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Jacqueline Kent had always said that at the age of 40, she would retire. During the recession in the early 90's, business in her glass greeting card company began to rapidly decline and almost overnight, she was on the brink of bankruptcy. Years of hard work were wiped out and her despair only deepened as she dismissed her staff, many of them life-long friends. With bills to pay, little money and fewer resources, her dreams of retiring were gone as she searched for any kind of work. One evening in particular, while she was working from home making earrings to sell and, with her young son at her side, she felt overwhelmed by stress and exhaustion. She had become frustrated with her five-year-olds persistence to make him a face out of clay. In an effort to continue her work but also pacify her son, she set the earrings aside and, feeling rushed, began to rough out a face, when something happened. In disbelief she watched the clay transform in her hands, as though she somehow knew exactly what to do. While the face began to take shape, the eyes became alive. The nose emerged next, perching itself above a smiling mouth. Laugh lines, cheekbones and a dimpled chin complimented a strong jaw line and two perfect ears. Her work now long-forgotten, was pushed completely aside as she scrambled for more clay. Her stress and fatigue had vanished and she worked long into the night, afraid that if she stopped, this new "talent" would be gone by morning. She attempted a foot … two feet and then, as if by magic, she sculptured a perfect hand - a tiny replica of her very own. As she continued to work the clay, each new face became better than the one before it and she knew that at all costs, this "spell" could not be broken! In those next few weeks, her life became a whirlwind of activity as she worked the clay with speed and agility. Together with a network of support and with belief in her new-found talent, her work was promoted throughout the art world. In a very short time, growing demands from art galleries across Canada and the U.S.A. escalated. Establishing herself as a one-of-a-kind artist over the next 10 years, she was thrilled to be doing the work that she loved. Collectors from all over grew rapidly and, before long, she simply couldn't sculpture fast enough. The warmth and humour in her work began to create a niche for her within the collectible market and gift industry. Featured as a guest artist for special events, audiences became captivated by her agility, speed and ultimately, her true to life work. After several years,
unable to keep up with the demands for her originals, she began exploring
the reproduction market and before long, successfully established herself
in the industry and her work became available in stores across Canada
and the U.S.A. Today she continues to create designs, bound for mass
production, for Kurt S. Adler Inc. |
Discount excludes Howard Miller, WDCC, Wee Forest Folk, Flaunt, Trollbeads and Kameleon Jewelry.
