restless rocks

Stone Bench Commission

2012-01-29T12:52:00.013-05:00

I have now begun work on a new commission. This has turned out to be a mild winter, so work should proceed without any problems.

The functional sculpture will be carved from this 5 foot long block of Indiana Limestone.

Derrick Sheroan from JBB inc. of Hardinsburg uses their 23 ton crane to lift the 5,000 lb. block onto our rail cart.

It had extra width, so I drilled a series of holes to split off the extra stone.

We place 'feathers and wedges into the 1" holes.

Then, we hammered them to apply tension and set a crack.

The stone that came off the block is usable, and will become other sculptures.

Next, we got out the "secret weapon"; a water-cooled hydraulic chain saw with a diamond chain. I used this to cut out the notch for the seat of the bench.

The preformed bench was then rolled into the studio, where it can be worked on, rain or shine. At this point, the weight is already down to about 1,500 lbs.

This is the clay model for the bench. It is on a stand next to the stone, so that it can be used as reference at a glance.

These are the tools that I use to lay out the design onto the preform. I have printed out a scale drawing. The model and drawing are on an 8:1 scale. There is a round proportion wheel that I use to scale up measurements. For example: if something on the model is 1-3/16 inch, then multplying by 8 isn't a problem. You set the wheel at 8:1 and find the small measurement on the inside wheel and it gives you the larger measurement on the outside wheel.

I use a 4" grinder with a diamond blade to incise the design onto the stone. I have also made parallel cuts where there is a lot of stone to come off.

I break off the parallel cuts with an air hammer. The project is on its way!

mold work finished and trip to Carmel

2012-01-23T18:33:00.014-05:00

All the work on the Tree of Life commission is basically finished, and the molds are now ready to ship to the foundry.

I wanted to add reinforcing to the large plaster mother mold for the tree branches. I used some aluminum driveway marker stakes (after using a bolt cutter to remove the reflector). They bend to the contours of the mold and the twists give something for the plaster to grab. We embedded them into the plaster mold with another layer of plaster.

Then, I trimmed the edges of the plaster mother mold with a chisel and carefully removed the plaster mother molds.

We had to cut out branches as we divided the rubber molds from the clay pattern. It was the only way to cut apart the rubber in the negative spaces between the intertwining branches.

We finally got the rubber molds separated, and placed them back into the mother mold.

These are the molds for the root sections.

Then, I built a crate...

...and gathered padding to cushion the molds for the ride across the Great Plains inside a freight truck.

I had a template made from 3/16" steel plate for the granite company to use in cutting the notch that the bronze tree will fit into. I wish that I had taken a camera with me to Ward Forging of New Albany, Indiana. They used these huge steel rollers to precision bend the steel plate (would have made a great photo...).

Now...on a personal note...
Saturday, we went to the residence of Lindsay and Will Arvin for a family gathering. This is Lindsay's mom, Emily, who is Meg's niece.

Will recommended that we try out Bazbeaux Pizza in downtown Carmel, Indiana. In my opinion, that's the best pizza that I've ever had - good call, Will!

Then, he led the way down the street to Evan Lurie Art Gallery. Check out these cast stainless steel door handles.

The work in the gallery (and the space) was top quality. I was particularly impressed with the paintings of Alexi Torres. Carmel, Indiana has a lot going for itself - check it out if you get the chance. (all photos copyright 2012 Meg White).

Demolding, and a New Year in Newport

2012-01-08T18:25:00.012-05:00

After you make plaster mother molds over flexible rubber inner molds, it is time to de-mold.

We use a thin, flat chisel to gently pry apart the 2 halves of the plaster mother mold. Don't get in a hurry, just slowly work the blade in different points around the mold and...

...if you didn't leave any undercuts when making the rubber mold, it should come apart without too much trouble.

I use the chisel to clean up the edges of the plaster mold. This is not really necessary, but it makes for better craftmanship.

Before I put on the plaster molds, I used a heavy pair of scissors to cut the edges of the rubber mold. This gave me a strong edge and it makes it easy to pull apart at the shim. I gently work my way around the whole piece, pulling the two halves of the rubber apart.

There are still the first 2 coats of the rubber mold to cut through. I gently pull the mold apart with one hand and use and exacto to cut the thin layer of rubber that is left. You can see the green clay emerging.

When you've cut all the way around, the two halves will completely separate. You can then remove the clay sculpture part. Meg has already started reprocessing the clay into her Heron sculpture.

We clean the little remnants of modeling clay from the rubber mold.

Here is one half of a rubber leaf cluster mold, ready to go to the foundry. They will pour wax into these molds and turn the wax patterns into bronze.

On a more personal note...Meg and I spent New Year's Eve with my old college Room mate, Tom Mitts, who lives in Newport, KY (across the river from Cincinnati). We ate (and ate)...
...and drank...

...and played chess. One of the most enjoyable New Year's Eves that I've ever had. Thanks Tom! (all photos copyright Meg White).

plaster mother molds

2012-01-08T17:38:00.013-05:00

After we finished the rubber molds on the Tree of Life commission, it was time to apply the plaster mother molds.

Actually, we use hydrocal which is much harder than molding plaster ( also more expensive). We sprinkle it into rubber bowls of water until no more plaster will dissolve. It will float on the top when it has reached the point of saturation. We gently use our hands to make sure that there are no lumps of undissolved plaster. We don't actually stir it, which would introduce air into the mix.

We soak hemp fibers in a bucket of water. We use these fibers for reinforcing the plaster mother molds. You can also use burlap or fiberglas mesh for reinforcing plaster.

Next, we apply a first coat of plaster over the rubber. If you can lay the molds flat, it's much easier to make the plaster molds.

Then, we take the wet hemp, soak it in freshly mixed plaster and spread it over the first plaster coat. We aren't waiting for the first coat to dry, we move right along with getting each piece done as fast as possible.

We then build up the mold to about 1 inch thick, more or less.

I use my hands to build up a strong edge for the mold. At a certain point, plaster will work beautifully and you can shape it nicely. That brief time between too runny and too thick is short-lived, and you have to move fast.

It took quite some time for Meg and I to finish both sides of 23 leaf cluster molds (days).

Then, it was time to put the mother mold on the Tree trunk. Since it was vertical, we applied the first coat with brushes.

We did the bottom sections first, to give support to the weight of the top portion.

I still want to add reinforcing metal rods and another layer of plaster to the top portions of the Tree. Otherwise, we're almost through with the mother mold portion of this commission.

The White Hand of Saru(wo)man! (all photos copyright Meg White.)

rubber mold making (continued)

2011-12-13T15:51:00.014-05:00

In the previous posting (below), I described everthing that you need before applying a rubber mold. Now, you are ready to do it.

Before you open the rubber, spray the Pol Ease 2300 onto the clay. It will have a wet look when there is enough.

I carefully pour part A and Part B into their respective cups, up to the lines (as shown in the previous post). Part A is like a thick honey. Part B is like maple syrup.

I pour each part into a mixing cup. I scrape it out of the clear wine cup with a knife used only for that purpose. I use a 3rd knife for mixing. The knives near cup A or cup B will last all day, if you keep them away from each other. This is the color of the stuff when it is first mixed.

You stir, mixing it well, until it begins to change into this lighter color. It is now 'going off', and you can feel a little bit of heat from the chemical reaction. You've got to brush it on Now! MOVE!

You apply 1 coat and let it harden to where it is tacky (about 45 minutes). Then, add a second coat. Wait about 45 minutes until tacky.

It's now time to add the part-line shims. Making and applying the part-line shims is the hardest part of the job. We use clear plastic sheets and plastic bubble sheets from sculpture depot. We use a plastic freezer tape to stick the plastic together. It has been smeared both sides with Trewax (it's for floors, and is made of Carnuba). We fasten the shims to the sculpture with pins that have plastic heads on them.

Then, we mix another batch of rubber. When it changes color, we mix in polyfiber until it has the consistency of icing.

We scrape it into a baggy and cut a small hole in the corner.

We squeeze a bead of it around the base of the shims.

We smooth the bead out with a plastic knife. As soon as this mix starts hardening (30 45 minutes) pull out all the pins.

We then apply 5 more coats over everything, waiting 45 minutes between each coat. If there are any undercuts, we mix a batch with Polyfiber and fill them in, using a plastic knife. Next, the plaster mother molds (the fun never stops...)

rubber mold checklist

2011-12-13T15:04:00.016-05:00

We've seen a lot of interest when we post about how to do molds. So, here are some more in-depth pointers to de-mystify mold making.

Make sure that you have plenty of mold material for your project. It's better to have too much, rather than not enough. We use Polygel 40 from polytek. Don't open it until you are ready to use it. Get all your supplies together first before opening the containers. Keep the containers closed as much as possible and store in a place with even temperatures, like a basement.

You'll be making a mess, when doing rubber molds. Wear old cloths! The mold material will not wash out. Do it someplace like a garage or basement where you won't hurt the floor. We spread down plastic and wear latex gloves. Get a big box of gloves, because you'll use a bunch of them and you can't re-use them.

You'll need various types of release agents. We use the spray release from Polytek (Pol Ease 2300) for the clay. Vaseline is used on the wood boards and armatures. Trewax is used on the plastic part line shims.

You'll need 'party' cups for mixing and clear 'wine' cups for measuring the 2 types of rubber.

Buy a couple boxes of 1" "chip' brushes. You'll go through 50-100 on an average mold project. Look around for prices - I pay about $.10 each, but I've seen them priced over $1.00 each (makes a difference to me). Buy at least 50 to 100 plastic knives for mixing.

This is bubble sheet from Sculpture Depot of Loveland, Co. It's hard to see, but there is a clear piece of plastic lying across the top. We use this to make part-line shims. The plastic tape is also from Sculpture Depot. We use pins with plastic tops to fasten the shims to the clay sculptures. The plastic tips on the pins help you to see the pins when you go to pull them back out.

You'll need a few tools: like x-acto knives and extra blades, a razor knife and extra blades (for de-molding). Small scissors are for cutting plastic part-line shims. Big scissor (or small shears) are for trimming the rubber molds. You'll need permanent markers for making part-line shims and for marking the plaster molds.

You'll need polyfiber from Polytek, which is a fluffy substance that will make the mold material into a knife-grade thickness - for filling in major undercuts or attaching part-line shims. Plastic bags are for squeezing on a bead of the mix - like putting icing on a cake.

I take 2 of the clear wine cups and make marks on them at equal heights. I try to find something in the studio of about the right thickness (like a box of screws in this case). I spin the cups against a marker. The 2 parts of the mold material are mixed by equal volume. This gives me a precise line for pouring out the rubber compound.

I put down plastic. Then I find 2 buckets to set the cups onto (saves on the back when pouring). I place one plastic knife by each cup - and only use them for emptying into a mixing cup. The idea is to only let Part A and part B to come together in the mixing cup.

I vaseline all boards and armatures, so that the molds won't stick.

I try to do as much as possible the day before I start mixing rubber. If you can do the part-line shims ahead of time, it will make your life easier.

After you've cut and taped the part-line shims, you need to spread a layer of Trewax onto both sides, to keep the mold material from sticking to it.

Mold making is meticulous and boring - it's easy to get distracted.

