After Earning an MBA and a Career in Banking, Dick Alden Chucked it All and Became a Sculptor

And today it's particularly important that you'd be watching because we have a lot of wonderful visuals to share with you because I am speaking with artist sculptor, Dick Alden. Thanks for coming in today. Good to be here and thank you for the opportunity. We are so happy to have all of these pieces that I am surrounded by today. It really has. When I see your work, it just, it just grounds me in a way. It just makes me feel very well peaceful. And that's, and that's a word that I think that you like having associated with your work. Yes, Yes I do. And, uh, I'm so happy that you see my work for what it is, uh, my work, so, uh, about emotion, uh, about rhythm and harmony and peacefulness and love and joy, soulmates, uh, is also very important. I've done a series a of joys. I've done a series of soulmates. And for me, the soulmates are about, uh, relationship, uh, of two beings who, uh, together grow much, further and higher than they do individually because we help each other along. And that to me is, um, one of the most, uh, greatest treasures we can have. Is that kind of a relationship? So I did, I've done maybe 10 soul mates, so I've done six joys. I've done many, many different pieces like that in series You've provided me with so many different directions. I can go in with you with your comment, which doesn't always happen in an interview. Uh, but I'm going to start with the idea that you have your own real life walking around on the planet soulmate that you actually brought with you Today, Priscilla. Yes. To some of your inspiration for your art come from your relationship. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Priscilla is a, uh, a fiber artist. She, uh, is a tapestry Weaver, uh, very active in the different tapestry organizations. And she also does printmaking and, and co including and caustics, uh, and yes, we share a studio together. So we built a studio in 2008 when I was just about to retire because I said, Priscilla, I want to be in the same studio as you. And she said, well, you make so much noise and dust and how's this going to work? And so I convinced her finally with an acoustics engineer, friend of mine who arranged to put, uh, designed a wall between our different studios. So we have a thirty-five 40 by 40 metal building. And it's separated in the center by two, six inch stud was stuffed with insulation to no holes in the walls. And the only access we have to each other is through a bathroom. It is also our art library. So, um, she says, uh, it's tolerable. And I do most of my work outside anyway, when I'm really making a lot of noise. Uh, but in the, for example, in the winter, when I do smaller pieces, uh, by hand I'm inside, and what's wonderful about this is that, you know, we work side by side and it's almost like, um, what are they called in child psychology. They call it, uh, um, parallel play. So she's on her side doing her artwork and I'm on my side doing mine. And every once in a while, we'll say, can you come over and check out my work and see what you think and give me your critique. And she does the same for me. So it's, uh, it just works out beautifully. I'm very lucky When we asked you about the art, um, you would like to have as a backdrop because obviously we can't put one of your sculptures on our wall. Right? You suggested that dealin would be a good choice for you. And you gave an interesting, uh, reasoning behind that and a relationship between the work that DLN does and the work that you do Well, uh, Dateland um, her work is very peaceful. It's calm, it's harmonious. Uh, and it's also sculptural because encaustics is layering and layering and marking in the, in the wax and adding on and, uh, collaging and whatever else. And so I find her, her work very, uh, uh, peaceful, um, which I think my work is also very peaceful and calm and harmonious, um, uh, like remarks. I like her gold leaf and, um, her, her color and texture. So that's why I chose her work. Interestingly enough, this piece was a gift to me from my husband, who of course owns the art gallery. So it would make sense that I get art gifts and it's a really great situation for me. I am very lucky. Yes. And in front of me is another piece that I recently received as a gift from my husband. That is one of yours. Yes. I just was delighted what higher compliment than to have the gallery owner who sees so much art and chooses so much art, uh, select, uh, peace of mind for his soulmate. So I I'm just, just delighted and so honored. Well, tell me this piece. So this is P called peaceful bird and peaceful bird is it's alabaster, uh, a pretty piece of pinkish alabaster, uh, that, um, I think I had as a leftover honk from another project, and I just love the rhythm of, of birds, um, typically, uh, sitting birds and the wonderful lines that they, that they share. So this is to me all about rhythm lines. And, um, when I, when I did this, um, I sketch and charcoal often, and just start, I just make a mark, boom, that's a mark. And then I make another mark that's