Blattel-Britton Studio's Rock Garden

I was born November 9, 1949 to Ruth Farol Varns Britton and Howard Glenn Britton from Marion, Iowa where I grew up. My parents have both passed away. My mother collected and sold antiques and managed numerous estate sales. My father was a tool & dye maker with Collins Radio, now Collins Rockwell Avionics in Cedar Rapids and was also a licensed electrician. I have one older sister, Ferol, who lives in Waseca, Minnesota, with her husband.

Being an artist was never really a question, it was more of an answer, what with 2 artistic grandmothers, my mother, and an aunt & uncle who were artists, it was not out of the ordinary in our family to express oneself artistically or to be encouraged to do so. My Uncle Edgar Britton studied at the University of Iowa and with Grant Wood and Marvin Cone from 1920 to 1924.

Since my family has had a history of artists, I’ve always wanted to be one. When my friends were using finger paint, I got to use Grumbaucker oil paints and good German and French paint brushes. They made mud pies, I just looked at it as earth sculptures; it is just a matter of perspective. The thanks going to my mother who was brave enough to let me use her paints and brushes. For a number of years, I endeavored to become a photo-realist oil painter.

Original ink & color pencil drawings & oil paintings...some have been sold but most have been retained by the 'Short Lady' for her private collection

Although I have a broad based vocational background; it has all led up to where I’m at with my art today. I have put into play being a sign painter, toolmaker, welder, ironworker, mechanic, electrician, carpenter and horticulturist. The list goes on.

I became serious about doing metal sculptures in 1992. My sculptures have included: dinosaurs, dragons, turtles, pigs, mushrooms, trees of various forms, plant stands, bird feeders, arbors & trellises, and a couple of spring loaded rocks. These works are primarily derived from worn out farm equipment and scrap iron. Most anyone who looks in the junk iron barrel at an implement dealer sees just broken worn out tractor parts and dull tillage equipment. I view it as an endless source of raw materials. I enjoy solid realism with a sense of humor. An eagle, which I completed in 1995, sits on top of Hickory Park Restaurant in Ames. My first dinosaur now resides in Colorado. My pig entry, ‘Link" in the 1998 World Pork Expo in Des Moines won the "People’s Choice Award" and I have received Best of Show and Best 3D at the Valley Junction Art Show in West Des Moines. I was featured on Iowa Public Televisions "Living in Iowa" in 1996. The November 1999 issue of ‘The Furrow’ magazine included an article about my sculptures written by Rex Gogerty. I was one of six Iowa artists selected in February of 2006 to produce bike rack sculptures as part of the 2006 East Village Rack ‘n’ Roll Project and was awarded $2,000 for the sculpture. After all these years, I finally have something bolted to the side walk downtown.

A few rather large sculptures I have made are at home in our rock garden including a cross made of I beams which is 14’ tall and 7’ wide, a prism star that is 7 foot from tip to tip, a curved arch walkway, a gazebo and a bridge. I would like to branch off into mixed media in sculpture rather than just steel and iron, incorporating pottery, tile, rock, wood, glass, brass, copper and bronze combined or in any or all mixtures that I am still trying to figure out. In keeping with the do it yourself way of thinking, I made my own tile and rock saw. I would be open to consider any commissions, in particular Public Art projects.

Early spring 2009 Charles City, Iowa sent out a call for entries to acquire 4 sculptures for their town square. Out of 30 entries they chose 8 semi-finalists. As one of the 8 semi-finalists I had to build a 1/4 scale model. That proved to be almost as much work as the real thing since 1/4 scale farm equipment doesn't exist so I had to carve parts out of balsa wood. After making a presentation to the committee on Sunday, March 8, 2009 I was chosen as one of the final four. With some help from a heavy equipment operator, it was installed on August 10 and dedicated on August 15. I enjoyed the challenge and hope this opens the door of opportunity to create more public sculptures.

I was born March 30, 1955 to Mary Catherine Perry Blattel and Carl John Blattel. My Dad passed away in 1978 and my Mom is a resident of the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Zearing. I have one older sister, Marianne, who lives in Ankeny, Iowa with her husband.

