"Darkest Before the Dawn" monumental-scale functional sculpture

Most of my effort this spring has been on a large outdoor project.

It started last summer when I bought this big block for my birthday.

Here it is being unloaded at the studio.  It measured 8' x 2-1/2' x 2' and weighed approx. 6,000 lbs.

I started carving the piece last fall before it got too cold.  I laid out the design and began to cut the outline.

I ground and drilled the bottom while it was on its side.

Mid-March, we had a crane turn it upright..  I preformed all the major forms first.  Here, I've drawn the dark cloud currents with a timber crayon.  

It took a LOT more work to actually carve those cloud currents than I had originally estimated.  Next, I made refinements in the top bird wing form and began designing the "fog" underneath. 

I finished this piece on the last day of May.  It represents the bright Sun breaking through the dark clouds.  The bird wing shaped top symbolizes the Human Spirit lifting above the fog and confusion.

This is the view of the back side.  I hope that I can move this piece away from the crowded stone yard next week while I have a crane here.  This is a good piece and deserves better images of the finished work
 

APRIL / MAY Rainy Day Sculptures

If the weather was nice, I focused my efforts on a monumental-scale functional sculpture titled "Darkest Before Dawn".  When it rained, I'd work inside the studio on smaller pieces.

This piece is called "Earth and Sky" and it measures 36" high x 27" wide x 18" deep and weighs approx. 700 lbs. Signed "D. Lawler 4-8-21"  The top piece is Brazilian Marble that sits on Indiana Limestone.  It is intended as a lecturn or simply as a garden sculpture.

The concept deals with the duality of the higher spiritual matters rising above the corporeal concerns of this world.  I tried to use the images of Fire and Ice to further the symbolism behind the concept.

"Uplift", Indiana Limestone, 43"H x 37"W x 13"D, approx. 500 lbs. Signed "D. Lawler 5-2-21

Front view

Back view.  This garden sculpture represents the release of Positive Energy.
 

"Awaken" functional stone sculpture

This was my favorite design that came out of the winter sessions.  I came up with it while I was snowed-in during February.

It was made for this 1,500 lb. scrap that was lying hidden in the weeds.

I sawed the bottom flat and roughed out the outline.

On March 10, we moved it up into the stone yard where I could work on it more easily..

Here's the back after it was stood up.  I've started drawing on it with a timber crayon.

...and here's the front view.

I worked on this piece whenever I could.

Here's the side view as I started making more progress.

It was April before it was finished.

... moving around the piece...

It is Indiana Limestone and measure approx. 56" high x 36" x 17" and weighs about 1,200 lbs.

 

MARCH 2021

There was a lot of good weather in March.  Most of my efforts were focused on a large piece called "Awaken'.

When it was raining, I worked on this small garden sculpture called "Memory Flower".

It is Indiana Limestone and measures approx.  17" high x 24" x 13".

Here's the back view.  It will get a bottom portion soon - to raise it up another 18".

On March 10, Dereck Sheroan brought out JBB's 23 ton crane to move a bunch of heavy stuff for us.

We moved "Star Seed" and put it together with its base for the first time.

We reached out for a piece called "Awaken" and stood it upright..

We grabbed a 3,000 lb. corner and flipped it onto its side.  Then, we moved it over to the west side of the studio - where I work in the morning shade during hot weather.

This is a piece of (expensive!) scrap from a base commission.  We moved the base and this piece to make room for new projects.

We rolled "Darkest Before Dawn" upright - so that I could work the entire piece.

We set "Determination" onto its new base and moved it over by "Star Seed" and we also moved "Fruition" onto a base to the same area - basically away from where other pieces were getting carved.

We flipped the preformed functional sculpture "One Way or Another" upright.

Here's the other side - ready to be carved.

The large piece that was cut from "One Way or Another" was moved over to the west side of the studio where it will become a functional sculpture called "Go with the Flow".

Here's a partial view of the south side of the studio - stone EVERYWHERE!!! (...and I LOVE it!!!!)
 

FEBRUARY 2021

February, I didn't have as much to show because Winter came around...

I made this small sculpture in Alabama Marble.

side view...

It measures approx. 17"H x 9" x 4" and weighs 23 lbs.

Most of the month's effort was on this floral bird bath.

... walking around the piece...

It is Indiana Limestone and measures approx. 30" high x 32" x 33"

...and around...

This piece actually was finished in the first week of March because ....

... we had an ice storm and then about 5 inches of snow during 10 consecutive days of hard freeze.

I wasn't going anywhere - but surprisingly I had a couple of visits from folks who braved the long, unplowed driveway.

I tried to get some design work finished while I was down.  But, realistically, I enjoyed myself - playing guitar, feeding the fire and feeding the outdoor creatures.