rhythmical with it until I get it right. And it helps define what I'm trying to do. So this little guy to me is just a wonderful, very quiet, peaceful bird with a lot of, of wonderful rhythm is happy scum. He said, peace. So that's peaceful bird. And when you decide what you're going to make out of, um, the stone, do you know right away, or do you have to kind of contemplate what the stone is telling you? You need to be thinking about It's both, it's both the stone does tell you where it wants to go. Um, one of the masters once told me there's no such thing as an accident when you're working on stone, it's all subtractive. You can't add anything back. Uh, so, um, uh, yes, it just, uh, it just, this works. So what about this, this other piece that we have in front of us, this Piece is called maternity, and this is a piece of, of translucent alabaster, um, which, um, I love to work on again, these are both winter pieces, um, uh, where I work inside and I can use hand tools, all hand tools because the stone is soft enough to use morass and, um, sandpaper and, and just keep working at and working at, um, by hand, uh, this piece I created, I think it was in April of 2020 when the pandemic was just starting to rage. Uh, and everybody was so worried when we took our, when we brought our groceries in and we washed everything, you know, before we put it away. And it was just, it was just an anxious time. And for me, um, this piece represents, and it's exaggerated, exaggerated, figurative mother nursing, her infant. Um, uh, to me, it was just so calming, like a mother holding an infant and nursing an infant, um, with turmoil all around, but just that sense of calm of beauty, of, of, uh, unconditional love. Um, so you see her with her arms exaggerated. I like negative space because it help, it helps for me to define it, but very exaggerated, just bringing them around, embracing this beautiful little child and her heads, turn it down to face, to face it, or to look at her child, but she's twisting, um, again, this is part of the emotion and the rhythm. Uh, so she twisting, so get a little bit closer and, um, I think it came out pretty well, the way I hoped it would. So, but I, you know, I didn't realize until I finished this, how calming it was the whole process. Um, so I hope that, uh, that emotes what I wanted it to do, but to take a piece of stone and create emotion out of it, that's what I try to do. It's, there's so many wonderful human emotions that, that, um, you wouldn't think you could get out of a piece of stone, but for me, that's what I try to do. And I often write about my pieces, um, sometimes before, during and after to help me understand really what it was that I've created and why I did it. Um, and sometimes I don't know, until it gets finished, really what it's all about. So, um, I think both of these pieces are quite successful for what I was trying to accomplish. On the other hand, you also have pieces with a lot of movement and sound that children, like. In fact, when you were showing me these pieces, we were hearing from one of your other pieces That's behind you. So This is a piece of, uh, this is one of my stone flowers. And, um, as you can tell, it's, it's not only gives you the sense of touch, but also of sound and motion. And I've been making these for over a decade and everyone is different. Everyone is unique because, um, so let me just back up and tell you why we went to a show, uh, several years ago at the, uh, contemporary art museum in Boston, and it was the black mountain school. It was all about the black mountain school. Have you heard of that black mountain school was, uh, in North Carolina and it was established as an art school. It didn't last, it was short lived. It only lasted from 1933 to 1953, but it attracted these wonderful avant garde artists from the Bauhaus as they were escaping Germany. So, so Joseph and Anni Alber, um, uh, the draconian Willaman and Elaine de Kooning, um, SiteWatch humbly, uh, Buckminster fuller with his God sick dome. Uh, it was just, it was a wonderful exhibit and it just, it just resonated one of the things that really struck me was this term, haptic H a P K I C, and it defined it from the black mountain school perspective and co college perspective. And it was that haptic is related to the sense of touch. So the haptic for, for black mountain college was about the process of selecting the material, the process of making the art and the bodily engagement of the maker involved in the art, in the creation. So for me, this is what it's all about. So this is about, I mean, this is about balance, uh, and the stones are balanced. So they almost tip. I spent a lot of time doing that. I spent a lot of time on the selection. I, when I, you know, I walked the shore, I'm always looking down looking for that next stone. So I collect all kinds of stones and I try to match the stones in some form to me and match the base. Uh, and these rods are solid brass. Um, they're APOC seed. So, uh, when you go by and give him a tap, you can hear the Chi-Ming. So you get sound as well. So for me, this is what this is