Marble Dove

2011-11-27T12:48:00.009-05:00

This week, I carved a marble dove for the Tree of Life commission.

About 10 days ago, the block of pure white Colorado Yule Marble arrived at Cave Hill Cemetery. I was quite impressed with the quality of the stone - it was flawless. Also, they took great care in the crate and packing for the stone block.

The first task was to carve the outline of the dove, using the clay model as the pattern.

Then, I marked the forms of the sculpture onto the preform with a wax china marker.

I blocked in the forms onto both sides of the marble piece.

For all intents and purposes, the marble dove is finished. I will refine the head and other forms as I spend more time with the piece.

I have completed all of the clay work for the Tree. I put the 23 leaf clusters up on pedestals of wood, to make it easier to put a 2 part mold onto them.

Introducing Part A and Part B...the mold material has arrived (you're looking at $560.00 worth of rubber!). I am ready to begin putting the molds onto the Tree of Life.

Tree Pruned and 3 sculptures installed

2011-11-07T18:58:00.012-05:00

This is what the Tree of Life commission looked like, the last time that I posted updates on this blog.

Now...prepare yourself for a shock...

This is what it looks like now. It will not become whole again until it is recreated in the bronze foundry. Like a Phoenix, it will rise from the fiery glow of the foundry furnace and the blinding arcs of the welders.

I used a sawz-all to cut all the leaf clusters off the branches. Meg caught them as I cut them. I then numbered and pinned them to numbered squares of plywood.

I am still refining the leaf clusters and branches, and will continue to do that until the marble for the Dove arrives. I want to confirm the fit of the finished marble Dove to the clay leaves, before covering the clay sculpture parts with mold material.

Last week, 3 of my stone sculptures were installed at a private residence. It was a long day - beginning before first light and ending well after dark. JBB Inc. of Hardinsburg sent out their 23 ton truck-mounted crane for the delivery and installation. I asked for Derrick Sheroan as operator - wouldn't have it any other way.

Two of the sculptures were center pieces for fountains. Fountains mean water, and at some point I was going to have to get my feet wet.

This is the view of the sculpture "Embrace" from the house. The fountain is not completely finished. I hope to get pictures when it all comes together.

This is the other view - what I consider as the front of the piece.

Then, we moved around to the back of the house to set "Reach".

It was also intended as a fountain piece.

The third piece that we installed is called "Promise". It is functional as seating.

A friend from high school days, Jeff Linkous came for a visit. He pointed out that we hadn't seen each other face-to-face for 14 years! Hopefully, we're going to break that pattern.
All photos by Meg White

Tree of Life and a Halloween party

2011-10-23T13:34:00.015-04:00

The work continues on the Tree of Life commission.

I spent the first couple days of the week figuring out how to attach the Dove to the Tree. This is a full scale clay model of the Dove, which will be carved from Colorado Yule Marble. There is a cluster of leaves that was custom fitted to the back of the Dove, and 2 branches that make a cross brace to hold the Dove securely.

I have begun the process of cutting leaf clusters from the branches with a sawz-all. I number the clusters on a photo of the Tree (in red ink in the lower right hand corner), and number the clusters as well, so that it will come back together correctly at the foundry.

I also use a register mark, to make sure that the cluster is properly oriented, when it is welded back together.

The rest of the week was spent cleaning up the clay work on the leaf clusters. This will continue all through next week, as well.

Saturday night, we were invited to a Halloween party at the home of Steve McMillen and Alice Kimble.

Peewee Herman was our host.

Dorothy and Scarecrow from the merry ol' land of Oz.

If you think your head hurts now...wait till the morning.

Lizard Boy and zombie dog have a tussle.

Two leather-clad rockers and a pumpkin.

A zombie and a Viking.

The trick is to know when to quit.

Cat girl...and in the background Peewee and something that's been dead for a while.

Gandalf brought fireworks to the party.

Whoosh! Lift off from the end of a wizard's staff.

A fiery Angel. (photos by Meg White)

Dove for Tree of Life and a fountain

2011-10-03T19:03:00.016-04:00

Work continues on the Tree of Life commission.

This is how the Tree of Life looked on Sunday, the 25th (the last posting).

This is how the Tree looked today. I worked on the outline, so that it would match the original rendition more closely. Then, I improved the branches and leaves (for about 3 days straight - and there is still lots of work to go).

This was the original design for the Dove. I had received feedback from various sources that it needed improving.

I came up with this design last Monday.

Today, I began to make a full scale clay of the Dove. I started by making a 10" x 12" image in photoshop. Then, I trimmed it into 3 images that would fit onto regular 8-1/2" x 11" paper. I cut and taped them together, and that gave me a full scale drawing.

I cut the outline of the paper Dove and traced it onto a stiff piece of poster board. I used an exacto knife to cut the poster board just a little bit smaller than the outline.

I started packing clay over this poster board armature.

This is how the dove looked at the end of the day. It is beginning to shape up like I want, although it will take me another day or so to refine the forms. It's starting to shape up nicely.

On June 28, I started to set up a fountain. I laid a bed of sand, leveled a section of cement board and put down a butyl rubber liner before starting to install the stone elements. I got side-tracked with other commissions and had to leave it unfinished for a long time.

There was some architectural salvage along the front of the studio building. They were causing rain water to back into the building, and they had to be moved. Over the 20 years that I've had these antique stone pieces, I've moved them 6 to 8 times. I thought that maybe this should be about the last time to move them. I decided to use them as the border for the forgotten fountain.

This is how the fountain looks, at this point. There are still some improvements that I want to make, but it will have to wait.

However, it is working, and it is right outside the break room window. The sound of falling water is great!

Refining Leaves and Branches

2011-09-25T14:42:00.013-04:00

Work continues on the Tree of Life commission.

This is how the sculpture looked at the end of last week.

This is how it looks at the end of this week. It is hard to tell the difference at a glance. As the sculpture gets refined, the gains will be ever more subtle.

This is how the clay looked when it was roughly applied over the armature.

The work this week focused on making improvements to the branches and leaves. The forms were refined and texture applied to the entire surface.

About mid week, I had a visit from Steve McMillen, who is a biologist for the State of Kentucky. Steve, Meg and myself gathered leaves from around the studio and discussed the attributes of real leaves and possible treatments of the clay leaves.

Thursday, I did some consulting work for Ted Rosky (right side of the photograph), who wanted to install a recently acquired 4,400 lb. Jade Tiger sculpture. Ted Rosky owns the original stone "Ely" (in foreground) that is one of Meg's best stone sculptures.

A few feet over from Meg's elephant is this detail 'fragment' of Frederick Hart's "Ex Nihilo". The complete sculpture of "Ex Nihilo" is on the western facade of the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and is, in my opinion, the best sculpture in the United States.

While in town, we picked up our sculptures that were in the Kaviar Gallery monument show. Meg took this photo inside Craig Kaviar's blacksmith studio.

Other news includes the fact that our studio now has indoor plumbing!

This horse drawn caravan went down the road past our studio. (photos copyright Meg White)

Leaves

2011-09-18T16:17:00.011-04:00

The main effort this week was packing clay onto the leaf armatures on the Tree of Life commission.

My original thought was to finish the branches and roots first, but I couldn't resist forming up leaves.

At this point, I've gotten into the 'groove' of making leaf pre-forms. (I'm dreaming about making leaves, while I sleep).

This is how the sculpture looked at the end of this week. All but a few leaves on the back side have been roughed in.

Friday evening, we went over to the Watertower location of the Louisville Visual Art Association.

I had promised Craig Sherman, a long-time friend and collector of my work, that I'd donate a piece to this year's art auction.

Then, it was over to Bellarmine College's art gallery to see the opening of Al Goreman and Scott Scarboro. Coincidentally, Al (who is back-to-back with his styrofoam guy) was exhibition currator at the Watertower for over 10 years. He and Scott filled the gallery space with form and color!

Saturday night, we were back in Louisville at the Bourbon's Bistro on Frankfort Avenue.

It was the 50th birthday celebration of our neighbor (and very good friend), Steve McMillen.

Steve likes coke.

Steve likes M&M's (well...anything with chocolate).

Meg and I spent most of our Saturday on this plaque for Steve and Alice's home that is on top of the cliffs behind our house. Making this plaque reaffirmed our position for not wanting to do hand lay-out and lettering. (It's not as easy as it looks, folks).
(all photos on this post copyright Meg White)

Hand Sculpture Installed at Purdue University

2011-09-10T15:18:00.018-04:00

The main event this week was the installation of my monumental sculpture "Man and Technology" on the campus of Purdue University.

Dereck Sheroan from JBB Inc. on Hardinsburg brought their new 23 ton crane to our studio on Tuesday and loaded the sculpture onto the rented flat bed truck.

As soon as we crossed the bridge into Indiana, we found ourselves in the middle of a convoy of classic cars.

We got a lot of 'double takes' as we drove up the road with the 7 foot tall hand. But, ours was not the only strange load going up the highway that day. This is a German WWII era tank at a rest stop.

"Are we there yet?" It was a very long day before we got to Lafayette, Indiana for the night.

Early the next morning, we went to Picket Park on campus. Meg took this detail shot of one of their "Astrogummies" while we were waiting for everyone to show up. One of Purdue's alumni took seeds of Sweet Gums to the International Space Station with him. This is from one of those well-traveled seeds.

Purdue provided this crane and an operator for the installation.

I moved the truck and sculpture into position. This photo shows the Penske rental truck that we use for major installations.

While the crane was setting up, Meg snapped this well composed picture that features one of the other sculptures in the park.

I rigged up the sculpture for the lift.

On the left is Tom Eisman, a Professor of Aviation and chairman for the visual arts committee. Tom was my contact for the entire project. He put in a lot of time and effort to see it come to fruition.

This is the finished sculpture in its new home.

An alternatate view...

...and another view.

While there, I checked on "Flourish", which I installed at Purdue over 5 years ago.

Tom invited us to also check out their new Butterfield sculpture in front of the art building. In the background is a very large bronze from Spain.

Between those two sculptures is a large, temporary installation of willow and red maple saplings. I enjoyed walking through the maze of forms - an intense amount of labor went into the piece. (all photos on this post copyright Meg White)

Roots

2011-09-04T11:13:00.008-04:00

This week's effort was focused on making roots for the Tree of Life commission,

I began by inscribing the design for the roots with a pointed wood tool. This is an orange wood stick of Meg's - it seems to work great with plastilene because the clay doesn't stick to orange wood oil.

I cut the background out with a loop tool.

Then, I just "get into the zone" and start forming roots. Sometimes, you can see improvements to make while it is in progress. Sometimes, you step back and realize that you got to change it, and do it over. It goes on and on...this is the progress on the back side.

This is how the front side looked at the end of this week.

Now, I've got to 'switch gears' and prepare for the installation of my hand sculpture at Purdue University next week. This is my biggest and most involved personal sculpture to date - and 'Anxiety' is the flavor of the week.

"Where is Steve?" The crane truck got some much needed T.L.C. It has a lot of heavy things to move this coming week.

