Sunday, March 21, 2010

It's official - It's Spring!

...and about time, too.

I finished this sculpture, made a base and moved it out of the studio this week.

It is called "Nexus" and I've been working on this piece (sporadically) for over a year (but always in freezing weather).

It measures 73" high by 36" wide by 36" deep and weighs approximately 3,000 lbs. It is carved from Indiana Limestone, using a spiralling chisel texture on the intertwining forms and polished surfaces on the base and geometric elements in the sculpture.

It represents the like-minded interest of a community (such as a group of artists or friends - same thing, in my case) and the energy that brings and holds them together.

The Daffodills are the first flowers on the scene. This one managed to muzzle itself. (photo Meg White)

The tender new growth of Rose, as it pushes through last years briars, has a lot of sculptural interest. (photo Meg White)

Bloodroot emerges....

...and makes its move!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

((( Ripples )))

This is a short blog posting, but it's been a long, hard week.

I made this functional sculpture this week. It is called "Ripples" and it is about the people in our lives, and how they leave an effect - like ripples on the surface of a pond.

It is carved from a 2,000 lb. piece of Indiana Limestone that measures approximately 4' long by 2-1/2' wide by 2-1/2' feet high. This is different from my other work in that I chose a stone that looked like a natural outcropping, and then covered it with circular glyphs.

After a long winter, it felt great to work full time again.

I just let my imagination lead me where it wanted to go. After 26 years, it's still fun to carve.

It felt good to just "go off" on this innocent, unassuming boulder. I'm happy with the results.

Have I also taken up wood carving? No, this is the work of a beaver near the creek, below our house. (photo Meg White)

A woodpecker has an entirely different technique. (photo Meg White)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Relentless Winter Releases Its Grip

This has been an abnormally tenacious winter. Temperatures finally came up to normal, for the season, and the sun came out.

I power washed both Roanoke benchs, to get them ready for delivery. This is "Caring", with Meg's Sea Lion in the background.

This is "Strength", with Meg's Daphne in the background.

I bought these 8 inch slabs from Victor Oolitic back in January, to make bases for some of my sculptures.

I needed a circular base for a new sculpture.

The new sculpture, finished yesterday, is entitled "Reach" and measures approximately 78" High by 40" in diameter.

The new (and much larger) sculpture was inspired by this fountain bubbler entitled "Uphold".

Mike, from JBB, inc. of Hardinsburg, came over on Thursday to clean out the ditches and improve the road that leads back to the studio.

Meg snapped this shot of the clay that he uncovered in the ditch - complementary colors of yellow and blue (hmmm...).

Meg has an eye for spotting the fantastic in an ordinary situation - condensation inside a 2 liter bottle. (photo Meg White)