all about. It's, it's the, it's the, the, the touch, the touching, which you love to do. Uh, it's the, uh, sound, um, gets the visual. Uh, so the haptic by taking all those activities, um, that haptic is really combining the visual reality with a tactility. So they're inseparable. So this, these pieces to me are just, they're just wonderful. And many of them have sold. People just love them, and they sit in your garden, uh, or inside. Uh, and it just takes a little bit of breeze to move them. And you know, you look at it and you said, wait a minute, stones. Aren't supposed to move, but they're balanced. The largest ones I've done are 20 pounds. So it's seven foot high, 20 pound stones on a, on a rod stainless steel rod, think of the torque and the slightest breeze. Those stones are just moving a little bit. So you walk by and go, wait a minute. What is what's happening there? So, anyway, it's very exciting. I love to do it. And, um, I'm going to keep creating these as long as each one is unique. I've had people want to copy these because they think they can, but that doesn't bother me. I guess that's flattery, but I just keep making them, then they evolve and they have different. Everyone is different. So I don't mind if somebody else is trying to copy me, but I don't think they can do it the same way, because I've been spending so many years just developing this process and engaging in the, in the, in the process has been wonderful. My understanding is that we have a hard time keeping these in the gallery. They're so popular. Yeah. People really enjoy it. Yes, they Do. Yeah, because again, you can look at them, you can go by and give them a tap like that, and you'll hear him chime. So you get the sound, you get the motion, get the balance. Uh, you'll get the visual reality and the tactility. Anyway, I'll keep doing his lines. It's fun. Well, I have to say that, um, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna say to Kevin as you're editing this, since I know that you like to give art for gifts and I love to get art for gifts, we're going to get one of these someday for our garden. So just keep that in mind. Okay. Just Jesse now. And also to apologize, of course, because this is, it is it's, uh, people are going to listen to this and they're going to be like, wow, that's a really distracting noise in the studio, but you know what? I love it. Thank you. People are gonna hear it. And they're gonna be like, where is all that noise coming from? But I think it's such a great reminder that there's peace in their stillness, but then there's the opposite there's motion. And there's, so these actually The inspiration for the A's came from the Meadows and fields with the cat tails and the beautiful tall of grasses. There is grace graceful in this, their natural movement. Um, but that's where it came from. Um, when I first started making these, uh, I, I tend to be most creative in that Twilight zone between awake and sleep and awake early in the morning. And these just came to me and I said, I'm going to try that. So I, you know, I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but it's works Well, as you're saying this, actually, before you even talked about the early morning piece, I think about the time that I wake up quite early in the morning, and you think of it as being a time of darkness and quiet and solitude, but it's really not. It's never, it's never quiet because there are always in the summer, you have the crickets. If it's very warm in the winter, you might have the ice on the branches kind of hitting against, um, other branches. You might have the rain in the mornings. So even, even peacefulness actually has a sound to it. Yeah, I agree. We're on the same wavelength. Yeah. So I see one of these in our garden future, if we can actually tear them out of the hands of other people who want to get them from, you're happy to customize it for you. Oh, good to know you have stones there started collecting, Start collecting stones about that. So, Okay. All right. It's a project for us. Yes. And also for other people who are interested in their own stone flowers, going to do this for you. So keep that in mind. How about this piece behind me? I mean, this is a really wonderful, uh, color to this rock. It's a serpentine Serpentine. Yeah. Serpentine Is a greenish, um, stone it's, uh, I'd say a medium hardness, um, maybe a little harder than marble. Um, but it carved nicely and get polished up beautifully. Um, I love to put a high Polish on some of my pieces, um, to bring out the texture. I love the texture and the, in the stone. So this piece is called love ring. And, um, this also, um, poets, one of my themes is peace and love and harmony and balance. Uh, and so this, this is two beings coming up together and then crossing over in a, in a hug if you will. Um, but a real embrace. Um, and the negative space to me, um, helps to accentuate the motion, uh, and the, uh, emotion. So, um, yes, I was very pleased with how that came out and I was trying to figure out how to, what kind of a base to put it on. Um, I wanted something that was unobtrusive, so