Ornament Spotlight: Studio Ornament

The Artist at Work
Studio ornament

As part of our big 50th anniversary celebration, the Keepsake Village has been hard at work collaborating to create a very special studio ornament, Santa’s Workbench, shown above.

As you know, these studio-created ornaments are a team effort. With the merging of so many details and artistic styles, along with the number of design decisions to be made, these studio pieces take time to develop. This one, for example, was started in July of 2021 when Tom Best created the initial concept.

Anita Marra Rogers, the lead artist for the piece, was responsible for taking the idea and determining which elements would be designed by which artist based on their specialties.

“Each artist in the Keepsake Studio had a part in it, so I wanted to make sure a little of everyone’s personality or styling came through,” she tells us. From traditional sculptors to artists who create computer renderings, Anita wanted to bring together all the aspects of the studio.

Hearing her talk about the process might make your head spin. But, thankfully, she had Art Director Kurt Gaulke to help determine how each part of the ornament’s intricate design could work together in harmony.

“After the concept was chosen,” Anita says, “Robert Hurlburt crafted the structure of the whole thing, and Tracy Larsen was assigned to sculpt Santa in the same styling he has used for past club-exclusive ornaments.”

Tom Best chimed in to say that “the basic idea of Santa at his workshop drafting table came from Kurt, our art director, along with Jim Tronoski.”

And if you’re thinking the idea seems like the perfect fit for a 50th anniversary piece, you’d be right. The assortment of toys and ornaments displayed across his desk were all meticulously designed by artists throughout the studio.

“Every item at his drafting table is a nod to past ornaments throughout Keepsake Ornament history,” Tom adds.

While discussing this undertaking, Anita let us in on a sneak peek you won’t want to miss

“On top of Santa’s desk, you’ll find some drawings he’s been working on for future products,” she says.

That’s right. You won’t just have an amazing ornament created by the entire Keepsake Studio, you’ll also get a glimpse of ornaments yet to come.