"Determination" functional stone sculpture

I've been remiss about posting updates on this blog.  I wish that I had a good excuse....

 About a year ago, I made this scale drawing for a functional sculpture titled "Truth".  It was inspired by the design for a compass as I see Truth as the direction to steer by...

 It was to be carved from the 4,000 lb. scrap that came off the end of "Magic Carpet Bench".  If you look closely, you can see the design drawn on the side with a red china marker.
Here's a link to a video when we moved the 4,000 lb. block into the shade and stood it upright:
https://youtu.be/IN1_hevDpbQ
and here's a video when I used a chainsaw to cut the notch from the block:
https://youtu.be/RrOodjnZGcc

 One day last winter, I made this clay model for a sprout seat called "Determination" that fit perfectly into the pre-formed block for "Truth".  In my enthusiasm for the new design, I'm afraid that I carved the whole thing without taking hardly any progress pictures.  (I need to stop being lazy about documenting the sculptures in progress. )

 Here's the finished piece.  This is the exact image that is hanging on the wall of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art in their RiverArtes III exhibition.

 Here's an alternate view...

 ...and walking around the piece.

I finished that sculpture about the 1st of June (?!)  … about the same time that I took this picture of the 1st baby raccoon to visit the studio this year.

River Fiddle Bench

I've found myself doing a lot of other "stuff" besides working in the studio... yet... I've got something to show for my time...

 Mid-April, I created a bunch of new designs.  My favorite was adapted to fit a 10,000 lb. stone that was already sitting on the rail cart.

 Originally, I thought that I was going to make a dragon bench.  But, the model looked too much like something that you'd see in China.  Once I saw how perfect the new design fit the stone, it was "full speed ahead!"

 I started cutting the outline around the fiddle head where it came close to the edge of the block.  Then I cut a deep notch to release the big piece of scrap on the top.

 I drilled holes from both sides and put in feathers and wedges.  Here's a short video showing me popping that piece free:
https://youtu.be/guue5HyC2Cw

 That scrap piece weighed over a ton.  Here's a short video where I used a pry bar to flip it off the sculpture:
https://youtu.be/iPzLdEhv8QU

 Then, I used the hydraulic chainsaw to cut off the bottom corners.  They'll become small sculptures next winter.

 I moved the piece into the shade of the studio with a fan on me.  Last year, I worked on the Buffalo completely outside; the heat didn't bother me at all - not the same this year, for some reason...

 I wheeled the sculpture outside, power washed it and took some pictures....

.

How to serve Raccoon...
St. Francis style...

"Harmony" installed in White River State Park

April 12 was the 3rd day in a row dealing with cranes and heavy sculptures.  It was just too much of a good thing - emphasis on "too much"

 We started our journey crossing the Ohio River...

 ...and ended it on the White River.

 It was about the best day of the year so far - warm and breezy.  The site has an awesome view of downtown Indianapolis.

 Meg's always looking for interesting "interactions" through the camera viewfinder...

 Dereck Sheroan from JBB Inc. of Hardinsburg, KY had delivered the sculpture to the site on the old West Washington Street bridge.  Here's a video that Meg took of it being unloaded and posted on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Ql6dBNKjkmg

 I re-rigged the piece to stand it up.  There are 2 videos on YouTube that show it being stood up, Here's one:
https://youtu.be/wsK3m0BH5UE
... and here's the other:
https://youtu.be/Lw7aLlPFptM

 Joe Denning (yellow shirt) of White River State Park helped with the installation.  Here's a video of that:
https://youtu.be/1Pi9neU7GaU

 We fussed with it until I was happy with the orientation.

 I'm talking to Dale Enochs, a stone sculptor from Bloomington who had installed his sculpture on the bridge that morning.  Joe's talking to a photographer from a local paper.