it didn't take away from it, but also supported it. So, um, I, uh, contracted with a battle shop to weld three disc together and then weld on a pin. So that's how it supported. I painted it black, and I think it works. You're raising kind of an important point, which is that these pieces, they, they actually have a weight to them. They have a heft to them and some of the ones that are small, we can obviously carry around. But, um, from what I understand, sometimes people will call up the gallery and they'll say, well, you know, I love this piece and I'm gonna just kind of carry it away with me. But if it's so heavy that you couldn't actually do that, you actually need to have like machinery that can move some of the work that you do from place to place. Right. I mean, it's made of stone, Stone, and stone is heavy and a cube of stone, which is 12 by 12, by 12, generally weighs between 170 and 180 pounds. And it doesn't take long to add up to several cubes, uh, cubic feet. And, um, so yes, but that, that's part of the challenge, uh, to, um, figure out how you're going to move these pieces. And there are, there are ways there this machinery there's strong young men to hire who can help move this or strong young woman or starting in woman yes. Through, um, uh, so, um, that's what I've been doing more recently is just hiring people to help me move it. I remember having a conversation with June Lacome who does all of her work, um, as a kind of a sculptor curator of sculptures. And she talked about these shows that she had curated on her property and it would require machinery. It would require people moving in, moving out, and it would take days to place everything. I think she uses an ex-co guy with an excavator. So for me, that's an interesting contrast because on the one hand you're describing these very lyrical notions of love and peace and a gentle movement. And on the other hand, there's the very practical idea that these made of stone. Yes, they're made of stone, which means there'll be around forever, which is important. Um, they will deteriorate unless you try to put alabaster outside, which you can't do, but, but the granite and the marble, um, will last a long, long time. And that's important. So it's a, there's a kind of a monumental, um, uh, presence to them, um, that they're not going anywhere. So you're, you're literally solidifying love. I haven't heard that express that way, but yes. I mean, you're putting a physicality around something that is more ethereal in nature. Yes. That's a good description. Thank you. Oh, you're welcome. You came from speaking of contrasts, your original career, and I understand you actually thought about going to medical school back in the day, decided against it, went into business and finance. So again, talk about con liberal arts and you went to the university of Vermont where I got my medical degree. So you and I have that in common as well. So kind of play that out for me. How did that end up being your path and then coming back around to becoming an artist? I don't know exactly. I've always liked to, um, well, one of the courses I took at UVM, I thought it was a gut course. I got to take another course. So I took ceramics, uh, which was not a gut course. And also I really enjoyed it. And at what I enjoyed was the formation of, of not doing anything exact, but forming the clay, you know, um, uh, out of, out of the sheets, when you, I forgot the term at that is, but, but then you put it together and then you use the slip and design and do all this other, which I really love to do. So that was, I guess, was my first, um, opportunity to do some art. But then I got into business and, you know, a young family and, uh, uh, where I, the place I worked state street bank, uh, paid for my graduate school. So I got an MBA at Northeastern through them going nights and studying weekends and whatever with a young family. And there was just no time to do anything else as you understood. Um, uh, and so it was in my mid forties that I started to get a little more interest in. I saw this a woodcarving course being offered in adult education. So I took it and I really enjoyed it. I did mostly release. I did, uh, uh, a lot of, uh, we sailed a lot at that time. So, um, my, uh, uh, friends, sailors have all needed stern boards. So I carved some pretty neat staring boards, uh, for them, um, with, uh, you know, thistles and the end of the boat named thistle or something else like that. Um, and I wrote, so I really enjoyed that, but then I've always loved the coast of Maine and the stones and the rocks. And the, and I just said, I could, I gotta try this. So I picked up a cold chisel and a hammer and just started banging away. And I made my first bird bath. I made, I still have it. Um, and, uh, then just kind of self-taught until I, uh, went up to the common ground fair and met a stone workers, Guild people up there, and then Ted, you know, kind of tools do you guys use gals use? And so they gave me a lot of good information. I went back and did bar that. And then, so I only could do it on weekends, in nice weather because we didn't