My studio- my definition and use.

I was asked to define my art studio and how I  use it. 

This is what I came up with-

                  -my studio- 

Is stuck in traffic as my mind wanders.

Sits at a stoplight where I observe a homeless man and his possessions.

Is a construction site as I memorize the body language of the workers.

Is the park where play inspires a body of work.

Is above the skyscrapers where construction cranes bathe in sunlight.

My studio-

Is a memory I can’t let go.

Is an object in which I see the life of a grandfather.

Is a stick I have to pick up.

Is a sleepless night where my thoughts resolve.

My studio-

Is the Internet where articles are read.

Is the photo application where work is documented.

Is Squarespace where a website and blog are my gallery.

Is Facebook and Instagram where posts count the likes.

My studio-

Is a corner in the garage where thoughts become works on paper, and observations transform into abstract wire sculptures.

Is the kitchen counter where small sculptures are prepared to be cast in bronze.

Is a hacker space where furnaces heat  bronze and sculptures are immortalized.

Is studio 234 in the old Nabisco factory where  BLOCK XVI fellows strive. 

My studio-

Is where soap bubbles, wax and wire, charcoal and clay, paper and ink are well stocked.

Is where safety goggles and ear protectors, respirators and gloves are within reach.

Is where angle grinders, chop saws, and pneumatic needle hammers are well oiled.

My studio –

Is simple, clean, well lit and dead white.

My studio –

Is where I tell my stories and invite others to listen

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.

Dr. Juliet Farmer's Boutique Eyecare - made a donation to my art project. - it must have been fate

She put two of these sweet chairs by her garbage Monday. Tuesday am she saw my request for a small chair to use in a sculpture. When she got to her office the garbage pick up only took one chair. She sent me a Facebook message and I ran right over. 

Gracias dr. Farmer.  

shake shake shake IV started

10/5/1016

10/11

End of day 10/11

I want this one to have it's front right paw off the ground. In order to achieve this the paw will be lightly defined to keep it physically light and the left side will have to be very sturdy- tricky

End of day 10/12

Right paw lifted.  

Awkward view.  

Working on the backside.  

From the back  

10/24  

Left side 

Moments That Matter

I just received an email that "comb here" a drawing of my father trying to comb my son's hair before an Easter picture was selected for the "Moments that matter"  exhibition in the Impasto art gallery in Longmont Colorado.  

"Comb here"  30" X 22" 

charcoal, ink and pastel on paper.  

Moments that Matter  exhibition.  

peace pigeon project #2 heyday part 2

On 10/24 I mixed up some plaster and added a little hay.  

10/25 the plaster is cured. I think on my next piece I will leave more mesh showing. 

Saw an empty pedestal in the block and just could not resist perching him there for a few. 

I love the exposed armature  

The silo's windows- were screening at me.

I volunteered to work at the sculpture month Houston opening last night. The exhibition was great, however I couldn't quit  taking pictures of the old wired over windows. Those lines- I love them. 

peace pigeon project #2

10/13

I started building the armature for another pigeon. I am using airplane safety wire pliers to attach metal lath into the shape of a German beak trumpeter pigeon. 

The armature ready for plaster or concrete.  

Tail detail  

Foot detail

Material - metal lath, gloves and cutters. 

Armature -One leg muff pigeon  leg  

Armature-  Two feet and the start of the chest 

Had to do a little smashing of the mesh.  

A layer of plaster and hay is added  

My charcoal drawing of pigeon.  

Tail feather support  

Peace Pigeon project #1

My goal is to experiment with new materials however I am starting with one I am very familiar with - bailing wire. My subject the German beak - trumpeter pigeon. He is graceful, interesting and conducive to expressing energy. Picasso called him a the peace dove. 

German beak - trumpeter pigeon

wire

14" X 8" X 12" 

The finished product- he is strutting. When the jerk their heads way back then stick it way out when then they walk. 

Sara wing-German beak trumpeter pigeon. 

