CURT  CHIARELLI  TESTIMONIALS

On His Teaching:

"As for the class, it was remarkable. Curt was professional, honest, understanding, very helpful and expected the same attitude from everyone in the class. There was an open, creative mindset in the class room, but we were all constantly working and being productive. Often class rooms are quiet and still, but in Curt's class there was a constant and excited fervor over our work and the work of our neighbors.

It was also the first time I felt that the teacher was completely open and honest in their criticism without being negative. Every time Curt found a flaw in someone's work he provided an honest and well explained way of fixing it. This level of honesty meant that when he told a student they were done, or that he was proud of their work, the student knew he truly meant what he said. Too many times have I seen passive teachers give students passing grades in the hopes of not offending them, whereas Curt really pushed students to work harder in hopes of bettering themselves and getting a respectable grade.

He also gave every student a level of personal attention I had never seen before, often getting excited for them as he watched projects near completion. Where many teachers see our tuition costs as a reason for us to work harder to learn, he saw it as a reason for him to work harder to teach us."

- Jeff C. Hawkins (Former Student and Video Game Artist, Sega)

"Curt is a highly intelligent and knowledgeable artist. Not only is he a consummate craftsman, but he has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the make-up of the many materials used in the creation of art. He has a good deal of knowledge concerning the chemical make-up of various types of media as well as understanding their physical properties when used to create art. Curt also has a good understanding of animal anatomy and physiology.

The characters he creates literally seem to spring into life when using this knowledge combined with his command of the various materials. His artistic craftsmanship coupled with his complete attention to detail makes one wonder why his creatures aren't breathing and jumping around. Using a high degree of creative intelligence, he creates a distinctly individual world, but his skills make this personal universe accessible to all.

I have been making a living doing one kind of art or another my entire life, but there was an area of three-dimensional fantasy which I had never had time to delve into but was something I had wanted to do. I took Curt's fantasy sculpture class a couple of years ago. The class inspired me to put energy into this avenue of creativity which I have been doing with more and more intensity ever since. I am very grateful to Curt for sharing his knowledge and experience, opening up this exciting new path."

- Dwight Boyles (Former Student, Illustrator and Gallery Artist)

"I have nothing but positive comments and praise regarding his character and fine work. He is one of the most intelligent, talented and creative people I have ever known with an amazing ability to create awe-inspiring art. He is also one of the most patient, considerate and caring people I have ever known, always willing to help and guide those who may have questions and concerns regarding art and its many different styles. Curt is also extremely organized, communicative and eager to share his knowledge of the arts with people who are passionate and interested in learning. His love of art and creativity ignites and inspires those around him and encourages the best out of all of us."

- Jane Lee (Former Student and Computer Graphics Artist, MTV)

"I was fortunate to have Curt Chiarelli as my instructor. I found Curt to be a positive teacher, artist and person. He helped every student with any question from job opportunities to the cheapest art store. Throughout the class period Curt was continuously interacting with the students. Curt was always walking around looking at work trying to make each student the best artist he or she could be. I looked forward to see what new and interesting ideas or experiences he had. All the students were very proud of the work that was produced in the class. I think very highly of Curt Chiarelli as an artist and a teacher."

- Jeffrey L. Zygmunt (Former Student, Art Instructor and Gallery Artist) 

"I know Curt to be the kind of man with high standards in regards to being a great artist, mentor, good friend and citizen. I have the highest regard for his personal integrity, intellect, benevolence and concern for others.

Curt Chiarelli is a lifelong learner, which is paramount for an artist. He is current in his field, well-read and willing to work hard to achieve goals. Curt's skills as an artist are without question and he knows how to convey accurate information to others.

Curt is the kind of man that you would want your students to learn from."

- Penny Erickson (Retired Art Instructor, Oak Lawn Community High School)

"I have observed Curt teach during an after-school program at my school which is a media arts magnet high school in the McMinnville School District. Curt's class included a wide range of student abilities, both artistically and cognitively. Curt was able to differentiate his teaching to reach all students, with stellar results."