have, I didn't have a studio at that time. So it was outside my house, the neighbor, one of my neighbors said, you know, sometimes it sounds like a dentist drill across the street. Oops, okay. Sorry about that. You know, that w E from the door and tools or whatever. Um, so that's another reason I wanted to build a studio that was, you know, in, in the woods a bit, uh, and, um, uh, lost my train of thought here for a second. Um, oh yes. So, uh, I did, I was a self-taught I took a couple of courses workshops with Constantine surface who was, uh, spent 20 years at the national cathedral doing gargoyles and saints and whatever else, a wonderful man, but he had a home in Pema credit, summer home in Pema quid. So he threw the, uh, Ron top center for the yards, uh, gave a couple of workshops and I took two of those from him. He was, he was wonderful. He was pretty elderly at the time, but he was great. And then Don, Missouri, Don Justin reserved from round pond who taught at Rezdy and other schools. And, uh, w he was just a great mentor. So I learned a lot from him as well. He got me involved in the symposiums, uh, and the symposiums where you get a group of like-minded stone, sculptors, uh, together at a site. And you work for 10 days straight and using the stone, uh, first one's red JC stone in, uh, Jefferson. Uh, and so you select the stone and they gave us the stone. They gave us the site, uh, there, they had the big equipment to move everything. Um, so, uh, Don invited me to my first symposium and which I was so lucky for him. He said, listen, I, I helped organize this. I'm going to invite my friends. So it was transformative for me because here I was with, as Priscilla cause of my tribe, people that Dustin noise and heavy equipment and all of this, it's just so much fun. And I learned so much from everybody was so generous about their time and their techniques and their tools and their eye for helping me accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. Um, so, uh, I've been involved in, and then, uh, Don got me involved in the main stone workers Guild, um, where, uh, at my first meeting I was elected treasurer. You know, the former banker of course it right away. Okay. I'll do it. Um, but it's been great. Uh, uh, the main stonework is Guild, uh, has been involved in, um, I think five or six symposia over the last decade or so, uh, about every two years, there's a lot of work that goes into organizing these and raising money and, you know, for, for, for everything you need. Um, but each one has just been so informative and helpful. Um, and, uh, it's just, uh, we just keep going with that. And that's one of the other things that we enjoy about these symposium is all free, open to the public. So come on in, we'll stop our carving, if you want to, and then come in and look what we're doing. I can explain it to you. Here's the tools, here's the, here's what we're trying to accomplish. Here's what it might look like, you know, from a little, my cat or whatever. Um, and so the public just seems to be very attracted to it. Um, and that's part of the education component. So what, um, what my interests now is my other interests behind making art is, uh, developing education programs and advance that will help perpetuate the art and craft of stone sculpting and stone working. So, um, that's what the symposium, uh, do, uh, in addition to workshops and demonstrations and whatever else. Um, so it's been, it's, it's just been great. So we created at the stone workers Guild. I went out and through the IRS and whatever it created, a 5 0 1 C3 as an education fund. So we have a, uh, charitable organization now, um, official charitable organization and can receive donations and whatever. So we have received, uh, part of Don reserves collection. He passed away about 10 years ago, uh, and selling that for educational programming. Um, uh, I'm also involved in scooting international sculpture symposium, uh, which, uh, over one decade ran five, uh, international symposium and symposium. They would bring for six weeks and they would run for six weeks and they would bring, uh, artists from all over the world, very accomplished idols artists. And he created monumental art. I don't know if you've been on the sculpture trail down east. Okay. So you go through these little villages and there's, you know, beautiful piece of monument, 15 feet high that a lot. Uh, it's just wonderful. So, uh, their treasurer, uh, retired, so they asked me to be treasurer there. And now the mission is not only to support, uh, promote the sculpture trail, but also to create more international exchange opportunities. So in 2017, between and the main stone just go, we brought, um, a Japanese sculptor, uh, from Japan to, uh, to, uh, booth bay was at the booth bay railroad village. Uh, and, um, also we had some interns there, young interested, uh, sculptors. Uh, so that was a wonderful, uh, uh, he, he did a beautiful piece. Um, and then in 2019 at the booths bay common, um, we had 14 sculptors plus two Japanese guests who scooted brought over. They paid to bring them over, but we had to find them