Below are photos of how the piece progressed 

10/5/2016

10/6/2016

Coming along

Oops

10/10/1016

Looking proud

I will look at him in a week and see if I think I am done. What do you think?  

Random day in studio

I have decided to post once a month a video of my studio. Here is the first. It was taken early September.  

"gust" - porcelain

Gust is a series in a greater body of work. The first component was "heritage" which is now in the city of Houston's art collection. "heritage" is an example of an object that through use has retained energy from those who have used and handled it. The second piece is "heritage II" which is reserved for my private collection. Then I started "gust" a bronze series of hats caught in a gust of wind. The wind tosses, turns and tumbles the hat. To be exhibited with "gust" I am making 16 porcelean reliefs of hats. These hats will also expresss a physical energy. See below some pictures of them. 

"Gust" - porcelain detail

"Gust" - porcelain detail

Two pieces on table. 

"Gust" - porcelain detail

My plan is to hang 16 pieces  4 X 4 or maybe 25 -  5X 5. 

"gust" 7,8 and 9

10/6/2016

Prepared the shells for burnout  

Here I am wearing ear and eye protection,  a respirator and using my angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut off the top of the cup and blind vents. 

Shells ready for the first burnout.

shake shake shake IV, V,III,II,I lenticular

new piece 

A whole lotta shak'n goin' on

30" X 22"  

honorable mention

Great news from Charlotte North Carolina this morning.  "Craneology - dance until sunrise" was given an honorable mention in the show BUILD. 

check out the show at the link below. 

http://www.cielcharlotte.com/

shake shake shake III post #2

Starting back legs

Either the body is too long or too short.  

Still working.  

Problems.  

So much to fix. 

I was wanting her to be stretching both forward and backward - but it just looks like the body is too long.  

Front angle

Placed with I and II

Still working

I love the tail.  

Stagnated- I am dreading shortening long the body.  

Monday the 26th

It turns out I have the length of his body right, and the leg length is right. The thickness of his abdomen is wrong.  

I have cut the wire in the middle of his back off and will add height in his hips and shoulder blades.  

I have already worked on the shoulders.  

Coming a long. I used his tail to. Yield up the hips. 

Now under the neck looks weird.  

Stopping for the day. I am dipping some pieces at TxRx  

"Shake shake shake III", "that stick is not gonna throw itself", and "sit" 

Tuesday the 27th

View from the back through the piece to the front.  

Left backside through to the front.  

Left side

Front / leftside 

This view needs some work.  

Front right

Right side

Looking through his abdomen towards his face.  

shake shake shake III - done (I think)

Interesting angle

detail of active tail wag

Looking through from the back.  

ears and tails on the move

Accepted

I just saw in my email the Houston Metal Arts Guild newsletter. The heading announced that the juror for their show "spirit and Matter" has made his selections. I was disappointed since I have not received an "accepted" email. I submitted a small bronze and gold leaf piece  "lifting spirit"

My submission  

I scanned the announcement to see what kind of work was accepted.......... and surprise I am on the list of artist accepted. Wahoo! I am not sure why I have not received an email I am just thrilled to be on the list. 

 http://new.hmag.org/2016/10/03/spirit-and-matter-november-2-28-2016/?utm_source=October+4%2C+2016+e-News&utm_campaign=Oct+4+2016+E-News&utm_medium=email

Screen shot of newsletter

below is a description of the show and jurors letter. 

Spirit and Matter 2016 will be a spectacular exhibit of 59 pieces by 33 Texas metal artists selected from a pool of 99 entries by 48 artists from across the state.  As this event was open to  metal artists of traditional and representational subject matter, the entries represented an extremely wide range of artistic style and ability.  The juror, Andy Cooperman, had his work cut out for him and had this to say:

“What makes a great piece of Art or Craft? Wish I knew for sure. I can only say what rings my bells, what resonates with me. But the responsibility of jurying an exhibition requires more than a gut reaction or simple preference. In the case of Spirit and Matter, it meant considering each submission through the lens of these criteria:

• Is the work in some way compelling?
• Is there depth in form or idea?
• Is it well made–is the maker committed to the object?
• Is it original?
• Does it hold up to multiple viewings; does it stick in my mind?
• And finally, how does the work balance with the artist’s statement?