After the installation, Joe Denning took us for a ride in their electric carts to see the wall between the White River State Park and the Indianapolis Zoo.  It's made of hundreds of monumental quarry blocks of Indiana Limestone.
Here's video of that:
https://youtu.be/SLX5g0peS2w
and here's a video of part of the sculptures along the bridge:
https://youtu.be/Jord0E_TGV4

Meg, Dereck and myself had a big meal and then made the 4 hour trek home.  It was 3 very long and stressful days - and yes, I'm taking a long weekend off before I go back at it.
(all photos and videos Meg White)

2 cranes and a Birthday

The day after scheduling a crane for delivering my Bubble Bench, I had 2 cranes scheduled to get "Harmony" out of the sculpture garden and ready to deliver to Indianapolis.  It was conflicting schedules and crazy weather that made for back-to-back crane lifts - and this day landed on Meg's Birthday.  She normally spends it with her twin, but I was happy that she hung out for the lifts.  

 I had to hire a 60 ton crane from Padgett to reach out across the sloppy wet ground and lift the sculpture.  We made some "landscaping" changes... what you don't see is the 8 inches of hardwood pads that are pushed into the mud and had to be pried out at the end.

 I like this fanciful picture of Meg's that implies we're going to hook into the hook shape on the sculpture.

 There is over 100 years of experience lifting heavy things, if you add up me and the 2 crane operators.  Yet, I went with "Birthday Girl's" plan for dealing with the 5,400 lb. sculpture.

 We lifted it off the concrete pad, turned it 90 degrees and set it onto boards with 2 layers of 'softeners'.

 We used the smaller crane to hold the sculpture, while I re-rigged the main straps to lower the piece to the ground.

 Then, we re-rigged again...

...and set it onto the smaller crane.  After Mike from Padgett had finished his part and left, I power washed the sculpture and got it ready for it's trip to Indianapolis the next day.
(all photos Meg White).

Bubble Bench Delivered and Installed

The weather finally cooperated to let me install my functional sculpture, "Bubble Bench".  (It had snowed here just a few days before!)

 Dereck Sheroan from JBB Inc. showed up with their 23 ton crane truck to take the bench to a private residence in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday April 10.  Meg took a video of it being loaded and I uploaded it to YouTube
https://youtu.be/QIKFaiQ3QYU

 Way up there through the tree limbs is 2,400 lbs. of weeks and weeks of labor finding its way to the hard-to-reach site.  Nothing is easy.

 I was happy for the help at this end.  Many hands make light work.

 This may just be a temporary site for the piece....

 In the meantime, people can enjoy the piece where it is.

 I had a chance to check out how the landscaping was maturing around a functional sculpture of mine that had been commissioned a few years ago.  Everything is looking great!

I liked this picture that Meg took while at the site.
(all photos Meg White)

Happy St. Patrick's Day !!!

 I'm posting pictures of the last 2 week's worth of progress while the chicken wings are cooking...

 This is a side view which shows how much material was carved off "Hope" on nice days.

 It's just about finished and ready for me to make the base. !!!SALE PENDING !!!

 I also snuck in a few days on a large sprout seat.

 It's titled "Determination" because the sprout is lifting and holding up the large square stone weight.

 There's been a lot of nasty weather, so I worked inside and made some limestone vessels.

 This one is called "Inverse", measures 19" x 15" x 7" high.  It represents the necessity for "keeping things close to the vest" and hiding one's inner worth in certain circumstances. !!!SOLD!!!

 The 2nd piece in this series in called "Cauldron".

 Here's an alternate view.  It measures 23" x 18" x 8" high and will sell for $680.00.  This represents Inspiration; ideas being cooked up to order...

 This piece is called "Drop in the Ocean".

 ...and another view.  It measures 20" x 10" x 12".  This represents the need to maintain one's individuality in a crowd.  It has a twist; there are ocean waves in the drop...!!!SOLD!!!

 This piece has a tentative title of "Back Petal".  This play-on-words is a leaf with a flower petal instead of a stem - a visual reminder that sometimes a cautious halt or retreat is better than beating your head against the wall.  Eventually, when the time is right, one can move forward again.

...and this is another view of that piece.  It measures 20" x 16" x 9" high.!!!SOLD!!!

The 6" of snow on Monday took everyone by surprise.  Looking forward to pretty spring weather...