A pictorial tour just for you

Studio Note: 6

03.26.25

Dear Friends,

I made a mistake! I told you I’d be sharing all of my news and work with you first, and then…I did not do that. If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw that I have begun a new project (alongside the larger crucifix), and am scheduled to finish that next. I am midway through sculpting something I have long desired for my own home; something that will make a beautiful Easter gift, perhaps! Please see below some photos of my holy water font in progress. I may have been crazy for thinking I would enjoy carving a face hardly larger than my pinky-toe-nail.

Since I have had my sights fixed on producing this in time for you to order before Easter

…it has been a busy week! In lieu of my usual (can I say that now that it’s the 6th one?) word-filled newsletter, I hope you’ll enjoy a smattering of photos that show you some of my endeavors behind the scenes. I had intended this week’s text to be all about the sculpting process (as Part Two of my Behind the Scenes series) and I do indeed have plenty to say about that! Can’t wait to share with you in a future newsletter. For now, here are some visuals of my work with clay.

Though the Sacred Heart was the first Crowned Earth statue I ever began, St. Dominic was the first one I finished. He is to this day my best-selling piece, and I am always so astonished at that!

Once upon a time, I dropped Jesus’ head in the oven (long story) and had to start over from scratch. Impossible to have the exact same result twice, so what you see in the final photo is Sacred Heart 2.0…I ended up liking his face a lot better than the first! You’ll notice that I always begin my sculpted heads bald…to get a good shape first. Then I add hair on top, like a clay wig.

Miscellanea. One carving tool that you might be surprised to find in my studio is a hand-mirror. Sometimes you just have to stare at a living human face for a ridiculous amount of time, striving to understand something crucial before you are able to carve it…something like how nostrils branch out from the sides of one’s nose, for example. You’ll see on the left a list of things that I have to repeat to myself while sculpting. Ad nauseam. It is also interesting to note that I have had to completely destroy and re-start every face I ever carved. It feels awful in the moment, but the second (or third!) try is always deeply improved. Getting a good face is worth it.

Speaking of faces, check out the evolution of St. Therese. She was my hardest work yet. So many delightful subtleties to her beautiful, mysterious visage! At the left you can see what I call “blocking in”— basically a fast sketch in clay to set up general sizes and posture, lines and basic shapes. I was pretty lost with dear Therese at first, as you can see!

So there you have it. If, while you are perusing, any questions or curiosities arise about my work— would you do me a huge favor and share them with me? You can just hit reply to this email. I am gathering ideas for future newsletters, and would love to cull inspiration from your feedback.

Also, please wish me luck (I’ll also take a prayer or two if you can spare it!) on my current project— may God’s hand guide mine when the eyes start to strain over desperately tiny details!

Wishing you all the best,