Featured Artist: Tracy Larsen
Title:
Hallmark Artist
Started at Hallmark:
October 1987
Started at Keepsakes:
August 1995
Hometown:
North Ogden, Utah
Lee’s Summit, Missouri
A longstanding artist with diverse and divergent interests, Tracy Larsen has contributed greatly to the Keepsakes legacy. From early pop culture pieces featuring Howdy Doody™ and The Three Stooges™, to his own recent imaginings of Santa, Tracy’s versatility and creative spirit continue to invigorate the art of ornament-making.
Like most preschoolers, Tracy Larsen spent a lot of time with cartoons—but instead of just watching them, Tracy studied them! He spent his childhood hours drawing characters from The Flintstones™ and Peanuts®. He also copied newspaper comic strips, but at the mature age of eight, Tracy moved to the more sophisticated material on the editorial page. The 1968 Nixon vs. Humphrey presidential race became a favorite subject. While looking through newspapers and magazines, Tracy started noticing the differences among artists’ styles—another aspect of his self-described “knack for art.” He studied everything he found around his house, from European magazine illustrations to his own personal favorite of the day: Mad magazine. Tracy did his first sculpting with clay-like kneaded erasers, but through his schooling, moved on to higher-quality materials and projects. He produced his first serious sculpture, a bust of Muhammad Ali, while he was still a teenager. During junior high and high school, Tracy kept honing his skills in his art classes, his primary instructor/mentor being the noted fantasy artist, James Christensen. What a great program those schools must have had, since Tracy is one of several classmates now working as professional artists.
Q&A: Robert Chad
Keepsake Artist Robert Chad was asked to share a little bit more about his contribution to this year’s Heritage collection. Here’s what he had to say!
“We all love Keepsake Ornaments, but recently, several artists in the studio have also been able to work on ornaments in Hallmark’s Heritage collection. My contribution was ‘Dapper Owl,’ a festive plaid jacket and top-hat-wearing feathery friend that’s hand-blown out of glass in Poland, then finished with extra sparkle—and even a monocle! It’s a beautiful piece, but still has some of the fun and whimsy I like to add to my ornaments.”
Dapper Owl
Dapper Owl
Robert: “The original art came from from Hallmark’s archives and then the 3D direction came from the two art directors Jim and Joanne. All of the Heritage collection is made from hand-blown glass in Poland. I had never sculpted for glass product before so that was my own personal hurdle. As I was sculpting out of the wax material I typically use, I had to over-exaggerate surface detail because the glass-blowing process softens all the detail. The color was executed by Cris Wingate with art direction from Jim and Joanne. It really took a village to make this one come to life.”
Allium
31st in the Mary’s Angels series
Robert: “This year’s Mary’s Angel is kinda boyish, but next year’s has much more girly details.”
Artist Journal: Kris Gaughran
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
“I like to work on a wide variety of things from cute and sweet to detailed characters and creatures. My work is evolving. Even my fairies have evolved over the years since the beginning. And the way I begin the creative process really depends on what I’m working on. If it’s a licensed ornament, and I already have an image of what the ornament will be, then I gather as much reference as I possibly can. I want to know how many buttons are on a lightsaber, or if there is stitching on a pocket, that sort of thing. I’d rather have too much reference than not enough!
If I’m working on my own design, such as the penguins unofficial series, then I just go for it and the sculpt takes shape as I work on it.
I would say my process is unique because I re-use many of my wax sculpts if possible. I don’t melt them down, but I’ll turn them into someone else.
If I’m starting from scratch, then I use a coffee warmer with a tin can on top to melt my wax to a clay-like consistency.
This way I can quickly rough out shapes and poses. I have three main go-to tools. One is a dental tool that I would be lost without! Another is a tool that Ken Crow made for me when I first started out of a portion of a razor blade and a dowel rod. And the last one is sand paper! I go through a LOT of sandpaper!
I think inspiration can come from many places. I think back to my own childhood when I’m working on my penguin ornament. But I’m also a people watcher. When I’m at a park with my boys, or helping out at my son’s school, I love to watch the kids interact with each other. I get a lot of inspiration for my Fairy Messengers from watching how little kids play.”
Featured Artist: Robert Chad
Title:
Hallmark Artist
Started at Hallmark:
March 1987
Started at Keepsakes:
March 1987
Hometown:
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
A
As a Hallmark Artist with over 30 years of experience, Robert’s attention to detail, three-dimensional vision and hands-on craftsmanship make him one of the best in the business. But it’s his lively personality and big imagination that really come through in his ornaments.
Robert’s first claim to Hallmark fame was in bringing Mary’s Angels to life in ornament form. Over time, he expanded his repertoire with ornaments depicting Santa Claus and Warner Bros. characters–just like this year’s Jolly Ol’ Jumper Santa, and the Devil May Hare.
Robert Chad’s drawing style took a turn when three-dimensional art captured his attention. He began sketching with the goal of making his images look like they were coming right off the page. He then tried three-dimensional pieces but never liked how they turned out.
Not one to give up on a challenge, Chad kept trying until he succeeded. Today, he makes rough sketches of Keepsake Ornaments that jump off the page and onto people’s Christmas trees.
Chad began his career at Hallmark with the start of the Mary’s Angels Keepsakes Ornament series. In 1987, Chad was a freelancer. When the Keepsake Studio asked him to bring Mary Hamilton’s designs into a new medium, he was willing to give it a try. It was trial by fire—if Hallmark liked his work, there would be a job waiting for him. Chad became inspired by Mary Hamilton’s angels and her ability to blend colors with interweaving accents and tones. It’s been a beautiful partnership ever since.
At signing events, ornament enthusiasts often share with Chad what makes Mary’s Angels such a meaningful part of their Christmas celebration. “Collectors tell me about the personal connection they have with the series. The angel often symbolizes a family member, sometimes a child, that has passed away. The robe’s color reminds them of something they loved about that special person,” Chad says. “Memories become all the more vivid during the holidays.”
Q&A: Terri Steiger
Keepsake Artist Terri Steiger was asked a few more questions about how she creates and what’s she’s inspired by. Here’s what she had to say!
Nesting Doll Surprise
Member Exclusive
Terri: ”I’ve been drawn to nesting dolls because they are so iconic and remind me of my trip to Moscow. I love how each set tells its own story. – whether it’s funny, famous figures or just beautiful illustrations of a family. I like the idea that inside each doll is another ‘surprise.’ My daughter used to love to play with one set of nesting dolls I brought back from Moscow. It would keep her entertained for a long time. I like the sense of discovery that unfolds as you open each nesting doll. I always wanted to paint my own set of Matryoshka dolls but never got around to do it. This was a great opportunity to create one for Keepsakes.”
Stylin’ Santa
Miniature
Terri: “I figured that Santa probably wouldn’t wear his red suit every day, so I made up what I imagined was in his closet. He probably had pajamas and for vacations, had relaxing clothes, as well. After I sketched a few outfits, I then put together a paper mock up to see if I could figure out how to make the most possible outfits for Santa. I did lots of sketches to make the outfits fit together when turned. Bringing in engineer extraordinaire, Jean Newton, was what made the magic happen. She figured out how to make the torso section and the legs/feet move smoothly so that there would be 9 possible outfits. She had a 3D model made so she could perfect the movement. She’s the genius behind the wardrobe!”