Tree of Life and Buttermilk Falls

2011-08-28T14:26:00.011-04:00

I continued work on the Tree of Life commission this week by packing on plasticine clay over the wire armature. We use a water bed heater to soften the wax-based clay. I cut up an old sculpture into little pieces and sandwiched them between a plastic sheet, then covered that with a towel to hold in the heat.

The first thing that I did was to add more wire leaves, making a total of 72 on the sculpture. Then, warm clay was smeared onto the armature.

There is a large mass at the base that will become the roots of the tree. I use foam insulation to take up space, rather than pack it solid with clay.

Then, everything got a layer of clay.

As I kept building up the form with more clay, I started to use a wooden scraper tool to begin rough forming the trunk and branches.

This is the progress at the end of the week. I will begin to work on roots, next. I want to finish roots and branches before adding the leaves. It's real easy to un-do work on one area of a sculpture when your trying to reach another section.

Saturday, we mixed business with pleasure when we went for a hike with a friend from Boy Scout days, Eddie Franke, and his girl friend Loretta. We went to Buttermilk Falls Trail in Brandenburg.

I took lots of pictures of tree bark, to use as reference for the Tree of Life commission.

I also took pictures of roots...

...and more roots.

Meg took this picture of an interesting tree. (see anything else in that picture?)

Right beside the trail is the gravely remains from a Lithographic stone operation that was in production over a hundred years ago. Brandenburg was one of only two sources in the world for Lithographic stone used in printing at the turn of the 20th century. The only other was in Solnhofen, Germany. This became the only source for the U.S. and its allies during W.W.I. Hard to believe this was so important at one time, as there is very little to see there, now. (photo Meg White)

Armature for Tree of Life

2011-08-20T18:53:00.015-04:00

I began work on the Tree of Life commission this week. The first thing that I did was use Photoshop to enlarge the drawing to full scale (36" wide by 37" high). I had to trim and print off pieces of the image, as paper is only 8-1/2" x 11". I put the separate images back together like a puzzle.

Then, I cleared a spot in the clay studio and started gathering everything together. I found a work stand of the right size for the project and cut pieces of plywood to make an approximation of how the granite base will hold the bronze tree. I didn't fasten the wood together at this point, as I want to build this base securely around the tree armature when it is almost finished.
I decided to use copper tubing for the main support inside the branches. I can bend it easily with a pipe bender (shown), making it possible to adjust at any time throughout the project.

The main support for the armature is a piece of galvanized pipe and a floor flange. It's position was carefully measured and marked onto the full scale template. I used a piece of cotton rope to find the length of each curving branch. That gave me the correct length for each piece of copper tubing. I kept bending and checking each piece against the template. When I finished one, I'd lay it on the drawing and begin the next.

When all of the branches were laid out correctly on the template, I used aluminum wire to fasten them together. I also twisted wire over all of the copper to give the clay something to hold onto, rather than smooth pipe.

I screwed the floor flange to the base board and fastened the plywood base around it. I used aluminum sheet for the radius of the notch for the tree roots. This gives a fairly precise approximation for matching up with the granite base at the end of the project.

Next, I made 61 leaves in aluminum wire and added them to the copper branches. It has a pretty cool look at this point (almost hate to cover it with clay).

This is the side view that shows the dimensional aspect to the tree. This will become more apparent as I start adding clay tomorrow.

The highlight of the week was the boat ride that our neighbor gave us - the most fun we've had in a while. He jokingly called it "The McMillen Wildlife Tour" as we saw: this deer calmly crossing Yellowbank creek in front of us...

...and these 3 baby raccoons bumbling along, looking for something to get into...

...a common sight of a Great Blue Heron...

...and the rare sight of this juvenile Bald Eagle at the mouth of the creek, where it meets the Ohio. etc. etc. (Meg took 273 pictures - all photos of wildlife copyright Meg White).

...it's been so long...

2011-08-14T19:11:00.010-04:00

...since I've carved stone. I've been extremely busy doing everything but... stone sculpting. This week I came back to it - with a vengence!

I picked out this 15,000 lb. stone about 8 years ago because it has some extreme variegation on the other side.

In the last week of April 2011, I began work on it by splitting off a 2,000 lb. corner (behind me) and cutting a notch out of the center. There's stone everywhere - too much of a good thing.

I got the crane truck to start and... made the extra stone go away. This is how the quarry block looked for 3-1/2 months.

This is the progress at the end of this week. I'm super happy with the direction that it's taken. I've got hinges and machine parts coming out of the gnarly stone block. I'm having too much fun...but...I'll have to put it aside again, because...

...It's official - I received a commission to create a major bronze sculpture to be installed in Cave Hill Cemetery of Louisville, Kentucky. This is a Tree of Life with a White Granite Dove rising from the branches. The entire monument will measure 5' wide by 5' high. I'm excited by this opportunity - I had been considering creating a Tree of Life (in stone), before this came along. Life is strange - things happen for a reason....

Monument Show at Kaviar Gallery

2011-07-31T13:01:00.019-04:00

Friday night was the opening for the "Visions of the Hereafter" monument show at Kaviar Gallery on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. Without exception, all 8 artists, that were featured in the show, are some of the regions best sculptors. It is an incredible group of talent to have in one place at the same time.

Meg White created this sculpture entitled "Flight". We are discussing the strong possibility of having this piece cast in bronze soon.

Also by Meg, is a bird-feeding Angel. It is intended for bronze, even though this is a plaster cast of the sculpture.

This sculptural bench by Craig Kaviar is awesome! It's one of my favorite pieces in the show.

I also really love this maquette of St. Francis releasing Doves by David Kocka. I can envision this piece as a life-size monumental work.

This bronze eagle by Matt Weir would look great on the side of a large monument, with the wing spread over the family name.

Raymond Graf made this eccentric bronze urn. It will be perfect for holding the ashes of someone who had a different way of looking at things.

This life-size bronze is by David Lind. I believe that it is a self-portrait from an old photograph.

Guy Tedesco modeled and cast this life-size bust. He was the only one of the group who I had never met in person - but we remedied that Friday night. We liked him and intend to look him up in the not too distant future.

These are my pieces - the only stone works in the show.

The Courier Journal ran this article in the Friday's paper. It's always good to see my name in print.

While running errands before the opening, Meg snapped this image over at the Mellwood Arts Center. It could be an abstract painting - or something in the parking lot (take a guess).

Through the (livestock) Looking Glass. (photo Meg White)

We went to the Meade County Fair last night. (all photos on this post copyright Meg White)

Addition Nearly Complete and Molds for Meg

2011-07-24T18:52:00.013-04:00

I've spent most of my time, during these last few weeks of record breaking temperatures,(in the air conditioning) making progress on the studio addition.

The last picture that I showed, was when they sprayed in the insulation. This is a picture shortly after that, as I had started hanging drywall.

This picture was taken today. The drywall is all hung, finished, and painted. The floor was laid and the trim put up. I'll definitely feel like celebrating when this project is finished. More than one friend has expressed an interest in spilling beer on my new floor.

This stain glass window has been in storage for 23 years, ever since I traded a fellow exhibitor for it at a St. James art fair. Finally, it has a home, in the bathroom of the new addition.

This week, we've been putting molds on 2 of Meg's sculptures that will be exhibited in a monument show at Kaviar Gallery (the opening is next Friday night). After brushing on 2 layers of Polygel 40, we make the part lines for the mold. Steve McMillen is cutting and taping plastic bubble shims that we buy from Sculpture Depot of Loveland, Colorado.

We use pins to hold the shims in place temporarily.

We mix Polyfill into a batch of Polygel 40 until it has the consistency of cake icing. We cut a corner of a plastic bag and squeeze a bead of the mix to hold the shims permanently in place. I smooth the bead out with a plastic knife.

While we're in the mood of mixing polyfill into Polygel 40, we knife the mix into major undercuts, like under the angel's left elbow. This will allow the mother mold to pull free, later on.

Then, we apply more coats of rubber until everything has about 6 coats.

The next day, we applied a plaster mother mold.

We haven't been going outdoors much, with heat indexes above 100 degrees. But, Meg snapped this shot of a barge that passed close, when we went out beside the Ohio River.

Another foray out, was a visit to Tom Tobin's cabin on Rough River Lake. This is the view from the cabin. He has this property up for sale, so contact him if this appeals to you.

...and closing this post with one of Meg's macro-explorations. These beautiful bubbles are ....in...boiling chicken fat. Leave it to Meg to find the Awesome in the Mundane. (all photos on this post copyright Meg White)

Swan finds home, and Meg's Terre Haute Dedication

2011-07-10T20:29:00.014-04:00

Tuesday, we delivered my Brazilian Marble Swan to the Home of Tom and Trish Henrion.

Something old - something new. Behind their home, there is an eclectic collection of contemporary art in the sculpture garden that is in front of a log cabin that dates back to 1830.

Inside the log cabin, are great examples of well-crafted furnishings, including two Walnut tables made by Tom Henrion, himself, from wood that came off his property.

The spiral staircase is too cool!

This is Tom. He's showing us a bench, on the back porch, that he made from rustic pieces of wood that he gathered near his creek.

The Swan is temporarily residing on a patio table. After a base is procured, it will take its place in the sculpture garden.

Thursday, we made the four hour drive to Terre haute for Meg's sculpture dedication at the Hux Cancer Center.

Meg gave her speech, along with several other dignitaries.

The sculpture was unveiled.

At the end of the night we enjoyed some "Spoils of War" (monogramed cupcakes) in the complimentary hotel room provided by Artspaces, the directing agency for the project. We had an excellent dinner with a great group of people at an Indian restaurant after the unveiling. Terre Haute has good memories for us.

Before we left town the next morning, we checked out the new Max Erhmann sculpture. This is one of the several bronze plaques, set into the brick pavers, that commemorate some of the poet's words.

Mammoth Cave National Park

2011-06-16T16:44:00.020-04:00

Wednesday, June 15 was my 50th birthday. I had decided to spend it at Mammoth Cave National Park. Meg had never been, and I'd only been once, when I was 10 to 12 years old.

We chose the 4 mile, 4-1/2 hour long Grand Avenue tour. It started at a man made entrance that was tunneled in the 1930's.

Our ranger guide showed us how it looked when people used to tour the cave with oil lamps. Not much to see.

There were formations of Gypsum on the walls for the first mile or so.

About a third of the way, we made a stop in the Snowball Dining Room.

Then, it was on to a section that had its ups and downs.

We made our way through a maze of stone passageways.

Watch your head there, Birthday Boy!

Meg took over 250 pictures, and as a result, we fell behind the rest of the group. That is my only criticism...we felt like we were being rushed. It was our day off, and we wanted to enjoy a more leisurely pace.

Toward the end of the 4 miles is Frozen Niagra.

At the bottom of some stairs is the Drapery Room.

The last part of the tour is where all the formations are to be found.

...and more formations...

As if 4 miles wasn't enough, we hiked down from the visitor center to see the historic entrance.

The last stop of the day was Kroger's, so that I could get some Guinness Beer. When I came out, there was this rainbow. A great sign toward the end of my 50th birthday. There's no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but there is a glass of amber...Happy Birthday to me! (all photos copyright Meg White)

Meg's Terre Haute Installation

2011-06-12T16:55:00.017-04:00

It was finally time to install Meg's bronze sculpture "Light of Hope and Healing" for the Hux Cancer Center in Terre Haute, Indiana.

