"Hope" monumental-scale stone sculpture installation

Wednesday, November 10, Dereck Sheroan from JBB, Inc. of Hardinsburg brought out the 23 ton crane truck to the studio.

We loaded up the sculpture and the custom base and headed for the site on a private estate in Oldham County, Kentucky.

After a lunch break at my favorite BBQ place (Bully BBQ), we arrived and got into position next to the concrete footer.  The weather was perfect and the ground was in the best condition that we could hope for, as it has been a very wet year.

The piece starts with a 4" thick sub-base.

Then, I added the custom carved plinth.

The sculpture was lowered into position onto 2 thick stainless steel pins.

Here is the assembled and installed sculpture.

...walking around the piece...

.... and around...

Front view.  Indiana Limestone, 6'H x 5'W x 2'D, approx 5,000 lbs.

 I'm ending the post with this image that Meg caught during the installation. That's a jet with its contrail - because of the perspective and the vertical cable, it looks like its going straight up.

(all photos Meg White)

"If" - a sculpture inspired by Rudyard Kipling

A huge chunk of time and effort went into a new sculpture that was inspired by the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

The sculpture was created specifically in response to the line "If we meet Triumph and Disaster, and we treat the two imposters just the same...."

The sculpture shows the bright sun rising above the rain clouds (symbols for Triumph and Disaster).  The rain drops form a strange symbiosis with the fluted column that is a metaphor for Strength in the knowledge of the truth..

This is a garden-sized prototype for a monumental scale piece that I plan on financing myself - hopefully next year.  The large piece will be approximately 12'H x 4' x 4' when finished - with the quarry block weighing somewhere around 30,000 lbs..  I need to refine some proportions in a scale model this winter to determine the correct dimensions. (There are always things that I might do differently, if given the chance...).

This piece is Indiana Limestone, 39"H x 17" x 13" and weighs approx. 400 lbs.

Below are functional garden sculptures that were created on rainy days when I couldn't work outside on "For Tomorrow".

These are the best images that I have of "Wild Rose Bench" as it sold straight out of the studio.

another view...

a detail...

Indiana Limestone, 63"W x 22"H x 24"D

This birdbath is called "Morning Flight" and it has sold, as well.

Side view...

top view... Indiana Limestone, 21"H x 32"W x 27"D

I created a multi-pieced base for an existing vessel and renamed it to "No Limits".

alternate view...

top view... Indiana Limestone, 32"H x 35"W x 28"D
 

"For Tomorrow" functional sculpture

February, I made this clay model while I was snowed in for about 10 days.

In March, I had a crane move a 3,000 lb. corner out of the weeds.

We stood the piece upright onto a side that was flat.  It was placed at the west side of the studio that remains in the shade until 1 p.m.

There was a "Quarry Dog Hole" in the top corner.  But, the design was made to take this into account.

I cut off some of the waste and drew the design onto the stone with timber crayons.

Here is the finished piece.  It is Indiana Limestone, measures 47"H x 56" x 33" and weighs about 1,800 lbs.

Moving around the piece...

This functional sculpture (garden seat) is symbolic for the efforts of Today becoming the harvest of Tomorrow.  The good things in life don't always give instant gratification.
 

"Go With The Flow" functional sculpture

All of my artistic efforts for the months of June and July were focused entirely on the functional sculpture "Go with the Flow".

It started with a 4,000 lb piece of scrap from another functional sculpture called "One Way or Another".

Here, I've almost finished cutting the serpentine top and have started on one end.

At this point, the top is finished and both ends are almost carved.  You can see the design on the side.

Then began the long and arduous task of carving the 2 long sides.

Here's a finished view.

...and walking around the piece...

It is Indiana Limestone, and measures approx. 5' long by 2' high x 2' deep.

This sculpture is actually a test piece for proposing an installation of several of these type of elements throughout a public space.  Each element would be different but would lead one piece to another and to another etc.

I don't know if this will actually ever happen - these are crazy times.... 
 

JULY 2021

July was fairly uneventful - mostly keeping to myself and getting things done around the house or studio (without spending any money...)

On July 22, Meg used her crane truck to deliver a large stone floral Bird bath to Tom Henrion who lives outside Lagrange, KY.

Here's the piece after it was installed.

Tom has an eclectic collection of outdoor sculptures.  I loved this piece.

Next to it was this strange imported tree that made this secret getaway place.

Tom (on the left) took us around to see the other outdoor pieces and then to the restored log cabin in the back of his property.

Meg disappeared for a while.  She had gone under the back porch and discovered this colony of Ant Lions.  Reminds me of when I was a kid on the family farm; we'd find them in the Tobacco barn.
 

JUNE 2021

June was productive but fairly low key - as I stayed behind my locked gate and carved stone most of the time.

On June 10, I made the trip to Champaign, IL to deliver this functional sculpture that was permanently acquired by the Parks Dept. I also picked up 2 sculptures that were on a 2 year lease and now due to come back home.  It was basically a reverse of the installation as shown in this blog post

restless rocks: 2 Installations in Champaign, Illinois

On June 11, Dereck Sheroan of JBB, Inc. brought the crane out to my studio to unload the 2 leased pieces.  This is "Stepping Out"....

... and this is "Daydreamer Bench".

Another view of that piece.

This skink hung out for the whole crane lift - curious, I guess.

I had a chance to spend a little time with one of the people involved in the Public Art League while I was up in Illinois.  His name is Eric Robeson, but he goes by Jet Sterling with an hour-long program on the local university radio station.  He sent this CD and a sticker.

Here's the playlist on the back side.  I sent him Disorganized Fun by Ronald Jenkees who is a musician local to my area.

On June 15, I turned 60.  Normally, I'd make this a big deal and would be off on a grand adventure.  However, I played it cool and stayed home.  Meg bought a cake, 2 lbs. of shrimp and this package of raw oysters from our local Krogers.

What are the odds of finding not one, but THREE pearls - on my birthday, no less!!!