Giles Hepplestone from Hepplestone Fine Art Gallery Lancashire, explores the work of five well known sculptors and glassware brands.
When most people think about art for the home, the first thing that usually springs to mind is two dimensional art such as paintings and prints which enliven our walls and enrich our daily lives. For many experienced collectors however, wall space often becomes a restriction to growing their art collection which is when the world of sculpture can open up a whole new area of collecting. With tens of thousands of sculptors working around the world, I have selected five sculptors and glassware makers working in the 3D arts which form a wonderful introduction to the world of sculpture and glassware and offer a great starting point for any budding collector.
Frogman Tim Cotterill ‘The Frogman’ Tim Cotterill traded his life in the UK as an engineer for a career in sunny California as a sculptor when he left his home in Leicester in 1988. Originally selling his metal sculptures of birds and frogs at markets and small art fairs throughout the West Coast of America, the British born ‘Frogman’ now sells his bronze frog sculptures throughout the world with celebrity collectors including Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Pfeiffer and Mohammed Ali’s wife. Despite looking deceptively fragile, Frogman’s bronze sculptures are made from molten bronze using the lost wax casting technique and then coloured using a unique combination of chemicals and heat to produce the brightly coloured patina. All of the bronze frog sculptures are worldwide limited edition runs and are signed and numbered underneath and issued with a certificate of authenticity. The frogs make wonderful gifts but also fantastic focul points for private homes and grouping a collection together can make a great statement.The Frogman also visits the Hepplestone Fine Art Gallery in Lancashire once a year to show his full collection of Frogman sculpture and meet Frogman art collectors.
Loet Vanderveen At 92, there are few living sculptors with the experience and longevity of Loet Vanderveen. Loet Vanderveen was born in Holland 1921 near to the Rotterdam zoo which formed the foundations for a lifelong love of animals. Having escaped occupied Holland, he spent some time in the UK serving in the RAF before moving to New York and taking up a career as a fashion designer. A friendship with Fong Chow, a curator at the New York Metropolitan Museum led to private ceramic studies culminating in a lifelong career as a sculptor. Now with a list of collectors including HM Queen Elizabeth II, The King of Tonga, Barry Manilow and formerly President and Mrs Reagan to name but a few, Loet Vanderveen’s sculpture is now truly collected and sought after globally. Cast in bronze, Vanderveen’s sculptures exude beautiful grace and elegance and successfully portray the characters of the stunning creatures that he selects. From Cheetahs and Horses, to Elephants and Oryx, Loet Vanderveen’s subject matter is truly diverse. Vanderveen uses a variety of patina finishes to complement his work allowing the sculptures to take on an added dimension than simply a traditional bronze. Exposing the raw polished bronze on selected areas of the sculptures also allows Loet Vanderveen to give a contemporary feel to the artwork. All of the sculpture from Loet Vanderveen is produced in limited edition runs and with such a diverse portfolio and prices to suit all budgets, Vanderveen is a great starting point for anybody dipping their toe into sculpture collecting.
Carl Payne
The success of many sculptors careers is often measured by the commissions that they receive. If that is the case, Carl Payne can truly be classed as a successful international sculptor having been given high profile commissions including sculpting Sir Stanley Matthews which proudly stands outside the Stoke City Football ground and producing a bronze of King George V and Queen Mary commissioned by Cunard for the Queen Mary II.
Born in Staffordshire, Carl Payne studied at the Burslem School of Art and the Henry Doulton School of Sculpture and produces stunning bronze works and is particularly collected for his contemporary figurative sculptures. All of the sculpture is from limited edition runs and vary in edition size from under ten for the large monumental pieces, to slightly larger edition sizes for the smaller sculptures. The See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil set shown is from an edition of only 49 and demonstrates a beautiful combination of polished bronze and a stunning contemporary patina. ‘Ideas for my sculptures arrived from many avenues, including Mythology, history, religion, music, which evolve around the sacred feminine. The subject found me many years ago, and I have been fascinated with ever since’.‘Whilst I work directly from my model, and aim to produce a faithful study of human form, I always interpret the study according to the appearance of the final piece. The idea is constantly evolving, until the casting in bronze’.As a relatively young sculptor,
Carl Payne’s career really is one to watch.
Amanda Hughes Lubeck
Like Carl Payne, Amanda Hughes-Lubeck studied at the Sir Henry Doulton School of sculpture in her home town of Stoke on Trent and has become one of the UK’s leading equestrian and wildlife sculptors.
“I am passionate about animals and art. The horse is such a beautiful and majestic animal, which has been devoted to helping the human race for many centuries. It has qualities which are unrivalled in the animal world, and I am very fortunate to have been blessed with the ability to capture this magnificent animal in works of art”.
Amanda Hughes Lubeck’s career led her to create many of the original prototype sculptures for Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, Royal Crown Derby, Wedgwood and Beswick. Amanda has also completed many commissions including The Queen on Burmese and Red Rum.
Although cast in bronze, Amanda Hughes Lubeck’s sculptures are available in a wide selection of patina finishes including stunning white polar bears to traditional bronze horses – a truly contemporary take on timeless subject matter.
Lalique
Lalique glass is one of the most enduring and internationally recognised brands in the artworld with it’s foundations with Rene Lalique in turn of the century France.
Having worked as a jewellery designer in Paris, Rene Lalique turned to glassware relatively late in his career with his passion for glass being sparked in 1907. Rene Lalique reinvented the perfume bottle and went on to decorate the Orient Express and the Normandy Cruise ship and became famous, a purveyor to the courts of Europe, museums and collectors.
Upon the death of founder Rene Lalique1945, the production of Lalique glass continued when his son Marc took over the company and the stunning Lalique glass is still made in the same factory today. Rene’s successors developed the work by imposing crystal but have remained faithful to the spirit of Rene Lalique.
Some of the original Rene Lalique designs such as the Bacchantes Vase are still produced in crystal today with a whole host of beautiful new designs bearing the Lalique signature and classic Lalique styling. Early Lalique examples can be distinguished by the ‘R Lalique’ signature as opposed to the ‘Lalique’ signature which is etched into the modern work and a more milky quality to the glass in contrast to the modern pieces.
The modern Lalique crystal is still made with exquisite quality and attention to detail and continues to be collected worldwide as both limited and open editions. The Lalique collection also includes many different forms from vases, sculpture, lighting and furniture so is a fantasticly enduring and diverse brand to start collectors. With prices starting from around £60, it is a piece of history within the reach of many art collectors.
