Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Loretta Headrick


I look back at my "late blooming" almost daily. 

Still surprised at the mystery that laid so long undiscovered 

in these two older hands. 


At the time, I was a nurse on a mental ward and on death row in a California state prison.  I also cared for my dying mother.  I worked all day with prisoners, and my husband and I cared for Mom at night.  My favorite hobby had always been sewing, but there was no time or thought of hobbies while Mom was so ill.  Emerging, from mourning after her passing, I thought to look online at art dolls and collector dolls, a hobby of mine long since abandoned. Along with beautiful dolls I saw DVDs about how to sculpt a doll.  Intrigued, I ordered a DVD and promptly sculpted squatty aliens that were truly alarming-many of them for many weeks-and all equally poor.

I went online to look for sculpting techniques, gleaning all I could.  One search contained reference to the sculpting techniques inside two books by Katherine Dewey, Sculpting a Life-like Figure in Polymer Clay and Sculpting Life-like Animals in Polymer Clay. With everything to gain I ordered the books.  I had struggled for a couple of months with lumps of clay without success.  These books contained precise pictures and sculpting methods and in a very short time I had my first lifelike sculpt.  No one could have been more stunned than me.  
Ahesh "the warrior"





Two hands that had never sculpted successfully held the head of an African warrior who looked up at me with expression and realism. My first human sculpt. I was amazed.!




She is wigged by Susie McMahon of Tasmania.





Since then I have sculpted animals, full figure dolls, face masks, and full head and shoulder plates to affix to cloth dolls. My passion for sculpting is the human face.
Lolly













Equally strong is my passion for color and texture which led to bead embroidery and bead weaving at age 60.   This year a bead woven necklace I made will be published in the Nov/Dec 2013 issue of of Beadwork magazine.                               







Then there is an iconic painting of St. Nick I did in November 2012 at age 62.








At 63, I can't wait to see what's next.


11 comments:

  1. It's so wonderful that you learned sculpture this way! You obviously are a real self starter. Wonderful interview!

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    1. Thanks much, Lisa. I thoroughly enjoy these late-found skills.

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  2. Wow amazing work...Blooming and blossoming. Congrats on getting published! Wahoo....63 is young, you are just beginning this journey. Enjoy. xox

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    1. Thanks so much, Corrine. I'm anxious to see that issue of Beadwork Magazine come winter. :-) Thanks for the reassurance that I am young--and this is only the beginning. I love it!

      Loretta

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  3. WOW!! Your sculptures are just beautiful!! Congratulations to you for finding your plethora of gifts and sharing them with the rest of us! Wishing you continued success!

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    1. Thank you, Heather. I am still working part time, but one of these days there will be nothing to focus on but my art and the continual learning all the way through. Thanks again.

      Loretta

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  4. I know Loretta personally. And she is a woman of many talents. Her work up close and personal is absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for honoring her talents here.

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    1. Thanks for your support, Kathy. It means so much to me.

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  5. You and I had similar work histories but I was in Nevada. Both my husband & I got to dabble in art as part of work place programs but it was instructional not personal. Over the years, I remember saying I didn't want to wait til I went to the Senior Center to find out I could paint. So I painted some. I sewed all my clothes as a young person and for my family later. Everything was for a need. Now that I am retired, I finally took a class in sculpting clay at the local museum which was free. We dug dirt from the earth, sifted it, added water and kneaded it until it was just right. That was the start of art for my soul & for no one else. I am excited each day to try it all. Congratulations on your path. I am finding that there are a lot of artists out there and, from what I can see, are just marvelous role models to me and others.

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    1. Cami, thanks so much for sharing with me. We all inspire each other and it is such a meaningful part of our art. Your experience with making clay from the earth sounds like it was a wonderful key to opening the rest of your life to art. Thanks again for your comments.

      Loretta

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  6. You may be a late blossoming flower, but well worth the wait. Your work is amazing . . . I always feel blessed to read the stories on this blog. When people do what they were born to do . . . magic happens :)

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