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Blown Away - Allan Mackenzie
Early November 2021, I received an unexpected phone call from a lovely lady offering me a private commission. This was to form and cast a ‘Doctor Sculpture’ complete with stethoscope, glasses and a doctor’s bag.
Her husband, a doctor and university lecturer, was due to be knighted at the end of November for his research into Covid and I had to complete my work of art by the end of the month, arghhhh.......
I thought about the commission and time scale allowed and came up with a plan to save me time and an option which was far more cost effective than forming a one off sculpture. This was to adapt my ‘Professional’ sculpture by adding glasses, stethoscope and the all important doctor's bag. I put this proposal forward and it was accepted primarily based on a vague description and a photograph of ‘The Professional’.
An Unexpected Covid Commission
written by Allan MacKenzie
I set to work casting 'The Professional' along with his accessories and adornments. I researched and cast a doctor's bag, stethoscope and tried and tried to form the tiny pair of spectacles, which I finally formed in wire and coated with bronze resin. Very fiddly and by far the most difficult part of the commission.
By the end of the November I received some photographs taken just after the Knighthood and knew I had to get my act together.
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Early December and I was sent the address for delivery in Hampshire and set off with the completed sculpture. All requests for a sneak preview were ignored!! I gift wrapped the piece and boxed it up to look just like any other parcel. My client was in London for the day so I had to deliver directly to the doctor for the big day!
That evening I received a fantastic photograph of the doctor with the sculpture along with the message “he likes it”!
The Professional - Allan Mackenzie