Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2005
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/giftsdecor.html

Isabel Bloom
April 2005
Carolyn Utter, Johnson's Marketing Director

    Much like we search for the ideal plant to complement our garden
setting, it's fun to search for statuary pieces to tuck into the
landscape. And while likes and dislikes vary greatly, at Johnson's we've
added a line of statuary that is sure to add a real touch of class to
your garden.

    Listed here are just a few of the Isabel Bloom pieces we're offering
this spring: "Angel Peace", "Birdwatcher", "Celeste", "Fish",
"Seated Child", "Sniff", "Violet", "Young St. Francis",
"Hugging Children", "Isabel", "Peasant Girl", "Peek"

    Stop by Johnson's to check out our selection, available in a variety
of finishes including Garden Moss Rose, Garden Rose and Garden Bronze.
My personal favorite is "Angel Peace" in the Garden Moss Rose finish.
She's going to look right at home in my entryway garden!

    The sculpture of Isabel Bloom has warmed hearts and decorated
gardens for more than 45 years. Gardeners and art lovers throughout the
United States are fervent Isabel Bloom collectors, and the history
behind the collection adds to the allure.

    According to the Isabel Bloom company, Isabel was a native Iowa
artist who once studied under the watchful eye of American master Grant
Wood. She favored artistic subjects ranging from playful children to
friendly creatures of the air, land and sea.

    As a teen, Isabel exhibited early artistic talent and received daily
art lessons at the Immaculate Conception Academy. Further art training
continued at the Vogue School of Fashion and Design and, later, at the
Chicago Art Institute. In the early 1930's Isabel spent two formative
summers at the Stone City Art Colony in central Iowa.

    Isabel's experimentation with the reproduction of her clay
sculptures led to the development of the unique concrete casting and
finishing process still used to create each Isabel Bloom sculpture. Then
and now, each piece is hand-finished to resemble weathered bronze garden
sculptures of the Victorian era. Isabel's artwork is a beautiful
addition to garden and patio settings.

    Today the creation of Isabel Bloom sculptures rests in the talented
hands of designer Donna Young, Isabel's protˇgˇ and artistic
collaborator since 1986. Preserving the unique style that survives
Isabel's passing in May 2001, Donna has designed many of the most
popular sculptures in the Isabel Bloom collection.