Saturday, May 16, 2015

Plans Within Plans

The weather has been great and work proceeds. 
I've got about 5 big projects that I'm racing to finish up in the next month. 
The Granite Hand and Bubble Bench are inside the studio and waiting for me to move them outside for some finishing touches. 
 I've been working mornings on finishing up the Comet Bench.
 The Leafy Bench is real close to be finished. I'm considering a base for this sculpture and another called "Testing the Waters".  (Bases are my least favorite part of stone sculpting...)
 When I'm not working, I'm wandering around the studio property...usually staring at rocks...
But lately, my mind is turning to making some major changes to the Sculpture Garden aspect  (completely neglected from years of trying to meet deadlines).  There's nothing in the Northwest corner of the property after I moved my large marble Seedling to its new home in Dalton, Georgia.  I've got some strange ideas cooking for this site...I've got a huge collection of stone items (architectural salvage etc.) that I may try to assemble into a "Folly".  I'll use a 3D rendering program to see what I can come up with before I start moving tons of stone.
 There's a large area along the back of the property that is almost empty now, too.  I'm thinking about segregating out the figurative pieces for this area.  Other areas will have sculptures that relate to each other - I'm hoping that it will make some kind of sense, instead of being a chaotic mix (like it is now).
 Over 32 years of full-time sculpting, I've amassed a small collection of sculptures that have...problems: cracked, broken or too doggy for 'prime time'.  I'm going to put them off by themselves in the back North East corner...and call it "The Land of the Misfit Sculptures".  That will leave the huge front areas uncluttered for major new works.
This is one of the first additions to this area; my wire topiary frame "Tree of Life".
We'll see how many of my plans become reality...
there's a limit to time and energy....

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Chasing the Shade

It's started to warm up...
 and it's no longer fun working out in the direct sunlight.
 So, with the morning sun in the east, I start work on the west side of the building.
 I'm trying to finish up my Comet Bench.
 After lunch, I switch over to the "Leafy Bench" which is then in the shade on the north side of the building.

 Derby Day, Meg and I went exploring.  First stop was the Cannelton roadcut where we collected fossils.  Meg found this Lepidodendron (a giant fern-leafed tree with scaly bark); it's covered with a coal surface. 
This is one of the Calamites, which is segmented like bamboo.
 We spent most of our time hiking in the woods of southern Indiana.  This is a White Trillium; very different from the red variety that we see around Yellowbank.
Paw Paw Blossom.
(photo Meg White)
There's some cool places to be found - if you just look.
(photo Meg White)