I graduated from NESCO High School in 1973, where I took one semester of Art. I’m pretty much a self-taught artist. When I was younger, I would do drawings, but I just didn’t think they were good because I couldn’t make them look real. When I couldn’t accomplish that, I remember being frustrated. I started drawing again in 1978 using technical drawing pens with colored inks and color pencils on Baronial Ivory Classic laid text/cover paper. Now I work on rag mat/museum board and use Berol Prisma Color pencils. I became comfortable and gained confidence when I came up with my own style and drawing like I wanted and whatever I wanted instead of worrying about what I thought others might think it should be like. I first make the border on the paper, and then graph it off, maybe to help me balance it. Then I do the complete drawing in pencil, trace it with a technical drawing pen with black ink, and then erase all the pencil lines and smudges. Then I use technical drawing pens with colored inks and I finish coloring using color pencils with over 100 different colors to choose from. I really have fun doing these drawings and would never get bored as long as I had a piece of paper and a pencil. I thrive on the growing and learning process with each drawing I complete. I have also been blessed with a strain of the obsessive compulsive disorder which somewhat explains my many idiosyncrasies and I also believe that my being a Little Person contributes to the way my art is. I’m very thankful I have been able to work at home and be with my guys.

In 1980, I attended my first art show in Ames, Iowa. Since then I have participated in many art shows and exhibits. Television interviews, newspaper articles, awards, exhibits and commissions over the years have honored me. Some of the drawings I have completed include: Our Town Zearing, The Saint Anthony Family Recipe Book, The Iowa State Fair, The Charles Iowa Colby, Jr. Family, The Iowa State Capitol Complex for the Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation building by the Iowa Arts Council, The Noah Lacona Family, The Life of Bill Riley, Father Gander Nursery Rhymes Book, Iowa-My Home drawing and Calendar for Iowa Public Television, Iowa State Fair Award Winning Recipe cookbook for the Iowa State Fair, Story City for the Story City Historical Society, Downtown Des Moines by the Meredith Corporation for the Greater Downtown Des Moines Child Abuse Neglect and Prevention Center, Several drawings for prints and T- shirts of RAGBRAI from 1986 until 1993, Grinnell College, Iowa Arts Festival for Downtown Iowa City, Iowa Special Olympics, Dallas County Courthouse, Wallace Elementary in Johnston, The Beaverdale Fall Festival & Lutheran Social Service of Iowa.

I plan on entering a couple of inside art shows a year. I continue challenging myself by observing life and letting my imagination wander, creating whatever helps me to keep growing. In 1999, I started working on the illustrations for a book about Harry & Myrtle, a couple who had frequently made cameo appearances in my drawings over the years. I have the illustrations completed for The Adventures of Harry & Myrtle and the illustrations for a 2nd book, Harry & Myrtle American Vacation. I am on a quest, searching for help in regards to publishing & marketing my books.

On September 11, 1979, I had a son, John Michael Blattel-Britton. John and I are both achondroplastic dwarfs or as we prefer, "Little People." We met Benny in May of 1986 and were married May 7, 1988. Benny adopted John in November 1988. On February 21, 1989, another son, Carl Benjamin Blattel-Britton was born. Benny and Carl are not "Little People."

John graduated from Colo-NESCO High School in 1998 and was Salutatorian in his class and then graduated May 10, 2003 from Iowa State University in Ames, receiving a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Engineering. He is employed at Emerson Process Management Fisher Controls in Marshalltown as the Supply Chain Analyst. He has lived in Marshalltown with his two roommates, Ted & Tillie since April 2005 and became a homeowner on October 27, 2006. John likes to work on computers, play golf and is a dedicated follower of the Iowa Hawkeye's and the Chicago Cubs.

Carl graduated from Colo-NESCO High School in 2008 Carl is very mechanical and likes driving and working on vehicles and rebuilding bicycles and lawnmowers. Benny taught Carl how to weld when he was in the First Grade and he was featured on Iowa Public Televisions "Living in Iowa" with his Dad in 1996. He has made and sold a few sculptures being his Dad's apprentice since he was a toddler. Carl joined the Volunteer Zearing Fire Department in 2008 and he is very committed to the cause. He still lives at home with us and does a variety of jobs from mowing yards and snow removal to various farming things depending on the season.