- Laurie Cooper (Principal, Media Arts and Communications Academy)

On His Artwork:

"Curt Chiarelli is a terrific sculptor. His careful attention to detail is quite amazing. A born artist."

- Boris Vallejo (Illustrator and Author)

"He was and is an amazingly talented artist."

- John Tobias (Video Game Designer, Williams Electronics) 

"While at Galoob, we needed a sculptor to sculpt various Star Wars characters for us to meet Lucasfilm's high quality authenticity standards. Curt's work was always 100% dead-on accurate and always on time, allowing us to meet our tight deadlines and making the approval process much easier. His work is most remarkable and it seems to get better all the time."

- Jim Fong (Senior Designer, Hasbro/Lewis Galoob Toys)

"Your stuff is better than 95% of the sculptures I mold at I.L.M.!"

- Chris Goehe (Mold-maker and Model-maker at Industrial Light and Magic)

 
"Curt Chiarelli served as art director on my first feature. He was extremely talented: an artist who could draw, paint, design, carve, mold, build; you name it. Curt was able to work within a very tight budget to produce truly remarkable results for an underground tomb set. His design work, carving and painting ability, choice of materials and color palette all served to give the set a realistic appearance that fooled audiences. Curt also communicated clearly and regularly with the director over long geographic distances during the design phases to ensure a successful project. The set was completed on time and on budget and was the highlight of the film."

- Dirk Eichhorst (Producer, Director and Screenwriter)

"There is a nice Lovecraftian flow to this piece. Here’s what I mean by that: at first it looks like a fairly standard humanoid Cthulhu. But then as you start to really see the details, it gets progressively less human and more disturbing.  The triple eyes and vertical mouth are great. But the weird sucker-like tubes really put this over the top. Especially the ones on the abdomen – I don’t even want to think about what those might be for.

This may sound odd, but the hips and thighs really creep me out, too. In my day job, I lecture on lower extremity anatomy to med students, so I am intimately familiar with the bones, muscles, nerves, and vessels of the human hip, thighs, legs, and feet. And these are not human. Not like someone aimed for human and missed–they’re built on an entirely different frame, with wider-set hips and shorter, narrower thighs, reminiscent of birds and antelope and gomphotheres (the hips, anyway) and the Newborn from Alien: Resurrection (yuck). But at the same time, they’re similar enough that the wrongness doesn’t jump out at first glance–it emerges more slowly, inviting one’s mind down paths that stray horribly from what you think is going on at first. If that ain’t Lovecraftian, I don’t know what is.

Curt has a lot more Lovecraftiana and other radness on his DeviantART page (this Judge Dredd model is off the frickin’ chain). For more of Curt’s work in other realms, check him out on Smashwords, Animation Insider, LinkedIn, and see his work on Halo sculptures for Bungie."

- Matthew Wedel, PhD. (Paleontologist and Associate Professor at Western University, Department of Anatomy)

"I've known of Curt and admired his sculptural work for many years. A multi-talented artist, Curt has been in demand for over 20 years in the entertainment industry serving as a production designer, visual effects and special make-up effects artist.

What strikes me as a rare quality among men, especially in the cutthroat entertainment industry, is the fact that Curt balances his passion and his God-given abilities with a deep-seated wisdom. Not only of his business, but of the ways and morals of the business world. Curt stands head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries because he chooses to embrace integrity in all of his endeavors.

For my money, when you complement Curt's business acumen, old school values and his awesome talent you can never go wrong in the decision to work with a man of his capability."

- Michael Hudson (President, ReelArt Studios)
 

"Curt's work is exacting, drawing upon years of experience. His attention to detail results in beautiful pieces."

- Bob Newton (Production Coordinator, Steve Johnson's Edge FX)

 
"A fountain of knowledge. Your work makes me want to throw in the towel!"

- Jim Danforth (Academy Award Nominated Special Effectsman, Animator and Director)