The Art Gallery of Golden (AGOG) has opened a new show of bronze works by artists Pat Luders from Fairmont Hot Springs.
The show, titled Portraits in Bronze, will be at the gallery until May 21.
“I am very happy that AGOG would have me here. I have never had a solo show before, so this is very exciting,” she said.
She made the decision to go to art school during a mid-life change of career.
“I stuck my toe in and got caught in the art world,” she said. “I dabbled in everything but loved three dimensional work.”
Luders said she loves working with people and enjoys the challenge of trying to incorporate a person’s spirit into her work.
Though most of her work revolves around working with people, recently Luders has also started working on using bronze to create works of art that forever capture the face of her friends’ pets.
“This was a challenge. My friend did not want to have herself done but did want to have her dogs around forever. I tried and talked to a local vet who explained canine anatomy,” she said.
Luders said the work is very labour intensive. She starts with clay and uses many photos to capture the image she is searching for.
“It could take up to 80 hours,” she said.
She said once she reaches a point where she has the clay where she wants it, she then decides whether to use plaster or bronze in the sculpture.
“People who are very interesting for me are seniors, who have meant a great deal to their community,” she said.
She also does work with bronze and other materials to make tables.
“The ones in the show are all made from reclaimed material. They are laminated together…the wood was from the demolition of a school in Kimberley,” she said. “It is fun to work in the two different mediums. The tables allow a freer exploration and the material is endless.”
