SCULPTURING CASTS SPELL ON RESIDENT.Byline: Victoria Giraud Special to the Daily News Bronze sculptures are popping up all over the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by - the happy family sculpture fountain in the Westlake Village Promenade, the fighting eagles at the Civic Arts Plaza, and the Chumash Indian in the courtyard of the Janss Marketplace. These sculptures and many more - ``we have 50 clients in the Conejo Valley'' - were cast by David Spellerberg, founder and president of National Heritage Collectors Society, a foundry in Westlake Village. ``We do a lot of commissioned work, both corporate and private. We do a lot of cowboys and Indians for offices and homes,'' Spellerberg explained. ``De L'Esprie is one of our primary artists.'' Spellerberg, who's been casting sculptures for more than 18 years, has done work for Gene Autry, Burt Reynolds Burt Reynolds (born February 11, 1936) is an Oscar-nominated Emmy Award-winning American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul Crewe in the original version of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in , Michael Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and countless others. A Westlake Village resident for the past 24 years (her daughter, Heather, 29, and son and business partner, David Jr., 27, both went to Westlake High), Spellerberg credits the Boy Scouts for his interest in art and American Indian American Indian or Native American or Amerindian or indigenous American Any member of the various aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of the Eskimos (Inuit) and the Aleuts. culture. His home is a testament to his interests with his wide collection of American Indian artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. and sculptures. An Eagle Scout Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts when he was growing up in Fostoria, Ohio Fostoria is a city located in Hancock, Seneca, and Wood Counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is approximately 40 miles south of Toledo and 90 miles north of Columbus. The population was 13,931 at the 2000 census. , Spellerberg said the Scouts ``got me into an appreciation of Native Americans and the West that's never really ended.'' While pursuing his degree at Ohio's Miami University Miami University, main campus at Oxford, Ohio; coeducational; state supported; chartered 1809, opened 1824. The library has extensive collections in literature and American history, including the William Holmes McGuffey Library and Museum and the Edgar W. , Spellerberg sold the ``World Book Encyclopedia'' door-to-door. It paid his way through school and impressed the publication so much that they promoted him to vice president and sent him to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to supervise sales. Soon he was working for another publisher, but this time it was Abrams, the world's largest publisher of art books. One day in Studio City, he went into the shop of western artist Harold Shelton. ``I was fascinated by his talent,'' Spellerberg said. Concluding that Shelton needed someone to promote his talents, he took on the job. ``In six months I had more things for him to do than he could do in 10 years.'' The idea grew, and he represented five more sculptors. Intrigued by sculpture, and captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. by the process, Spellerberg learned how to cast - making the molds and after the lost-wax process, doing the patina. He made lots of mistakes, but kept at it. In 1978 he wrangled an appointment with Gene Autry to interest him in buying belt buckles for the Angels baseball team. Autry liked him. ``He wanted copies of his Charles Russell Charles Russell may refer to:
Autry then gave him a valuable Frederic Remington, ``Bronco bronco: see mustang. Buster,'' to copy. Aware that the sculpture was worth about $150,000, Spellerberg was so careful he kept the sculpture in his bedroom at night. After that job, Autry gave Spellerberg his entire collection of 40 Remington pieces to copy. From 1985 to 1992 Spellerberg co-owned an art gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the National Heritage Gallery of Fine Art, ``meeting the most successful people in the world.'' To enhance the gallery and give it more glitter and glamour, in 1988 he began parking his 1954 Silver Wraith Rolls-Royce on the street in front. With the interest created by the car, neighboring businesses complained to the city that they were losing clientele. Although Spellerberg fed the parking meter, there was a one-hour parking restriction and the car was getting ticketed regularly. Despite the fact that Spellerberg paid all the tickets, he was finally sued by the city and branded ``a public nuisance public nuisance n. a nuisance which affects numerous members of the public or the public at large, as distinguished from a nuisance which only does harm to a neighbor or a few private individuals. .'' He took advantage of the notoriety (newspapers and media worldwide covered the dispute) and managed to best the city at the same time. Using his five Rolls-Royces and a couple of chauffeurs, he played ``Rolls-Royce shuffle.'' Complying with the law, he had the cars rotated each hour among the Rodeo Drive meters for months afterward. These days Spellerberg is happy to have his office at home in ``one of the most beautiful places in the world.'' From founder, he has tried his hand at sculpture and is currently creating a series of whimsical, life-sized frogs dressed in outfits like a ballet dancer and a golfer. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color in Conejo Edition only) David Spellerberg's foundry created a rhino for a local business. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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