My small portrait sculpture of historical figure Eleanor Roosevelt was selected for inclusion in the National Sculpture Society's 81st Annual Awards Exhibition August 16 – November 2, 2014, held at the prestigious Brookgreen Gardens where #1 of the edition of 50 castings was sold.
The annual juried exhibition of the National Sculpture Society, the oldest professional organization of sculptors in America, presents the work of masters alongside rising stars in American sculpture. Fifteen awards are presented by the Society along with the popular People’s Choice Award, determined by votes of visitors to Brookgreen Gardens.
"Eleanor" was also accepted into the17th Annual National Juried American Women Artists Competition, to be exhibited at the Addison Art Gallery where she won Award of Merit.
Additionally, "Eleanor" won first place for sculpture at the renown Scottsdale Artist's School and was also purchased for inclusion in their permanent collection.
I find people to be an endless fascination and love to read biographies of people that have lead interesting lives. One such person that I was interested in was Eleanor Roosevelt and I often wonder:
Where would we be if it were not for some key figures in history? Were it not for the fortitude of the Roosevelts, Churchill and others during those dark days of the Great Depression and World War II, where would we be today?
So I study them, read about them and try my best to learn from their lives. She was intelligent, hard working and forward thinking.
Eleanor was a unique woman: very tall, with famously protruding teeth, yes, but also with grace, style and amazingly expressive features and eyes that could smile or empathize. Her lively eyes so remind me of my own great aunt Frances and are what captivated me most. I wanted to sculpt Eleanor in a thoughtful and wistful pose with a hint of humor lurking in the depths of her gaze.
