We would like to introduce you to a great inspirational artist and sculptor Randy Hand.
By Scott Haire
Randy was born in Minnesota and credits his upbringing in finding the artist in him, “I wasn’t given a video game when I was a kid, I was given a blank sheet of paper and a crayon or pen and was encouraged to create.” Randy stated to me, “I think that, in a sense that has drifted away in children today in this video game generation.”
In the early 1980’s as his talents began to grow he discovered something that would be integral for the rest of his life… clay. Randy began to mold things out of the material and later bought his own kiln to create and sculpt cartoon characters and other small objects.
Soon Randy found himself making the move to his new home in Colorado where, for a short time, Randy stopped creating all together due to a circumstance that soured his taste, “I was burned at one point on mass producing my figures, so basically I got completely away from nearly all art for a while.”
In the mid 1990’s Randy was hired at Art Castings of Colorado to color bronze castings of figures and other sculpted pieces which began to bring him back to what was once buried inside of him, the need to create. In his six and a half years working there Randy tried his hand at sculpting again, but it was one friend who would be honest with him and would make a big impact on his life as a sculptor.
Ronnie Williford, a Disney animator and good friend of Randy’s told him he should stop sculpting for a while and do nothing but draw; a notion that Randy was not too keen on at first. “I was a little put off by his comment that I should just draw for a while, but reluctantly I took his advice and did nothing but sketch for three and a half years, filling eight to ten sketchbooks in that time” Hand stated, “when I went back to sculpting again after that I couldn’t believe how much better I could sculpt.”
A short while later Randy achieved a major milestone by getting to participate in his first major fine art show, “after that show and the response I got to my pieces, I was hooked.” Randy has participated in the Loveland Invitational Sculptor Show and Sale for the past 7 years and at the Sausalito Art Show and Festival in California for the past 3 years.
It wasn’t long after his first show that Randy began to be noticed. During his time at the foundry, Randy was given his first commissioned opportunity. The project would become an unprecedented work when completed titled “The Faces Bridge”. “It was a unique project that combined an art element with a structural element which meant working with the contractors and engineers in its total production,” Hand said, “the project consisted of 28 individual bronze faces to be affixed to the underside of a bridge structure and a bike path would access it for the public to enjoy it.”
With this successful work and a good showing at other sculpture shows Randy finally had the opportunity to achieve another goal in his life, proposing to his wife Mary. Since that point it has been a great ride for Randy and Mary.
His work became noticed and he has begun to develop bigger pieces that can be seen in many places around the country. For example, his famed “Mr. CheesenCrackers” tree now sits on the amazing 250 acre Na Aina Kai Botanical/Sculpture Garden on the island of Kauai, and just recently 4 other life-size pieces plus accessories were delivered there to be put alongside it.
With more and more clients and things doing well it has given Randy and Mary time to contemplate other projects that they have wanted to do together. They described a series of children’s books that will be a compilation of Mary’s writing and Randy’s illustrations which has a theme not before seen in the past.
I do not wish to divulge it in this article what the theme is, but I can tell you this, if they have the same spirit and inspiration placed in them as seen in Randy’s sculptures, I can guarantee you will want to check them out, even if you’re not a kid. I can say this about them to give you a hint, Frankie never looked so good… hahaha.
The few pieces featured here in this article are a great testament of the detail Randy gives to each of his creations. Each piece seems to possess a personality of its own carrying you to the land of imagination and wonderment. You can’t help but feel each character created is truly alive bringing back the inner child in all of us, re-awakening the world of fantasy and make believe.
To view more of Randy’s artwork, sketches and sculpting be sure to check out his page on Deviant Art at www.handyrand.deviantart.com. You can also visit his web site at www.randyhand.com. If you would like to learn more about commissioning Randy for your own personal piece of art you can contact him at randyhand@comcast.net.
Bellesprit Magazine and their staff are truly honored to spotlight this incredibly talented artist. Not only have we found inspiration through his art, we have also made a wonderful new friend.
About the Author:
Scott Haire is the Director of the Central Connecticut Paranormal Society (CCPS) in Connecticut. He is the owner of Haire Raiser Radio at www.haireraiserradio.com and is a Contributor of the radio show Earth Saturday nights 10 PM to Midnight Eastern. You can listen to him live at www.earthradionetwork.com.
