LOVELAND, Colo. — It’s a face, captured in a moment of time. A time long ago, including sculptures of Benjamin Franklin and Ernest Hemingway.
A time not so long ago, a statue of former NFL great Dick Butkus.
A time that is anytime, a beautiful piece of art featuring a mother and daughter enjoying nature.
These statues and many more are from the Lundeen Sculpture Studio in Loveland. George Lundeen and his family have been creating works of art there since the mid 1970’s.
George always starts his creations on a sketchpad. Once he has an idea, it’s molded into a small clay piece where he can position it just right.
Computers help him turn the small statue into a large one, sometimes more than 10 feet tall.
To make the piece interesting, the artist not only has to know what the subject looked like – but what he or she was like.
For instance, the sculpture he did of Davy Crockett that sits in front of the Alamo in San Antonio.
“I had to read about him, and they had so many descriptions of him in the 1820’s when he was in Congress. He was quite a character; he was a really well known guy at that time.”
George is now working on some giant pieces that will be placed in front of Sheels Sporting Goods stores.
Finding the right pose, is another key to interesting artwork.
“When you first see it in the distance, it has some kind of a feel to it or action to it where you want to walk up and take a look at it – rather than just a straight portrait with a head and shoulders. Always thought that’s really boring.”
Chances are you’ve seen some of George’s works, like the tribute to Elrey Jeppesen in the terminal at DIA.
He also did the new sculpture in front of the State Capital, honoring Denver native General Maurice Rose – the highest ranking Jewish soldier in WWII.
Have you seen the statue of the girl sitting on a bench on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder? He did that piece too.
George Lundeen is 76 years old now, but he says he plans to keep producing this wonderful art until he can’t anymore.
“There are some street corners that I don’t have anything on yet”, he says. “But I’m still working here!”