Natalie Staniforth: Sculptor

Article by N Staniforth for readers of BSC. Is This The Age of True Altruism?

webmaster — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:34:58 +0000

There are so many negative news items and stories in today’s media that sometimes it can be feel as if the world is going to hell in a hand cart, (or perhaps a bit faster than that analogy will allow, more of a scooter than a cart.) But everyday I find evidence of kindness and cooperation which helps even out the balance just a little. There are organizations such as Avaaz, Amnesty, Greenpeace and WWF who use public support to help change government policy on issues ranging from internet freedom to women’s rights and environmental issues.
There are movements, such as the protesters camped out in most large city squares around Spain, who are trying to change the world, even if it is just a little, for the better. Whether you agree with their methods or their politics isn’t important; what I find hopeful is that they are willing to work, and even suffer, for change which they feel benefits the society they live in.
But the current trend which is personally giving me hope, and help, right now is Crowd Funding. Defined by Wikipedia as “collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.” What it means is, if you need help to fund a project which would otherwise be impossible you can ask complete strangers to help you, and often without reward or recompense, they do!
Crowd funding has always been around in one guise or another, but with the advent of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook it has become easier than ever to spread the word and micropayment technology (PayPal) make it straightforward to engage and secure donations from a group of potentially interested supporters at very low cost. A time limit and amount is set by the project initiator, if the money is raised during the time given, then everyone who has promised to give, is obliged to. If it falls short then not a penny leaves the funder’s account and the project fails. And yet via Kickstarter in the USA, CrowdFunder and Wefund in the UK, and Lanzanos in Spain,t many projects and small businesses have found funds enabling them to move forward and upward.
I found out about crowd funding when a friend suggested it to me to help with the project I am working on right now. I have been invited to participate in a big sculpture exhibition in the U.K in May. However the price of the materials to make a piece the size needed, meant I thought I would have to refuse. But instead of losing this fantastic opportunity, I made a video (with our resident technical expert Guy Staniforth) and put it on www.wefund.com I have offered the incentive of every ten pounds given receiving a ticket to win a portrait sculpture, and it went live last week. Now so far I am only on 20% of my target and the way crowd funding works means if I don’t reach my target I don’t get a penny. But with the help of a newspaper article coming out here next week, and another in the UK I am hopeful.
I am optimistic because every day I see how fast a good idea spreads via the internet; I see how millions of people are willing to put pressure on governments and big business who are doing harm to people or the planet. There is nowhere to hide now for the wrongdoers and people are not as apathetic as they once were. And overall I feel good because people I don’t even know, and some kind ones I do, have seen what I can do and have had the faith and generosity to help me. Whether I reach my limit or not, that gives me hope for the future.

For further information on Natalie’s project, or to follow her progress go to www.tinyurl.com/natsculpt
To see images of this and other projects by her please click here.

WEFUND en Català

sirren — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:17:43 +0000

Soy artista, escultora. El Grove Hotel en Londres, y la agencia Art Contact hacen un exposición importante cada año. Me han invitado a participar este año. He hecho mucho de la obra ya pero me falta el dinero a fundir el bronce. Si me quieres ayudar a realizar me sueno y tener una obra en este exposición por favor prometer un poco, (o mucho) dinero. Para cada £10 tiene usted una tiquete en la lotería a ganar un busto en cerámica de tu cara, (medio tamaño) o alguien en tu familia, que vale 4000€!!

Cuando entras la pagina del proyecto http://www.wefund.com/project/sculpture-grove-hotel-exhibition

Haz clic sobre el botón “we fund this project PAYPAL.” debajo es el traducción en Catalán de que explicar allí en ingles.

Converteix-te en un Wefunder!

Introduïu la quantitat que desitgeu per a finançar aquest projecte. SIUSPLAU NO introduïu un símbol ’£’ abans de la quantitat (en £ GBP).

A continuació, afegiu l’adreça de correu electrònic de PayPal. Si no teniu un compte de PayPal encara es pot finançar aquest projecte mitjançant la introducció de l’adreça de correu electrònic i fent clic a “finançar aquest projecte”. Tingueu en compte que PayPal us demanarà crear un compte. Es tracta d’un simple procés de la pàgina.

Wefund no retira fons quan vostè promet
Els fons es carreguen només quan el projecte tingui èxit
Wefund només té permís per a una sola transacció
Si el projecte fracassa cap transacció es durà a terme
Els fons es transfereixen directament al titular del projecte (menys els honoraris de projecte del 5%)
La seves transaccions estan protegides per l’arsenal antifrau de Paypal
Totes les transaccions tenen lloc als servidors segurs de Paypal
Paypal mai comparteix la seva informació financera amb Wefund.

