Monk Sculpture

Temperatures have stayed subfreezing for the remainder of January,

so I started another indoor project.

 I wanted to improve the head portion from the last effort.  I found an old plastic skull model and traced the outline of sections onto a piece of foam core.

 I used these foam core patterns to cut sections from 2" thick foam insulation.

 I attached the 3 pieces of the skull together with wooden skewers.  The other piece will become the jaw.

 Using the plastic model as reference, I carved the foam into the shape of a skull.

 In my first concrete project, I learned the hard way that concrete didn't want to stick to foam.  So, I added scrap pieces of drywall lathe and tied them down with fencing wire.

 It's a lot easier to add the concrete to a horizontal surface.  With the face lying down, I could also work on it from different angles - which helps a lot.

 While the face dried, I began the armature for the body.  I had kept a piece of armored electric cable casing from an electric project the week before - it made a great armature for the rope belt.

 I started adding concrete to weight the piece down before going too high with the armature.  I added a little "Contrapposto" to make it more life-like.

 I added the screen armature for the arms, the hood and a goblet.

 This is the nearly finished piece.  He's life-size (...and seemingly pretty happy about what is in his 'Holy Grail'...)

This is the back view.  You can see that I've got a warm fire going on these cold, cold days.

Invocation

The temperatures have still been too cold to work outside (comfortably), so I've continued work indoors on my concrete girl.

 The temperatures on Monday only topped out at 0 degrees.  The extreme cold made these huge ice crystals.  The largest is about 2 inches long (larger than shown).

 I've basically finished this life-size sculpture - my first concrete piece.

 Moving around the piece...this is her backside...

 ...and her left side...

 I haven't totally settled on a title, but for now, I'm calling it "Invocation".  After she thoroughly dries, I'll try out some colors - I plan on making some samples on which to experiment, before making changes to the sculpture.

 I've already started to think about the next life-sized concrete figure.  This is the basic composition; she'll have a chalice in her raised hands and her lower half will be (more or less) covered by a sarong, knotted above her left thigh.

This is the start on the galvanized screen armature.  I am using a pipe armature for additional support until the concrete can hold the piece up on its own.  Actually, I've got some home improvements that I need to do this next week - some painting and electrical work that I've been putting off.  If the weather breaks after that, I really should return to the stone studio.  So, ...I'm not sure when (or if ) this piece will ever come to fruition. We shall see...We shall see.

The Concrete Lady

It's been too cold to carve stone (if I don't have to), so I've been working on an indoor project.

 I bought a few pieces of galvanized drywall lathe and cut them into pieces to make an armature for a full-sized female figure.

 I used aluminum fencing wire to keep the pieces from unrolling and to put them together into the form that I wanted.

 I've made my own custom mix of concrete to cover the lathe armature.  I use 1 cup of Portland to 3 cups of sand.  (In this picture, you can see that I'm using "Play Sand"...which is more fun than work sand).  I add a couple small splashes of concrete acrylic fortifier to each batch, which is supposed to make it adhere better to added layers.  I mix each batch in a heavy rubber feed pan that can be bought at Tractor Supply.  I didn't have any luck using trowels or tools to apply the concrete - I had to use my hands (...and I quickly learned to use gloves...). It's exactly like building sand castles - it doesn't want to stick to the armature or itself - it wants to fall off.

 This is the progress after 1 week.  It's a fairly quick and cheap way to make an outdoor suitable life-size figure.  I will add the bowl (under cat) to her lap, apply hair and begin to refine details this next week.

 On a more personal note: my college friend and old room mate, Paul Breslin, turned 50 this Christmas.  Meg and I went to his birthday party the Friday night after Christmas.

 I've also been trying my hand at Temporary Outdoor Public Art.  This sculpture is called "Hits the Spot" and is made from Black Oil Sunflower seeds, Cracked Yellow Corn and a large slab of Kentucky River Marble.  (White Tailed Deer not included).

These installations have become immensely popular with the viewing public, who line up at the gallery doors - eager to see what I come up with next.



SAIL !!!

Check out the video called "Grinding the Crack" on youtube.  It shows Jeb Corliss jumping from a very high cliff and sailing through a distant ravine wearing a wing suit.

 I was completely impressed - a modern day Icarus!  I made a thumbnail clay model for a sculptural vessel inspired by Jeb Corliss and base jumping in a wing suit. 

 I took the model outside to find a suitable stone.  I found an odd shaped piece, and made this quick sketch to see if I could modify the design to better fit the stone.

 I carted the stone into the studio, transferred the design onto it and...

 "SAIL!!!" 

 Here's a front view."  It's made from Indiana Limestone and measures 24" x 18" x 8".

