Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

I was 1 of 4 finalist for a public art opportunity in the Denver Area (which I didn't get).  I was paid a small stipend to present my proposal in person.  So, I decided to make a small vacation out of the trip (as I hadn't been anywhere in a long time except maybe the grocery).

After an 8 hour drive west, I left the freeway at Columbia, Missouri and found Rock Bridge Park.  I took the first parking area and went for a 2 mile hike (which felt good after driving all day).  I was disappointed as there was nothing like the pictures that I'd seen on google.  It looked like some of the trails near my house in Yellowbank Wildlife Area.

I tried a 2nd parking area and met a group of young people (probably from the nearby U of M).  They showed me this map and pointed to the place I wanted to see.

This is called "Devil's Ice Box".

It's a portion of a collapsed cave with a shallow stream flowing through it.

There's a low stone dam at the top end of the cave.

This is the view looking back the way that I came.

There's a couple real short passages on either side in the center of the cave.

As I climbed over the dam, my eye was caught by the chisel mark patterns on the old stones.

This is the view from the other side.

As I headed back, I saw these stairs...

going up and up...

...until I was way up above the cave entrance.  It was an enjoyable experience - a fun place to explore (and free!).

 

Paul Allen Monument

Almost a year ago, a good friend passed away - a day before his 67th birthday.  Paul was a neighbor that I knew and hung out with since I was 16.  Paul was one of my very favorite people - and he helped me out when I needed it most.  I could go on and on...

This was the design that was finally chosen.  I'd been hoarding this 1,000 lb. block of GA white marble for 23 years.  Paul was with me at that quarry in January 1990 as part of a spur-of-the-moment road trip.

Here's the back side of the monument.  It was modeled after a 1956 (the year Paul was born) Harley Davidson Hydra Glide.  I took some artistic liberties like giving it "shovel" heads instead of "pan" heads - that was Paul's favorite (and was on the last bike that he had).

After I finished carving the marble we took it to get lettered.

Here is Meg's crane truck getting the lettered marble and the black granite base and vases from a Louisville monument company.

Finally, the day came to set the piece.  I'm always grateful for extra help.  More hands, more eyes - it's all good.

James Laslie (Paul's brother-in-law and closest friend) had poured the foundation.  Here he's helping me and Meg through the setting.

I pinned and epoxied everything - and it all came together, no problem.  Paul was laid to rest on the farm that he grew up on, at the end of Outlaw Lane - right across the road from where I lived as a teenager and where I had a studio between 1990 and 2001.

This is a small portion of the people who showed up for the setting.  Terry Carby, another close friend of Paul's, said a few words and Carla (Paul's sister) had a reception for everyone afterwards.

Someone added that final touch...

Carla snapped this shot of James and myself...  (doesn't need explaining).

Carla loaded us down with home-grown peppers out of her garden before we left.  I looked on Youtube for how to can 12 pints of pickled pepper rings (and froze the other half).  Probably a good skill to learn...

 

8 Large Sculptures Installed at U of L Alumni Center

I was given the opportunity to exhibit 8 pieces for 1 year outside the University Club of Louisville.  Tuesday, August 20, Meg and I took 2 pieces up on her crane truck with my van as support.  Thursday, August 22, Dereck Sheroan of JBB inc. (Hardinsburg) brought the 23 ton crane over to the studio to get 4 large pieces.  The day in between, we'd loaded 2 pieces onto Meg's crane truck.

While I had the crane at my studio, I put together "For Tomorrow" onto a base that I'd made for it.  (Easier said than done...)

Then, we moved it over by the Cyprus trees.

We stood upright a large sculpture preform.

You can barely see the top of my head behind the piece.  Things are much bigger when they aren't lying down.

We moved "One Way or Another".

We were making room for where we plan to unload 82,000 lbs. of stone this coming Tuesday.

The 2 fully loaded trucks made the trip to U of L.

I picked 4 pieces to make an installation based on the Greek philosophy of 4 elements.  The first piece to get installed was "Fire".

Then, Earth...

It was installed on a tall stone pedestal.

We flew in the base for "Wind" next...

... and added the top piece.

"Water" was the last piece installed on the side patio.

We moved the crane to the front of the building where I installed 2 gateway pieces titled "Get It Together". I just finished these 2 pieces barely in time for this opportunity.

In the courtyard spaces on either side of the front door, are the 2 pieces that Meg and I installed a couple days before.  The light was very harsh, so I will need to go back on an overcast day to get better final images of everything.  I'm happy with all 8 pieces as they work together and also fit the site. It's fairly impressive in person - go check it out, if you get the chance.

 

"Brevity" and "Let Your Light Shine" installed

I made a private sale of 2 mid-sized stone sculptures from a contact during the Cherokee Art Fair in the last weekend of April.  The 3rd of July was the date set for the delivery and installation of the 2 pieces.

Frank Otte Landscape and Design Group prepared the site.

Meg loaded and drove the pieces up from the studio with her crane truck.  Then she set one at a time on the ground (not shown).  The landscape company supplied a small forklift called a Dingo and several people to help the installation.

The forklift handled the 800 lb. sculpture with ease.

Lots of hands make for easy work.  We level the base for the 2nd piece.

"Brevity" is sitting on its foundation and awaiting final landscaping.

This is "Let Your Light Shine" in its new home, as well.

I like this shot that Meg took through the foliage right before we left.

"Mother Nature" finds a new home

I made this 8' tall stone sculpture of Mother Nature many years ago.  It was more of a personal piece; I never really tried to sell or exhibit it.  In fact, it served as a wildlife feeding platform for all the time that I had it.  A high school friend took an interest in the piece and bought it.

Mike Sondergeld was in my small circle of high school friends.  We used to party together at all our old hang-outs like "the circle", the "40-acre field" etc.  He spoke for the sculpture on a recent visit.

So, on may 30, Dereck Sheroan showed up with the 23 ton crane truck to deliver the piece.  The proper way to rig this piece would be to hang a 4-way from the hook (4 equal lengths of nylon or cable slings).  Then, basket-hitch my slings under the piece and use 4 shackles to attach to the 4-way.  We didn't have the 4-way and only 2 shackles, so we tried this set-up.  It was too dodgy for me as the pivot point was too low, being at the top of the eyes of the choker hitch.

Finally, we figured out the safer way - which was with a basket hitch to get the pivot point almost to the top of the piece.  We could have lifted the other way, but it would have needed a safety sling to prevent it from flipping.  I was much more comfortable to go this route.

The piece was too tall to haul on Dereck's crane truck, so we loaded it onto Meg's truck.

We tied her down and...

got both trucks ready for the short trip to Mike's place.

He has a little corner of Heaven on a wooded hilltop out in the Kentucky countryside- about 20 miles from my studio and home. (this photo looking back down his driveway) 

Earlier this year, he'd also bought a bench and a small sculpture from me.

Dereck moved the sculpture into its site.

That's Mike on the right - watching the lift.  I'll have to get final pictures when I go back over to sign the piece.  I'm pretty bad about not signing my work - none of my big pieces are signed... (some kind of personal hangup, I'm sure.)

...and ending this post with a photo that Meg took of a jet trail in a convergence with the boom and cable. (all photos Meg White)