A Visit with Arabella Tattershall

PlantXing.com visited the Colorado studio of Arabella Tattershall, an artist who creates life-size “dress” sculptures as a way of honoring women in the garden. The following images give a taste of Tattershall’s work and of her process. For more about the sculptor, see Forging Women for the Garden.

‘Millie’ by Arabella Tattershall. Image courtesy of the artist.

‘Cinderella’ by Arabella Tattershall, sweetly seduces with unusual metal materials that include barbed wire. Image courtesy of the artist.

‘Deborah’, a shimmery full-length sculpture dress by Tattershall, looks ready for the red carpet. Image courtesy of the artist.

Detail from Tattershall’s dress sculpture, ‘Deborah.’ Image courtesy of the artist.

Tattershall adds recycled barbed wire to her ceramic tile wall hangings of birds, one of her favorite subjects.

Tattershall sketches her ideas, then makes full-size templates before beginning her metal sculptures.

While a doll model looks on, Tattershall demonstrates how a part from an antique oil heater makes the perfect belt buckle.

A wire mesh sculpture hangs from the ceiling of Tattershall’s studio.

Well-used mannequin models in Tattershall’s studio.

Part of several pieces commissioned by a Tattershall collector.

A Barbie® Fashionistas™ doll, created by Mattel to have more realistic body proportions, is a favorite model for Tattershall’s miniature sculpture dresses.

Tattershall’s smaller dress sculptures, like her full-sized pieces, sell as quickly as they are made.

Works-in-progress at the studio.

A man’s back, a commissioned piece for a collector’s husband.

Tattershall surveys a sculpture commissioned by a collector.

A trellis in Tattershall’s garden.

Bird detail on trellis. Tattershall grew up with birds and incorporates them into many of her sculptures.

“Liv” by Arabella Tattershall.