A discovery at the J. Payne Lara Studio... scroll down!

Announcing a landmark in the sculpture process: TruForm Armatures!

Sculptor J. Payne Lara of Navasota, nationally recognized for his talent in sculpting bronzes, has added a couple more hats to his hat rack. Alongside his cowboy and artist hats, he now adds those of inventor and manufacturer. Payne has created a new line of products that will become the standard in sculpture supplies in the near future.

This is not his first invention, but it is the first one to go into mass-production. Payne has improved, and made affordable, the sculpture armature for the human figure... and is working on one for horses as well. Now a sculptor can buy sturdy, flexible skeletons that give them the basic form for several different sizes of human figures, attached to a strong, adjustable steel post that holds the sculpture in a variety of positions. Each skeleton has been slightly reduced to anticipate the addition of clay that will become the muscle and skin and thus the final surface, making each sculpture as accurate as possible.

Long acknowledged as the premier bronze sculptor in the Houston area, Payne has always made accurate anatomy an essential element of his work. As he perfected his own requirements for a decent armature, he invented something other artists need as well.

Payne is understandably cautious about revealing the process he has invented which allows relatively swift molding of fairly fussy materials. The final result was the product of months of experimentation, and not a few beers, as he smilingly explains. He has now manufactured and shipped out scores of the new product, to artists and art supply distributors around the country. He presently employs two crafts persons who help in the molding and assembly.

As a sculptor myself, I cannot wait to try this new product. In fact I will try to keep you posted as I use it in the near future!

So, a new industry has quietly been born right here under our noses, and an exciting product has hit the market that will revolutionize the sculpture process. Congratulations to Payne for years of diligence and successful product development, and for sharing his improvements with the art world.

You can learn more and contact Payne about these products on facebook. Just go to facebook and search for TruForm Armatures.