For years, Latter-day Saint sculptor Blair Buswell has plied his trade working inches away from a "who's-who" roster of famous athletes, actors and business leaders.
The subjects of his artwork have ranged from film icon Charlton Heston and golf great Jack Nicklaus to dozens of pro football legends whose busts he sculpted upon their induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Most have modeled in person, allowing Brother Buswell the priceless opportunity to learn something about his subjects beyond mere physical measurements and facial characteristics.
Each sculpture holds its own special memories for Brother Buswell. But one of his most recent commissions marked a career (and deeply personal) highlight for the lifelong Church member.
Earlier this year, the Latter-day Saint sculptor completed a life-sized bust of President Thomas S. Monson. The bronze portrait of the Church's 16th president was placed on display in the Conference Center's "Hall of the Prophets" just prior to the October general conference. The hall includes bronze busts of each of the Church presidents.
This once-in-a-lifetime commission afforded Brother Buswell a special opportunity to work closely with President Monson and members of his family. The artist said he had admired the Church leader for much of his life. That high regard grew each time he met with President Monson during different phases of the sculpting process.
"President Monson was exactly the way I thought he would be — and more," said Brother Buswell.
Despite his renown as a figurative sculptor, Brother Buswell admitted to feeling a bit intimidated each time he met with the Church president. But President Monson's trademark warmth soon put the artist at ease as he shared encouragement and experiences from his own life.
Brother Buswell's work is no stranger to the "Hall of the Prophets." Several years ago he sculpted the bust of President Harold B. Lee. But working with a living Church president allowed him to observe his subject's personality and try to capture that in his art. The work needed to be precise. On one occasion Brother Buswell visited President Monson in his Salt Lake City office to collect exact facial measurements and shoot photos from several angles.
To better know the man, the artist reviewed several of President Monson's scrapbooks to become more familiar with the Church leader's decades of service. Brother Buswell would also listen to the audio version of President Monson's biography "To the Rescue" as he worked on the bust in the quiet of his studio in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Studying the life of his subject "helped me learn more about President Monson — his fishing stories, his travels, his many experiences."
On two occasions, President Monson visited Brother Buswell's studio while the work was progressing. The artist knew that tens of thousands of people would eventually view the bust during visits to the Conference Center. He hoped the finished product would speak to each viewer. He understood that his artistic charge was to capture more than President Monson's physical likeness — he had to capture the ethereal substance of a living prophet.
"I was looking for something beyond just getting the ears and eyes in the right place," said Brother Buswell, "I wanted to get the essence of the person."
The artist said he was invigorated by each of his working visits with President Monson, who proved to be a generous and helpful model. "He was willing to do what he needed to do to get [the sculpture] right," he added.
Brother Buswell hopes his artwork accurately represents a modern-day prophet who approaches his calling with equal measures of humility and warmth for the people he serves. "It was very special when President Monson's daughter, Sister [Ann M.] Dibb, told me, 'You have captured that feeling.' "
Perhaps the artist's hallmark endorsement occurred when he took his finished sculpture to President Monson's office before it was permanently placed in the Conference Center. President Monson took one glance at his bronze likeness, smiled and said, "Yeah, I know that guy."
