1930s baseball figurine, by Gloria Maliarik.Bearing a price tag of 400.00 on the bottom from the Essex County National Council of Jewish Women Focus on Art sale.Date unknown.Height 10.75 inches.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(From the Chicago Tribune Obituary):"Gloria Kondell Maliarik was a commercial artist and sculptor, and a longtime supporter of Deer Path Art League in Lake Forest. (Family photo)A little more than a year out of high school, 18-year-old Gloria Kondell Maliarik became one of the youngest staff artists to work for The Cartoonists, a commercial art studio in Chicago where she created stylized art used in advertising and for corporate training films.She developed a whimsical sensibility at the studio which she later applied to stoneware sculpture both miniature and larger that's been featured in Christie's auctions and has developed a wide following. According to her family owners of her work have included playwright Neil Simon, actress/director Penny Marshall and former Illinois Gov. James Thompson."Her sculptures are so endearing and positive and each exude a subtle sense of humor," said her daughter Mary. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Her parents were both deaf from childhood and she had the responsibility of serving as their sign language translator while growing up."She learned at a young age the importance of visual communication and the impact it has on everyday life," said her husband of 65 years, Milan.After graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1945, Maliarik worked as an apprentice at a Chicago art studio and for other artists while attending the Art Institute of Chicago and the IIT Institute of Design.She worked for The Cartoonists from 1946 to 1954, during which time she married and moved to Elmwood Park. She worked at the S. Fredrick Anderson Studio from 1954 to 1956, when she and her family moved to Lake Forest, where she built a home studio.From her own, independent art studio, Maliarik worked for several advertising firms and commercial clients, such as Culligan Corp. and Hollister Corp., while raising three children and serving as a member and president of the local school board.[Most read] Bears Q&A: Has Mitch Trubisky regressed? Why didn’t the team travel to Denver early? What are the QB options after this season? »"If she wasn't helping with homework, volunteering in an art class at school or attending a board meeting, she was usually busy at her kiln," her husband said.Carrie FisherCarrie FisherActress Carrie Fisher, who found enduring fame as Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars," died on Dec. 27, 2016. She was 60. Read more. (Tracey Nearmy/EPA)1 / 121Finding time for her art meant getting up most mornings by 4:30 a.m., working on her sculptures and giving them some time to dry, before starting to make breakfast for her family."Mom was one of those people so talented, so drawn to her art that she found a way to make it work in her life," her daughter said.Maliarik's interests ultimately turned to sculpture, mostly clay modeling, with some wood carving, bronze casting and metal welding as well. She studied further under several other artists, but continued to hone a style that reflected smart drawing meshed with sophisticated humor."I once asked her where she got her ideas," Volpe said. "She told me, 'I usually just lie down on the couch and then let my thoughts take over.' "[Most read] A stealthy investor has bought 140-plus Chicago condos since November. But its $40M investment could be complicated by a move to rein in deconversions. »Maliarik is best known for her stoneware sculpture, often of sports and historical figures, which she high-fired to make more durable. Most of the pieces were glazed in color, though some were left in an unglazed state and others had baked-on acrylic color highlights added.She began showing her work through the gallery of the Deer Path Art League and at numerous art shows and gradually accumulated a following."She was a regular at the Old Town Art Fair during the summer, smiling and sitting under her colorful umbrellas," her daughter said.Maliarik's sculpture has been displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, in corporate offices and in numerous galleries throughout the U.S., including the Jay Johnson Gallery of folk art in New York City. Former Gov. Thompson even presented one of her sculptures to a visiting Japanese ambassador, according to Maliarik's family.Maliarik was also an avid gardener and achieved master gardener status at the Chicago Botanic Garden, volunteering hundreds of hours for 12 years, during the formative period of the Plant Information Service.[Most read] Chicago Public Schools theater teacher, local actor charged with assaulting former student »"The thing about Gloria is that people genuinely liked being around her," said her husband. "They were drawn to her as much as to her art."Maliarik also is survived by another daughter, Andrea Brogan; a son, Christopher."

Good condition overall