Detail
Detail left leg/foot and tail
Detail - right leg and tail
Detail of chest
"dog star - Sirius " is born
The last sculpture I made was a "happy dog - tell-tail" wire sculpture. I over worked the piece and then took the head, ears, neck, and front paws off. They were laying on my work table and begging me to do something with them. All the parts were still wired together as one piece. I looked around my work space and found a black piece of foam board. The foam board has some nicely placed clear packing tape on it. I decided the metallic wire piece might look nice on the black foam board especially with the reflective clear packing tape. I used clear push pins to attach it and voila! "Dog Star - Sirius" is discovered.
"Dog Star - Sirius"
wire and found object
30" X 22" X 10"
How I know when the piece is finished?
Knowing when a piece of art is finished is a very important part of making art and not as easy as you would think. The luxury of sculpting in wire is you can over work a piece and then undo what ever you like. In this case I have decided the tail, hind legs, and abdomen tell the viewer everything they need to know. The head, ears, neck and front paws were fine but I think the piece in the below state makes a better piece of art.
The viewer knows that this is a dog. The dog is in a relaxed, happy non aggressive state of mind. Removing the head, ears, neck and front paws really expresses more energy and more excitement. I guess you could say it has a "happy ending". In fact "happy ending" could be a great title.
It also works really well on a wall and or on a pedestal.
"happy dog - tell-tail "
wire
32" X 28" X 13"
Have I gone too far- "happy dog -wire"
I was loving this unfinished- a little raw and deconstructed ish.
I was in the sculpture room at #glassell and their is a flood light on the ceiling that shone beautifully on the wall right where I was working.
I decided to finish knowing if I am unhappy I can cut out the new wires.
I don't have the nice lighting to make the shadows like in a he first picture.
What do you think................ Keep it or go back to the more abstracted deconstructed piece.
"happy dog - wire"
I am going to sculpt a life size piece in the same pose as my "happy dog" bronze sculpture. I have a new torch and I plan on brazing some of the joints. If the brazing works it will allow me to work in much larger scale with the same gauge wire.
New acetylene torch and tank
Wire ready to go
Tail and leg started
It is hard to know when to stop.
"happy dog deconstructed"
wire
hung on wall with fabulous lighting.
The brazing works. A bit Hot when it is 110 outside but it works.
Brazing
shake shake shake - body of work.
My "shake shake shake" series has taken on a life of it's own. It started with 5 drawings (see portfolio/drawings), then led to drawings of chocolates and goldens, lenticular prints, and wire sculptures. Once I start a project it is important to me to finish what I have started. "shake shake shake" would be incomplete without these next drawings and sculpture.
The title of these pieces will be "shake shake shake - fetch" or maybe "shake shake shake - splash" .
I started with 6 drawings. Sadly they will not all make the cut.
Trying a new bubbles technique.
Bubbles bubbles bubbles and white ink.
Hummmmm.
Three of these made the cut but that is another post.
These are the keepers of this batch.
"Sit!"
shake shake shake - sit!
41" H X 37" D X 19" W 2016
wire and tennis ball
"Sit!" is on exhibit at MFAH Glassell Studio School juried annual student show.
This piece captures that hyper focused - on the edge look a retrieve gets when they are waiting for their ball to be thrown. You can make them sit before you throw their ball, however it is all they can do not to start running at the first flench of your throw.
Tail detail
@MSFAH Glassell Studio School Juried annual Student Show.
Presently I am using a real tennis ball for the dog to hyper - focused on. I am going to replace the tennis ball with a bronze ball. I will start it this summer.
That will be another post.
"the last straw"
Detail
Wondering what will be my next burnout.
"gust"
Doing a head count- I mean hat count.
I should finish by spring 2018. I will have 12 plus in the series.
Artist talk at TXRX labs.
When the complete series is Installed they will blow off walls, pedistals, the ground, maybe even the cieling.😑
These just need the patina.
Anniversary bench
After five years the patina is really starting to look nice. The wear and tear from the elements is highlighting the textures and lines of the piece perfectly.
End of seat
shake shake shake - sit!
I am starting my third wire sculpture.
This piece will capture that hyper focused - on the edge look a retrieve gets when waiting for their ball to be thrown. You can make them sit before you throw their ball, however it is all they can do not to start running at the first flench of your throw.
Starting a piece is the hardest part. I am listening to Dave Brubeck as I set up my work space. I have all sizes of pliars and gauges of wire set out.
shake shake shake -wire sculptures I and II in the background in the foreground are my pliars, wire cutters and assortments of wire.
Here I go-
The first line (wire). A hip
Day 2 Working at TXRX labs/Glassell mfah
The photos in the background I am using for inspiration are of our two year old Labrador Tobi. She is a beast physically. I am working from the tail up. Usually I start from the nose down. This piece when on display will face a wall. That is why I am starting from the tail.
A front leg and a full back leg and a part back leg on the right.
The hips are in place. I still have the back, stomach, ribs, chest, neck.......
Looks a little frogish.
The back left paw is ready to push off the instant the ball is thrown.
Reinforced the knee
The wire is coated in an oil to keep it from rusting - very messy so I wear gloves.
