IDEAS...
People often ask where I get my ideas for sculptures. I was going to explain it, but I decided to list various sculptures and make a note of where the idea came from.
WARRIORS' ETHOS: I was attending a military funeral at Ft. Carson. The Warriors'Ethos was written on the back of the funeral program. The idea for the soldier carrying his brother came from a picture of a medic in Iran.
MECHANIC: When I was an XO in anarmor battalion, I always admired the "can- do" attitude of the "wrenches", as they called themselves. Rain, snow, mud, heat, didn't matter - they got back in the game.
DRILL SERGENT: Drill Sergeant Ralph Flower E-6, Ft. Dix NJ. "4th Platoon never quits". I'll never forget him. A total professional and a true badass. Funny thing, I always thought he was taller than me (I'm 6' 2") until my wife took a picture of us together on graduation day. I was at least 4" taller.
CALLING DUSTOFF: I was asked by AMEDD to do a statue. My only condition was that it would be gritty, not bandaging someone's ankle. It took off like a rocket and a month later I was asked to do a female medic.
BUFFALO SOLDIER: Being a hardcore history buff, I had seen many, many prints/paintings of the legendary Buffalo Soldier. But, I had not seen any good sculptures. This was odd because if you look at their history, they are one of the most fascinating subjects in this country's military. I had managed to find a copy of THE exact military cavalry manual for 1866, written by our government. Buffalo Soldier/ On Patrol was modeled after that spec manual. Little known fact: In 1873, Congress forgot to allocate funds to pay the entire cavalry corps.
MINUTE MAN: I actually got into an argument with a Brigadier General over the design of the Minute Man. They had envisioned a Minute Man similar to the Concord design. I took issue with that, and my exact words were," It looks like he's waiting for a bus!" Today's National Guard and army reserve are a new type of warrior. I felt that the statue should reflect that- a man leaving his plow, grabbing his rifle and heading off to kick some invader's butt. I told him that if they didn't like the design, they didn't have to pay me. Needless to say, I got paid. ????
THE 21ST CENTURY AND INSTAGRAM...
I'm a baby-boomer. I'm pretty 'Old Skool". When I heard about how important it was to have an online presence, I just assumed that a website was it. Silly me, huh? I was talked into to going to a business seminar on Instagram. It was very informative and a real eye-opener. I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!! So, yes, we are now on Instagram. We've got a couple hundred followers and have received a good response. So good, that in fact, we've decided to have flash sales announced weekly on Instagram only…and you have to call in the order and say the magic words: "I saw it on IG!'. Instagram.com/rod_mench_sculture
So, if you are a 21st century person, or have come into it like I have, check us out and follow us on that platform. We'll be advertising sales there, posting photos of new and forthcoming designs, and posting photos of suggested uses, etc. Looking forward to seeing you there!
