Quarry Run

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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).