We rented a Penske box truck with a lift gate on Friday, loaded everything up and made the 4 hour drive to Terre Haute. On Saturday morning, we were joined by Mike, Tom and Dave of Sycamore Engineering, who had agreed to help us with the installation. We've been lucky to have great people to work with, on tough installations. Some of the top experiences that come to my mind are the crew at Art Castings of Colorado or the Cajun crew that helped at the LSU installation. But, these guys were incredible. You can't beat real life experience - they were a blessing!

We moved the black granite base into the site and set it up on boxes so that I could eventually crawl underneath to fasten the bronze sculpture.

Next, we brought in the bronze sculpture and fed the electrical wires into the base.

We used a Genie material lift (from Arts Equipment Rental on English Station Rd. in Louisville, KY) to raise the bronze sculpture onto the base. To the right, in the light green shirt, is Mary Kramer of Art Spaces, Inc. She was Meg's art director for this project.

After it was attached with threaded pins and nuts with washers, we lowered it onto the legs of the lift and rolled it into position. Meg was then able to visualize the complete sculpture and see how it related to the site.

Once the final position was determined, we marked the placement, rolled the piece out of the way, and marked the mounting holes with the template that Art Castings had provided.

The guys from Sycamore Engineering drilled the holes for the electric and the 4 mounting holes. When I say that they drilled holes, that is the extremely abridged version. In reality, that was a task. The floor is Terrazo over concrete over a steel 'pan'.

We hoisted the sculpture off the lift, set it on boards over the holes, and lifted the legs of the material lift for the final setting.

...and...giving you the short version, and sparing you the agonizing details....the pins were added under the sculpture base, and it was lowered into place.

While the Sycamore crew made the final attachments of the pins under the floor, I attached the light fixture, added a light bulb and set the globe over the spring clip of the light fixture.

When the electric leads were wired up, the power was turned on. This is the final sculpture in its new home.

This is a detail of the bronze portion of the sculpture. It was really great to see it all come together successfully at the site. Awesome job, Meg! (all photos copyright Meg White)

Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park

2011-06-04T20:07:00.013-04:00

This posting will show some of the pictures from our trip to Colorado last week, to get Meg's bronze sculpture from the foundry in Loveland.

Colorado is the land of extremes. The eastern portion is very flat, featureless and sparsely populated.

(...not the kind of place that you want to hear a fuel alarm for a big diesel truck...)

A few miles west of Loveland is the road that twists up Big Thompson canyon toward Estes Park (Meg's favorite place on Earth).

Estes Park is a tiny little town that is nestled in a mountain glade. A few miles out of town is Rocky Mountain National Park.

It's difficult to catch the sense of scale and magnitude of the mountains with a 2 dimensional picture.

Soon, we saw our first Elk.

Then, we saw many, many more Elk.

There are coyotes, bears, moose and many more types of animals in the park. This Magpie was very curious about us, and came in quite close.

We took Trail Ridge road up to about 12,000 feet in elevation. The top portion of the road was still impassable in the last week of May because of snow drifts.

...back in Loveland...too bad that we didn't know about these guys last month when we were dealing with Meg's bears.
(all photos copyright Meg White)

Trip to Art Castings of Colorado

2011-05-29T20:56:00.010-04:00

This has been a very busy week! We rented a truck from Penske and went across the Great Plains to get Meg's bronze sculpture for the Hux Cancer Center in Terre Haute,Indiana.

Meg had designed a pyramidal base of polished black granite for the sculpture, made by Bellcomb (formerly Stonwurks) of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The finished base was shipped to Art Castings before we got there. To my left is Ken, and to my right is Jeanne. They are just 2 of the many great folks at Art Castings. These people are very experienced - I can't say enough about the quality of the crew at Art Castings. They have a great balance between having the discipline to get things done, yet taking the time to see that the customer is completely satisfied.

This is the bronze portion of the sculpture. We looked it over very carefully before the final sand blasting, and it was 'right as rain'.

After the bronze was blasted, they applied the patina. This is Nate and Chad heating the bronze before applying the finish.

This is the finished bronze.

They fed the wires through the sculpture. Then, they assembled the whole thing together.

This is the complete sculpture, with the light turned on. It was spectacular to see this piece come together.

We carefully disassembled the sculpture and began to load everything into the truck.

The only thing left to do, at this point, was to make the 1,250 mile drive home. All in a week's work.

Meg's Grizzly Bear Installation

2011-05-15T10:48:00.013-04:00

It was finally time to install Meg's Bear sculpture. On Derby day, we rolled the bears outside where Meg carefully looked over everything in the sunlight. Then, we power washed them, let them dry for a couple days and sprayed on a breathable sealer. The brand name says it all.

Tuesday morning, a 23 ton crane came from JBB inc. of Hardinsburg. Dereck Sheroan was our operator. He is helping me to put on 2 safety slings at the bottom to keep the main slings from slipping off the rounded bottom of the sculpture. Dereck is our operator of choice. He is extra careful with our work and experienced beyond his years.
The Bears were commissioned by Dr. Steve and Mary Ann Pollard. They came out to the studio to watch the load up, while their son, Charlie, video documented the whole process.

We loaded the sculpture onto the back of the brand new crane. This was its 2nd lift, ever. The bears were rigged a little off balance on purpose, to keep the slings from applying pressure to the raised hind foot of the mother bear (the foot near my hand). We couldn't take a chance on breaking this piece - better safe than sorry.

The bears made their way to Louisville, with our car and the Pollard family following.

We arrived at the new Kosair Children's hospital. Then, we set up the crane, rigged the sculpture and began the lift.

The 6,000 lb. sculpture was lifted over the artistic fence that surrounds the children's play area. The sculpture is headed for the concrete pad that had been prepared ahead of time.

We set the sculpture on boards, and took off the 'basket' hitch. Then, we used a 'choker' hitch (shown) to lift one end, take out a board, then repeat the process on the other end, to get the other board out.

Dr. Pollard checks out the finished sculpture in its new home. (all photos on this post copyright Meg White)

Quarry Run

2011-05-14T22:08:00.014-04:00

I haven't posted on this blog in a while because we've been really busy - more than usual.

On April 29, work resumed on the addition, when 4 guys with Gary Hicks Insulation showed up to blow in cellulose insulation.

April 30, we went to the Pollard's house near Westport, Kentucky. Their son, Tedd, was hosting a fund raiser for the bands with his company, Music Coming Back, or MCB records. You can download their mp3's at www.mcbmusic.com. The event was on the back deck, right next to the flooding Ohio River - it was a really cool scene!

They had set up a tent over the area for the bands. This is Lotus Blake, my personal favorite of the evening.

On May 5, I went to Bloomington to pick out some stone. Matt Weir, a fellow sculptor and good friend of ours, wanted to go, so I rode up with him. Orleans, Indiana was still experiencing flooding. This Amish is riding his horse down highway 37, while we had to take a detour.

I found this large, high-quality stone at what used to be called Victor Oolitic. They have merged with Indiana Limestone since I was here last. On the left, Duane Foster is calculating the weight of the block. Matt is in the background, about to take a picture.

There was a defective layer along one side that would have added too much weight for the semi. So, Duane called for a loader to pick up the rock...

...and take it to a diamond band saw, where they sliced off the unwanted layer.

Vessels Trucking of Rhodelia, Kentucky hauls our stones. We've worked with Charlie, the driver, before, on several jobs. It's great to have experienced people that you can count on.

This particular stone, at 30,000 lbs., was too big for our regular crane company to unload. We used Padgett Crane from New Albany, Indiana, who sent out a 50 ton crane. The operator's name is Barney - he knew his stuff. (and a pretty good sense of humor, which always helps).

Charlie is climbing down off the rock before we do the lift. That's one big rock! It has a particularly tight grain, and I can't wait to see what Meg will make out of it.

more flooding

2011-04-25T19:58:00.008-04:00

This is a Georgia granite sculpture that shows two figures wrapping each other up. It is entitled "Comforting" and measures 19" high by 12" wide by 10" deep. I will 'frost' or give a bush texture to one of the figures to make the composition become more visually dynamic. Granite work is agonizingly slow and burns up diamond blades like crazy.

I'm very eager to move onto the next project, which is to make functional seating out of this 9' long, 15,000 lb. quarry block of Indiana Limestone.

More than a possibility. All this rain has turned the road past my Concordia property into a boat dock. (photo Meg White)

The extra rain has been good for mushrooms. Some neighborhood friends showed me these huge Morel mushrooms that they found.

Most were as big as a beer bottle.

...well...so it goes.

Once upon a time, there was a brave squirrel who walked down a wolf's nose. (This is a very short story...) (photo Don Lawler)

Remembering

2011-04-17T17:17:00.009-04:00

I am making memorials.

I made this small "thumbnail" clay sketch at the beginning of last week. It is a sculptural vessel or vase form that shows a couple holding hands and joined at the base with their heads inclined toward each other. It is tentatively titled "Together".

This is the progress on that design by the end of last week. It has a heart-shaped composition and the color of the stone works with the imagery. There is still some work to do before it is finished. It is carved from North Carolina pink granite and measures approximately 16" high by 12" wide by 8" thick. In the back ground is the Georgia grey granite hand that has been in progress for months.

I made this clay model back in the freezing days of January. It is a re-do of an old piece that I gave away as a gift.

I finished this sculpture, based on that clay design, by the end of this week. It is titled "watching over you", carved from Georgia 'Cherokee' white marble and measures 24" high by 11" wide by 5" thick (without the base).

A jet trail with teeth. (photo Meg White)

Citrus ala Dali. (photo Meg White)

Our roof top. (photo Meg White)

Finished Life-sized Limestone Sculpture

2011-04-03T21:32:00.012-04:00

This is the original stone maquette that I made in 2006, and gave away as a wedding present.

This is the clay model that I made in January.

This is the finished life-sized version.

This is her front view...

...and this is her left side.

The weather was great today, so we went for a walk down by the Ohio River.

Taking nothing but a picture, and leaving nothing but ...footprints!?!

Check out this doodle by an insect. (photo Meg White)

...and speaking of insects...what's this? (photo Meg White)

Bear gets Approval

2011-03-27T20:54:00.009-04:00

I didn't make as much progress this week on my life-size limestone sculpture as I would have liked. The temperatures dropped mid-week, and there was even hail, sleet and snow.

This is the front view of the sculpture...

...and this is her left side.

One of the main events this week was 2 car loads of visitors from Norton Kosair Children's Hospital, who came out to approve Meg's Grizzly Bear sculpture. The temperature had dropped 40 degrees from the day before, which was a bit of a shock, after several days in the 70's and even 80's.

This Tennessee Pink Marble fountain bubbler that I made, found a new home.

In spite of inclement weather, the wildflowers made their first appearance this week. Spring is officially here.

Beware the Ides of March!

2011-03-20T17:24:00.014-04:00

With the crane truck finally up and running, I was able to spin this life-size figure around - making it easier to work on her other side.

This is how the figure looks today. This is her left side.

This is her front view.

This is her right side. She is still very thick all over - but that's what carving is all about - thinning and refining.