All of these qualities must be successfully manifested in a relatively small number of pixels in an image floating on the screen of an iMac. Tall order to be sure!

There was a wide range of work submitted. As a maker I understand and acknowledge the dedication involved in making something and then taking the risk of having it judged, so I looked carefully at every entry, several times. The work that I ultimately selected survived multiple rounds and I believe best illustrates the powerful partnership between spirit and matter.”

– Andy Cooperman, Seattle –

Congratulations to our invited artists!

Deirdre Barrett – Houston, TX
Jane Bocchini – Houston, TX
Anke Bohmer – Spring, TX
Mary Davenport – Houston, TX
Diana Diebold – Houston, TX
Martha Ferguson – Houston, TX
Terry Fromm – Houston, TX
Marsha Greene – Houston, TX
Jan Harrell – Houston, TX
Al Heilman – Willis, TX
Cynthia Hendrickson – Kingwood, TX
Rene Henry – Houston, TX
Jessica Jacobi – Deer Park, TX
Kathleen Janvier – Irving, TX
Younha Jung – Houston, TX
Cindee Klement – Houston, TX
Dave Koenig – Houston, TX
Debbie Leh-Pargac – Houston, TX
Beatrice Mladenka-Fowler – Houston, TX
Tamar Navama – Dallas, TX
Jillian Palone – San Antonio, TX
Jo Preston – Houston, TX
Angela Roberts – North Richland Hills, TX
Sarah Roberts – Converse, TX
Nancy Slagle – Lubbock, TX
Laura Sprague – Houston, TX
Olga Starostina – Houston, TX
Robert Straight – Bellaire, TX
Sarma Taylor – Houston, TX
Amber Tiemann – League City, TX
Jess Tolbert – Austin, TX
Joyce Welch – Deer Park, TX
Adriane Wiltse – Houston, TX

"Gust" -7, 8, and 9

9/2/2016

Starting to sprue up another hat in my "gust" series. 

Cup and 3 1" sprues attached. These will create the cavities the bronze flows through to get into the sculpture. 

1/2" feeder sprues and primary vents added.  

Another view.  

9/20/2016

Started another piece of my "gust" series.  

#8

9-26-2016

The blind vents are added  

The blind vents will allow the gasses to escape when the bronze is poured into the shell.  

The first dip (slurry only) -All three together "gust" 7, 8 and 9

The slurry machine

The fine silicone powder.  

Medium silicone powder.  

2nd dip - slurry and fine silica

The last dip- slurry only.  #10

This marks the completion of the 3rd step in the process of making a sculpture and casting it in bronze.  

Tres Perros - wire

I am almost finished with #III. Here is a video of me seeing how she fits in with the first 2.  

peace pigeons.

Sunday a memory from 2 years ago came up on my Facebook feed.  I reposted it. (See below)

German beak creasted trumpeter- pigeon.  

Below is a screen shot of a comment I received on the post. It is from a fellow sculptor Richard Solar. Richard's work always has strong historical references. His undergraduate thesis was on Picasso (Fakes, forgeries and reproductions).  I would provide a link to his website but it  is temporarily under construction. 

Of course I love Richards post however I did not recall Picasso drawing or painting pigeons. Everyone knows His famous "peace doves". I googled Picasso pigeons and -  he did draw  pigeons but he called them doves.  This particular pigeon was given to him by Henri Matisse. It is described as a Milanese pigeon. It was maybe from Milan but you can tell by the fancy feathers on his feet that is a German beak -created trumpeter. The same pigeon as in  my drawing. 

I wonder if he knew the difference between a dove and a pigeon. The below link is a great article about Picasso' peace dove (or should I say peace pigeon). 

 http://www.arttimesjournal.com/art/reviews/May_June_10_Ina_Cole/Pablo_Picasso_Ina_Cole.html