10 questions in 10 minutes
I'm sure you've seen the news lately about the Scary Lucy statue in Celoron, NY. You'll remember that a sculptor made a sculpture to honor Lucille Ball, which was placed Lucille Ball Memorial Park, in her hometown, only the sculpture was scary and ugly. Lucy fans were upset, there was even a Facebook page created to have the sculpture replaced.
Finally, "New Lucy" was unveiled earlier this month on Lucy's 105th birthday.
New Jersey sculptor Carolyn Palmer was chosen by the town to make a "better"
version of Lucy and the rest is history. I kept seeing Carolyn in the news regarding the statue and it was all about the statue and Lucy and I thought, "Let's learn more about Carolyn," so I asked here my 10 With Tom questions. Here they are: (that's Carolyn with Lucy below)
TOM: Did you watch I Love Lucy or any of the Lucy shows before you decided to create the statue?
CAROLYN: Yes, I grew up watching, "I love Lucy." After winning the competition, I immediately subscribed to "CBS - All Access" for reruns and watched countless episodes. She was fun to sculpt because I never laughed so much while creating a piece of art. I actually had to turn off the sound at one point so I could just focus on the visuals. When I found poses or expressions of Lucy's spirit that I liked, I'd screen capture the images, enlarging them onto big computer screens. I also hired 5'7" models that were Lucy's actual height and enlarged "head to toe" reference photos for my studio walls.
TOM: Do you know Lucy Ricardo's address in Manhattan without looking?
CAROLYN: No, I don't and that's a great trivia question. I can't recall a time when their address was mentioned on the show.
TOM: Gotcha! - it's 623 E. 68 St., NYC.
TOM: Where was Ricky from?
CAROLYN: Ricky was from Cuba. Speaking of Ricky, fans have contacted me wondering if I was going to make a sculpture of him too. They feel Ricky was a part of Lucy's success and should be honored as well.
TOM: I agree, a Ricky statue would be great next to Lucy!
TOM: Name 3 things in nature you find most beautiful.
CAROLYN: It's so difficult to choose just three because nature is filled with abounding beauty. For one, I love gazing at starlit skies and watching the phases of the moon as it waxes and wanes. Another joy is witnessing how the play of light changes with the seasons and influences all the warm and cool colors dancing around the landscapes. And my third choice is watching animals in their natural habitat. Right now we have a surplus of deer around our property. They are so gentle and graceful in how they interact. I wish all humans were that way.
TOM: Starry Night, Mona Lisa or Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Picasso?
CAROLYN: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is a powerful painting by Picasso; one of my favorites at the Moma.
TOM: What do you usually order at Starbucks?
CAROLYN: My daily addiction: Venti Mocha Frappuccino Light with only one shot of frap roast (instead of 4)
TOM: Which tv show would you like to crawl into and spend the day ?
CAROLYN: Downton Abbey - I love the era but only for a day. I've grown to enjoy the vast information available today by computer and social media.
TOM: What scares you the most, and why?
CAROLYN: The current crisis with the human condition. History reports that evil always existed and probably always will but our weapons are no longer just bows and arrows or rifles. Today we have advanced machine guns, chemical warfare and other methods of mass destruction. There are now ways to destroy the entire planet ....and all of this frightens me.
TOM: Where would you like to live?
CAROLYN: I love living near NYC but would like to be bi-coastal and have a home in California too.
TOM: What talent would you most like to have?
CAROLYN: I'd like the talent to be a playwright because not a week goes by that I don't think of writing a play. It's like background noise in everything I do. I'm always thinking, Wow, that person would be the perfect character or this scenario would convey a powerful message, or the lighting over there would highlight a dramatic backdrop. These kind of thoughts haunt me. So, if my hands ever give out from sculpting, I just may take a try at it!
Thanks, Carolyn!