13-foot equestrian leaves Lyon

MOUND HOUSE - A 13-foot tall, 2,500-pound Italian Renaissance horseman is heading south to Houston atop a flatbed truck.

Sculptor Thomas Pottage, who worked on the project for 18 months, nervously watched his steel-and-fiberglass creation leave his studio Tuesday afternoon. He put his faith in the moving company and in the extra material he poured into the design.

"I'm just praying and hoping that I don't have a lot of repair work to do," Pottage said as the engine of the semi-truck started. "But I made it bigger and stronger than it needed to be ... It has to stand up and last for 100 years of public display."

That's not a project requirement; that's his own standard. "Granduca," will have kids climbing on it and extreme weather beating down on it. It will be unveiled Sept. 27 at the Granduca Luxury Residential Hotel in Houston.

The 45-year-old sculptor describes his creation in the same way a horse breeder would talk about breeds. He talked about its muscles, such as the hock and withers, and the importance of capturing the wrinkles in the flesh and the muscle masses. "Granduca" is painted with bronze powder and a faux patina to give it an antiquated look. The rider holds a scroll in his right hand, seemingly to pass it on.

"He's riding home after a battle, and he's coming back with information and knowledge for us - whether it's about another culture or another place," Pottage said.

The statue will arrive in Houston on Sunday. Using a 100-foot tall crane, the horseman will be placed atop its new pedestal and readied for presentation.

Pottage decided to move Genesis Sculpture Studio from Fresno to Lyon County because of its affordability.

He found a 2,000-square-foot studio with a door big enough to remove the completed horseman.

He has worked on various movie sets, such as "Dracula" and "Jurassic Park" and sculpted for zoos, hotels and museums across the country.

Pottage said he probably won't make a profit off the $85,000 equestrian.

"I estimated this job two years ago and costs went up 400 percent," Pottage said. All of his equipment runs off petroleum, which has skyrocketed in the last two years.

What he has left: an empty studio still reflecting the project. Along one wall is piled the molds that made the 48 pieces needed to complete the sculpture. His work desk reveals the inspiration: sketches of da Vinci's horse, a drawing of a gentleman dressed in Italian Renaissance clothing and profile shots of the sculptor's patron, hotel owner Giorgio Borligni. His face was used as a model for the rider.

Now that "Granduca" has left his life Pottage will be looking for another patron. He also plans to take on students. Then there's the statue he'd like to do for himself, a contemporary version of St. George on horseback versus the dragon.

"All three locked in mortal combat, that would be a dynamic sculpture."

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

On the Net

For information on Genesis Sculpture Studio visit: www.genesissculpturestudio.com

Call: 246-0221