Grove hotel sculpture, progress and funding.

sirren — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:43:42 +0000

To pay for the bronze for my piece for the Grove hotel exhibition I am running a lottery via wefund http://www.wefund.com/project/sculpture-grove-hotel-exhibition For every 10 pounds pledged you get a ticket to win a bespoke portrait sculpture. The idea is that if enough people say they will give money when I reach my desired target everyone pays. If I don´t reach it no one pays.

Here are some pictures to show my progress on the stone part of the design. to see the bronze please watch the video in the previous post.

Evolution of latest piece, stage one.

sirren — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:22:28 +0000

evolution of a sculpture

Click here to see a short video of the making of my latest piece. Music by Guy Staniforth .

This is the piece so far, check in later for the rest of the process. This piece will go into the exhibition in The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire in March 2012 run by Art contact.

http://www.wefund.com/project/sculpture-grove-hotel-exhibition

Ruta de l´Art 2011

sirren — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:59:25 +0000

This years art route around the village of Castelló d´Empurias in Northern Catalonia was a great success! There were 78 artists exhibiting in 20 spaces all around the medieval village. Natalie was in the center of the main square sharing a space with the French artist Bruno Fleurit (www.brunofleurit.com) and painter Jose Cabello Ruiz. The weather was perfect and visitors plentiful and the level of the art was high as always. Big thank you to Castelló council and Anna Maria Constanseu.

Nu, Desnudo, Madrid 2001

sirren — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:41:14 +0000

Nu is a series of exhibitions in places in and around Madrid. All of the artists are based in the Alt Emporda, Cataluña Spain and each is invited to exhibit for two months. With each exhibition there is a catalog which is like a small magazine which is distributed around the city. Natalie was invited to participate by the organizer Guillem Farias, (well known for his radio show and as a gay rights activist.) She is showing her work in the windows of Beauty station in Chueca, a part of Madrid which is very like Soho in London, until the end of October. All of the pieces in the show are available to buy.

CRAC Creació Roses Art Contemporani 29/04- 21/08

sirren — Wed, 04 May 2011 21:09:11 +0000

On Friday 29th April we inaugurated CRAC an exhibition of local talented artists, both well known and less so and I was honored to be amongst them. We had a good turn out for the first night, including Ferran Adria of the famous restaurant El Bulli and of course our lady mayoress Magda who had a big hand in promoting the event. But mainly big thanks go to Toni Martinez and Juanjo Viñuela who organized it all. Here are the pieces I am exhibiting. If you are in the are do visit the show their are some great pieces from some fantastic artists,

Video of Natalie on BBC at London ice festival

sirren — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:03:02 +0000

Natalie on film at London ice festival, Day one before the pneumonia struck for real!!

News for the start of 2011

sirren — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:57:56 +0000

Ice not so nice Sadly this years ice competition went badly for me this year, despite my wonderful new partner Nicola Wood, I had to pull out of the competition on the last day when the Doctor diagnosed pneumonia and pleurisy. I am completely better now but was really sorry not to be able to finish my work. Huge thanks to Nicola who soldiered on alone.

New commission in Donnybrook Complex.Sadly crime in London reached a new low from my point of view last year when my sculpture for Old Ford Housing was stolen from a top of his plinth. I would like to think of it as flattering, but I feel sure he will have been melted down by now. So I am in the process of designing and pricing a new sculpture for the same place. Watch this space for pictures coming soon!

Portraits I have just finished this years competition entry for the Society of portrait sculptors. A small scale Dalai Lama in fired clay.
Today I submitted it to the competition, which is very tough, so fingers crossed that this year I get through.
I have two commissions for portraits lined up this year, the cousins of the two young girls I have already completed last year. I´ll post pictures as soon as we have had the first sittings.

Exhibitions. On 20th May to 20th August I will be exhibition in the Ciutadella in Roses, Spain with other local artists. This is an amazing historic building and we are delighted to be invited to exhibit there.

London ice festival 2011

sirren — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:48:33 +0000

Well we are getting ready now and sharpening our chisels for this years ice festival in Canary wharf. This year I have a new partner Nicola Wood as Mick has had to go to NZ to see his parents. But Nicola is well qualified and having an all girl team should be fun. If you would like to see her work have a butchers at www.sandsculpting.co.uk fantastic work!
The ice carving comp has changed a little this year, on the 13th we are having a singles carving competition with the theme of pedal power. 15th and half of 16th is the team comp “Love London”. More information on the official site here:

also for quick reference
LOCATION & DATES
Sculpting will take place in front of the public, in Canada Square Park, Canada Wharf, next to its popular ice rink from 13-15January 2011.
1. PEDAL POWER – singles competition from 15.30-17.30 Thursday
2. LOVE LONDON! – doubles competition from 09.00-19.00 Friday + 08.00-14.30 Saturday
Come along and support us if you can!! Let´s see if we can win the trophy for the UK this year.