lodging and food and everything else. Um, and, and then we had also, uh, two interns from, okay, nine college of art, uh, uh, from their sculpture professor recommended them, uh, then some other helpers. And it was just wonderful, but it was so busy, uh, uh, but, uh, everybody was engaging of the public, uh, um, and, uh, created such incredible work, which is now most of it is on the sculpture trail in Boothbay Harbor. So they've developed a sculpture trails through the chamber of commerce, which partnered with us in 2019, uh, with the Gill to create this symposium. Um, but now there's almost 30 sculptures outside in booths bay around Boothbay Harbor. Uh, they're free, they're there year round, um, uh, businesses love to have them out in front. Uh, and so it's just more of this educational component. So, um, it's just a lot of fun to be involved with that and to get, and to get, for example at, oh, we're having another symposium. Um, September 10th to the 20th, I've got nights to the 19th in Hollowell. It was supposed to occur last year as part of the Bain bicentennial, uh, about, uh, the Hollowell, the history of the Hollowell granite, um, granite works and, uh, which was there for maybe a hundred years. Um, so we're having a symposium there, uh, with six sculptors and two or three interns, um, and, uh, a lot of demonstrations and open to the public free to the public. And we'll be working from pup to the public from 10 to four. Okay. Every day. And, um, just, it's just more about education and find, oh, we also have through one of our Guild members, um, a tent set up with a soft stone sculpting. So with the little chips of alabaster and soapstone, there's no hammers. We don't want kids in there with hammers hitting each other. So, so, uh, everything is with files, you know, rasp and files and sandpaper and handrails and whatever. And it's amazing. We've had this at the common ground fair for a number of years. Uh, it was created by, uh, uh, one of our members, um, uh, uh, Obadiah buil, sorry. Yes. I had to think for a second. Okay. Daya, um, uh, loves to teach and he loves to have kids involved. So he'll sit there in the tent with this, everything's set up a couple of tables, just be there, you know, working on a little piece and all of a sudden, a couple of kids, families come over. And the next thing you know, the place is jammed because everybody is having fun, working on little stone, soft stone sculptures. This is an introduction to them. And we hope that this can, Catalyte a spark in some of them who want, might want to go on and continue to become a sculptor, a stone sculptor. So it's all things like that that are, that are so much fun and, um, are, are actualizing the education component that we're trying to create. So it's very important, you know, to pass on the skills and the techniques and the enthusiasm, uh, for stone. Um, cause we don't want that to be lost. You know, some of these get people off the tablets and onto the, off their devices and actually doing something creative. So anyway, that's, that's a lot of what, uh, what I'm involved with now And for you having the sculpture trail in Boothbay Harbor is very nice because you live, um, at ocean point, right. Which is part of booth bay Harbor, right? So you get to enjoy the work that you hope other people are also enjoying, And it's not just stone sculpture. It's also, you know, metal, um, uh, creations and it's, uh, yeah, it's wonderful. Well, I've very much appreciated the chance to talk with you about this work. I think, um, you're right. That there's a, there's a need to kind of continue on with the sculpting conversation in a way that's probably slightly different than the art conversation, because it's just a different, it's a different way of approaching creativity. Oh, And it's messy, you know, it's dusty, it's noisy. Nobody bought it wants to be around you when you're doing this because you're in a cloud of dust, you know, you ha and you have a face respirator, Iran and goggles and ear protectors and gloves and everything else. Uh, but when you stop and show people, they, they seem fascinated by it and really interested. So that's what we hope. And then you have this very nice non messy end result. That's right. That's right. We clean up good. As they say Here. That's right. Well, I have, um, I've enjoyed my own gift from my husband. Thank you for making this. I'm going to say you made it for me. It just, you just didn't, you didn't know it at the time, but you did. So thank you for that. And thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. Thank you for this opportunity. It's really wonderful to be with you and, and to, uh, tell you what I do and why I do it. So thank you. So, yes, My pleasure. I've been speaking with sculptor, Dick Alden. I encourage you to go to maybe one of the locations that he's described to see his sculptures and also other people's. But if not go to the Portland art gallery, maybe consider bringing one of his wonderful gifts into your home or into your garden. It's uh, it's been a pleasure to talk with you, Dick. My pleasure. Thanks so much.