Exactly 20 years ago this last Tuesday (the Ides of March), this twenty-something year old couple went on their first date. A lot of things have changed in that time - and a lot of things will change, if we get another 20 years.

Super Moon Rising. (photo Meg White)

The flood waters are leaving the fields and returning to the river. (photo Meg White)

The Flood of 2011

2011-03-13T19:42:00.011-04:00

We are experiencing an unusually high flood level from the overflowing Ohio River. But first, I'm going to show the progress on my life-size limestone figure.

This was the side view from last Sunday.

This is the same view today.

This is the view from the other side, as it appeared last week.

...and this is the same view this week.

The back was mostly unconsidered - you could still see the original block.

It's starting to take shape. But, now progress is going to get slower.

...and...keeping up the pattern of before-and-after, Here's our lower field on last Nov. 5th, the day that contractors installed the new nest platform.

This is the same view, taken today from our canoe.

Ending today's post on a "Far Out" note...Is this a NASA photo of the moon Europa, as photographed in a recent fly-by? (or is it cobbler batter, sticking to the side of a bowl?) (photo Meg White).

First Friday Gallery Hop

2011-03-06T16:56:00.016-05:00

I made a little progress on my life-size limestone figure this week. You can see the design drawn onto the stone preform.

There's been a lot of rain, and this is all that I was able to get done this week.

When it was raining, I worked inside on this stylized marble swan which is for a show of monument sculptures that will be at Kaviar's gallery on Frankfort Ave. in Louisville.

The art galleries in Louisville have concurrent openings on the first Friday of every month. We've been to several, but this was the coolest one that we've seen. We started our gallery hop at the newly opened space in the downtown Bristol. Chris Mozier had a one-man show of his paintings, and this was my favorite.

The installation of interactive sound sculptures at Zephyr Gallery was a real crowd pleaser.

Hidden down this narrow path off Market Street, and up these stairs, is the Tim Faulkner Gallery. Here, you will find the strongest concentration per square foot of local talent in the entire city.

95% of the artwork is 2D, but I wanted to show this plaster by Wyatt Gragg that I really liked. I think that he's on the right path.

Our last stop on the gallery hop was Flame Run glass studio and gallery, where I met fellow Centre College graduate Brook Forrest White Jr. He took the time to show us his plywood mock-up for a monumental glass installation that he will be doing at the Falls Interpretive Center later this summer.

University of Louisville presentation

2011-02-27T14:38:00.016-05:00

Last Saturday, Meg and I spent a memorable afternoon with Dick and Ardi Wilson. They treated us to a great brunch at the Meridian Cafe and then invited us to their home to discuss commissions for Meg and myself. There's a LOT more to this story, and I'll post more as things progress. In the right of the picture is one of my sculptural benches that Dick acquired in the early 90's.

Meg snapped this view inside their home.

The good weather continued through the first half of the week, and I was able to make this progress on my life size limestone figure.

Wednesday night - meatloaf and potatoes.

Thursday, we gave a presentation to Ed Hamilton's public art class at the University of Louisville. This is Matt Weir, a local sculptor and a good friend of ours, who is assistant to Ed in teaching the class.

The most enjoyable part was when Ed treated Matt, Meg and myself to drinks afterwards.

This intense week ended on a real high note. I may have found a home for this piece...

...and this one, too. I'll post more, as plans become more solid.

Purdue University to acquire Hand sculpture

2011-02-20T11:49:00.011-05:00

It's official - the art selection committee at Purdue University have decided to add my hand sculpture to their permanent collection. What a fantastic start for 2011!

I made this clay model, among others, during the freezing days of this winter. This sculpture, entitled "Testing the Water", is the first to be carved this season from a life-size block of Indiana Limestone.

There were 2 days near the end of January when the temperatures rose above the freezing mark. I started the project then, by splitting off extra length that I didn't need.
Meg has already claimed the top piece to create something for the Yew Dell outdoor sculpture show.

We had great weather last week. I took the model outside and began to block in the piece.

The sculpture is laying on its back, right now. I've roughed in where the front foot will emerge.

I removed extra stone along her left side first.

Then, I removed extra stone from her right side. I now have all the outside points for the form.

Meg snapped this shot of ice falls in the Wildlife Area. I hope this is the last of ice and snow for a while.

Rocks for Bob Lockhart and friends

2011-01-31T11:14:00.018-05:00

Earlier this month, we had a visit from Bob Lockhart, who used to head the art department at Bellarmine College. He wanted a large stone to carve for this year's Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture show. He brought out Chris Mozier, one of his students, who wanted a large piece of stone, as well. Chris came out to the studio this Saturday to drill and split a 7,000 lb. piece into 3 parts - one for him, one for Bob, and one piece for Mike McCarthy.

Chris drilled the 2 series of holes where he wanted to split the larger piece.

This was one of the first warm days of the year, and I'd been making the dust fly. (That would account for the 'Geisha look').

He set the rest of the wedges, hammered them to bring up the pressure and...

...split the stone into 3 pieces.

The next day he came back with Mike McCarthy (on the left), who brought his truck. It would have been simple to load up the stones, if my own crane truck would run - but I couldn't get it to start. A neighbor, Mike Hutchison, helped me out by bringing over his tractor. His son, Tristan, is guiding Mike to set his forks.

Many hands make light work.

The tractor couldn't load the 3,000 lb. piece into the truck, but it could move it under my gantry crane. Where there's a will, there's a way.

That's Mike McCarthy setting the rigging under the stone. Check out his art and fine furniture on his website http://www.trinity-designs.net.

Up, up and....

...away. A 3,000 lb. piece of stone is on its way to Bob Lockhart's studio.

I'd been stuck inside a lot, doing computer work. It was good to get out and walk. Meg and I took a short hike to Big Cave Hollow in the Yellowbank Wildlife Management Area.

Confusing Turkey tracks. Is he coming or going? (all photos copyright Meg White).

Ridiculously Cold!

2011-01-22T17:34:00.013-05:00

... or, at least, that's the way that the Louisville-based WAVE-TV weather team called it. Temperatures have been a lot colder than forecasts called - starting the last 2 days at zero degrees.

Snow Trek, to boldly go..the 1/2 mile back to the studio because the snow is too deep for the car. (photo Meg White)

I worked on clay projects in the warmer clay studio, while Meg toughed out the sub-freezing temperatures in the stone studio, to finish up her Grizzly Bear sculpture. I made this stylized design of the Virgin Mary to be carved from a block of Alabama white marble that measures 40" high by 20" wide by 12" thick.

I also made a design for a limestone block that measures 72" high by 36" wide by 24" thick.

This design is tentatively titled "Against the Wind", and symbolizes the difficulty of succeeding in today's business climate.

A weird design in ice. (photo Meg White)

Some local Buffalo in the snow. (photo Meg White)

...and where there are Buffalos, there are Wolves. An Alpha and Omega face off. (photo Meg White)

Monte Cassino Winery

2011-01-13T13:13:00.013-05:00

The highlight of this week was a visit to scope out the future site for my stone monk....but first, pictures of what I've made since the last posting.

There hasn't been a lot of days lately that have been above freezing. But, I managed to make this Limestone fountain "wrapped" bubbler. It measures approx. 12"H x 15"W x 8"D. It has a polished wrap, and a stippled bush texture on the inner seed form. It is priced at $350.00

I also finished this "Twisted" bubbler in Indiana Limestone. It measures approx. 22"H x 12"W x 5"D and will sell for $400.00.

During days when the temperatures are below freezing, I have been working in the clay studio. I made some improvements on the clay model of two lovers. They will be carved life-size from a block of Indiana Limestone.
This is the back view of the model. The base portion will have a spiralling pattern of chisel texture that fades into the smoothly polished figures.

This is a clay model for a design called "Testing the Water". I made a maquette-sized stone sculpture that was similar to this in 2007. I gave that piece away as a wedding gift. I'm trying to make improvements on that design, and carve it as a life-size version approximately 67"H x 30"W x 24"D.

Sunday, I drove to Covington, Kentucky to check out the site for my stone monk. The first thing that caught my attention was this stone cairn. It was constructed from small pieces of marble by Mark Schmidt, who is the property owner.

This is a picture of the original building that was a Benedictine Monastery and Winery from approximately 1863 through 1917. This was the first winery in the region, beginning its operation in the 1700's under private ownership before the monks bought it.

This is one of the bottles that came from this winery.

When Mark cleared off the overgrown vine terraces, he discovered a couple of large dry laid stone walls. On top of the wall is a table and chairs where he goes to enjoy the view...

...and what a view! This picture doesn't do it justice. This will be the first year that these new vines will be harvested. Let's hope 2011 is a good year.

lovers and ice

2010-12-19T18:06:00.012-05:00

It has remained below freezing for almost the entire week, so I've spent most of my time in the warm clay studio. Monday, I made this small model of 2 lovers.

I began work on a much larger 1/4 scale model, as the first model was on a 1/9 scale. I only had time this week to block in the basic shapes. This clay piece will need LOTS of work before it will become a working model.

It is intended to be carved into this piece of Indiana Limestone. The stone would have to be stood up on its flat end before carving this particular design.

The guys from JBB, inc. fought the freezing temperatures and ice-covered roads to return to the studio and finish installing the plumbing and hooking up a tub / shower. Meg caught on camera the only moment when I was actually helpful.

Tuesday morning, it was 1 degree below zero. So, Meg grabbed the camera and went outside to photograph the big ice crystals that had formed in the extreme cold. I think this looks like a fish (Carp) with ice crystal fins...

Then, we had a good, old-fashioned ice storm. It didn't involve a week of power outages, like last year, but still lots of fun. (photo Meg White)

Ice on Rose Hips. (photo Meg White)

Ice on Wild Grapes. (photo Meg White)
Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Neighbors and Dragons

2010-12-12T18:36:00.013-05:00

It remained below the freezing point for most of the week. So, I stayed in the clay studio. I did a life-size clay head study of our neighbor, Alice Kimble. I had this picture of Alice to go by, but it's always better to work from life, if you get the chance.

The profile view shows that there is room for improvements. Using photoshop to compare, like this, is a great tool. you can click 'view' and check 'grid' - the grids will tell you exactly where you are off.

The rest of the week was spent on this clay model of a dragon.

There is a stone that measures 44" high by 24" x 16", into which I could carve this design. It's a real departure from my regular work, so I'm not sure if I'll actually make this piece. I had fun making the clay model, anyway.

A couple of important events this week: Sharon Receveur's book on Bernheim Arboretum is out in bookstores. It features 2 pictures of Meg's stone sculpture "Emerging". She'll post images and more on her blog (link in top right corner). Also, there are great pictures of Paul Fields working on his large "snail" that is at Bernheim. The other important event this week is that it looks like I've sold my Monk sculpture. It will find a new home near Cincinnati. I'll post more, as this progresses.

Monday, the guys from Jbb, inc. returned to "stub in" the plumbing of the new addition. Mike Mitcham showed me this Bible that he carved to commemorate the life of his recently deceased brother. It is made from a piece of Kentucky limestone that he found, and the cross is made from a piece of Alabama marble that I gave him. This is Mike's second stone project - I hope that we'll be seeing more pieces from him soon.

