We do offer free shipping now and then, so keep a close watch in your inbox! I agree, Joy is a beautiful sculpture. Thanks for commenting! Your answer to how it is here in the San Antonio area. I have a greenhouse in my back yard and keep the fan running all the time. I also make sure I water all my outside plants early in the morning. I would love someday to visit your studio and see all these wonderful works of art that you create. Barbara, we would love to give you a tour when you come someday!
You can watch the artisans at work! Hi VickiJo. You would not believe how many different dog breeds have been requested! I plan to sculpt a different breed of dog or puppy each year. Hopefully, the Chow makes the list! Do you have a Chow, or are you active with the rescue group? You can email them to [email protected] and they will make their way to me.
Thank You Connie. Hi Connie! Thanks for writing. I am sure your pooches are adorable and worthy of a sculpture. Each year I plan to sculpt one new dog, so it will take a while to get through them all.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! And thank for doing what you do! Your artwork is a big part of my family, friends and my life! All the best! Bridgitte, thanks so much for wonderful comments. Our great customers are a big part of my life too! What would I do without you? Dear Donna, It was truly a thrill to meet you at a signing earlier this spring!
So yes, Santa keeps company with a pumpkin, a cornucopia, and hearts! I am curious…. And do your children now collect them? Thanks for allowing us to ask questions, and like all the rest of the Isabel Bloom lovers, thank you so much for sharing your talents. Kindest regards and hugs to you!
And next to me is the sunflower planter holding a philodendron plant. As for my children, they all 3 have their favorites, which is fun for me to see. It would be well worth the trip to drive from Texas or any state to tour the Isabel Bloom Showroom and stock up on as many pieces as possible.
And the Quad Cities offers other things to do. I make the drive annually from Michigan and love my sculptures and rotate them around the house. I have to get that German Shepard for my husband. Thank you for sharing your wonderful gifts, Donna. Well said, Maxine! Have you been to our new studio showroom and tour center on Federal St in Davenport?
We just moved from the village in November. Now customers are able to see the artisans at work through our viewing windows in the showroom, and even take a free tour. We look forward to your next visit! The new ornament, Cheer Ornament, comes in a variety of colors. Can a person special order some in red and black? That color combination is not one of those listed online when ordering. His bday was January 10, he loves German Shepherds has a lot of them and breeds them.
Gets them from Germany. How soon can I get one? If you can help me get one I can take a picture of him holding it and send you the picture. I purchased one of the original Bella statues with wings and would like to purchase another one. Is there one available for sale? I have a vintage rose colored 15 inch sculpture of a girl angel holding a star.
I cannot find any information on this sculptor. Can you help me? Thank you. Hi Rosemarie. It has since retired, and is no longer available, which is why you had trouble finding anything out about it.
I hope you enjoy the design! I have a question. Is there a retired or current Isabel Bloom figurine that is a teddy bear with a birthday hat and gift? Isabel Bloom's marketing plan includes advertising, which often focuses on newly released sculptures. Local media promotions are also part of the plan and the company sponsors annual "Preview Parties" at all of their studio showrooms.
These parties allow customers to meet Donna Young, preview new designs, and have their purchases signed by Donna. A toll-free customer service number was established in Calls are received in the Harborview building, where the finishing and shipping departments are located, ensuring the prompt filling of orders. The website, the toll free number, flyer mailings and email communications have made it more convenient for customers to purchase sculptures from any location and at any time. I sabel Bloom passed away in her home, near her husband, John, on Tuesday, May 1, She had battled Parkinson's disease for decades; it had confined her to a wheelchair and gradually limited the mobility in her hands.
Her spirit, mind and artist's eye were present till the end as she continued to relate stories and watch spring come into bloom around her. The legacy that Isabel Bloom leaves is more than just her sculptures; it is seeing the beautiful details of the world and wanting to share that vision. It is accomplishing a goal, no matter what the obstacles; it is not even seeing the obstacles. It is plunging into new experiences without fear and adapting to the best of your ability.
