Bench for The Woodlands, Texas

Monday, I received news that I had won one of 6 commissions in the Woodlands Waterway Art Bench competition.

 We were informed that work could commence immediately.  I already had the stone - it measured 10-1/2 feet long by 3-1/2 feet wide by 2-1/2 feet at the thick end and weighed about 9,000 lbs.

 The first thing that I did was lay out the design onto the stone and inscribed the lines with the diamond blade on a 4-1/2" grinder.

 I didn't need all of the 10-1/2 feet, so I split off the thin end by drilling holes and inserting feathers and wedges.  My proposal has the bench at 6 feet of length, but I'm going to try making it 8 feet since I have the extra stone.

 As you hammer in the wedges, they put pressure on the feathers and create a crack.  Here, you can see the piece split from the end and the left hand corner that I also wanted to remove.

 While the block was on its side, this was the time to make (what will be) the bottom flat.  I also pre-drilled 2 holes that I will use during installation to fasten the functional sculpture to the concrete footer with stainless steel pins and epoxy.

 Friday the 13th was the lucky day.  Dereck Sheroan brought the 23 ton crane from JBB, Inc. to help me move the preformed block to the studio.  The first thing that we did was stand the piece upright.

 Then, he loaded it onto the back of the crane.  At this point, we found that it weighs 7,800 lbs.  It will loose about half that weight before it is finished.

 We took the block over to the studio and loaded it onto the rail cart.

Here it is - ready to be rolled inside for carving. The 10,000 lb. stone next to it belongs to Meg and she will be sculpting a mother Gorilla on her back and playfully holding up her baby Gorilla above her. 

Riverboat Bench Installation

Monday, October the 26th was the day that was scheduled for the removal of our sculptures from Yew Dell Gardens.  We were also going to deliver and install the Riverboat Bench that sold during the show.

 The fall colors were at full peak, making it a beautiful and enjoyable drive up and back.

 Once loaded, we left Yew Dell Gardens and headed toward Lagrange.

 Dereck Sheroan (our favorite crane operator) had loaded us up at Yew Dell with the 23 ton crane truck.  He followed us over to the future home for the bench.

 I drilled a couple holes to pin the sculpture to the footer while Dereck set up his crane.

 Eric and I watch as Dereck brings the sculpture toward the footer.

 One of the hardest parts is getting the rigging out from under the piece.  I was glad for the extra pairs of hands.

 The functional sculpture is in its new home among the roses.  Nothing to do now but pick up the installation supplies and go enjoy a GREAT lunch at Bully BBQ, which is located right across from Oldham County High School.

Smile...

All photos Meg White 2015

City of Owensboro to Acquire Sculptures

It's official...

 ...The City of Owensboro is going to acquire a sculpture from both Meg and myself.  My sculpture (shown above) is entitled "Oberon" and it is scheduled for installation by the end of November.  Meg's sculpture, entitled "Escape", will probably be featured on her blog soon.

 This week's efforts were focused on finishing this 2 foot high Dragon Head in Indiana Limestone.

 "Why a dragon?", you ask. Because it's a symbol for powerful creative energy. 

 I find it strange how so many cultures around the world have come up with the same mythical creature.  For something that never existed, why is it showing up in the imagination of so many people in different places and different time periods?

 It can't be denied, I just had loads of fun doing this thing.  I like walking out and seeing it in the lawn.

This rough computer rendition shows potential plans for adding two wings and a tail.  I envision the Dragon as coming up out of a "dry landscape" of raked pebbles, perhaps in a vortex pattern.  Now that I see this idea translated from thought to image, I can see how it resembles a Viking long boat - or even what they call a boat burial, where stones create the outline of a boat for burial on land.  This seems to be a pattern; I create artwork that resembles that of my Celtic ancestry.  Coincidence... or racial memory?

Marble Dove and a Safe Bench

There was a huge push in August to finish the sculptures for the Yew Dell Sculpture Show, right on the heals of getting back from Meg's Alaska sculpture installation.  That knocked the wind out of us and it took a while to "get in the mood" for sculpting more stone.

 I started out lightly by creating this stylized Dove out of Brazilian Marble.

 Then, I started to have a little fun.  I made this "Safe" bench.

 ...and walking around the piece...

 ...and looking at the next view...

 ...and coming full circle around the piece.

 There's been some great weather for working outside, so I made some progress on the large hands, too.

 This comparison photo shows the progress that was made on the back.

The Safe Bench was inside and I only worked on it when it rained.  I spent a lot of mornings, in the shade, working on finishing the Comet bench (left) and Harmony (middle).  Ecliptic (right) is being planned for a dry landscape installation, similar to Japanese rock gardens.

 I've also made a scale clay model for another couple of stone elements to complete the installation.  The Japanese aesthetic has a careful relationship between 3 stone elements as the primary focus of a garden - I'm trying to emulate that consideration with the addition of a "Mars" in TN red marble and a Jupiter with moons in IN limestone.  The largest element represents the Sun on it's curved path around our galaxy.  The 3 inner planets are represented; the smallest is Mercury and the 2 that are approximately the same size are Venus and Earth.  The paths of the planets are actually curving spirals as they chase the sun around the Milky Way.  Even if you're sitting still right now, you are hurtling through space at about 230 miles every second - something to think about....

 

8th Annual Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture Show

August 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. was the opening for the

8th Annual Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture show.

There were 45 pieces by 15 artist...

...and I'm happy to report that the quality is

WAY UP from the previous year.

There's not a single bad piece in the show -

definitely worth checking out!

The show runs from today until October 25.

 David Caudill was the 'featured artist' this year.

 Mike McCarthy sold this sculpture at the opening.  It was also 1 of 4 'Top Picks' by the Jury. 

 Karen Terhune sold a sculpture at the opening; I don't know if it was this Texas Limestone piece "Grace #57"...

 ....or "Affectionately Your".  (Maybe she'll sell both before it's over...)

 I was happy to see a strong body of work from Owensboro native Bill Kolok.

 John McCarthy really jumped scale with "Botanical".  His 3 new sculptures were all a pleasant surprise.

 I loved Caren Cunningham's "Super Stupa".  No doubt that it will find an appreciative home.

"Offering" by David Waltz was also one of my favorites.  (I'm not sure which was the 4th sale on opening night...and it might have been this piece?).

Someone tried out my "Bubble Bench" at the opening. 

Yew Dell Load In

After coming home from Meg's sculpture installation in Alaska, we had to hit the ground running to have everything ready for the 8th Annual Yew Dell Outdoor Sculpture Show.

 On Thursday August 20, we rented a 24' diesel flat bed truck from Thrifty Truck Rental in Louisville.  It was past dark before we'd finished loading it using my crane truck.

 Early the next morning, we had a 23 ton crane from JBB show up to load the pieces that were to heavy for my truck.  We have our favorite crane operator, Derrick Sheroan, back on the controls.

 The first piece to hit the ground at Yew Dell was my life-size stone figure "Testing the Waters".

 We set a contemporary stone trough and then this "Bubble Bench".

 My "River Boat Bench" was 1 of 4 'Top Picks' by the jury.  It sold at the opening.

 "Leafy Bench" was the last of my 5 pieces to get set in the gardens.

 Next, we installed Meg's "Cougar and Fawn".

 Meg's "Flight" was also 1 of 4 'Top Picks' by the jury.

...and the last piece to get installed was Meg's "Leda and the Swan".

(All photos Meg White 2015)