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Burning
with Creativity - L.A.
Fire Dept. captain discovers talent for bronze sculpture.
Published
on January 6, 2001 in the Signal Newspaper
By
Margie Anne Clark
Signal Staff Writer
With a burning desire to be creative, award winning
bronze sculpturist and Los Angeles Fire Department captain, Norm Greengard, has
cast his line into the world of art, where he has found a niche in a passion
that has earned him the reputation of an accomplished artist.
As the winner
of The Artists’ Association prestigious 2000 Santa Clarita Valley Award, for
his limited edition bronze sculpture, “Bustin’ The Brush,” Greengard has
showcased the spirit of the Old West with his flare for bringing out the heart
and soul of his subject matter. With his sublime sense of emotion as well as his
attention to anatomical detail, Greengard has captured the imagination of
viewers to his art, who find themselves intrigued by the rustic, yet sometimes
whimsical nature of his work.
“I’ve always wanted to
sculpt and create bronzes,” Greengard said. “I have collected art over the
years, mostly western, but I have always had a special fondness for bronze
sculptures,” he said.
To admirers of
Greengard’s work, his gift for sculpting looks as though it has taken a
life-time to develop. Surprisingly, Greengard began sculpting less than 5 years.
“One day, in 1997, I sat down with a chunk of clay and decided that I was
going to try to sculpt,” Greengard said. Childhood memories of his mother
doing her artwork also served to bring out the artist in Greengard. Since
discovering his talent for creating exquisite bronzes, Greengard has become an
active member of The Artists’ Association.
As the newly named Vice
President of The Artists’ Association, Greengard is looking forward to
bringing out the talent in many local artists throughout the Santa Clarita
Valley. He is currently working with Sean Morgan, cultural arts coordinator for
the City of Santa Clarita, and Dianne Goddard, the director of the National Arts
Program, (NAP), to coordinate an art show with cash awards that will be an
annual event open to any resident in the Santa Clarita Valley. One of
Greengard’s sculptures, “Spiritual Breeze,” won the Directors Award from
the National Arts Program in Los Angeles in 1999, and was featured in a recent
publication of the National Arts Program.
The National Arts Program
was established in 1985 by the Leonard E.B. Andrews Foundation to inspire,
acknowledge, and reward creative accomplishment throughout the nation. The
National Arts Program is an annual exhibition where artists of all ages,
backgrounds, and levels of talent display their work in public.
“I’m very interested in
promoting the arts in the Santa Clarita Valley and hope to make this an annual
event,” Greengard said. “I believe that if someone really has the desire to
do something, and they put enough patience, persistence, and focus into it, then
they can accomplish whatever they want to do,” he said. “I’ve heard many
people tell me that I have talent, but I tell them that it’s the interest,
patience and persistence that really pays off,” Greengard said.
An interest in rodeos, and a
trip to Las Vegas, gave Greengard’s side-line as a professional artist, a
jump-start after a serendipitous meeting with Montana artist, Con Williams.
While attending the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Greengard told Williams
of his interest in sculpting. Later, the two would meet again at the Cowboy
poetry Festival in Newhall, where Williams was showcasing his bronze sculptures.
“When I saw him there
again, we talked for a while and have since become good friends,” Greengard
said. During their conversation, Greengard asked Williams to give him a quick
overview of the mechanics of sculpture, and the tools and materials needed to
embark on the craft. “Con gave me the inspiration to sit down and try
sculpting. I regard Con as the one individual responsible for me becoming a
sculptor,” Greengard said.
“Con has been a great
friend and inspiration,” Greengard said. “If I hadn’t met Con, I would
probably be only thinking about sculpting instead of doing it,” he said. Other
artists who have inspired Greengard’s work include acclaimed western artists,
C.M. Russell and Frederick Remington. “When I think of artists who have
inspired me, I think of Con in the same terms as Russell and Remington,”
Greengard said.
In the short time that
Greengard has been sculpting, he has created 11 different bronze sculptures that
have been cast. “I have changed the focus of my life to exert as much time and
energy on my art as possible, though it seems a constant struggle to find
time,” Greengard said.
His job as Captain II, with
the Los Angeles Fire Department, has afforded Greengard a little bit of time to
devote to his new found passion. He is currently assigned to Operations, where
Greengard acts as the Department Advocate. He is responsible for the serious
task of conducting investigations into allegations of misconduct against sworn
or civilian members. Greengard has been with the fire department for more than
22 years. Greengard decided to become a fire fighter after graduating from
William S. Hart High School.
While in high school,
Greengard become interested in construction work. Throughout his high school
years, Greengard honed his skills in the basics of building and construction. He
later became interested in aviation after flying in airplanes with family
friends who flew their own planes. Inspired by a next door neighbor who was both
a pilot and a firefighter, Greengard decided to become a firefighter.