It is inspiring and touching people with kindness and integrity. Tom Carter, Jeff Gilfillan and Hunt Harris, the owners of Isabel Bloom spoke for all of us when they relayed the news of Isabel's passing to their employees.
D onna Young has created a special sculpture, "Grasshopper," as a tribute to Isabel Bloom's ability to see and appreciate the beauty of small things, like the children and animals that inspired many of her designs. Isabel was an artist and a teacher who taught us to discover simple beauty in all things. From the chubby, round shape of a child playing peek-a-boo to the elegance and grace of the grasshopper which one day landed on her hand, Isabel taught us, "Seek beauty in the ordinary.
Never take any small thing for granted. Inspired throughout her artistic life by "watching the children", it is fitting that all proceeds from the sale of "Grasshopper", be used to enhance visual arts education within the school systems of Scott County, IA and Rock Island County, IL.
The Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund, founded by Isabel Bloom, is administered by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend and will provide annual grants to support visual arts programming that is outside traditional funding sources available to the schools.
Tax-deductible contributions can also be made directly to the fund. I n , Isabel Bloom opened its production facility to the public, by offering free tours, which offered guests the opportunity to interact with the artisans as they demonstrate each step of the handcrafted process. In the first "tour sculpture" was introduced. This practice of introducing a limited edition tour piece would continue for many years.
Halloween is a favorite holiday of Donna's, and in the company began a new Halloween series, with the introduction of "Boo", a simple ghost, holding a small tea light. This new design prompted some experimenting with casting in different colors, such as white, as well as applying different finishes on top, such as verdigris.
In order to reduce the cost of creating an Isabel Bloom, the weathered bronze finish was eliminated, and sculptures were poured with a green concrete mix and then finished with white, thus eliminating a step in the finishing process. Many customers missed the weathered bronze patina, and it was brought back in Some sculptures are still finished in green.
Continuing to focus on growth, the three business owners, Hunt Harris, Tom Carter and Jeff Gilfillan, in an effort to lower production costs in , decided to outsource production to China. In response to negative customer reaction, ownership rescinded the decision, producing only a small percentage of the line overseas to be sold to gift shops outside of the Quad City area. Also this same year, a "Story Card" was developed for each sculpture in the line. These cards include the name of the sculpture, and a short, inspiration or poem, often written by Isabel Bloom employees themselves.
These story cards add even more meaning to an already meaningful gift. In , after 10 years in the community, the tough decision was made to close the showroom in Naperville, Illinois. Another new finish was developed in , called Garden Moss Rose.
The intent was to create a look of "aged" sculpture. The cast sculpture is first dipped in a bath of diluted muratic acid to "etch" the surface.
Then diluted exterior moss-green paint is applied using a spray bottle. A darker brown-colored paint is then drizzled over the top of this. The result is a very appealing finish unique to Isabel Bloom. These Garden Moss Rose sculptures do not receive the final clear coat, as the intent is for them to have a rough, rather than glossy appearance.
In the National Gift Line, produced overseas in cast stone resin and sold throughout the country, was discontinued. Also in , the front room of the East Village store was remodeled, creating a historical tribute to Isabel. Many original one-of-a-kind ceramic and direct cement sculptures of Isabel's were brought together, as well as old newspaper clippings chronicling Isabel's artistic career.
Isabel Bloom Inc was born. Under Cathy, Bill and Donna's leadership, Isabel Bloom's community involvement continues to strengthen in areas involving women, children and especially the arts. H abitat for Humanity was added to the list of non-profit organizations Isabel Bloom supports, by creating the Habitat Pineapple. Isabel Bloom also supports the Des Moines chapter with dollars raised from all Pineapples sold through the Des Moines showroom. In a new showroom was opened in LeClaire, Iowa; a picturesque town just 20 miles from the Quad Cities, along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Inspired by Mike's daughter, Charlie, who was born with a cleft lip and palette, the sculpture captures the innocence of childhood … while sharing the hope all parents have for their children's health and well-being. I n the Fall of the opportunity for Isabel Bloom to bring its sales and production back together under one roof came about courtesy of the recent sale of the buildings at Harborview to local developer Joe Erenberger.
