Blevins Sculpture Studio

2-Man Show in Graham, TX

2008-08-17T00:36:00.002-05:00

For the entire month of September 2008 our work will be exhibited at a 2-Man Show at the Old Post Office Museum & Art Center, 510 Third Street, Graham, TX.

Mini*Me FAQ

2008-07-08T10:32:00.009-05:00

We get lots of questions about Mini*Me Original Miniature Portrait Sculptures. I thought I'd answer some of them right here...

What are the sculptures made of?
Mini*Me's are made of terra cotta clay (the same stuff that they make flower pots out of).

But they look like bronze. How does that happen?
After the clay is dried and then fired,they go through a patination process that Art has developed over the years that makes them look very much like bronze.

How do you do these? Do you use a computer?
No, we do not use computers to sculpt these pieces. We start with a lump of clay and then "get after it" as Art would say. The only computer used here is the one between our ears.

Why do the sculptures take so long to get back?
After they're sculpted, (remember these are one of a kind, and hand sculpted) they have to dry for several weeks before firing. If there is ANY moisture left in them, they will blow up in the kiln. With mounting & framing, it generally takes 4-6weeks depending on how many orders we have stacked up before yours.

Why do they cost so much more when done from a photograph than from a sitting?
When we do a sitting (usually a 30 minute duel) we get a "sketch" of the individual, whereas when we do a study from a picture, we work on it until we have a more accurate portrait...which usually takes between 4-6 hours.

Are there framing options?
Yes, absolutely. We generally mount Mini*Me's done from a duel on a wood plaque. Those from photographs are mounted in shadowboxes. If you'd rather have them mounted a different way, there are custom framing options. NO problem.

How did "Dueling Sculptors" get started?
Out of boredom. Art & I have done a lot of art shows in the past and would get bored watching people walk by. For many years Art used to do an hour demo, doing a life size bust which proved to be a draw for people but an hour in the hot sun. We thought that having some fun with people would make the time go a lot faster so, we came up with the Mini*Me idea and then it grew into "Dueling Sculptors". Being married allowed us to give each other a hard time without any hard feelings.

Thanks for a GREAT 4th at the Coffee Grinder!

2008-07-07T12:26:00.005-05:00

We want to thank all of you for making our 4th of July celebration a GREAT success! The Dueling Sculptors were on the Square Friday and Saturday dueling our fingers off. We take one "victim"/model and the 2 of us sculpt them at the same time in 30 minutes. The "victim" gets to choose whose sculpture is closest, fastest. The score this weekend was: 8 to 6 Ginny's favor... Oh, I just love that when it happens!!!! A big thanks to all our victims... you were GREAT!

If you haven't caught the show yet, come on down to the Coffee Grinder on Saturday afternoons from 1-5pm. Coffee Grinder has an excellent summertime drink called the Granita which is a mocha-coffee frosty frozen confection that sure cools you off in these hot Texas summers. Mmmmm, so GOOD! So, if you're looking for something special to do with the kids this summer, bring them on down and let us sculpt them... If you like it, we have a special "victim rate" of just $50.00, if not, we've all had a good time and a great experience for the kids.

Art Splash on the Square

2008-05-18T16:22:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, 17 May 2008, we were away from our regular venue at the Coffee Grinder and instead exhibited at the Art Splash on the Square, located on the Courthouse Square in Graham, TX.

High-Resolution Brochure Available

2008-04-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

We've made a high-resolution version of our brochure, suitable for printing and sharing with friends and family. It's only 4.1 MB and will print out beautifully on 8½ x 11 paper. We welcome you to download it.

Two New Reliefs Posted

2008-03-07T14:19:00.000-06:00

Photos of two new reliefs are now posted on the site: Bonsai, a bronze relief by Art & Ginny Blevins with a background painting by Ginny Blevins; and Weed Queen Winking, a terra cotta relief by Ginny Blevins.

Several New Mini*Me's Posted

2008-02-10T14:18:00.000-06:00

We've posted photos of several new Mini*Me's that we've recently completed: Audrey, Squeak, Cowboy, and Sleeping Infant.

Dr. James Parker Memorial Completed and Installed

2007-07-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

The Blevins Studio has completed the slightly-larger-than-life-size bronze memorial statue of the late Dr. James Parker, Founder of Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas. The life-size bronze portrait bust was finished in 2006 and the full-figure bronze statue completes the final stage of the commission and is installed on the central commons of the college.

Granbury Volunteer Firefighter Memorial Completed and Installed

2007-03-07T12:05:00.000-06:00

The Blevins Studio has finished the commission for the 6-foot-tall bronze firefighter, named Fire's Out, and the piece has been installed as the centerpiece of the new Granbury Volunteer Firefighter Memorial, located in Granbury, Texas. The memorial commemorates the 100th anniversary (March, 2007) of the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department, which has been operating off the same charter for the last 100 years. The statue is set up on a 4-ft-tall pedestal that has the names of every member of the Dept. for the last 100 years engraved into the granite. A new park was designed and constructed for the memorial, located between Travis and Houston streets along Granbury's new Hike & Bike Trail. As a fundraiser for the project, the Department is selling dedicatory bricks for $50 each. The bricks are available to anyone who wants to dedicate a brick to a firefighter. Contact Blevins Studio for further information.