Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Dawe
Hi Martin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I feel very fortunate to have a sculpture studio that also employs 3 other artists. It’s been an up-and-down journey over the last 30 years, but I’ve never stopped believing it would work. I credit the apprenticeship I had with Julian Harris early in my career as making all the difference. He taught me about sculpture and how to make a living as a commissioned artist. Here’s a brief bio:
Martin Dawe, owner and sculptor for Cherrylion Studios, incorporated in 1994
Born in 1956 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Moved to the States in 1958 and to Atlanta in 1979
Graduated Georgia State University while concurrently apprenticing under Julian H. Harris at his studio in GA Tech until 1987
Cherrylion Studios is the one of the largest custom sculpture studios in Georgia, located in its newly designed and built studio in West Midtown. The studio specializes in fine art sculpture commissions for public, corporate and private collectors. His staff includes two full-time apprentices and a mold maker.
Hundreds of commissions executed over the last 30 years including 25 large-scale public art commissions
Selected commissions:
8’ bronze of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Georgia State Capitol
12’ Stainless Steel figure at Terminus in Buckhead
Life-size bronze of Gov Cox at Cox Enterprises
12’ abstract figure for the Children’s Museum
Interactive Rosa Parks Sculpture at GA Tech
21’ bronze for the Raffles Hotel in Istanbul
Outdoor classroom for the Galloway School including a bronze of Elliott Galloway
A bronze figure for the Carter Center Rose Garden
30’ double helix for the Winship Cancer Institute in Midtown
Bronze portraits of FDR, Andrew Young, Joe Frank Harris, Jim Clyburn, Homer Rice and Hal Barry
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, like many artists, it is hard to get the commissions without a portfolio and vice versa. Julian Harris gave me my first 2 commissions, which made a big difference. Still today, it has a lot to do with getting the work. Also, staying on top of all the issues involved with having a small business can take a lot of time. Luckily I have learned many things over the years and I have developed very specific ways to run the studio.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Most of the studio’s work is on a commissioned basis. Clients contact us with their sculptural needs, from the very specific to a loose concept. We also enter many public art competitions. Our training is in representational sculpture, with a concentration on the figure, though we also work in abstract genres. Our primary medium is clay, and the staff includes mold makers, so many molds are sent to a bronze foundry for casting.
Personally, my favorite pieces are the stainless steel ‘Landing Gear’ at Terminus and the interactive Rosa Parks sculpture at GA Tech.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
If you’re a young sculptor interested in commission work, do your best to visit as many sculpture studios as you can and offer to help out when they need it.
For networking, we hired an SEO company for one year and it put us first on Google for most of the Southeast. It was very expensive and completely worth the cost.
Pricing:
- Not really. Our commissions generally run from a few thousand to $100k.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cherrylion.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherrylionstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherryLion/
Image Credits
Photo of Rosa Parks installation- Rob Felt, GA Tech
The rest were taken by Cherrylion Studios
