Newton Centre for Arts and Artists | Public Works
Teresa Hansen: Annie I, Annie II
Teresa Hansen is an artist by necessity. Her work is the result of an internal need to express her visions of and reactions to the world in which she lives, and, sometimes, to the fantasy worlds of our collective childhood. In some way or another, all of her work is youthful; her lifelong connection to art-making is evident in her primary subject matter. Her love for realism (in its most optimistic form) can be seen in her bronzed children, their vivid personalities captured in each piece. Teresa’s relatable style, expressive details and lighthearted imagery keeps visitors returning to her station at the Iowa Sculpture Festival each year, and to one of Newton’s most beloved sculptures, Annie I. A quiet, but joyful piece, Annie I resonates with the community in a heartwarming way, and with some in a deeply personal manner. It is these moments of peace and nostalgia that Teresa has become known for in her work, and is perhaps the biggest reason for her praises in Newton.
Annie I was originally called Devin, and was a component of a collective piece titled Gifts of Nature. Originally commissioned by a family in Illinois, a pair of grandparents wanted to preserve and commemorate their three grandchildren, Devin, Audra, and Zooey. Teresa had the job of capturing not just their physical likenesses, but their personal traits as well. This, for Teresa, is the most rewarding part of her process, and arguably what her reputation as an artist is built upon. For Gifts of Nature, Teresa flew out to visit the family at the grandparents’ ranch, where she was able to observe the children at play. It was important to the grandmother that the girls learned about nature through the wildflowers and butterflies and orchards on the property, and it was these elements which became the backdrop for the piece to develop. Each child in the collection is cast individually, in a moment of peace and interaction with the environment. Zooey picks raspberries, Audra clasps an apple, and Devin (“Annie”) holds a butterfly.
The pieces were shown at the Iowa Sculpture Festival, where Carl Rothschild-Bond (of Progress Industries in Newton) immediately felt a connection to Devin. After the recent loss of his wife, the little girl holding the butterfly so resembled his late Annie, he had to take her home. The piece is now a part of his private collection, while another version, Annie II, sits in the entrance of Newton’s Centre for Arts and Artists. In Annie II, the same peaceful, quiet moment is captured: she reads the story of Christopher Robin while a little robin is perched on the book’s bindings, looking at the etchings on the page. With permission from Teresa, the name of each edition was changed in memory of Rev. Dr. Ann Frank Rothschild-Bond.
This reference to storybooks is not new for Teresa, as many of her private and commissioned pieces include elements of folklore, including Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bo Peep. She is one of those fortunate few who have the talent and ability to simultaneously create both personally inspired and custom-ordered artworks. Each piece begins in oil based clay, with the artist at work in her studio up to 8 hours at a time to achieve full awareness and concentration. Once the clay is stylized to its final detail, Teresa contracts the efforts of professional mold makers, who create a plaster mold and take it to a professional foundry to pour the bronze. She has specific rule for herself when it comes to casting bronzes: to only ever make limited editions. By creating between 9-18 replicas of each piece, she guarantees coverage of the costs of making (the lost-wax process of bronze casting is an expensive art), and maintains a consistent forward motion in her practice. Doing so, as Teresa says, “keeps [an artist] fresh, keeps you in the clay”.
Teresa’s attitude towards her profession, her pieces, and those she works with throughout the process beginning to end, is equal parts humility and confidence. From her first sale (a painting at 13) to Annie I & II to her latest larger-than-life bronze dedications, Teresa has pursued her passion from a young age, and continues to enjoy success and praise as her practice develops. With 7 pieces in progress at the moment, it doesn’t look like she’s slowing down any time soon: in response to the idea of retirement, she says “I can’t see how you could ever retire from [art] because there’s just something in there you want to get out. Unless there was something physically wrong that you couldn’t [continue making art], you’d still want to try and get it out and express it”. That “it” factor, that lives in Teresa, continues to delight Newton locals as time goes by; Teresa’s timeless, impeccably personalized pieces still stand, and that inner drive and love for her craft will surely compel her to produce more.