Soon its retail showroom and mold-making will move one mile west to a more spacious location at Federal Street The Gordon-Van Tine Buildings formerly known as Harborview in Davenport, where most of the company's handcrafted process already takes place. When the showroom floor got busy, we would clean off our hands and go help out.
We are returning to that model by bringing our mold-makers - along with our retail space — back together. It will offer our customers a more intimate, dynamic and exciting Isabel Bloom shopping experience, much like when I first started working for Isabel Bloom over 30 years ago.
Extensive renovations to the newly renamed Gordon-Van Tine building at Federal Street will accommodate the new Bloom retail and production space. They are expected to be completed by early October D onna Liston was born in in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the 3rd of 7 children.
Her father was a hardworking man of many talents who spent most of his working days as a machinist for the Union Pacific Railroad, and his evenings and weekends working on the family cars, repairing things, and adding on new rooms as needed to accommodate the growing family.
It could be argued that her mother worked even harder as a registered nurse, coming home from work every night, preparing a home-cooked meal for her large, ravenous family. The kitchen table played an important part in Donna's upbringing; it was here, elbow to elbow with her siblings, where her values were formed.
It was also here where she developed her love of "making things" with her mom; from creating and arranging feather flowers, to gluing together glittery Styrofoam Christmas ornaments; her mother was always up on the latest and greatest craft and to Donna's delight would bring home all of the necessary supplies.
Growing up in a small house with so many siblings, Donna treasured time spent alone or with her mom "making things" from found objects. All through school her favorite subject was Art. She was the go-to person when it came to creating posters for high school dances and other events. Donna's first sculpture experience was not unlike Isabel's, as far as the reaction from the family was concerned.
Donna remembers asking her parents for a bar of Ivory soap to carve, and then proceeding to spend an entire evening at the kitchen table, working feverishly; carving the likeness of a pig. Once completed, she proudly presented her little pig to her father. Her father, having grown up during the depression, had learned not to waste anything, and the fact that the little pig was a mere fraction of the size of the original block, he felt that it was totally a waste of a good bar of soap.
He sternly asked, "Where's the rest of it? W hen it came time to choose a college, Donna's parents' one restriction was that the school be in Iowa. She knew she wanted to study art at a small school and so, wanting to really "get-away" as most 17 year-olds do, Donna looked to the eastern edge of the state, as far from Council Bluffs as she could go, which led her to Davenport. The campus of St Ambrose College was the perfect size and seemed a great fit. Upon returning home after a campus visit, Donna wrote to the head of the Art Department, Father Catich, asking for more information.
Little did she know of this world-renowned artist at the time. Later that year there came in the mail a beautiful hand-lettered Christmas card signed by Father Catich himself. This sealed the deal for Donna, and the next 4 years were spent studying Art at St Ambrose. I n , after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Art, Donna took a job as an assistant sign painter for a small sign shop in Bettendorf, Iowa. After several months on the job, a friend informed her that "Isabel Bloom" was hiring and convinced her to apply.
At age 73, Isabel had decided she'd had enough of the business side of things, and wanted only to go back to doing what she loved most, and that was sculpting.
The new owners' first order of business was to hire a couple more artisans in order to catch up with the growing demand for Isabel's art. On the day of the interview, Donna walked through the front door of the studio showroom for the first time at Mound, in the Village of East Davenport and was totally taken aback. It was a tiny showroom, filled with simple, rounded concrete figures all in the same soft green hue, propped up on wooden boxes, river stones, drift wood and various interesting antiques.
The place could have used a good dusting, she noticed, but the thing that really caught her eye, and gave her the feeling that she would really like working here, was the telephone yes, back in the day of the land lines, and rotary dial, no less!
It sat in the far corner of the room, just before an open doorway. It was not unusual at all to have a phone in your showroom. What was unusual was that the phone was covered in caked-on cement, and maybe a little plaster. To Donna this spoke volumes about what went on here.
She liked the idea of getting her hands dirty, and of working with the customers. The interview went well and she was hired. D onna was one of only 5 employees for several years.
