Name: Andy P.T. Bergholtz
Birth date: March 18, 1979
Studio name: A.B. Sculpture Studio
Headquarters location: Beautiful, exotic, tropical, St. Louis, Missouri. USA.
Experience: As a sculptor, about 4 to 5 years. I've practiced some form of art for as long as I can remember, but first began sculpting around 1998 or so.
Material preferences: I started out playing with oil clay (such as Roma Plastilina) and Super Sculpey, but eventually fell in love with Castilene, which is my typical medium of choice. I have recently been using a different wax formula which I am becoming very fond of for small, detailed work such as portraits.
Sculpture’s size: This obviously varies depending on the client's requirements, but I suppose most of my work falls in the 1:6 scale category. A lot of my recent work has been in 1:4 scale as well, such as the 18-inch Dracula seen in my gallery.
Influences: Wow, I could literally go on for days with this question! There is a small army of Rennaissance artists that have inspired me since childhood, but I suppose I'll keep my answer
'industry related' to save time & space. Folks like Tim Bruckner, William Paquet, Jon Matthews, Rudy Garcia, Mat Falls, and Dave Cortez certainly come to mind. I also draw a lot of inspiration from the many talents working in Hollywood, such as Rick Baker, Paul Mejias, Chris Swift, Steve Wang... The list goes on forever. There are also a lot of Japanese artists who totally wreck me.
Companies: McFarlane Toys, Diamond Select Toys, Palisades Toys, Trendmasters, Sideshow Collectibles. I'm currently working exclusively with DCDirect.
Expectations: Hmmm. I suppose my greatest expectation is to hopefully continue to make a living and provide for my family through this craft. I've certainly been blessed up to this point, beyond all of my expectations, it's almost arrogant of me to expect this to continue! But, that's my hope. And of course to keep growing as an artist and always provide something new and better than my last piece.
Advice to new sculptors or amateurs sculptors: Well, there's honestly not much I can say that hasn't been said by others in these galleries... But, I will say that timeliness, cleanliness, and presentation go a long way. Always present yourself professionally, and never underestimate yourself. And most importantly, try to have fun with every piece that you do.