Portrait Society of America's International Conference 2015

Mardie's trip to Atlanta this year featured a 7-hour sculpture demonstration at the Portrait Society of America conference. The PSOA draws hundreds of artists from all over the world each year to compete in an international competition, review and critique portfolios, and discuss classical and developing techniques in fine art. Here is a sampling of images from this year's experience.

Mardie begins a 7-hour portrait demonstration

Mardie shows off her finished demo portrait alongside fellow sculptor Alicia Ponzio

Mardie meets Richard Ormond, grand nephew of John Singer Sargent

Photo-op with the renowned Bruno Lucchesi

'Soul of the Forward and Faithful' a winner!

This year's International Salon Competition put on by the prestigious Art Renewal Center was full of amazing entries by a talented group of respected artists from around the globe. Winners were announced this month, and Mardie's epic piece dedicated to the Marine Raiders of WWII was awarded second place in the sculpture category. A full list of Mardie's awards can be seen here. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates on all of Mardie's exciting projects.

Closing the Books

Been to a ballet or symphony lately? Maybe you caught a movie with some friends or saw your favorite band play downtown. Chances are you were fixated on enjoying the art and were amazed at how they accomplished such a thing. No matter how effortless it seems, there is always a 'behind the scenes' where you find harried staff, exhausted writers, or weary performers. Good bronze sculpture can be no different. Lets dig through the 'to file' pile of reference material for 'Soul of the Forward and Faithful' and take a look at some of the titles that helped the WWII Memorial come to life.

WWII Memorial 'to file pile'

The 'to file' pile for the WWII US Marine Raider Memorial stands as a tower of research covering topics from historic weaponry to dog anatomy.

'Out of Fire and Valor'

The northeast has some of the oldest sculpture in the United States. This book catalogs some wonderful memorials of New York over the last three centuries.

'Doughboy to GI'

An excellent book on early 20th century Army clothing and gear. WWII Marines used much of the same equipment, some of it circa World War I.

'The Mighty Fallen'

Another beautifully pictorial book on war memorials - this one represents sculptures nationwide.

'Grunt Gear'

'Grunt Gear' is a well-presented catalog of nearly all equipment used by the Marine Corps in WWII.

'Navajo Weapon'

This compelling book chronicles the amazing story of the Navajo and their unbreakable 'code', their native language.

'USMC Uniforms & Equipment'

One can never have enough books on equipment if every detail must be correct or, at the least, defensible.

'Our Kind of War'

As the subtitle states, this amazing book breaks down nearly every facet of the Marine Raiders of WWII, and contains many gripping period photographs.

German Shepherds

The dog of choice in the K-9 units of WWII was the German Shepherd. Studying their temperament is important to fully capture them in sculpture.

Files, Files, and more Files!

Have a sudden thought at midnight or found a shred of research that must be saved? Put it in a file. You'll thank yourself later.

Saint Anthony Nears Completion

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Mardie sculpting, with finished maquette in foreground

Mardie's studio is abuzz with the careful crafting of the enlargement for her latest commissioned work, a statue for Westminster Colorado's new Saint Anthony North Health Campus. She is enlarging the maquette to a full-sized statue of nearly 7 feet tall. Mardie's contemporary vision for this beloved saint positions the child on the ground, taking his first steps in a trusting walk of faith.

As with all of her sculptures, Mardie sought models with specific character traits to give the work integrity and truthfulness. The toddler is a child of a dear friend, and the saint is portrayed by a gentle, fatherly, and spiritual man who is on the board of the United Way.

Saint Anthony North Health Campus opens in March 2015, and the sculpture will be installed in the fall.