Her first position was as a sculpture finisher, applying the white cement to the previously "greened" sculptures. Being such a small shop, it didn't take long to learn every step in the production process. As the company grew, Donna eventually landed in the mold making department. One of the coolest things about this job was receiving the new clays from Isabel.
Even cooler, was getting to go to Isabel and John's home just up the road to pick them up! Donna so enjoyed her visits with Isabel and John, now both in their eighties, as they were very happy to receive visitors, and loved showing off their artwork collected during their long lives.
As time went on, Donna and Isabel became good friends, Donna visiting many times, just because. E ventually, due to declining health, Isabel found it more difficult to do the fine sculpting on the detail of her sculpture. She would entrust the final touches to Donna, who eagerly accepted the job.
The transition to Donna creating new sculptures was a gradual one, with both Isabel and John's encouragement, critiques and approval. Donna remembers many times struggling with a certain aspect of a design, taking it over to Isabel's and coming away knowing exactly what she needed to do. Donna's first sculpture for the company was called "Angel Plaque".
D onna met her husband Jeff while studying Art at St Ambrose. Together they have 3 grown children. Their daughter Emma currently works in mold making and sales for Isabel Bloom.
Their middle child, Peter works with Jeff at the sign shop, and their oldest, Phil owns and operates Fleet Feet Sports, a running specialty store in Davenport.
Phil and his wife Jackie have 2 children, Sydney and Ginny. A lthough Donna's first mentor was Isabel herself, through the years, Donna continued to study sculpture by attending week-long workshops taught by great sculptors throughout the country. She has traveled to Loveland Academy of Fine Arts in Loveland Colorado annually for years, studying with renowned sculptors such as Lincoln Fox, Rosalind Cook and Gary Price, until the tiny academy closed their doors for good.
From each of these artists, Donna was inspired, learned new techniques, found new tools, and experimented with various clays. I n Donna was commissioned by the Trinity Auxiliary to design a life-sized bronze sculpture for Trinity Hospital in Moline, Illinois.
The auxiliary's dream was to provide a healing and unique piece of art that could be enjoyed by patients, family and the community. The sculpture, called "A Healing Touch," depicts a father and mother comforting a child. I n Donna designed a special sculpture, "Grasshopper," to honor Isabel Bloom, who passed away that same year.
From the chubby, round shape of a child playing peek-a-boo to the elegance and grace of the grasshopper which one day landed on her hand, Isabel taught us to seek beauty in the ordinary and to never take any small thing for granted. Proceeds from the sale of this sculpture were used to establish the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund, which provides extra financial support to visual arts education in primary and secondary schools in Scott and Rock Island Counties.
M ost of Donna's actual physical sculpting takes place in a spare room on the second floor of her home, overlooking her tree-shaded backyard. Because of this, her family members are the first to see her designs. Although sculpting only 2 days a week, in her mind Donna is always developing designs for future sculptures. At the office, she meets once a week with her product development, or "PD" team, as they refer to themselves.
The four of them brainstorm ideas for future sculptures. Many ideas also come from family, friends and customers. T he year was amazing for Donna. It was the trip of a life time for Donna as she soaked everything in; from the delicious coffee, wine and Italian dishes to the incredibly beautiful paintings, architecture and marble sculptures. Seeing Michelangelo's David was definitely the highlight of the trip. I n , as another way to honor the creative lives of John and Isabel Bloom, while giving Quad City kids and families a chance to immerse themselves in the arts, Donna organized the first "Village in Bloom" festival in the Village of East Davenport.
Although bad weather that first year caused the festival to be postponed to the following day, it was well-attended and considered a success by the media, community and participants. At the free family festival each year, thousands of kids of all ages experience the inspiration, excitement and joy of making, seeing and hearing art. Donna hopes to continue to grow this festival into a major family event for the Quad City community for years to come.
T o her children she was a devoted mother who canned raspberries, sewed patches on the knees of their jeans, and planned family picnics. To her husband John she was a partner for over sixty years. To her contemporaries and friends she was often the life of the party. To the public she was an artist with a real knack for producing beautiful, unique sculptures.
