I cast three additional fossils to share with others who are interested in natural history; two are finished in a natural patina and one in a contemporary finish — polished stainless steel.
Sapling #8 to kindling - finishing touches
It needs a light sanding, a patina on the bronze and the concrete.
Sapling #7 - lath, 1st coat and second coat. (Copy)
My daughter special requested this piece. She asked if I could make her a sapling. My response was I could try, but the pencil size steel limits how thin I can make the tree limbs. Long story short, the sapling grew old fast. After the first coat the sapling limbs we're no longer sapling thin.
The abundance of knots is evidence that this tree is the host of many insects and good bacteria. Bees and other insects use trees for nesting and receive antiviral properties from the fungus and bacteria that grow on the tree.
Sapling #6 - restore and lath
The only good thing about quarantine is it provides time to finish projects. I need to get my welding area cleared of these faux bois pieces.
Today I am starting back on the faux bois sapling. It has bronze leaves and 1 bronze bird. It is a special request for my daughter Sage. I started it two years ago and had exhibitions that came up that interfered with my completion. Oops-
She is now engaged to be married during the pandemic June 12, 2020. This is little sapling will now for both Sage and Cameron.
The lath th is sharp like a razor blade.wearing protective arm wear, I cut strips of the lath and attach it to the steel with stainless steel wire with airplane safety pliers. The lath can not wiggle. The concrete liquifies with movement so the lath has to be tight and firm.
Family fossil patinas
Heritage- impressions
Turning challenging circumstances into opportunities.
The human ability to start over.
understanding the hardship and struggles of another people.
Resilience and having a dream and perusing that dream.
Molding and changing a dream until we reach our dreams.
lifes struggles
dedication and passion
a connection to the earth
compassion that drives us
courage to carve your own path
quiet strength
laugh lines
hope for a better life through hard work
Sapling #7 - lath, 1st coat and second coat.
My daughter special requested this piece. She asked if I could make her a sapling. My response was I could try, but the pencil size steel limits how thin I can make the tree limbs. Long story short, the sapling grew old fast. After the first coat the sapling limbs we're no longer sapling thin.
The abundance of knots is evidence that this tree is the host of many insects and good bacteria. Bees and other insects use trees for nesting and receive antiviral properties from the fungus and bacteria that grow on the tree.
Hat day - and finding my voice as an artist
This sculpture began my journey to find and define my voice as an artist.
I inherited a family treasure from my grandfather Bob-pa, Robert Fleming Travis. This inheritance is not an object it is an impression of a human spirit. With this object I tell the story of the pain and challenges the harsh west Texas weathers imprints on a soul through tears, rips and holes in a satin lining. I see evidence of daily habits necessary to survive alcoholism, and diabetes through the creases still living in the felt. I see a love between two people committed for life in the tattered remnants of a gross grain ribbon. I see financial hardship that shapes character in the frayed and moth eaten edges of the brim. This well-worn inheritance quietly mirrors my grandfather’s life and character. Shaped by growing up in the Depression, he knew hard times as he later farmed cotton and raised cattle in the harsh West Texas desert near El Paso.
Acid rain patina - 3 little Muensters
These bronze pieces are bronze with a liver of sulfur patina under a gold leaf. The problem with gold leaf is it looks gaudy until it ages. When it rains I put them outside to speed the process.
"forgotten soul s.erickson"
The Roundrock art space show closing today.
I have missed this guy.
Accepted -
A few weeks ago I noticed that Artspace a non profit gallery in Roundrock, Texas was having a call for art. The curatorial theme - "celebration and Rememberence" a sort of day of the dead celebration. I immediately thought about a bust I sulpted in 2014 and how nice it would be for the inspiration of my sculpture (Mr. S.Erickson) if the piece was selected. "Celebration and Remembered" is not a juried Show and I had decided to only apply for selective juried shows. It would be a away of paying tribute to a man who was forgotten in his time and it was a local opportunity to submit a sculpture. So I submitted the piece. I am happy happy to report that "forgotten soul- S.Erickson" will be remembered and celebrated at Artspace in Roundtop Texas during the month of December. Below is the artist statement I submitted.
forgotten soul – S. Erickson
Was one of the thousands who died at the Oregon state mental hospital whose ashes were abandoned inside 3500 copper urns. I saw his picture in the newspaper and could not forget him. "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was filmed at Oregon state mental hospital.His file stated he was a laborer and suffered from senility, he came to New York in 1883 from Norway. Mr. Erickson was one of the forgotten souls but I could not forget him.
"Gust" -7, 8, and 9
9/2/2016
Starting to sprue up another hat in my "gust" series.
9/20/2016
Started another piece of my "gust" series.
9-26-2016
The blind vents will allow the gasses to escape when the bronze is poured into the shell.
This marks the completion of the 3rd step in the process of making a sculpture and casting it in bronze.
forgotten soul – S. ERICKSON
S. Erickson was one of the thousands who died at the Oregon state mental hospital whose ashes were abandoned inside one of 3500 copper urns. I saw his picture in the newspaper and could not forget him. He has a quiet presence about him that stayed with me. I tore out his picture and put on my bulletin board. S. Erickson's file stated he was a laborer and suffered from senility, he came to New York in 1883 from Norway. Mr. Erickson was one of the forgotten souls but I could not forget him.
Fyi- "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was filmed at Oregon state mental hospital.
I made the armature so that with a pull of the cord I could remove it from the wax. This way I can cast my sculpture without making a mold. You could never mold the beard I sculpted.
The next step is to dip the piece creating a ceramic shell. The wax and hay will then be burnt out in a furnace. Then the bronze will be poured into the cavity of the shell.
It is a very slow process to remove the shell from a heavily textured surface. This is why almost a bronze is smooth-ish. But I love texture so I have to do the work to get it.
The next step is to patina the surface.
Up-cycled
When shopping for my home, I love to go to flea markets and garage sales. I often buy broken things. A crack here there does not bother me. When I first started making #fauxbois furniture, I was always checking out concrete objects. I ended up with two concrete chickens; one was minus its head, and its tail feathers were damaged. Instead of throwing away the broken chick, I hung on to both - something about “like a chicken with its head cut off” was intriguing. That headless chicken hung around my garage for years, it made a good weight. When I started working in bronze, one of the first things I did was up-cycle the headless chicken with a new bronze head and tail. I sculpted the head and tail feathers in wax mixed with grits and grass. I made a mold of them, and then burned out the wax grass and grits and then cast them I bronze. I like the idea of giving new life to objects no one wants. I think these chicken could be seen as my first environmental pieces. They are not only upcycled chickens, but all birds also play a critical roll in nature. Fowl keep pests numbers in balance. All living organisms are connected.