Teresa Hansen: Annie I, Annie II
Teresa Hansen is an artist by necessity. Her work is the result of an internal need to express her visions of and reactions to the world in which she lives, and, sometimes, to the fantasy worlds of our collective childhood. In some way or another, all of her work is youthful; her lifelong connection to art-making is evident in her primary subject matter. Her love for realism (in its most optimistic form) can be seen in her bronzed children, their vivid personalities captured in each piece. Teresa’s relatable style, expressive details and lighthearted imagery keeps visitors returning to her station at the Iowa Sculpture Festival each year, and to one of Newton’s most beloved sculptures, Annie I. A quiet, but joyful piece, Annie I resonates with the community in a heartwarming way, and with some in a deeply personal manner. It is these moments of peace and nostalgia that Teresa has become known for in her work, and is perhaps the biggest reason for her praises in Newton.
Annie I was originally called Devin, and was a component of a collective piece titled Gifts of Nature. Originally commissioned by a family in Illinois, a pair of grandparents wanted to preserve and commemorate their three grandchildren, Devin, Audra, and Zooey. Teresa had the job of capturing not just their physical likenesses, but their personal traits as well. This, for Teresa, is the most rewarding part of her process, and arguably what her reputation as an artist is built upon. For Gifts of Nature, Teresa flew out to visit the family at the grandparents’ ranch, where she was able to observe the children at play. It was important to the grandmother that the girls learned about nature through the wildflowers and butterflies and orchards on the property, and it was these elements which became the backdrop for the piece to develop. Each child in the collection is cast individually, in a moment of peace and interaction with the environment. Zooey picks raspberries, Audra clasps an apple, and Devin (“Annie”) holds a butterfly.
The pieces were shown at the Iowa Sculpture Festival, where Carl Rothschild-Bond (of Progress Industries in Newton) immediately felt a connection to Devin. After the recent loss of his wife, the little girl holding the butterfly so resembled his late Annie, he had to take her home. The piece is now a part of his private collection, while another version, Annie II, sits in the entrance of Newton’s Centre for Arts and Artists. In Annie II, the same peaceful, quiet moment is captured: she reads the story of Christopher Robin while a little robin is perched on the book’s bindings, looking at the etchings on the page. With permission from Teresa, the name of each edition was changed in memory of Rev. Dr. Ann Frank Rothschild-Bond.
This reference to storybooks is not new for Teresa, as many of her private and commissioned pieces include elements of folklore, including Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bo Peep. She is one of those fortunate few who have the talent and ability to simultaneously create both personally inspired and custom-ordered artworks. Each piece begins in oil based clay, with the artist at work in her studio up to 8 hours at a time to achieve full awareness and concentration. Once the clay is stylized to its final detail, Teresa contracts the efforts of professional mold makers, who create a plaster mold and take it to a professional foundry to pour the bronze. She has specific rule for herself when it comes to casting bronzes: to only ever make limited editions. By creating between 9-18 replicas of each piece, she guarantees coverage of the costs of making (the lost-wax process of bronze casting is an expensive art), and maintains a consistent forward motion in her practice. Doing so, as Teresa says, “keeps [an artist] fresh, keeps you in the clay”.
Teresa’s attitude towards her profession, her pieces, and those she works with throughout the process beginning to end, is equal parts humility and confidence. From her first sale (a painting at 13) to Annie I & II to her latest larger-than-life bronze dedications, Teresa has pursued her passion from a young age, and continues to enjoy success and praise as her practice develops. With 7 pieces in progress at the moment, it doesn’t look like she’s slowing down any time soon: in response to the idea of retirement, she says “I can’t see how you could ever retire from [art] because there’s just something in there you want to get out. Unless there was something physically wrong that you couldn’t [continue making art], you’d still want to try and get it out and express it”. That “it” factor, that lives in Teresa, continues to delight Newton locals as time goes by; Teresa’s timeless, impeccably personalized pieces still stand, and that inner drive and love for her craft will surely compel her to produce more.
