When Bill Pettit, artist and historical reenactment expert told Lee Henson, "I want to make a bust of you," Henson's answer was a flat out "No." But Henson's wife Ella Mae was there, and she gave the go ahead.
The three had gathered for the Williams Rendezvous Days which celebrates the rich history and lifestyle of 1800s fur trappers and Mountain Men. They were dressed in buckskins and authentic reproductions of the clothing of early frontiers folk.
Pettit desired to create a detailed bronze of a historically-accurate fur trader in trapper's regalia, and Henson had 'the look.' "In a week, he [Pettit] brought back a wax bust and set it on the kitchen table. He asked Ella Mae if there was anything that needed to be changed," Henson related. Soon the sculpture was on its way to the foundry. That was almost twenty years ago.
Last month Henson and his wife toured Artscape Bronze Casting in Sedona with Pettit's widow, Laurha Beveridge. The trio met with owner Rob Myers for consultation on reproducing the bust, entitled "Rendezvous." They were given a tour of the facility by Jeremy Ivy, an expert in bronze patinas, who explained the multi-step casting process.
"If I could, I'd still kill him," quipped Henson of the artist. He believes Pettit never did enough to promote his own art. "I appreciate his art a lot," added the living model. Pettit died of complications from Addison's disease in 2006. Pettit's last ante-mortem piece was cast at Artscape Bronze Casting.
Although the living model's face has lost some of its fleshy substance, the strength and confidence that Pettit captured of Henson's middle age will stand the test of time. Just as the Mountain Men of yesteryear.
Mountain Men were trappers, explorers and scouts who roamed the west from around 1810 to the 1840s. Most were involved with the beaver fur trade -- a demand that came from the popularity of the stove-pipe hat made of beaver felt. Many moderns celebrate the time period with historical reenactment of the dress and lifestyle of Mountain Men. Well-known Mountain Men include Bill Williams, Kit Carson and Jeremiah Johnson.
Photo: Youthful Jeremy Ivy describes casting process to Lee Henson, living model of historical bronze bust.
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Stacey Wittig of Wittigwriter Marketing and Sales is a marketing consultant who works with museums and artists. This article appeared in a 2009 issue Sedona Red Rock News. Wittig is based in Flagstaff, AZ and helps small businesses with internet marketing, social media and good ol' stories and news releases.
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