Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 4, 1993 TAG: 9311040529
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Especially if she's in a brickyard.
That's where she's usually found these days, usually with hammer and chisel in hand.
Recently she's often seen at Richfield Retirement Community west of Salem, where one of her creations is being installed at Richfield's new assisted living center, The Oaks.
Landerman is a sculptor and worked exclusively in stone until she discovered brick.
"Brick carving changed my life," she said. "When I discovered brick, I made a four-way stop and completely turned around."
She she quit her job as a medical sales representative and began carving in brick in 1990.
Since then, the fruits of her labors have appeared in many places - walls, fireplace surrounds, panels, tiles, mailboxes and almost any figure someone might want.
Her work is represented at Richfield by a wall of carved brick bearing the name "The Oaks" and decorated with gracefully flowing oak leaves and acorns.
The wall is 16 feet long and 6 feet high at one end, sloping to about 4 feet at the other end. It is in front of the new building and serves as an identifying sign.
Landerman created the wall at Old Virginia Brick in Salem, which donated the several thousand bricks needed for the project.
After creating a design Richfield executives liked, Landerman spent about a week at Old Virginia Brick carving brick while it was in a putty-like state. The brick spent another week or so being fired in the company's kilns, then was cured for several days.
Next came construction of the wall with individual carved bricks and brick-colored mortar. Landerman had high praise for the brick masons who did the work - Billy Martin of Catawba and David Plunkett of New Castle, along with helper Tommy Stinnett of Roanoke. They all work for Ronnie Thompson Masonry.
The wall, costing about $3,000, will be dedicated along with the new building Tuesday.
Landerman connected with Richfield early this year when she met three executives of Old Virginia Brick in Greensboro while attending a convention of brick manufacturers and distributors.
The three - Bill Walker, plant manager; Chris Moore, vice president sales/marketing; and Steve Reed, distributor sales manager - were interested in her work and invited her to Salem. Through Walker, she was introduced to Richfield.
Landerman continues to do sculpture in stone, but she is having a love affair with brick.
"Brick is a wonderful, beautiful art form," she said.
It is about 2,500 years old but has been in the United States only about 20 years. Landerman is one of only 35 brick sculptors listed with the Brick Institute of America and says she is the only one who can sculpt with all types of brick.
Before discovering brick, Landerman worked at a full-time job and sculpted in stone as a hobby. She also is a painter, photographer and writer and will accept speaking engagements and give carving demonstrations.
Stone sculpting is still her first love, but she said she is devoting most of her time at the moment to brick and works full time as a free-lance sculptor from her studio in Portsmouth or on the premises of about a dozen brickyards around the country that offer her creations.
Another of Landerman's projects in the works is a Vietnam War memorial, which will be on U.S. 58 in Brunswick County. It was commissioned by the Brunswick County Vietnam Veterans of America and will feature several life-size military figures done in brick.
by CNB