When Maria Testaguzza was a little girl, she remembers watching her father, Gino, create sculptures in the studio down the hill from their home off E. Drahner.
Using his tools, one of which looks like an eight-inch wooden golf club, he would chisel and scrape away the soft clay, bringing a detailed face to life.
‘He told me ‘without this tool, I couldn’t make those faces,?? Testaguzza said as she holds that very same tool in her hand. ‘He’d be shocked to see that I could do this.?
That’s because Testaguzza wasn’t born with a piece of clay in her hand like it seemed her father had. She was always full of energy and had little patience for the artform.
Now, many years later, Testaguzza occupies the same art studio her father once did and is surrounded by hundreds of pieces of pottery and various sculptures she created with her own two hands.
‘It’s gotta be a genetic thing for me to be able to do that,? she said. ‘Now I can just sit down, be real calm and concentrate.?
When she gets the urge to create a bust, Testaguzza said she looks to magazines, like Time, or a newspaper for photos that show emotion.
‘To get that gripping feeling I like looking at a picture,? she said.
She’s even created a sculpture series called ‘Seven Sisters,? which features bust sculptures of women from various photos taken around the world during tragic times.
The ‘Seven Sisters? are an Afghan girl, a Sudanese refugee, a grieving Beslan Russian mother, a Nigerian escaped slave, a tsunami victim, a woman called Anger Portrayed and a Hurricane Katrina victim.
The series represents ‘the commonality of the resilient feminine spirit that is shared by women throughout the ages, regardless of nationality or borders.?
Each bust was coated in bronze and attached to a black marble base. Her series will be featured at the Orion Art Center in November.
Testaguzza has also created various nude sculptures which are about 12-inches tall. They are also coated in bronze and are currently on display at the Orion Art Center.
Although some artists follow a basic set of rules when creating their work, Testaguzza just goes with the flow. She’ll grab a chunk of clay, put it on the pottery wheel and whatever happens, happens.
Each piece is fired in her kiln at 2,000 degrees, and hopefully, it won’t explode.
If there’s any moisture on the clay it will turn to gas, which causes it to burst.
‘I’ve had some bowls blow up,? she said laughing. She hasn’t really timed herself, but Testaguzza said it takes her probably five days to create a bronze statue and two-three days for a clay one.
It costs her approximately $5,000 to bronze each sculpture at the Orion Art Center.
‘I wouldn’t call this my hobby,? she said. ‘I’ve got thousands, and thousands of dollars invested here. I would call this my life’s work, and as soon as I can get to it, it will be my life’s work.?
When she retires from working at the Lake Orion Post Office, Testaguzza said she hopes to commit herself to sculpting full-time and wants to show her work in art galleries in Chicago.
‘I hope to do something good with it,? she said confidently. ‘I’ll make it.?
‘I wouldn’t call this my hobby,? she said. ‘I’ve got thousands, and thousands of dollars invested here. I would call this my life’s work, and as soon as I can get to it, it will be my life’s work.?
When she retires from working at the Lake Orion Post Office, Testaguzza said she hopes to commit herself to sculpting full-time and wants to show her work in art galleries in Chicago.
‘I hope to do something good with it,? she said confidently. ‘I’ll make it.?