It's been snowing all day! Meg snapped this shot of a snow flake caught on a spider's web.

Gargoyle vs Grotesque

2010-12-05T14:08:00.012-05:00

The temperatures dropped below the freezing mark by mid-week, so I retreated to the warmth of the clay studio. I wanted to make a Gargoyle, and I came up with this design. It reminds me of the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.

Meg pointed out to me that this is a "Grotesque", which is a non-functional sculpture of a fantastic creature. A true Gargoyle spouts rain water, directed from the roof. (I learn something every day.)

This is the stone block that I want to carve the piece into. It measures approximately 3' x 2' x 1-1/2' and weighs about 1,200 lbs.

I made a little more progress on the granite hand bench, before the temperatures dropped. I flipped the piece upside down, to drill a mounting hole and refine the bottom.

The guys with Roof Master Builders 'zipped up' the new addition before the snow started flying. The next step is windows and doors and metal siding.

Saturday, we went to the open house and Christmas sale at Charlie Oldham's rock shop. This picture that Meg took points up the contrast between the cheery warmth inside vs the bleak wintery cold outside.

Charlie has a great place, that he built himself - one of the best looking rock shops that I've ever seen. He's retired from a long career as geologist for the state of Kentucky. If I have a rock question, Charlie has the answer.

While I looked for specimens to add to my collection, we listened to homemade music from dulcimers. A great way to spend a snowy afternoon!

We finished the day out by attending the opening of the new location for Studio Works (on the corner of Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road). We have a friend, Al Goreman, who works there. In fact, these are 2 of his creations from found objects that he collects at the Falls of the Ohio. Check out his blog called Artist at Exit 0.

Thanksgiving week

2010-11-28T17:16:00.008-05:00

Thanksgiving was this week, but these Wild Turkeys at the studio weren't on anybody's table.

This is the progress, as seen from the front view, of my granite hand sculpture.

This is how the back side of the sculpture looked at the end of this week. You can see the clay model in the top left of the picture.

The price of progress. Six diamond blades have 'bit the dust' so far. Granite burns them up fairly fast.

The temperatures have turned cold. Meg snapped this shot of frost crystals from a freezing fog up at the studio this morning.

Work continued on the addition to the clay studio. After JBB, Inc. finished roughing in the plumbing and putting in the septic system, it was Roofmasters turn to show up. They poured the concrete floor and have begun framing up the walls.

Granite hand-shaped bench and new septic system

2010-11-21T18:14:00.011-05:00

I've spent most of this week working on the granite sculpture entitled "The Gift". This is a scale plasticine clay model (covered in granite dust) of what I will be carving in granite.

Granite is so hard that it burns up diamond blades like crazy - which is real expensive. I've been using a technique of sawing parallel cuts to move stone efficiently, maximizing the amount of stone that can be removed per wear on diamond blades. By doing this, I was able to get close to the finished form in a relatively short time.

Then, I use the diamond blade to shave off layers of stone to slowly form the sculpture. After 2 weeks of work, you can already see the shape of the design beginning to emerge.

Thursday, work commenced on the new bathroom and kitchenette that we're adding to the back side of the clay studio. This is Mike Mitcham, who works for JBB, inc. of Hardinsburg.

By the end of a long day, he had the plumbing roughed in and finished digging the hole for the septic tank. He's scraping a sandstone ledge - that'll be as far as we can dig (without dynamite).

The next morning, they put in the lateral line. B.J. is using a wood jack to hold the line in place while Mike places the large gravel.

The inspector came out, and everything passed. While Mike's lunch warmed up on his truck dashboard heater, he asked, "Want to see a trick?"

"Do you think I can pick up that quarter with the backhoe?"

We'll have to catch this on video, and post it on youtube. (All photos copyright Meg White).

one thousand years: out with the old, in with the new

2010-11-13T16:20:00.015-05:00

I finished the Trappist Monk stone sculpture entitled "One Thousand Years". I power washed the piece and moved it into the sculpture garden.

This sculpture sort of 'evolved' as I carved it. It ended up different from my original design, sometimes you just have to 'go with the flow'. I like the piece; I think it has a charm and appeal all of its own.

I also found time to create this floral birdfeeder. It is carved from 4 pieces of Indiana Limestone. The 2 flower-shaped vessels are held in place by fiberglas pins. They can be removed for easy cleaning. The stem is fastened to the base with a threaded stainless-steel pin. It can be unfastened, making it easy to move. It measures 29"H x 18" x 15" and sells for $800.00.

I've begun work on a large granite sculpture of a hand. It's called "The Gift" and could function as a memorial, as well as a water feature or garden sculpture. It will be carved from a single piece of Georgia Granite measuring 44" long by 24" wide by 18" high.

The first task involved drilling and splitting off a piece of granite large enough for the design. (photo Meg White)

Then, I moved the piece of stone into the studio.

Casualties of war. I've hardly begun the new project, and broken tools are already piling up. A hammer (made in China) and a carbide tipped drill bit have 'bit the dust'.

Tuesday morning, we noticed new aluminum power line had been rolled out along the 1/2 mile road leading back to our studio. (photo Meg White)

They had finished installing the new line by lunchtime. This new line is replacing copper wires (circa 1945) that used to supply our power. It's all good! (all photos copyright Meg White)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:25:00.011-04:00

I've made a little more progress on the Trappist Monk stone sculpture entitled "One Thousand Years".

This is the view from the other side. I've roughed in the cord ends of the rope belt. There's plenty more work to be done before it is finished. Originally, I wanted to do a rough and quick 'sketchy' version of a monk, but I kept working on the piece, making improvements. I've invested a LOT more time in this piece than I intended.

I took some time off from the Monk project and made this Tennessee Pink Marble fountain bubbler.

We went to 2 art openings in the last 2 weeks. Mike Ratterman has a great show up at Bellarmine (we forgot the camera). This picture is from the Pyro Gallery opening that featured sculptures by Al Nelson and Bob Lockhart.

City lights with full moon. Meg snapped this shot on the way to Al and Bob's opening. (photo copyright Meg White).

Meg and I went to Tom and Claire Burkhart's 20th Anniversary party out at their farm near Charlestown. They had this bluegrass band, and a bunch of great food (and beer, of course).

We had another opportunity to hunt Jr.'s secret arrowhead patch. This time, we were accompanyed by Meg and Jr.'s wife, Connie. "find anything?"
"Nope."
"Me neither".

We went to McMillen's Halloween party. Meg has a lot more pictures from that event on her blog. (The link is in the right top corner). We also had a visit from David Schwartz and his nephew and niece at our studio on his 86th birthday. Happy birthday David!

Meg snapped this shot of a bug checking itself out in a mirror. (great antennas!)

Trappist Monk Stone Sculpture

2010-10-17T17:36:00.014-04:00

As a result of my recent visit to Gethsemane, I was inspired to make a stone monk. I was impressed when Brother Quenon pointed out that the Trappist had maintained their Order and way of life for almost 1,000 years. In fact, the title of this new sculpture is "1,000 years".

I had made a small clay study to fit into a 4,000 lb. 7' x 3' x 2' piece of rustic Indiana Limestone (the piece with the saw on it).

I had carved off about 500 lbs. of stone from the block while it was still out in the stone yard. Then, I moved it to the shade of the new stone studio.

After cutting the bottom flat, I stood the block upright.

I wanted the piece to have more 'life' than the crude original model. So, I made another model to capitalize on the full potential of the rough block.

I decided to make a face on the sculpture, rather than the hollow hoods of the first 2 models. I made a small clay head study, to help me see the basic shapes that I wanted.

I used carbide-tipped chisels to rough in the basic planes of the face, and I roughed in the beard with a forked chisel.

This is the current progress on the sculpture.

Last Sunday (10-10-10), there was a small gathering at the Meadeville Cemetery. In the 1800's, Meadville was a major stop on the stagecoach route between Louisville and Owensboro. There's not a trace of the old town left, now (except the cemetery).

Several people, including myself, were asked to describe to the group our experience in restoring the old cemetery. Bud Roberts had enlisted my help in the mid 90's to help with the initial clearing of trees and brush. When I first got involved, all the stones were laid flat, and many were broken . With the help of my retired chemist friend, Dave Shimp, we epoxied and stood up a lot of the stones. Other people got involved in the project after us, maintaining the old cemetery and making further improvements.

My neighbor, Jr. Horsley, invited me up to his secret 'arrowhead patch' last Thursday. I hadn't been hunting in years, and it was a blast.

It's located on a remote and scenic hilltop. It's certainly not someplace where you would expect to find an indian site.

I didn't find anything. But, Jr. found a snapped base with nice oblique flaking (either a Kirk or an Elk River) and the archaic side notch (Big Sandy).

Hemlock Cliffs

2010-10-03T12:04:00.011-04:00

This last week, we went to Hemlock Cliffs. You can find it by following the signs from hwy 237 a few miles south of English, Indiana.

There's a 1.2 mile loop path that leads down and back out of wooded ravines.

The eroded sandstone cliffs make a lot of fantastic shapes.

Lots of places to explore.

The 'honey combing' of the ledges are pretty strange.

There are 2 large rock shelters in the park. (If you can find me in this picture, it helps to get a sense of the scale).

There are "Hominy holes" in some of the boulders under one of the shelters. There's a real nice, big one, right beside me, in the rock that I'm sitting on.

There are countless little overhangs in the park, but the one rock shelter is huge. (room for the whole tribe). (again, I'm in the picture, for scale).

Some of the resident wildlife.

Blair witch? (all photos on this post by Meg White).

A Return To Stone

2010-10-03T10:56:00.014-04:00

It'd been weeks since I'd last carved stone. I'd been busy with mold making etc., and it was great to get back into the studio.

Meg and I have been watching the Avengers episodes that had Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel. She wears a large 'mod' belt buckle in several episodes.

When I went into the studio at the start of last week, I wasn't thinking, "I'm going to make a sculpture of Mrs. Peel". But, it sort of came out that way.

The piece of stone that I chose to carve had dictated the final proportions - long and thin.

I left a natural surface on the top of the piece to give it a fragmented look. It has a forward implied motion, to give it an air of 'action'. I'm very happy with the piece - it was too much fun.

Morning! Meg takes a picture of the sun rise, through her toes.

...and speaking of waking up, this Screech Owl woke from his daytime slumber just long enough to see what we were up to. (photo Meg White)

A hyper-dimensional tear in the fabric of our universe disturbs the infinite, featureless night, and all the galaxies and stars are spewed into being at the moment of Creation. ...or...it's a picture of a crack between our barns siding, lighting up donkey dust. Pick your reality. (photo Meg White)

What we perceive as more donkey dust, the digital camera obviously sees as something else. Does the camera strip away the veil of reality, and give us a "glimpse behind the curtain"? ...whatever... (photo Meg White)

"Nexus" Installed

2010-09-23T14:37:00.022-04:00

I felt honored when the Maddox family chose my stone sculpture "Nexus" as a monument for their parents.

We delivered the sculpture to the Cane Station Cemetery on Brownsboro Road in Louisville on Friday the 17th, where we were met by Bob Maddox (left) and his two daughters (on right). The crane and truck with sculptures also drew the attention of someone from the neighborhood (center).

