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Innocence
Raven
Bobbie sits in front of her life
sized bronze whitetail buck "Spooked". |
Estes Park
Trail Gazette, April 7 1999
Volume 29, Issue 85 - Page 4
www.eptrail.com
`Remembered Images' to highlight sculpture
art
Wildlife and nature themes at Art Center come
to life in dynamic creations by Pine sculptor Bobbie Lorett
Realistic bronze images of Colorado Wildlife will adorn the Art
Center of Estes Park from April 9 to May 3. The sculpture of Colorado
native Bobbie Lorett will be featured at the Art Center's new exhibit,
"Remembered Images." Lorett, who lives in Pine, specializes
in bronze and stone sculpture of wildlife and nature. "These
are my neighbors," she said while showing pictures of deer
and elk taken from her studio window. From miniature rabbits to
life-size bucks, Lorett captures every detail in her own unique
style.
She started her sculpture career 15 years ago with a woodcarving
class. Realistic birds were her specialty, and she found out she
had a talent. "People asked me why I didn't sculpt in bronze,"
she said, "so I give it a try." She took bronze-sculpting
classes at the Art Students League Denver. This suggestion led Lorett
to a career of international notoriety. She has sold pieces to clients
in Hong Kong, Japan, England and Germany.
A love of animals
The majority of Lorett's pieces are representations of animals
although she has recently begun sculpting human figures. "I
have always enjoyed animals," she said, "and we are surrounded
by them where we live" Lorett's largest sculpture, which was
too large to transport to the Art Center, is a 6 foot-tall,
410-pound bronze buck. It took her roughly six months to complete
the piece, "Spooked." A half-size bronze representation
of "Spooked" will be on display at the exhibit. Another
sculpture titled "Innocence” depicts a baby harp seal.
Lorett created this piece in the midst, of protests against the
seal hunters. The seals' skin is only white for the first 10 days
of their lives, so this is when the hunters kill them. This gave
Lorett an opportunity to create the baby seal in marble. A bronze
version of "Innocence" will be featured at the exhibit.
Lorett works from pictures, videos, drawings and real animals.
One of her favorite places to sculpt is at the zoo. "My mentors
were animal sculptors, and they took us to the zoo to sculpt,"
said Lorett. "I still go and sit on the bench and sculpt the
animals." She said she even brings some extra clay to give
the children that are fascinated with her activity. Wolves, bears,
whales and elk are among the other animals represented in Lorett's
work. She is currently sculpting a commissioned work - a 12 to 14-foot-long
Chinese-style dragon, which will weigh close to 400 pounds.
Lorett's techniques
Lorett's bronze sculptures are created with the lost wax technique,
a method that dates back to Greek and Roman antiquity. The original
figure is sculpted in clay. A layer of wax is molded around
the figure, then another layer of Earthen material (such as
clay) is firmly packed around the wax. The figure is heated to melt
the wax out, leaving a thin shell on the outside of the figure.
Once the ceramic shell is cooled, it is heated again. The next step
the pouring of hot molten bronze into the shell. The bonze cools
in the shape of the original clay figure, and the outer shell is
sandblasted away.
With each mold, the technique can be repeated up to 250 times.
Lorett said she rarely uses one more than 15 times because she gets
bored. Each variation of the same figure is called an addition and
has a different number. Lorett performs all steps of this method
except the pouring of the hot bronze. She sends her wax molds to
Lee West Studios in Denver for the bronze work. Lorett adds fine
detail by sanding and coloring after the bronze is returned. Patina
is the term for adding color to bronze, which Lorett does quite
often. "I never realized I would use chemistry and math so
much for artwork," she said. The use of various chemicals that
react with bronze is one of the most stunning patina techniques.
Each chemical, when heated, creates a colored effect on the sculpture.
She also uses watercolor paints, dyes' and precious stone inlays.
Lorett started sculpting precious and semi-precious stones during
the last few years. She uses grinders, sanders, carbite and diamond
burrs as tools to create fine details. With her extra time, she
sculpts stones into small pieces, such as miniature animals and
pendants.
Originals by Bobbie
Lorett has turned this hobby into a full-time job. Last year, she
and her husband Mike, traveled coast-to-coast participating in juried
art, gem and mineral shows. She operates a studio, Originals by
Bobbie, next to her home in Pine. Lorett was a featured artist for
Channel 6, Denver's Public Broadcast System. She also donates a
piece of art to the channel each year for its fund-raising auction.
Lorett has received numerous awards for her work, such as the Best
of Show Sea Mammal at the NWAS Treasures of Nature Show in 1999
and the Judges Excellence Award at the Northern Wildlife Art Expo
in Lansing, Michigan, from 1995 to 1998.
She was the first woman sculptor ever to win, Awards at the show
in Lansing.The opening reception for "Remembered Images"'
will be Friday, April 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Art C center of
Estes Park in the Lower Stanley Village.
The Art Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education
and excellence in the visual arts. It is funded through memberships,
donations and sales.
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