"I was always intrigued by the process of sculpture and, after having a piece created by Ugne, I remain intrigued.I have wonderful memories of the time spent sitting, which was filled with great conversation, anecdotes and coffee breaks. During the process I came to appreciate that to create something in two dimensions was a great skill, but to do so in three dimensions required special talent.I discovered that when sitting, time passed quickly and it seemed that the energy of the creative work gave calm and contentment.
I consider myself privileged to have had the wonderful experience of seeing Ugne work as she creates, and is something I will always treasure".
Brendan
“The sculpture experience with Ugne was a surprising journey. Going to the sessions became like a sacred ritual, a moment out of time and space, a home for a while. Ugne’s artistic look can uncover every hiding detail and as she extracts it from you without you even realising, she softly puts on your mirrored image things that you never saw yourself, these invisible parts of you that were always there and which you may discover in bewilderment or amazement. Meeting Ugne opened my eyes to the art of sculpture. It always struck me how what she moulds so naturally and effortlessly resembles the subject with such accuracy and precision that she can make an object look like it is alive. She entertains you with lovely chats like a good host, but her gaze never loses any of its sharpness. This somehow transfers straight into her fingers or her brush. Maybe I got so relaxed and distracted at the sittings that I never noticed a magic wand among her tools? Now, I remember seeing her once brandishing some sort of stick to the sound of RTÉ Lyric FM playing in the background. I even thought that time that she looked like the conductor of an orchestra. And I sensed that my clay look-alike and I were the orchestra! The sittings felt a bit like having a cup of tea in Ugne’s cosy world, one inhabited by bronze shadows and clay figures among which I sat or stood. How Ugne can replicate life and cast it into clay so gracefully is something I wish I understood. But I can only observe it again and again. Since I was introduced to Ugne’s work as well as that of her teacher, every recent event I went to and where sculpture was around, I thought, well, there is nothing here that Ugne could not do. She has James Joyce and she has a crowd of mortals to prove it. Ugne has set out to set the bar very high in the world of sculpture. I wish her every success and I look forward to everything she will show us over the coming years.”
Stephanie Culson
“In my two day visit of Ugne and Joe in Dublin, I was most impressed by sitting for my head sculpture. With ease and professionalism, Ugne was making a lump of clay into my forehead, eyes, nose, etc. My own familiar features were emerging while we were engaged in a fun and relaxing conversation. It was new and amazing to see myself through Ugne's eyes. She is truly talented!”
Violeta Gwynn
My time as Ugne’s model was truly special. Her hands were shaping the clay trough the wonderful and deep conversations we had during the process. Late summer changed into the autumn along with my head coming from Ugne’s hands. The whole sculpting experience was like meditation of peace and love. I can still hear the laughter and beautiful silence of focus in the atelier. I witnessed myself in front of myself appearing again in time trough the imagination of an Artist. Few months of our meetings thought me patience and humbleness in the creation process. From then on anytime I need to reshape something in my life, or precisely adjust, or simply sculpt new reality I am thinking about Ugne-The Sculptress and everything becomes possible. If I could do it again I would with the greatest pleasure.
Kamila
We brought Mollie for a sitting with Ugne, and at the age of three, I did not hold out any hope that she would sit still beyond five minutes!! But she was so mesmerised, watching Ugne work and asking questions, that the session had passed and she was still sitting!! We thought Ugne was very professional while also making her study at ease. We were bowled over by the finished piece, it is the first thing visitors to our home comment on, the likeness is just uncanny!! Mollie herself calls it 'the other Mollie' !!! I would highly recommend Ugne to anyone, she is a stickler for detail, which makes for a fantastic outcome!!!
Thank you Ugne :-)
Jacqui & Thomas Strogen