The first task involved drilling a 3/4 inch hole in the concrete footer for the stainless steel pin that will go from the footer, through the stone base and up into the sculpture.
I clean out the hole with a vacuum and bottle brush, so that the epoxy will make a strong bond between the pin and the cement. There is a generator on the crane truck, across the stone wall, that runs the drill and the vacuum.

I am rigging up the sculpture for the lift using nylon slings. On the right is Derrick Sheroan who is operating a 23 ton crane from JBB, Inc. of Hardinsburg. Derrick is one of the best operators that we've ever worked with.

We are using a standard 'basket' hitch for the actual lift, but I am adding an extra sling tied in a 'choker' hitch around the sculpture. It's always a good practice to add a safety sling, in the unlikely chance that one of the main slings breaks or slips.

It's important, especially for tall pieces, that it lifts up level and balanced. If there is a slight lean, set it back down and make the proper adjustment.

This was the toughest installation of the year (so far... the year's not over) and it had me worried. We have to lift the 3,000 lb. sculpture up 50 feet to clear trees. The stone wall limited our access, as well.

There was one small gap in all the tree limbs, and the sculpture was slowly lowered through that.

I initially set the piece 'dry' to make sure their were no problems with the hole or pin. I used softeners (pieces of old fire hose) to rest the piece. Then I lifted the piece, removed the softeners and set the base upon the footer.

Next, I tied 2 choker hitches around the sculpture and lifted it up from the base.

I mixed a 2 part monument-grade epoxy and spread it onto the threaded stainless steel rod. I always use threaded rod for pins because smooth round pins could break free from the epoxy - the threads make a mechanical lock that won't slip.

Then, the sculpture was lowered back into place.

This is the sculpture in its new home.

I love this picture that Meg took of leaf shadows on the back of the sculpture.
(all photos on this post by Meg White).

Meg's "Demeter" Installed and Louisville Skateboard Park

2010-09-19T17:27:00.017-04:00

On Friday, we loaded up Meg's Indiana Limestone sculpture of "Demeter" at Yew Dell Gardens and delivered it to its new home.

I am using a 'Choker' hitch to lift this sculpture, as opposed to a 'basket' hitch that was used on the sculpture in the post below.

Up, up and away!

Mark Foster had prepared a triangular concrete footer, custom made for the piece.

There was quite a bit of demand for this piece, which could have sold many times over. Lots of people besides myself are eager to see what Meg will create next.

Meg has been wanting to go to the Louisville Skateboard Park for a long time, to snap some photos. We finally got a chance to go there yesterday. You can see the obvious sculptural potential in poses like this.

It's hard to believe that he meets back up with his board, lands and rolls away.

He's flipping his board, before landing and rolling away.

He's spinning his handle...

...while he's spinning the board.

I couldn't hardly ride a bike at his age, but he's not touching the ground. I was surprised at how safe the whole thing was. There were no collisions and almost no wipe outs - nothing serious, mostly landing on their feet if they miss the board.

Of course, with more age comes more air space. The terrain of the park is real sculptural, and there are a lot of opportunities for photography with the light and shadows on the curves.

"Exodus" Installed

2010-09-19T15:10:00.015-04:00

The day finally arrived for the delivery and installation of my functional stone sculpture "Exodus".

John Naville met us out near the freeway and led us back a very long driveway to the home of Owsley and Christy Brown.

Derrick Sheroan of JBB, Inc. followed us in with a 23 ton truck-mounted crane.

We rigged the piece up using a 'basket' hitch.

I'm watching out for some tree limbs that are over the site. When doing a 'lift', you have to watch for overhead obstructions, as well as keeping completely out from under a suspended load.

The next trick involved getting the rigging out from under the 2,000 lb. sculpture. It didn't prove that hard, with John's help.

This is the sculpture in its new home.

I created this Steatite sprout, also in the Brown's collection, back in 1992. I'll be curious to see if they decide to re-install "Exodus" on a similar raised base.

Meg asked me to stop the truck on the way out, so that she could photograph these purple seed tops in a green field. (all photos on this post are by Meg White, except for the next picture).

A recent extracurricular activity of ours was a visit to this cave spring, which is the head of Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek got its name because the Buffalo used to cross the Ohio River where Wolf Creek feeds into it. The wolf packs used to gather there every spring, to prey on the Buffalo calves.

This spring is in a very remote location, and I'd been here before (ages ago, bringing girls to skinnydip). But, I'd never noticed these tiny iron pyrite crystals in the limestone cliff before. Funny how your perspective changes over time.

Vandalia "Chiseled" Stone Symposium

2010-09-14T09:23:00.013-04:00

Monday, Meg and I visited the Vandalia "Chiseled" stone symposium in Vandalia, Ohio, which is just a few miles north of Dayton (where I was born 49 years ago). We had a friend, Matt Weir, who was participating.

This was Matt's 9th day in a row for working on his large scale stone sculpture. He was holding up well - in fact, he was almost finished! The front side of his piece had a pixelated brain, which made a statement about crossroads and evolution.

He showed us the design for the back of the sculpture, which was a theater stage - as a metaphor for Life.

Moving 'stage right' (or upwind - however you want to look at it) was John Leon of Cincinnati, Ohio. John has an impressive list of accomplishments over his 30 year career. He is giving a video interview as part of the documentation process. The people who set up this symposium did a fantastic job - everything was 1st class!

I particularly enjoyed meeting Todd Frahm of Solsberry, Indiana. He is currently teaching stone sculpture at Indiana University in Bloomington.

He is carving a tree frog on a light bulb. I'm sure that we'll be seeing great things from Todd in the future.

This is Lasha Khidasheli who currently lives and works in Charlotte, N.C. He is originally from Georgia - not our Georgia, but the 'Old World' Georgia.

His sculpture, entitled "Sunset", uses negative space to let light through. I liked this photo because it included the sweeping architecture of the Recreational Center, in the background.

This is Patrick Sullivan of Squamish, B.C. Canada.

The staff of the symposium had provided smaller blocks of stone for kids to carve. There were hundreds of school children who had the opportunity of seeing the symposium first hand, and had a chance to see the process and talk to the sculptors. I hope that it 'lights a fire' in some of them, and produces a new generation of stone sculptors.

The Don and Tom Show - it was a 5 hour drive, each way, so we split it up with an overnight visit with my old college roommate (and fellow artist), Tom Mitts. (all photos Meg White).

The Abbey of Gethsemani

2010-08-15T17:15:00.016-04:00

Meg was recently asked to submit designs for 14 Stations of the Cross, for a local church. She was directed to see the stone reliefs by Peter Watts, which are housed in the Abbey of Gethsemani. A visit was scheduled for Friday the 13th, so, I tagged along.

The monastery is nestled in wooded knobs a few miles south of Bardstown, Kentucky.

One of the first things to grab my attention were the small signs that asked for silence. (we were happy to oblige).

We had the privilege of being shown the sculptures ( and other art pieces like this font in native limestone) by Brother Paul Quenon. You can see some of his photography and poetry on the Gethsemani website www.monks.org.

The reliefs are installed in a long gallery-like hallway.

The Stations of the Cross were carved in high relief from an English limestone that is very similar to our Indiana Limestone.

Peter Watts also created this expressive sculpture. The banner translates from Latin, "I love because I love".

Outside, we were shown this bronze by Louisville sculptor, Bob Lockhart.

On a terrace above Bob's sculpture were these iron crosses. The Abbey has been active at this location for over 150 years.

Walking back down the hill, we found this message spelled out in seeds from a tree.

Inside a walled garden is another version of the Stations of the Cross. This one is made from sand-cast bronze attached to concrete plinths.

Before Brother Paul Quenon left us to return to his duties, he pointed out this monument by another Louisville sculptor that we know, David Kocka.

The grounds of the monastery provides ample opportunities for quiet contemplation.

The Abbey is certainly a spiritual 'hot spot'. We enjoyed the visit immensely. (all photos on this post are by Meg White)

St. Theresa Installation

2010-07-31T16:27:00.016-04:00

Friday, July 30 was the day agreed upon for installing the new stone bases for the marble statues in St. Theresa Catholic Church's Cemetery.

Vessels Trucking had donated the use of their truck and trailer to transport the carved bases to Charlestown Monument Company where they were lettered. They had also transported the cut blocks from Victor Oolitic Stone Company in Bloomington, Indiana (where the stone was quarried) to our studio. Francis Mattingly had donated the use of his tractor (and time) to set the 1,500 lb. stones and the 2 marble statues.

We set the base for the St. Joseph sculpture first. Left to right: Marion Manning, me, Frankie Vessels and Pat Barr. Also present was Hurschel Hardesty, Meg White and Francis Mattingly who operated his tractor.

We rigged up the base for the Virgin Mary sculpture next.

Then, we slowly moved toward one of two concrete footers that had been made by Bill Youart.

It was a bit of a trick to get the rigging out from under the 1,500 lb. bases. There were enough people to make it go smoothly. There's no way I could have done this by myself.

The marble statues had been in safe storage in one of the buildings on the church grounds, while the footers and bases were being made. I was very impressed with these pieces, which I'm sure are Italian made.

We carefully loaded them for the trip over to the cemetery.

The next step involved drilling holes in the 2 bases and in the bottoms of the marble statues for the stainless steel pins. Frankie is checking my progress with a square to make sure that I keep the holes straight.

We set the Virgin Mary sculpture first. After setting the piece 'dry', we lifted it again to apply the monument epoxy.

Once St. Joseph was set into place, the hard part was over. The sculptures are now back as centerpieces for the cemetery. (all photos by Meg White)

Lightning on the Line

2010-07-27T19:12:00.012-04:00

Last week, we got a 6:05 a.m. wake-up call from a lightning bolt hitting our phone line.

Lightning entered our house through this telephone interface. It took out a telephone, answering machine, 2 wall receptacles and a computer. It's always something.

I finally finished this granite bench, entitled "Felicity". It took a LOT longer (and more diamond blades) than I originally planned. Granite is not a sculptural medium to be taken lightly - it's tough! You can see more pictures and pricing for this piece on http://stonesculpturesforsale.blogspot.com.

I just finished restoring this Daisy birdbath for Edith Bingham. She had commissioned the original piece in April, 1991.

It inspired me to make this "Wild Sunflower" birdbath.

You can see more information about this piece, including pricing, on http://stonesculpturesforsale.blogspot.com.

On Sunday, July 18, Jim and Virginia Harrington celebrated their 50th anniversary in this beautiful lodge at Camp Carlson.

Before we went home, I wanted to see if I could find this cave that I remembered from my Boy Scout days. I was about age 12 when I'd last visited this place.

Civil War Re-enactment in Brandenburg

2010-07-15T19:33:00.013-04:00

(all photos by Meg White. If you use any of these images, be sure to give Meg credit.)

Saturday, July 10, Meg and I drove down to the riverfront park in Brandenburg to watch the Civil War re-enactment.

Turned out that one of our good friends, Eddie Franke, was involved. This was Eddie's 'crib' for the weekend.

The battle began at 3. Eddie is in the light blue shirt. His son is the one past him with the leveled gun.

They faced calvary charges...