Added the face profile . I am not happy with the lower half yet.
Nose in place. I have not added the back yet so the lower half looks like a frog still.
Hmmmmm somebody need to thin out. English labs are short and broad but not this broad. I will fix it tomorrow.
See that ball? The ears and eyes tomorrow- after I fix the giant head.
It rained all day and I feel so lucky to have a dry house.
shake shake shake - Sit!
I have to figure the ball situation out.
I will make a bronze ball and patina it bright yellow.
His limbs are ready to bolt.
Working on "gust" today
Perfecting the texture on the last piece in the series. I will either call it Louisiana or the end. (This the last of the series but I still have many more to make I just jumped ahead to this one.)
This tear is one of my favorite features of this piece. The line starts out as a dainty gap on the edge and emerges as a crease from wear and tear from the wind. In the end the same line is made by the two pieces over lapping and then parting. Kind of like a good friendship- connected until eventually having to part but still some how trying to stay connected.
Today I took a look at what I need to accomplish by this time next year.
A lot of work to do.
Gust - Louisiana
I
I was working my "Gust" series this week. And I just l o v e it when pieces name themselves.
I started this piece in the fall but was not able to pour it until this spring.
Sprued up and ready to dip.
In the slurry room fall 2015. It was poured spring 2016.
Sprues and cup are cut off.
Two weird shapes did not pour.
Sprues are completely removed and now it is ready for repairing the texture. This step is called chasing.
I have decided to make this look like a tear. I cut a piece off another hat and will grind it and weld it to look like it is almost completely torn off.
Working on texture and the tear.
I am liking it but - will let it simmer for a few days.
It might need a crease where it would fold over as it tumbled.
"lifting spirits"- katinka katinka na-na-na
For my one and only mini me- I love this piece and made my daughter Sage the first casting from the mold. The katinka katinka na na na is her name for the figure. The finish is liver of sulfur topped with an antiqued silver leaf.
friendsergy - 3 little Muensters
Pony tail
Starting the third piece of the series I felt that the fact that the pieces are children, and the innocence of the moment was well established with the first two pieces. The pony tail piece of the series has the most tension. I used sharper lines and angles in the arms and legs pulling in opposite directions to create the tension. The graceful line created by the curve in her back balances the angles and the relaxes the tension.
friendsergy - 3 little muensters
Piggy tails
On this piece I used the same gangly legs, over sized feet, and relaxed tummy to emphasize the child like innocence of the moment. The piggy tail hair style and more symmetrical balance helps calm the total energy of the three pieces in the series. I am really fond of piggy tails.
friendsergy - 3 little muensters
The first piece and the design desicions.
The first piece of the series.
I wanted this piece to have characteristics that would unmistakably identify it as a joyful, carefree young child. In order to achieve the youthful appearance I gave him awkward over sized feet and clothes. The clothes are loosely draped over the thin gangly physique. The rounded relaxed tummy and feet (as opposed tightened muscles and pointed toes) emphasizes the child's focus on balance as well as the lack of self consciousness or self criticism. In addition the child like joyful innocence is emphasized by the assymmetrical balance of the child's weight. The weight supported by the head and hands is off center so that the legs and hips provide the counter balance.
"friendsergy - 3 little Muensters" dissecting the layers of the piece.
I started this project this August 2015. The first layer- My husband grew up in Muenster Texas - hence 3 little Muensters. Curtis and his little sisters we're caught on film in the early 60's trying to balance on their heads on the family sofa. The film has since been transferred to a DVD. Watching the DVD for the first time made us all laugh and inspired the initial concept of a sculpture of children standing on their heads.
Screen shot from a klement family home movie.
The second layer- I took many years of ballet and gymnastics when I was younger and I found it interesting to see one person loose balance and then everyone loose their balance without anyone touching. The force or the energy between objects that you can't see is what I wanted to capture.
The third layer- keeping the style loose and expressive utilizing expressive lines not only in the shape of the piece but in the texture of the surface.
18 years ago one spring I stitched these eggs.
While I was raising my kids and sitting in carpool lines, waiting at soccer practices I used to stitch, stitch, stitch. It was a great way to direct my creative juices and be the mom I wanted to be.
There is a vintagebaby chick on top
Pansy egg
There is a vintage baby rabbit on top. I found him in a flea market.
Sweet bumblebee in center also a flea market treasure.
Swan and cat tails.
The last three are in a pillow.
"gust" hats that we poured a week ago.
The hats are degated. That means all the channels used to get the bronze into the piece have been removed. All the shell has been broken off and the pieces have been sandblasted.
Top side or outside.
Two small places did not fill with bronze on the above piece. I have scrapes of a previous piece that I am going to use to patch this piece. I am excited to try to patch it. My plan is to make the patch look like natural tears. It will be a challenge and I am looking forward to seeing if I have the welding and chasing skills.
inside of piece.
Part of my series of bronze hat series "gust". where it is in the series I will not know until I finish.
Two hats in the series together.
The next step is to do the chasing. Chasing is grinding down the stubs from the gates and recreating the texture so that you can not see a trace of the gates. It is a skill that takes practice.