I cannot begin to effectively put into words what Isabel Bloom meant to me. When I first met her, she was already 73 years old. I've often dreamed of knowing her when she was my age. I doubt if I could have kept up with her. She was an artist I admired, yes, but she was so much more. She was a friend and teacher whom I looked up to not only as an artist, but also as a woman ahead of her time.
When Isabel began her career, a woman's place was in the home, not the studio. She didn't know the meaning of the word "defeat" and her motto, "Know what you want, and follow it," sounded much easier to do than it was to live by. Isabel knew she could be both a good mother and a career artist. Throughout her life she seemed to combine the two parts beautifully and effortlessly.
I will always remember the last time that Isabel and I went out together to an event. It was and we were attending the grand opening of our new showroom in Moline. A wide variety of people from the community were in attendance.
Isabel, at 91 years of age, was in great form that evening. She was sitting in her wheelchair, surrounded by admiring fans. Some were having their picture taken with her, others asked her to sign their sculptures, and still others were sharing memories of purchasing a sculpture from Isabel back in the early days.
She took it all in with her usual grace. Towards the end of the evening I could see that Isabel was tiring and I began pushing her wheelchair toward the door. As we approached the exit, the room grew quiet and then someone began to clap. As others joined in I turned the wheelchair around so Isabel could acknowledge the applause. She had touched the lives of everyone in the room and now they were giving her their sincerest thanks for the many gifts of beauty she has given to us.
The outpouring of sentiment overwhelmed me and I know Isabel was deeply touched too. I believe this story gives insight into the woman and the artist, Isabel Bloom.
But a person like Isabel cannot truly be summed up in a few thousand words. Her sculptures tell us more than any words can hope to do. For many years I have lived intimately with her designs and yet I am still learning from them. Isabel was a genius because she did so much with so little, while expressing a lot in a very simple and beautiful way.
I will miss her more than words can say. The Artist Chapter One. An Artist From The Start I sabel Bloom was gracious and graceful, imaginative and intense, a truly original woman who lived by her own advice, "…know what you want and follow it.
To this end we do not strive for any particular formula or technique. We rather seek for a stimulating exchange of ideas, a co-operation of a variety of points of view. A Leader in the Art Community D uring the mids, Isabel took classes in ceramics and within a short time began teaching. The Clay Lady A charismatic personality and childlike enthusiasm about art made her a popular entertainer. Make believe it's true, and it could be… Make believe it's true and we'll have lots of fun… Make believe it's true, because this is what I'm going to do… Make clay; tell a story, for you.
Concrete Blooms Chapter Two. Art for the Garden D uring the late s and s, Isabel began experimenting with a new direction in her art. Casting in Concrete T he nature of cast concrete made it necessary for Isabel to simplify her sculptures in order to reproduce them in cast concrete.
Experimentation, Innovation A fter months of trying different techniques, Isabel perfected the system for producing her sculptures. The Entrepreneur Chapter Three. Hoops on Michigan Avenue B eginning in the s, Isabel sold her reproduction sculptures through a number of different outlets including a New York City garden design studio. The Company Chapter Four. Isabel's Relationship with Isabel Bloom Ltd. Room to Grow: Harborview T he practical goals of Isabel Bloom were to relocate the production departments of the company to a larger facility and to expand and update the existing studios.
The Making of an Isabel Bloom Sculpture A lthough Isabel Bloom sculptures are made using many of the same processes that Isabel developed, some changes have been made to improve the materials and to ensure a consistent quality of finish.
Community of Customers I sabel Bloom sculptures are appropriate for a wide array of special occasions including birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. Keeping in touch with the customers I sabel Bloom is a prominent and well-known company. It is somewhat symbolic that Isabel left us on the first day of May. May Day is a time of rebirth. We also have a book in each store where customers can write down their ideas.
We do 25 new designs a year and retire that many, too. A: Isabel was an artist first, but a business owner by necessity. If you want to sell art, you have to put on your business hat. One is an expert in finance and the other on the production side. That allows me to be more of an artist and creator and not keep numbers in my head.
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