 If nothing else, it works as a cat bed. (Which reminds me...watch youtube's "Kitty Corliss" after watching"Grinding the Crack").

 I delivered "Exposure" on Monday.  It has a beautiful new home near Brownsboro, Kentucky.  It is made from a particularly high quality piece of Indiana Limestone, measures 44" x 22" x 12" and weighs about 800 lbs!  Thank goodness that I had help from Tommy and Gabriel, 2 employees of the collector.  Without them, it would have been real tough for me.

 It's in excellent company - right next to this Barney Bright bronze.  Anyone who knows Barney would recognize this as a self portrait of him as a Centaur.  I was apprenticed to Barney in 1986 - another lifetime ago.

 The best money that I've spent all year was on this new wood stove in the studio.  I love it.  It also makes a great place to display my bronze "Sunrise" sculpture.

 Tie-Dye chimney, too (go figure).

Just in time before the first snow fall on Friday.

Shakertown in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky

Wednesday, November 6th, Brian Rust (a sculptor and fellow finalist from Augusta, GA) and I had some time to kill before our meeting at 1 p.m. in Lexington.  We decided to visit Shakertown which is about a 40 minute drive south of Lexington

Main Street...

 ... and turning around...the view in the other direction.  It was a beautiful fall day and we had the place to ourselves.

 This is the largest building in the community.  It is made from hand-chiseled blocks of Kentucky River Marble.  The stone is 'flinty' hard and the corners of the building are still sharp after 150 years.

 The interior has that incredibly elegant simplicity; the hallmark of the Shaker aesthetic.

 They were also innovative craftsmen - way ahead of their time.  This efficient stove is an example of their beautiful solutions for meeting basic needs.

 Of course, my eye goes toward stone things.  This catch basin is carved from KY River Marble (and I would be hard pressed to duplicate it, especially if I had to use the tools that they had).

 On the back streets of Shakertown.

 This is a view inside the Meeting House (where all the spinning and shaking took place).  The girls came in through a separate door and sat on that side.  The boys came through their door and sat on this side....and well...this separation of the sexes isn't good for long term survival of a community.

 Brian and I made a couple stops down by the Kentucky River.  What follows is an amended description that was given to me by Walter Laughlin (Kentucky Covered Bridge Author / Historian) from a comment that he posted below. "This is Kentucky's first highway tunnel, built in the 1920's to remove a severe curve in the road".  It used to lead to an old iron truss bridge that was built in 1869.  The only thing left of the old bridge are the hewn stone abutments.  Thank you Walter Laughlin for correcting my first post - I remembered seeing a black and white picture of a covered bridge and thought that it was this site.

This is a view of the "Palisades" that line both sides of the Kentucky River (a great area to explore).

Lexington Site Inspection with LexArts

Tuesday, November 5 and Wednesday November 6 were the 2 days scheduled for the Eco-Art finalists to visit Lexington and look at potential sites.  After a brief meeting with Jim Clark (President and CEO of LexArts), Nathan Zamarron (Community Arts Manager for LexArts) took myself and Brian Rust (a sculptor from Augusta, GA) on a tour of prospective sites.

 Our first stop was McConnell Springs, which is a hidden jewel on the west side of town.  This is a stainless steel sculpture by local artist Erika Strecker.

 Not far away was a second site by this bridge.  This is a temporary sculpture by an artist who just graduated from the nearby University of Kentucky.

 Beside the bridge is a warehouse that hosts local bands.  This mural is a marker for the Distillery District.

 Directly behind the artwork that features a steam locomotive and across Town Branch Creek is the locally owned R.J. Corman Railroad.  Nathan explained that they may soon open passenger traffic with Louisville - I love it!  One of the things that also came out (when I mentioned that we have a railroad caboose) was Nathan's 5 year involvement with the Art Train.  He said that he saw most of the country while riding in a caboose.

 We stopped at Ashland, which is the historic home of Henry Clay.

 Tucked away behind a bordering hedge is this beautiful formal garden.

 We went to Jacobsen Park on the East side of town and then to Clay's Ferry.  This is the I-75 bridge as it goes over the Kentucky River.  It's interesting to note how the 3 major concrete pylons are distinctly different sculptural forms.  (Art is where you find it.)

Our last stop was Raven Run's new visitors center.  We got there about 15 minutes before closing, so we didn't see much of the park.  I plan to make a day trip out to explore the place thoroughly as I was told that it is a real picturesque part of the Palisades of the Kentucky River.

The day ended with a reception at the Mayor's house where we got to see an amazing art collection and meet some artists from Brazil who are creating a 60' high by 50' mural downtown.  We were treated to a dinner, a night's stay at Gratz Park Inn and breakfast the next morning.

I was able to experience a side of Lexington that I'd not seen before and was quite happy for the tour and the hospitality.