Along with his interest in
sculpting, Greengard has managed to continue to pursue his interest in
construction. A man of many talents, Greengard built the sprawling Placerita
Canyon home that he and his wife Brenda, and their two children, Josh, 17, and
Jessica, 10, currently live in. A self-taught artisan, Greengard also has a
passion for restoring old antiques, jukeboxes, popcorn machines, scales, barber
poles, and other interesting items that fill up his house. “My wife is very
understanding,” Greengard said.
Meanwhile, Greengard
continues to pursue his passion for sculpting. Currently, Greengard is working
on two new bronzes. Still in the clay stages, “Untamed Thunder,” depicts two
wild mustangs charging down the mountain, side by side. Another piece Greengard
has in the works, depicts a young child sitting on a wooden rocking horse,
riding like a cowboy. Greengard creates the sculptures out of his imagination,
without the use of models. After Greengard finishes his work, he takes it to
Northwest Art Castings, a foundry in Bozeman Montana where his pieces are cast
using a lost wax process. “It’s a long way, but they do good work and it
gives me a good reason to visit friends who I enjoy going fly-fishing with,
“Greengard said. Most of the clay lost in the casting process is re-used in
Greengard’s future projects. “I tell people that each of my new sculptures
gets better than the next because each one has the sculpture that I made before
it somewhere in the clay,” he said.
Finished works of Greengard
include his very first bronze sculpture titled, “Working The Hatch.”
Reminiscent of a scene from the movie, “A River Runs Through It,” based on a
novel by Norman Maclean, the bronze tells the story of a fly fisherman of the
early 1900’s. The colorful sculpture resembles its creator dressed in the
attire of the day, as it drops a fly behind a rock where the “big one” is
waiting. The viewer gets a sense of motion about the piece while the cool clear
blue water swirls around the fisherman.
Like the characters in “A
River Runs Through It”, Greengard would often spend his boyhood days hiking
and fishing with his father and brothers in the local mountains and the High
Sierras. They would also venture out into the taller Southern California peaks
such as Mount Baldy, and Mount Whitney, just to name a few. The adventurous
group once took a trek into the North and South Rim of the Grand Canyon. “The
walking wasn’t all that exciting, but I must admit it was great exercise,”
Greengard said. “But the real reason I loved to go hiking was because I always
loved fly-fishing and still do to this day,” he said. “I really didn’t
care about the hiking part. I just wanted to fish, and as far as I was
concerned, I could have done it anywhere. I do believe that some of my
inspirations for sculptures came from my experiences as a young boy, hiking
across the wilderness areas and fly-fishing for trout,” Greengard said.
Other finished pieces
include two bronzes titled, “Under Control” and “Outa’ Control” that
were inspired by his buddies at the fire department. “I’ve been a
firefighter for quite a few years and many of my fellow firefighters have asked
me to create a sculpture of a firefighter,” Greengard explained. “I decided
to do something a little out of the ordinary and more fun,” he said. “If
you’ve every seen a fire-fighting line “get away,” it’s quite a sight.
The kid in my sculpture is riding a fire hose like he was riding a bronc in the
rodeo,” Greengard said.
Inspiration for
Greengard’s bronze, “Spiritual Breeze,” came from his wife, who wanted a
her husband to design a replica of a sculpture that captured her imagination.
The ethereal looking piece depicts a beguiling image of a woman with her arms
folded across her chest as she says a silent prayer.
The Artists’
Association’s current president, Catherine Smirnoff has been very impressed
with the work of Greengard. “He’s a very talented person who has become one
of the leaders in the arts organizations in the Santa Clarita Valley,”
Smirnoff said. He’s really taken the opportunity to promote the arts in our
community,” she said. “We’re very happy to have him as a member of our
organization,” Smirnoff said.
With plenty of inspiration
to spur him on, Greengard has big plans for future works. “My goals for the
future will be to continue to create bronze sculptures that express an emotion
while telling a story,” Greengard said. “I hope to someday create a bigger
than life water fountain using “Under Control” and Outa’ Control.” I
strive to make my art bring back fond memories and make people feel good,” he
said.
To see Greengard’s work
visit B &R Art Gallery and Framing on Sierra Highway in Canyon Country,
298-2038. For information about Norm Greengard and his limited edition bronze
sculptures, call 661-212-2278 or email, mailing@bronze-artist.com,
or visit www.bronze-artist.com.
For more information about the Artist Association, call 661-296-2278. For more
information about the National Arts Program, call (610) 408-9600, or visit, www.ntlartsprog.org
[ Interesting Art Links ] [ Privacy Statement ] [ Certificate of Authenticity ] [ About the Artist ] [ View the Bronzes ] [ Burning with Creativity ] [ Sculpting Spirits of the West ] [ "Enchanted Breeze" ] [ Norm Greengard's Bronze Art Studio ] [ Purchase A Bronze ] [ Exhibits ]
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