FRONTENAC, Mo. — It's head-turning art.
She said, “I kind of had a calling to do heads, as you can see around me.”
Katie Bensky of Frontenac is the brains behind those heads, which are made out of clay.
The reporter asked, “Why heads?” She said, “That's what's so weird about it. I don't know. I just like was craving to get my hands in clay and do a head. And I found a class that lead to the next class which led to getting a masters in sculpture before I had my son and 24 years later, I'm still here.”
Katie is able to turn your photos into fine art. Oftentimes, clients want to capture a child's innocence. Or mark a milestone, like celebrating a Bar Mitzvah. Katie has the ability to capture not just what someone looks like, but to capture someone's essence.
She said, “More recently I've done a memorial of somebody who lost somebody close to them and wanted a portrait of them of the person they lost. That was one of the more heartfelt and purposeful works I've done.”
Katie is able to turn your photos into fine art. Using ceramic clay that's fired in a kiln up to 1800 degrees, it becomes a permanent piece of work.
Which means your memories can be preserved in sculpture form. In addition to heads, she can turn your photos into a type of sculptural relief, which is sort of like a raised painting.
“I love that for children because those chubby cheeks come out and you want to pinch ‘em,” she said.
One head takes a couple months to complete. And each and every one is as unique as the person. After all these years as figurative sculpture artist, she is still surprising herself.
She said, “I have just followed my passion.”
