Sculptor Takes Client's Lives and Makes Them Mud
(ContentDesk) June 6, 2005 -- Fifty year old artist Hunter Vaughan boasts of serving a life sentence....working in clay. The sculptor tells of never having a "job working for the man." The self employed entrepreneur started selling his creations door to door in 1962 at age 8 and has never looked back. Together with his wife of 28 years,Lois,and operating as MagicMud, the duo have climbed their way up the art ladder from craft shows, fairs, and wholesaling until they were running their own Gallery in Toronto's Yorkville area, the "Rodeo Drive of Canada."
The couple spent 15 years in the gallery creating clay sculptures that grew in size and price until they were creating room sized ceramic murals costing up to $15,000. When son Jupiter was born he came straight from hospital to gallery where he spent "his first 5 formative years been weaned on art and retail" says Hunter, the head of this self proclaimed "Mud Tribe." It was in this climate that the Hollywood and Corporate types found them,creating works for the likes of Warren Beatty, Robin Williams,Harvey Fierstein and Yo-Yo Ma to McDonald's, Coca Cola, DeBeers Diamonds and ceramic murals for the Four Seasons Hotel.
But the majority of the ceramic creations remained in less glamorous hands as their specialty, the personalized figurines.
"We have taken the ancient art of figurine making common to all cultures around the globe and fused it with our contemporary societal lifestyle" muses Vaughan "portraying the client's lives and traits,occupation, foibles, hobbies,sports and so on into a satirical ceramic snapshot of their being."
Decades of "interviewing" customers about their intended recipient have enabled Hunter to develop a unique ability to ferret out "nuggets of information" regarding the subject of these personalized figurines. "What a great service to offer people" reflects Lois "with our 1800 number, by picking up the phone, simple as ordering a pizza, you can dictate the toppings, that is the personalized aspects of the people in question, consult and be guided by the very artist who will build, bake to 2000 degrees and have delivered to your door your custom made figurine. A hand sized permanent work of art celebrating their life and it's many facets." Client Judy Leznoff of Toronto agrees "This is amazing. I never even had to leave my house!"
Vaughan the "Maestro of Mud" states that they have now been "liberated" from the retail gallery by relocating in cyberspace on the internet at www.magicmud.com. The "teenaged techie" webmaster Jupiter, now 16, downloads the following quote "our website brings us in touch with clients around the globe who can access 100's of pictures of past creations to stimulate an idea or concept of what they may wish to have custom created." On the web is how clients like the Lehman Brothers of New York and auto parts giant Delphi, who recently commissioned 2 four foot high corporate mascots, found the entrepreneurial family.
In this digital age of reproductions and mass produced items "outsourced" to the other side of the globe, MagicMud swims against the current, continuing a centuries old tradition of totally handmaking works of ceramic art, custom made statues reflecting their clients existence.
If contemplating an article get in touch with them for a complementary custom made figurine created to your specifications, experience the Magic of the Mud firsthand..
Botswana
Situated in southern Africa, the Republic of Botswana lies between South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The landlocked, politically stable country is run in a democratic manner, and its economy is growing steadily. It boasts some of Africa's last great wildernesses, including the famous Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari Desert. The republic is the biggest exporter of gemstone diamonds in the world. Botswana also exports large quantities of beef to the European Economic Community
The erstwhile British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana got its new name after gaining independence within the Commonwealth on September 30, 1966.
It is named after its largest ethnic group, the Tswana.
Botswana has nine districts, and its capital is Gaborone. Francistown, Gweta, Kasane, Kazangula, Maun, Ghanzi, Nata, Serowe and Shakawe are the other main towns in Botswana.
Botswana follows a flourishing multiparty constitutional democratic system...
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Now You?re Engaged, How Do You Choose A Mens Wedding Ring?
So, you've just got engaged.Whether you are a man or a woman you have an important decision to make (amongst the myriad of other decisions) about mens wedding rings. It's this. Will the man in your relationship wear one?Maybe that's you, maybe not. But you both need to think about it. You see it's only since the second world war that modern men have started to publicly display their marital status by the wearing of a man wedding ring.Prior to that it was rare for a man to wear a ring when he married.
Men were able to hide their marital status behind the tradition that required a woman to wear a wedding ring, but not a man.However during the war many US soldiers chose to wear mens wedding rings as a public symbol of their marital status whilst away at war and that has started a tradition for the modern man. Now it's very common for a man to wear a mens wedding ring, perhaps the norm.So, what decisions need to be made? Well the first is this. Will he wear one? That's probably the...
Now You?re Engaged, How Do You Choose A Mens Wedding Ring?
Diamonds > Now You?re Engaged, How Do You Choose A Mens Wedding Ring?
Abazias.com Collaborates with the Price is Right in 2005 - Online Diamond Company to Give Away Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet on Emmy Nominated Show
Abazias.com (OTCBB:ABZS), a leading online supplier of discounted diamonds, will make one lucky contestant shine in 2005 on the longest running game show in broadcast history, The Price is Right. During the 2005 season of The Price is Right, one contestant will have the chance to win a sapphire and diamond bracelet set in 14k white gold, worth a retail value of over $3,000 dollars from Abazias.com. The dazzling bracelet is 1.46 carats total weight, and is sure to send any contestant home sparkling. This promotion marks the first partnership with CBS, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. NYSE (VIA), and Abazias.com and is one of many giveaways the diamond company will participate in during the next few months.
"We are thrilled to work with such an exceptional game show as The Price is Right," states Oscar Rodriguez, CEO of Abazias.com. "They are known for continually rewarding contestants with only the finest prizes and we are confident that this will support in highlighting Abazias.com...
Abazias.com Collaborates with the Price is Right in 2005 - Online Diamond Company to Give Away Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet on Emmy Nominated Show
Diamonds > Abazias.com Collaborates with the Price is Right in 2005 - Online Diamond Company to Give Away Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet on Emmy Nominated Show
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