Artist Spotlight - Leon White

In much the same way we are surprised to “discover” the sculpture hidden in the stone, this interview with Leon White provides a variety of surprises and discoveries concerning the life and work of this versatile and broadly trained artist. And who would have expected Henry Fonda to emerge?

LE: Who are you?

LW: I grew up in Yakima, WA. in a family of orchard, wheat, and sugar beet farmers. A farmer, I would “NOT” become! From early on, I felt different from the rest. And knew the higher powers had something different in store for me. I was the black sheep, and it was a struggle to break away.

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Artist Spotlight - Al Sieradski

“Bursting onto the scene” may be an apt description of Allan Sieradski’s emergence in the realm of stone sculpture, and “quick learner” fits him well. In three short years, he has drawn upon previously developed skills and knowledge, received some training, and conscientiously applied himself to become a very prolific and talented carver. The following interview portrays this fascinating transformation.

LE: Who are you?

AS: I am husband of one (wife, Karen) and father of two (sons, Matthew and Damian), mathematics professor emeritus, a stone sculptor, a woodworker, a free-heel skier, a racquetball enthusiast, and a poker player. I retired from the University of Oregon in March 2000 after 33 years in the Department of Mathematics.

LE: What is your life history as it relates to being an artist?

AS: I really haven’t been able to consider myself an artist. From youth, I was encouraged and trained to use my head for employment. But I have always felt compelled to use my hands in making things for personal expression. I have used wood in making boats, furniture, and home; and I have used metal in sculpture and furniture. Currently, this compulsion is driving me to sculpt stone.

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Artist Spotlight - David Miller

David brings a very broad and varied set of experiences and interests to his artistic endeavors, and his work reflects this breadth. He is a thoughtful and thinking man, and, as Silver Falls and Whidbey Island participants can attest, he is an excellent teacher. It is great to have this opportunity to become better acquainted with this most interesting artist.

LE: To begin with, please introduce yourself.

DM: My name is David Preston Miller (I use my middle initial. As I grew up, being referred to in this fashion helped to distinguish myself from the other John Does). I was born in New Hampshire in 1949. I am the oldest of five children: two boys and three girls, with an age difference of sixteen years. I grew up, as I consider it, being a corporate nomad, as at that time the corporate structure for management required managers and their families to move often. I was always the “new kid on the block.” Four moves, four states by the eighth grade. I finished high school in a small western Pennsylvania coal-mining town. I probably have lived at fifty addresses since I was born. I have lived in the Northwest almost ten years. One year in Bellingham and the remainder outside of Marcola, Oregon on a dead-end road in an area of an early logging town named Wendling. I had spent most of my life in the Northeast, and I have only Alaska and Hawaii left as states to travel to.

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Artist Spotlight - June Bloye

June Bloye exemplifies the aspiring sculptor who has benefited a great deal from her involvement in NWSSA. This has allowed her to carve out a second career. She has, in turn, reciprocated by lending her talents to the association by serving as an active and vital board member. Her inspiring story follows.

LE: Please introduce yourself, and tell us a little about how you were introduced to sculpture.

JB:  I’m a person who has come late to art. Most of my life I’ve been a craft person, but now I see a continuum from one art form to another. Cutting out glass for stained glass panels taught me how to cut slate and other flat stones; jewelry making taught me how to manipulate and so on. The converse is also true. A recent project of mine involved appliqueing a scene onto the back of a fleece jacket, which I made 3-D from my sculpture experience. I think that all art forms complement each other. No craft making has been wasted and, in fact, most techniques have come in handy in one way or another. I now enjoy mixing my media so that I have stone with copper wire, glass, and wood. In the future I hope to combine other media as well.

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Artist Spotlight - Suz Gentiluomo

Suz has a very interesting story to tell about her journey through art leading to her destination in sculpture. She has been a long-term member of NWSSA and, in addition to producing a substantial body of work, she has also shared her talents through her teaching. Her delightful personality and sense of humor become quite apparent in this interview.

LE:  Let’s start by having you tell us about your life history as it relates to becoming an artist.

SG:  Both of my parents had an interest in the arts, although they were trained in mathematics and electrical engineering. Eventually this interest led them into antique dealing and restoration, so I was privileged to run my hands over thousands of works of art by the time I was a teenager. I also learned how to lift. I was the little kid on the lower end of those huge 18^th century cupboards my mother was enamored with, while my dad guided us and grinned at shocked onlookers. Luckily no one ever did call Social Services, which left me the opportunity to spend time at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with Harriet Hosmer’s marble work, and a stunning array of Egyptian basalts. We went camping in New Hampshire every summer and literally swam in stone sculpture. The granite bedrock goes on for miles in every direction, and in one stream it is carved into thousands of water falls, and deep, intricate pools, for nearly its entire length. It’s magical. My grandmother would show us the garnets exposed in nearby boulders and we’d use her rock hammer to poke them out.

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Artist Spotlight - Dave Haslett

Dave has been an energetic and enthusiastic member of NWSSA, and he currently serves as our Vice President.  As we will learn, his broad training in art and his steady progress in sculpture has resulted in a well deserved blossoming of his career in the last few months.

LE:  Please introduce yourself--who are you?

DH: That’s a good opening question! My name is Dave Haslett. I work in stone, bronze, oil paint, and am a prolific drawer. I have owned my own business as a licensed general contractor since 1989, drawing plans and performing custom remodeling. Born and raised in the Pacific NW, I am the first male in a long line of loggers to not continue a career in the woods.

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