...and cannon fire.

The dead littered the field.

Eventually, the confederate leader had to admit defeat.

The union leader leveled charges as they negotiated the surrender.

The crowd loved it. Great job, guys!

Beating the Heat

2010-06-26T14:03:00.013-04:00

It has become unseasonably hot, with heat indexes over 100 degrees.

I was eager to use the water-cooled polishing tool for shining up portions of the granite bench "Felicity".

After I finished polishing the bottom and the "B" side of the sculpture, I stood it up and moved it onto a work table. I have to polish the "A" side (shown) and portions of the top. That's not OSHA approved footwear for this kind of work. But, I'd let the water spray soak me, as I'd polished the stone. It was a real comfortable way to spend afternoons with temperatures in the mid 90's.

This is what the "B" side looks like. Portions of the side and bottom have been polished to 3000 grit, which has brought out a dark grey-blue color. The leaves have a matte finish of 200 grit, which brings out a light blue-grey color. The chisel texture on the vines is a sparkly peppered white. Meg composed this picture to frame her bear sculpture inside the curve of the bench.

This is the view of that same side, that was posted on the June 6th "Felicity" post.

A week ago Friday, my task was to install the rails leading into the new stone studio. It seemed like that should have been an easy job, but it was a long, hot day's work.

Monday, we had Breck County Ready Mix send over their monorail truck to lift Meg's grizzly bear onto the cart.

Bear on Wheels. Randall, the driver of the monorail truck, was nice enough to help me push the bear inside.

Our neighbor, Steve McMillen, mowed some of our lower field, but left this great patch of Lizardtail. He also left us a big patch of Blackberries.

Kilroy was driving. (all photos on this post by Meg White)

St. Mary's Cathedral

2010-06-20T10:08:00.013-04:00

June 16th was Tom Mitt's birthday ( a day after mine). His choice for a daytime activity was a trip to St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky.

The exterior of the building was based on the cathedral at Notre Dame.

The entire stone exterior is a masterful example of stone work. The numerous gargoyles and embellishments represent thousands of skilled man-hours of intense labor. I would love to have the chance of examining these pieces close up.

The interior is gothic, modeled after the Abbey Church of St. Denis. There's a mix of domestic materials, such as the Tennessee marble floors, and materials brought over from 'the old world' (Italian marble and German wood, etc.)

Wood carving was my first love, before stone. There is a profusion of fantastic wood work - all in excellent condition.

Around the walls are 14 mosaics in porcelain and mother-of-pearl with imported marble frames. Pictures cannot capture the subtlety and masterful rendering in these mosaics. It's about this time that I'm going into sensory overload. It can't all be grasped in one short visit.

Looking up, there are hundreds of square feet of intense stained glass works. The whole experience is overwhelming! Good call, Tom - much better than my choice for Ft. Ancient the day before.

As a way of clearing our 'mental palate', Tom took us down to the waterfront. He pointed out that they are installing a Christo wrapping of an old Cincinnati bridge (just kidding).

We were mobbed by the resident flock of Canadian Geese and Mallard Ducks, who relieved us of our extra pringles. That reminded us that it was time for our first snack of the day (it being 2 p.m.). Our 'breakfast of champions' was 3 pounds of hickory smoked beef brisket and a bunch of sides. You can do that kind of thing at least once a year. Happy Birthday, Tom. (all photos by Meg White)

Ft. Ancient

2010-06-19T16:33:00.015-04:00

Tom Mitts invited us up to his house in Newport to celebrate our birthdays, which are 1 day apart. As a day time activity, we decided to visit Ft. Ancient, which is a complex indian earthworks located a few miles north east of Cincinnati. (most photos on this posting by Meg White).

Upon arrival, everyone's attention was caught by feathered shafts sticking up out of a trash can out in front of the museum.

Instantly, I realized that they were atl-atls. There was a stream of visitors who were giving it a try - once it was explained how it worked.

Meg (in her White stripes T shirt) knew how to handle an atl-atl. We have a friend, George Nall, who makes them and had brought some out to our studio for us to try. (photo Tom Mitts)

It was all new to my friend Tom. "Like this?"

"No...like this."

There was a sign next to the museum that said "Stone Circle trail". That appealed to my celtic nature, so we set off to see the stone circles. We had trouble finding them. The sign to the right of the picture said that there were 3 stone circles a few feet to the south east. We're not looking for the stone circles in the tree tops. We're trying to figure out from the sun which way was south east.

"This...is a stone circle?" I was expecting...I dunno...maybe a circle...of stones. Not a thin rock pile almost completely obscured by forest debris.

Equally underwhelming, was my visit inside the Ft. Ancient Museum. As weird as this sounds, there were no Ft. Ancient culture artifacts in the Ft. Ancient museum (none that I saw, anyway). I would have guessed that they would have found all sorts of cool stuff at Ft. Ancient over the years, but if they did, it wasn't very well represented in the museum. I thought that I might see 'museum-quality' artifacts inside the museum (silly me). What I saw was mostly empty walls. There was a lot of signage and 'interpretive' displays with a smattering of low-end (common) artifacts with major condition problems (and poorly labeled). Anything that was cool was a replica, but that doesn't bother me, as you can get a lot of information looking at a good casting.

Besides a lack of Ft. Ancient Culture items, there were no Glacial Kame items, no mention of Flint Ridge, no cones, discoidals, Birdstones etc etc. I would have expected to see representations of all the major point types and slate artifact forms that are found in Ohio. Ohio has a richness in prehistoric heritage that goes beyond science - there is an incredible variety of ancient art pieces in pottery, flint and stone. The museum was curated in such a way as if to say ..."isn't archaeology boring - we never find anything of signifigance. So, just leave it to the professionals. Move along, move along."

On the way back to Tom's place, he pointed out that they are putting the finishing touches on what will be the tallest building in Cincinnati.

Tom is an incredible cook. He had the best tomatillo-based salsa that I've ever tasted in my life. Steaks, ribs, Cornish game hens, etc. etc. The idea was to have too much good food.

Mission Accomplished! Happy birthday to me.

Felicity

2010-06-06T11:24:00.011-04:00

I've been working on a granite bench called "Felicity", which means 'fruitful happiness'.

The first step involved transferring the design onto the preform.

After that, I cleaned up the inside radius.

I used a carbide tipped drill to help remove stone from hard to reach areas.

Even though I was a long way from finished with the first side, I stood the piece up so that I could work on the other side.

This was the progress on the back side at the end of this week.

Carving granite is very different from carving limestone. One of the best techniques involves using this big carbide-tipped chisel to decisively drive off pieces of stone. The air hammer is almost ineffective - the chisels just bounce off. Silicon carbide sandpaper is worthless. You have to use diamond for shaping and finishing - although you can get a lot of stone moved with carbide, such as drilling or pitching off corners.

These are the diamond blades that I've already gone through on this project so far - and I'm a long way from finished!

...and speaking of 'fruitful happiness'...Happiness Is...but a morsel away. (photo Meg White)

successful 2010 sculpture show @ yew dell

2010-05-30T14:59:00.017-04:00

The opening for the 3rd annual Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture Show was this last Friday from 5-8 p.m. Meg will do a detailed posting of the pieces that have already sold in a day or 2 on her blog. I'll show 4 images from the opening, but first....

This week, with the new compressor up and running, I was able to finish "Promise".

This is an alternate view, as you move around the piece.

This is the back side. As I get better images, I'll post them on the 'Stone Sculptures For Sale' blog.

For me, the real showstopper at the Yew Dell show this year was this glass ladder by Casey Hyland.

I had a chance to congratulate Amanda Matthews, who had recently won a public art competition at Georgetown College. The other finalists in the open competition were myself, Craig Kaviar and Matt weir.

We saw so many friends and colleagues - it was a bit overwhelming. This is David Schwartz, who we've known for years and years.

Meg sold "Demeter" at the opening. More about the Yew Dell show to come in future posts.

Yew Dell Revisited

2010-05-23T17:45:00.009-04:00

I didn't post last week, because I spent a lot of time installing a new compressor and finishing out the electric on the new stone studio. ( ...And all of that kind of stuff falls under the catagory of "Who Cares".)

Wednesday, we rented a box truck with a liftgate from Penske. We wanted to make sure that Meg's bronze 'Ely' was moved safely to Yew Dell Gardens for this year's Outdoor Sculpture Show.

A long day just got longer.

The next stop was at Judy Lanham's, to pick up some of her husband's sculptures.

6 of Don Lanham's stone sculptures were sited in the small stone courtyard at Yew Dell. I was very happy when they decided to feature Don's work in this year's show.

This is my favorite of the group.

Meg snapped this shot of a Luna Moth - I've always thought they were too cool!

Yew Dell Load In

2010-05-09T15:13:00.022-04:00

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by, and it's time to install our sculptures at Yew Dell Gardens for their 3rd Annual Outdoor Sculpture Show.

Thursday, we loaded our large stone sculptures for the trip to Crestwood.

We had quite a load for the rented flat-bed from Penske, but it was a lot less than the semi loads of the previous two years.

We had Derrick meet us up at the Gardens with the 23 ton crane from JBB inc.

Meg's sculpture of Demeter was the first to be unloaded.

Karla Drover of Yew Dell Gardens discovers the hidden message in the bottom of the stone trough that I made for them. I've started leaving messages between and under stones for people to find. This one says "It is impossible to achieve the aim without suffering". Curious? Google it.

"Ripples" moving through the air.

Nexus was next. Then, we installed "River Font" whose hidden message was "Don't push the river, it flows by itself".

Oberon headed out - after hanging around since last year's show.

We made ready for the return voyage to the studio.

(splinter or beam?). We unloaded Oberon at the studio.

As mentioned in last week's post, I wanted to move the 6,000 lb. cubic meter of Spanish Marble while I had the crane at the studio.

...and this is something unlike anything that I've ever tried before...It's called "Sunblok", and its hidden message is "Be like the Sun at midday".

100th blog post!

2010-05-02T18:54:00.011-04:00

This is the 100th time that I've uploaded content onto this blog. That's saying something...(not sure what...).

I got distracted from working on "Promise", and began another project "Sun Block" (because of an unforeseen opportunity with a tight deadline). This piece of stone was split from an earlier project called "Strength". You can see a picture of "Strength" by scrolling down to the Roanoke installation posting below.

I drilled holes to remove the excess piece on the end - I want a cube shape. I've put in 'feathers and wedges'.

The extra piece will become a head study soon. That head study was split from the Sun Block base, which was split from the Roanoke bench "Strength", which was split from the arm for the 40 foot Schaumburg Muse. (which was split from the ground in Bloomington, Indiana - go figure).

...the first rays...(..of Don)

All 4 sides of the base have the sun design carved into them, now.

The base with the sun motifs will hold up this polished cubic meter (39.37 inches cubed, 6,000 lbs.) of Spanish Marble.

This is a close-up of the marble to show how wildly beautiful it is. It's got occasional crystal pockets and it is covered with dendrites (moss-like vein patterns). I'll assemble this piece while the crane is here later this week. I'll post finished images of this sculpture on next week's post.

They Came From The Stars! (photo Meg White)

...I hear...I obey... (photo Meg White)