M a r y S a n d S t u d i o

Testimonials

       

September 10, 2012

Good Morning Mary,

I want to thank you for this magic statue you did! It really represents hickstead.
Eric and all the team is really proud of your job!
-Marie Fraisse, Eric Lamaze, Torrey Pines Team


     
    Eric Lamaze unveiling the Hickstead Statue      
 
         
       
         
   
 
         
Lifesize Hickstead Statue with Eric Lamaze, John Fleischhacker and artist Mary Sand
 
 
         
Eric Lamaze pulling back the sheet to reveal the Hickstead Statue during the touching tribute to the great showjumping stallion Hickstead.
Photo: Keara McMurdo ~ Horse Junkies United
         
 


"I had the most striking photograph of my thoroughbred event horse, Griffin. I knew of Mary's exceptional talent so I commissioned her to create a sculpture from it. She used the photo and many more (and took tons of measurements) to deliver to me a 1/4 lifesize creation that perfectly and breathtakingly captures every aspect of my beloved horse. The artistry is stunning. I could not be happier or more moved by the true to life expression it provides. I delight in seeing it each day."

~ Victoria Klein

Bronze horse sculpture, commissioned by owner    
 
Eric Lamaze with John Fleischhacker, co-owner of Hickstead and sculptor Mary Sand in front of the Hickstead Statue -
Photo: Keara McMurdo ~ Horse Junkies United
 
 
       
  Levin portrait in Oil      
  Cece Stewart, owner of Oak Meadows Farm, is a big fan of Mary Sand. Cece first met Mary when her bronze "Breathtaking" appeared on the cover of The Chronicle of the Horse. Cece acquired that piece and has continued to add more of Mary's bronzes to her collection. So when Cece decided to honor Levin and mark his retirement, she commissioned Mary to do a portrait.
"Mary is a horseman and she has a special talent," said Cece. "She has absolutely captured Levin's strength and spirit...I am thrilled with the portrait."
       
             
    Maggie, bronze portrait sculpture  
   

Dear Mary, 

 I want to tell you how much we are enjoying our sculpture of Maggie.  It is so fun to see my beautiful horse in the barnyard, and then, come in the house, and enjoy her presence again, right here in my house!  As I have told you, you have captured the soul of my horse in bronze.  Again thank you.  We are looking forward to your immortalizing our two dogs.  Emma already is in your house in clay!  It is amazing to me how you have captured my lovely Bullmastiff in clay, and "she" is not even "done" yet!  We appreciate the opportunity to have you give our beloved animals "immortal life," even if it is in bronze.

Patty Klein

  Bull Mastif in bronze, commissioned by owner    
                       
             

Mary not only captures the beauty and power of the horse in her work, but the nobility and spirit of the animal as well.  "Breathtaking" is a centerpiece in my home and speaks with more eloquence than I to my own love and reverence for horses.  One look at that magnificent piece says it all.

--Tami Hoag

 
Friesian Horse Sculpture


Dear Mary,

As you know, we first saw Cheeky Boy in your studio as a work in progress; we instantly fell in love with it!  It reminded us of the “kicks” you see the horses do in spring after a long winter; Cheeky Boy’s energy looks as though he is poised to leap into one of those flying  kicks!

However, when we received the finished work in bronze, we were stunned to see that it was even more beautiful.  All of the movement we saw in the clay was still there: a delightfully spirited young horse, with the beautiful roundness of the hind quarters, the arched neck, and the "feel" of the movement of the horse with the wind blowing through its mane, feathers and tail. But in bronze, it reached a new level of richness and depth and all of the movement of the clay came to a new level. 

Please keep of posted of new works still at the clay level; we loved being the “first” to have the bronze!
Mary, we are thrilled to have one of your pieces in our home!

Laurie & Mark

"As an equine veterinarian for over 25 years, I can say with certainty that Mary Sand has captured the spirit of the horse with anatomic accuracy as well as artistic beauty. Her work embodies the athletic potential of her subjects in a way that I can appreciate as a rider and 3-Day Eventer."

-Dr. Peter Blauner, D.V.M. - Blauner, Vecchione & Associates

 

Mary,

Trying to describe to you the first reaction to displaying your work in our home is truely beyond words. This work is surely "Breathtaking" if not "Heartstopping" and after I took it out of the box and set it up for display, no one could speak. I heard whisperings of "Awesome, Unbelieveable, Incredible" but nothing seem to properly fit this work. It literally gave most of us "goose bumps" and from the spot it was placed, it is the focal point of three rooms. It's introduction to our home was truly spirital and we will always cherish its grace and elegance along with your wonderful talent from this day forward. It is art that transcends the monetary costs and my wife and I will treasure it until we pass it on to an heir.

Thank You so much for your efforts to ensure we had this work for Christmas. Wendy is thrilled and says she will be looking for you at this years Rolex at the horse Park in Lexington. I hope your holiday was as joyful as you made ours.

With Warmest regards,

Dan Limerick & family

 

Dear Mary,

Peg and I wish you to know how much pleasure we get from your creation "Breathtaking". We have your sculpture prominently displayed in our family room where we can see it every evening as we sit and talk about all the wonderful times we've had with horses. "Breathtaking" helps to bring all those memories back.

We also take great pleasure and are very proud of your creation when our friends remark about it's presence, beauty and workmanship. Thank you again for contributing so much to our enjoyment.

Peg and Dave Werrett

 

To the United States Dressage Federation, Life-size Statue Selection Committee in regards to Mary Sand:

I have known and worked with the artist, Mary Sand, for about 12 years. I have acquired many of her limited edition sculptures as well as commissioned sculptures of my horses. I commissioned Mary to create a sculpture of my first horse, a thoroughbred, standing in an alert posture, at the moment he was deciding to spook and turn and run. The second sculpture was of my young horse doing his first hunter course. I described the feeling I wanted to capture in each piece to Mary. I think it is very rare when an artist can actually “get” the essence of what the client feels when they see their horses, but Mary accomplished this. She technically represented the animals to perfection but more than that, she captured their signature postures and movements. Do you know how you can recognize a person you are waiting for at an airport or in a crowd before you can actually see their face by how the person holds their body or walks a certain way? There are the characteristics of your loved one’s movements that you can’t describe but you can recognize. Mary was able to capture this sort of essence of my horses in bronze. It is a much greater achievement than simply sculpting a “stylized” version of the animal from a photograph. If you notice, the “Young Hunter” is not jumping in quite perfect form; he is concentrating and jumping like a young horse new to his job. If you want your USDF statue to have life and movement and have people unable to believe that it is not a live horse, then Mary is your sculptor. Mary sculpts not only the action of the horse but some how she can include in her pieces, the feeling of the wind and the air moving around the horse.
Mary was always within budget and on time and she communicated with me at every decision point during the process of creating these commissioned sculptures. Most of the time I left the decisions up to her and I just gave her information like “My horse has a lot of dapples.” She was extremely conscientious about getting my approval and feedback about the slightest changes she would make.

Sincerely,
Lydia Williams

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