Fountain Valley Woman Carves a Niche for Herself in Sculpting : Jackie Spellens is at home crafting marble and terra-cotta figures for Orange County residents. : ARTISANS. <i> Spotlighting makers of handcrafted goods</i>

On a whim, Jackie Spellens took a basic sculpture class 13 years ago. She would have been the last to predict that her back yard would come to resemble a marble quarry and that she would one day serve as a professional sculptor as well as owner and teacher at her own art school, Sculpture Spaces in Fountain Valley.

Today, Spellens creates sculptor pieces that figure prominently in the homes of many Orange County residents.

“I’ve always loved to draw and paint ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “My grandfather taught me, and he was my toughest critic. I wanted to please him more than anything. Even today when I working, I try to look at my pieces through my grandfather’s eyes and try to determine what he would think.”

Sculpture, however, was not on her mind until she took a community college class on the subject. However, she grew so interested in the medium that she ended up taking more classes in sculpture and bronze casting at Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach.

“Even when I was taking sculpture classes, it never occurred to me that I could make a living at sculpture,” she said. “Then one day someone walked up and asked me if I would consider selling one of my pieces.

“Frankly, I don’t get that attached to my work. What’s gratifying to me is the process. Once the piece is finished, I go on.”

Of course, there are some pieces that she wouldn’t consider selling, such as a terra-cotta sculpture of her son at age 17, depicted wearing shorts and a baseball cap turned backward.

“There are certain pieces I’ll always keep, but my goal now is to continue sculpting and running the school,” she said.

About six months ago, Spellens and co-owner Bernice Schachter opened Sculpture Spaces as a place where they could do their own work and create a supportive environment for other artists as well.

“It’s good to talk to others about your problems and get a different perspective,” Spellens said.

Around the studio, artists gently carve and smooth the hard marble, coaxing human forms and curves from the cool rock.

“My style is mostly figurative,” Spellens said. “Although some of my work is more stylized. I sculpt human forms, but sometimes I give them an elongated look. Right now, I’m working on a series of Kenyan people. I’ve always been fascinated by that culture.”

Working from models or photos taken from several angles, Spellens creates her pieces from the slabs of cold marble or natural rock.

“Selecting the stone is very important,” she said. “The most widely used is the Carrara marble from the mountains of Northwest Italy. It’s almost a pure white, and it’s very uniform and clean without any heavy veins.”

Marquenia marble, a black marble with white veins, is another popular selection. Siena marble has a yellow or gold color. Alabaster is another white stone but is softer than marble. However, Spellens is also quick to point out that alabaster should only be used for those sculptures that will be indoors, as it tends to erode if exposed to the elements.

“It’s hard to find stone en masse,” Spellens said. “In America we often use marble as slabs, and that’s how much of it is cut. But in sculpture, you need large blocks.

“You also need to carefully look over the marble to make sure you don’t have a dark vein that’s going to detract from the image. We wet the stones to make the veins appear, since you’ll see lines more clearly once the stone is polished.”

Sometimes the stone itself will suggest a form, depending on the way veins appear in the marble.

The subject matter also influences the stone she selects. For instance, for the Kenyan figures, she used terra cotta.

“To me, these tribes seemed so close to the earth that terra cotta was an appropriate medium,” she said.

Different stone requires different techniques, but generally Spellens first starts by making a clay image. Once she has worked out the details in clay, she proceeds to “rough out” the shape in the marble or stone.

“That’s when the chips really start flying,” she said with a laugh. From there, it’s on to the refinements, carefully cutting and grinding, filing and sanding. Polishing the stone is the final step in a process that generally can take up to several months depending on the size and scope.

For most of her sculptures, Spellens hires a model and also works off photographs.

“I need profiles since sculpture is a three-dimensional art form,” she said. “I really enjoy doing children because they’re so natural and they’re not at all self-conscious. I try to capture their personality, not just their likeness.”

Spellens generally has several projects going on at any one time.

“I like working on several things at once because it gives me a fresh perspective,” she said. “When I’m tired or uncertain of how to progress on one project, I move on to another. After some time away, I feel ready to tackle it again.”

Clay sculptures generally take about two months to complete, and stone can take anywhere from three to four months.

“There seems to be a great deal more interest in sculpture over the last few years,” she said. “People have always been interested in drawings and paintings, and now they’re looking for something a little different.”

Spellens also notes that once someone purchases a sculpture, the person keeps coming back.

“Most sculptors typically have collectors who enjoy a certain style or look so they want to continue adding to their collection,” she said.

“Sculpture is something that’s unique. There are no molds here, and it’s not something that we mass produce.”

It’s not inexpensive either. The price Spellens charges for one figure at about 30 inches is $800 to $1,000 for clay. Stone sculptures are $3,500 for a two-foot bust (price depends on the complexity and scale).

“I realize that’s a lot of money for many people,” said Spellens, who typically spends 30 to 35 hours completing a clay piece. “But what’s especially gratifying to me is to see people paying me in installments because they really want a piece but can’t afford it. You know the work means a great deal to them.”

Spellens’ work is also available through the Esther Wells Collection in Laguna Beach.