When studying art history, we often think about fine art paintings hanging on the walls of the world’s top museums in their ornate, gilded frames. When thinking about our contemporary masters, we tend to first think about paintings as well, but what of the amazing sculptures that are being created today? From giant bronze soldiers standing strong in front of impressive institutions, to bas reliefs adorning our walls in honor of our lost ones, to decorative statues and busts, sculpture not only has an important place in the annals of art history but in the contemporary art world as well. As one of the most talented sculptors working today, Mardie Rees has made significant contributions to upholding sculpture’s relevance, both past and present, while gaining recognition for her larger-than-life statues, bas relief medallions and busts.
Mardie Rees in her studio in Gig Harbor, Washington, with Saint Anne, 2023.
A Young Artist in Training
Mardie Rees was born and raised in Gig Harbor, Washington, where she currently resides. Rees comes from a long line of tailors, artists and craftsmen. Her father was a timber framer who built custom homes and her mother, a teacher. Recognizing her artistic gifts and sensitivity to her environment as a young child, Rees was home-schooled to allow more time to explore her creativity. Quite suddenly, her family moved to Ecuador to build homes for the underprivileged and subsequently, one of their own. Rees found herself laying tile and troweling plaster walls—skills that would serve her future career as a sculptor. When her mother realized that Rees was struggling with depression, she signed her up for her first real fine art class at an international school.
“The constant challenge of Mr. Nord’s art assignments and access to his breadth of knowledge on all the materials we used drew out the serious artist in me,” recalls Rees. “I found I excelled in drawing and once hand-copied a large intricate photograph of an elephant in graphite. I would not be the artist I am today without his influence and that deeply cultural experience.” Rees also participated in several mural projects, often painting on long city blocks, where she learned the discipline and time management that a successful artist requires.
Mardie Rees, senior studio at Laguna College of Art and Design, working on Woman from Samaria, 2003.
Upon returning to the states, Rees attended Laguna College of Art and Design where the sculpture department led her to the path she is on today. There, she received classical training, studied anatomy and core fundamentals, and worked with live models. “Working from a live model has always been my absolute favorite thing,” she says. “It opened a door to a whole new world for me. I’ve never enjoyed working from photos—I always got bored.” LCAD was challenging, not only being asked to sculpt a life-size portraits and learning bas relief, but because she found herself among talented peers that pushed her even further. “The competition was fierce, which added more determination to my work ethic,” Rees adds. Later, she further deepened her craft by taking workshops from other sculptors, including Stephen Perkins. Given the complexity of the human figure, she has also honed her eye by attending figure drawing workshops led by the renowned Glenn Vilppu, painting and drawing classes with Charles Miano, and anatomy courses from Scott Eaton.
Saint Michael, 2023, bronze with cast crystal wings, 23 x 15 x 18”
Professional Life
The transition to life as a professional sculptor was not easy. After graduation Rees found herself back home in Gig Harbor, troweling walls again and finishing countertops. She would only sculpt at night. After a few years, she had the opportunity to sculpt a medallion for the city’s park and, connecting with the rotary club, landed her first commission: a life-size sculpture of Saint Anthony for a local hospital. Several more commissions for public spaces followed, and by the young age of 27, her professional career began to take shape. Her big break came when she gained representation by the prestigious Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, followed by numerous shows, as she began to make a living as a commissioned sculptor.
Recently Rees received the Edward Jonas Grant from the Portrait Society of America and decided to use it to further her studies, and expertise. “I took classes from Stephen Perkins held at Miano Academy to deepen my understanding of human anatomy and increase my speed in putting forms together,” she says.
Soul of the Forward and Faithful, 2014, bronze, 33 x 46 x 18”. Marine Raiders of World War II Memorial, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, VA
Influences, Travel and Style
Rees has been lucky to travel the world to see the works by great historical masters, who have influenced and inspired her work on a technical level, and in terms of subject matter. When in Europe, Rees finds herself observing drapery, anatomy, design and emotional content. “I felt like I was getting a master’s degree,” she says. “I always come home renewed and excited about how I might contribute to the great legacy of figurative sculpture.”When asked about her influences, she replies, “How can we not all be influenced by the work of Rodin? I always loved the humanity he brought to his work, the visceral quality of sorrow in The Burghers of Calais, the thought-provoking Thinker and the comparison of scales in his Hand of Godpieces.” Her work also draws inspiration from sculptors Camille Claudel, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Augustus Saint Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, as well as painters such as John Singer Sargent, particularly the way he captures light and poses his figures.
C. W. Lonsdale, 2013, bronze with granite base, 100 x 48 x 48”. Shawnigan Lake School, British Columbia, Canada.
“I have always preferred work with movement, gesture, fingerprints and visible tool marks on the work but without the loss of detail that is necessary to bring humanity, soul and emotion to the piece,” says Rees. “Some works require more texture and others are smoother; the emotion I am looking for always supersedes any particular technique.”
