What A Pretty Lady

This "Earth Angel" sculpted by local artist, Thomas Baugh is one of my favorite pieces of garden art. In 1999, I acquired this lovely lady named Jaqualine. The artist's studio, Sea Breeze Studio, is in the Sierra Nevada foothills not very far from my home.

One sunny afternoon I stopped by his studio which is nestled at the end of a driveway that is lined with "Earth Angels".  I found him to be a friendly and very unique individual with many stories to tell.  After my visit, I took many friends to his studio to enjoy and purchase his "Earth Angels".

This lovely honeysuckle bush is just starting to bloom and it is planted behind the sculpture.  It is a bush and not a vine and I think the name is Lonicera 'Honeyrose'. Lovely! 

This is an excerpt from a newspaper article in 2007 - - - - - - - While living in Oakland 15 years ago, Baugh stumbled onto what would become his most successful calling-card as an artist - his "earth angels." Baugh says the series was born from practicing some new skills as a stone-cutter. "It was strange," Baugh recalled. "I'd conceived of a full bust, but once I'd done the face I wasn't really sure where the rest of it was going. I kind of just threw it aside and started something else. A few weeks later I just looked at the face again and realized it was already done."

Baugh's earth angels have been described as soulful reflections of peace. Over the years they've become tremendously popular, with thousands sold in California, as well as commissions coming in from around the world.

"Of course, as an artist it's always nice to know there's a market for your work," Baugh said. "But what I really like is selling them to people in our community. I know people around here work hard, and because of that, I've done my best to keep them affordable."

This is another excerpt from another newspaper article in 2008 - - - - - - - Just to the east of Main Street, in a quiet creekside hideaway on Eureka Street, are dozens of what may prove to be familiar faces. For the last 13 years, Thomas Baugh has sculpted the faces of people who are his friends and neighbors and turned them into "Earth Angels," which can be found in yards and gardens all around the county.

Baugh has been sculpting these striking pieces for nearly 20 years, but didn't come up until recently with the concept of reproducing his "angels" by using reconstituted stone in molds made from the original sculptures. This process made it possible to sell his works for less than $100, rather than thousands.

Following a circuitous personal odyssey, Baugh happened into Sutter Creek to join his friend, Kim Wilcher, on a bronze foundry project, then just stayed around.

In addition to the "angels," Baugh molds faces, creating life-size masks of vivid likeness to their subjects. For about $125, he will make an original mold from alginate, the same innocuous, non-injurious material used by dentists to make impressions. Copies are far less expensive, making it not unfordable to give a mask of one's face to all the relatives for Christmas.

Baugh has a Masters of Fine Arts degree from West Virginia University and has taught art at both the Florida Keys Community College and WVU.

This "Earth Angel" is named Nicole. If you think back to around the year 1999 (when I purchased this) there was a famous murder trial that was in the news practically non-stop for many months. This inspiration for the artist came from one of the victims in that trial. I think the intricacy of the small leaves around the face gives it additional charm.

Another Earth Angel named Brittany is hanging from the eave of my garden shed.

Yesterday  I worked in the garden before the next storm came in. And, this morning sure looks like the weather man is correct. Yes, STORM. I thought this was Spring Time ! ! !

Have a Fabulous Day.