This is my 8th article published by Birmingham Post
(and the first one I got paid for. Which makes me a real journalist!! The first female journalist with Autism in UK, apparently)
05-23-2008
A dream - the Queen or bust
Post contributor Nadine Stavonina de Montagnac interviewed one of the few female artists to have made a sculpture of the Queen, a meeting that had a profound effect on her
Byline: Nadine Stavonina de Montagnac /Rozagy
Edition: FIRST
Section: News
They say, every child has a dream. They can be big, small, even unrealistic. But when we grow up many give up the "unlikely" in favour of what's 'reasonable'. Life takes over and we find ourselves barely managing to keep up, never mind, dream. Only a few keep on plugging away at making their BIG dreams become reality.
Those few go on to become stars in their field.
That's why, Frances Segelman - Britain's leading female sculptor enjoys working with stars: she feels their positive energy which resonates with her own.
Frances, impossibly glamorous and already successful as an artist having pioneered speedy two-hour clay creations of celebrity heads which earned her the title of "the sculptor to the stars", had a dream - to one day make a sculpture of the Queen.
Apparently, believing in your ability to achieve your goals is the secret to success. I had a dream once: to learn English, live in Britain and meet the Queen.
I knew about Frances Segelman from her appearance on a TV show some years ago where she was challenged to produce a life-like bust from clay live on the show.
She focuses intensely, going into 'the zone' resulting in accurate and instantly recognisable sculpture but also capturing something 'behind the eyes'. Frances believes that negative thoughts must be banned or it won't work.
Sculpture has the reputation of being a male-dominated field, perhaps because of the physical nature of the work. I was surprised when I've met Frances in person: her delicate small frame appeared at odds next to the strong, powerful and rather masculine works filling up her art studio in London. Clearly classical (even Romanesque) in their influence and highly accurate representations of so many familiar faces, large, substantial sculptures dominated the space and inspired owe.
Having been a fan of the Queen for so long, I was thrilled to interview the artist who had the opportunity to work so closely to the Lady who, to me, symbolises everything noble and decent Britain has to offer.
"The Queen is such a warm person. You can tell in the way her face moves even when she's still. It's the little things, the fleeting changes of expression that show it," - Frances said, having had three sittings with Her Majesty for the cast which will result in four sculptures.
In 1977, as a problematic six-year-old child with autism living in Eastern Europe, I met British people for the first time at an exhibition put on by the British Council. Smiling, long-haired men and women showed a film about the Queen's silver jubilee and gave me a gum: Wrigley Spearmint, a symbol of the West. Instantly, I was smitten, falling in love with everything British.
Later, when I was bullied horrendously at school, like many Autistic children, instead of fairytales I read English dictionary before going to sleep. As the girls ganged up on me, in my mind I just weathered it, thinking of the beautiful swans with British accents living far-far away. I soldiered on, throwing myself into writing or anything creative that could offer an 'escape'.
Feeling emotional from these memories I asked Frances Segelman what drives her to create and was shocked to hear "pain".
"There were some issues I had to deal with and it resulted in me taking up sculpture full time," she said.'
The drive to create was always burning inside her but like many women, it had to be put on hold while she was bringing up her children
"After having my second child, I'd bought some art supplies. I had this desire to sculpt since I was young - I've made a sculpture of my Father when I was 14 years old. It broke in the end because I didn't know anything about firing it and things like that", she laughed.
Her Father was a creative man who taught himself music, composed and played violin. But Frances inherited her artistic talent from her Mother who used to paint and sculpt in her youth before the 'reality' of family life took over. Her maternal great-grandfather used to carve intricate pieces out of any scrap wood he'd find lying around.
Frances Segelman's two sets of great-grandparents came to England from Russia and Austria in the 1900s fleeing pogroms.
Their dream was to give their children a better chance of survival - never could they have imagined that their great-granddaughter would have a chance to honour royalty in such a creative way.
"I'm at the top of the tree. It is very exciting but it won't last" said Frances. "Maybe, I'll slow down and do one or two big commissions a year and concentrate more on the teaching side."
Her other sculptures - large angular modern pieces - are named Angels. If the heavy, substantial classical sculptures Frances makes come from her pain, then those elegant but strong creations must come directly from her soul. She is a true artist who is driven to express her inner self through what she makes with her hands.
"I enjoy the process of creating", she said. "It's very exciting to make a sculpture because it's like creating life, they are like children. But once it's finished, I'm separated from it. I'm always excited to start working on a new piece. It's not about pain any more.'
I've met Frances wanting to know all about the Queen because meeting her was my dream for so long, something that I thought as a child would validate me in my own eyes.
Instead, I ended up finding out what my true dream is: to interview incredible, inspiring people like Frances.
I realised that dreams were like investments and the next day, even though I no longer needed it, my childhood wish finally "matured": I saw the Queen. People were congregating outside the Baden-Powell House at the Scouts' centre in South Kensington. A car appeared in the distance carrying what I thought was the most precious human being on earth - Queen Elizabeth.
She looked amazing but the earth did not move. Nothing changed because it had already happened the day before in Frances' 300-year-old cottage. I'd changed.
The first sculpture by Frances Segelman was unveiled at the Baden-Powel House. The silvery bronze of the bust beautifully complimented by its white marble support.
The other sculptures will go to Barnardo's charity, to Buckingham Palace next to the bust of Duke of Edinburgh and to Frances' private collection.
What is remarkable, is this is only a second sculpture of Her Majesty created by a female artist.
As the Queen went to leave, the crowd burst into a spontaneous, out of tune, multi-accented rendition of God save the Queen. Her Majesty turned, beaming smile on her face. At that moment I knew Frances was right: the Queen has a great personality!
I've dreamed of this moment for 31 years and it didn't disappoint because I also met someone else that day, I met me, the way I was meant to be: my own person free to change my dreams or make more dreams when I need to.
It doesn't matter where you come from, they say, only where you're going and what you bring within you when you get there.
ENDS
Word count: 1144 words
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-179295293.html