio
Many like to see my posts because it feels like they are watching over the shoulders of the artists. Welcome to my studio.
Connections—There is no doubt that I feel connected to Grandma Gatewood. Our connection comes from our love of the woods and hiking, and I hope from our desire to help influence others to take that step and go into the woods.
When I try to sculpt a deceased loved one, I feel connected to them by those who knew and loved the subject. With Grandma Gatewood, there is no shortage of this. I have enjoyed meeting her family and learning more stories.
I have contemplated her hiking stick. I looked at how she held it and how tall it was. I noticed how strange it was that it was smaller, and I asked a family member about it. Marjorie says, " My grandfather told me that it was from Sassafras. She only used one, not two, like people do today. I will see if I can find any pictures of her with it. It was also not tall like so many of the walking sticks today. She could put her hand on top of it."
Working in the Studio
When I start on the life-size sculpture, I can use a real stick, so my mind has been on this walking stick for a long time. At the same time, just outside my home and studio has stood a solid black walnut. One limb had a chain embedded into it from the swing that my daughter would swing on as a child. That swing is long gone, but the chains hold a stained glass dragonfly instead. Next to that chain, there are two other chains and a swing for her child. My granddaughter and I made a fairy BNB at the base of the tree. Arborists have told me for years that the tree was on its way out, and this past year proved them correct. It had to come down in case someone injured themselves while going to the studio. I cried. I love trees, but what gave me some peace was looking at the limbs, following them down, and wondering if I could use one for Grandma Gatewood's stick. No it is not sassafras. But for me, as the artist, it is filled with love and family connection, something I want to instill in this piece of art.
So, much to the dismay of those who felled the tree, I asked them to heed those limbs and scampered on the ground to find the perfect walking stick. I now have several braced up around the walls in the studio, waiting for me to meld them with a large clay sculpture. Once the clay is complete, I'll take a mold of that stick and capture family history within a bronze of Grandma Gatewood.
These small things that happen while I work make me love my job and feel closer to my subject. Somehow, this love, these feelings get trapped in the clay. I can't wait until we raise enough so that I can start working on the large clay.
Please share this project with everyone you can. Thanks for your support
Sculptor—Bridgette Mongeon