Rees feels quite confident now with most any subject and is always looking to take on something new so that she might master a new skill. “Recently I sculpted my first octogenarian, Saint Anne with a live model, Sister Anne, of the Franciscans. I thoroughly enjoyed capturing her age and wisdom in the work, and I loved our conversations while we worked.”
Subjects and Mediums
Rees’ subjects range from small studies of children to full-size soldiers in battle gear and busts of distinguished gentlemen. Able to create 3D sculptures, life-size figures and bas reliefs, Rees is able to stay interested in her subjects and can create masterfully in various mediums including clay, plaster, bronze, glass and wood.
The Guardian, 2017, cast crystal, 24”. Clinical Operations and Virtual Heart Monitoring Center, Tacoma, WA.
Of her attraction to the medium of glass, Rees says, “Living in the Northwest (home to Dale Chihuly and the Pilchuck Glass School) I am surrounded by the influence of glass. One year I attended the Northwest Arts Fair founded by the late Paul Allen and saw a figurative sculpture made by Nicolas Africano cast completely in glass. It was beautiful. I talked to a few artists and craftsmen and decided to buy a kiln and add a digital temperature gage to it so I could try casting in glass myself. I read Bullesye Glass’ resource materials, and with some advice and my knowledge of the lost wax method in bronze, I cast my first full figured piece in glass called Wholehearted. There were a great many failures leading up to the success, but I cried the first time I cleaned off the plaster shell investment and saw the jeweled glow of glass beneath. That was when I decided to make my first figure cast in glass and pair it with the strength of bronze—Mon Coeur—two years later.”
Up We Go, 2021, bronze with blown glass balloons and steel strings, 27 x 13 x 12”
Rees finds all mediums interesting and with their own challenges but relishes the satisfaction in sculpting three-dimensionally, as she finds incorporating multiple mediums in one piece fascinating. She also enjoys creating bas- and high-relief flat wall work, also called medallions.
“Bas relief is more like drawing with sculpture and you can include environmental elements like a background, free floating figures and clouds, all from one point of view,” says the artist. “In bas relief there is a ‘trick of the eye’ through planes. I find the flatter you sculpt the relief the harder it is and every slight 16th of an inch matters. It is extremely challenging, but the molding and casting process is much faster than 3D in-the-round works. Reliefs can also hang on the wall or be created into a coin! Higher relief can be fun because you can add more textural contrast between the foreground elements like figures and the drawn elements farther in the distance. Figuring out those divisional planes can be difficult and often require some trial and error. You can see this in Soul of the Forward and Faithfulwhere there is high-relief foliage (especially behind the Navajo code talker) in concert with palm tops that recede into the sky.”
Saint Anthony and Child, 2009, bronze, 75 x 28 x 20”. St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor, WA
Rees’ children now 7, 11 and 13, have always been an inspiration, both as subjects and in motivating her to work hard. They have become her biggest cheerleaders and, of course, Rees could not imagine a life without them. Given her love of sculpting from life, she finds she has three willing subjects she can sculpt at any given time. Rees remembers the joy she felt when her daughter came into the studio dressed for ballet class and ready to go while exclaiming, “Wow, Mom, you have made so much progress…She looks so alive!”. The challenges of juggling life as a professional artist and motherhood makes her success even more impressive. She is currently enjoying the freedom of being able to leave her kids at home when she goes to the foundry.
Wholehearted, 2019, crystal, 16¾ x 8 x 4¾”
Recognition and Looking Ahead
Rees believes in the importance of getting involved in community arts organizations and clubs as they can open doors to many professional opportunities. The awards she has received from such organizations have had a large impact on her career and given her the greatest encouragement, as well as provided a platform to introduce her work to galleries, clients and collectors. “I really feel that awards are important in terms of morale, especially when you are receiving it from your peers, many of whom have become lifelong friends,” she says. Rees received the First Honor in 2010 in Portrait Society of America’s International Exhibition in Washington D.C. for Truth Beloved. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Beverly Hoyt Robertson Memorial Award from the National Sculpture Society for La Petite Fleur and, in 2016, she was awarded the Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. Award by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for The Soul of the Forward and Faithful.
Mon Coeur, 2021, bronze and crystal, 19 x 17 x 8”
Working as a professional figurative sculptor is a rare and difficult endeavor. To be adept at so many mediums and able to work in such a wide range of scale lands Rees squarely in the contemporary masters category. When asked for words of advice, her suggestion is to “find a small group of people you trust, who have faith in you when you don’t have any for yourself; who encourage you and also give you loving feedback when you don’t always want it.” —
Vanessa Françoise Rothe is a curator, editor/writer, art dealer and fine artist. In addition to curating over forty exhibitions, she has had dozens of articles published in various art magazines over the last 20 years. She has served as chairman, art director, educational director and on the PR Committee for numerous fine art organizations, and is the proud founder of the Americans in Paris fine art project.
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