New Sculpture post #1

Day 1 of welding 10/10/2017 

The right foot 

Both feet - the figures weight will be planted firmly on the right foot. The left foot is turned out and slightly behind the right foot. The left toe rest on the ground with the heel lifted. 

Attached two legs + a waiste. The left knee is bent. 

The right foot and pant leg. The pant leg starts to fold around shoe.  The pant folds will be rhythmic and flow into the energy created by the music. 

Below are drawings I made over the summer studying the energy of creating music.  

Broken #17

10/5/2017

One last tweak of the title.

I think this fits the piece for all occasions. 

“Broken”

The tone is set at the top. Negligent leadership turns a blind eye to the suffering of its most vulnerable. 

Broken  

The tone is set at the top.

Negligent leadership turns a blind eye

to the suffering of its most vulnerable. 

Tweak- tweak - tweak from the title to the toes- “the tone is set at the top” - Greece in crisis” Post #16 retitled Broken when completed

10/4

I have tweaked the title, and it still needs tweaking.

 I am trying this on for Size- 

“The tone is set at the top” -

Negligent leadership turns a blind eye to the suffering of its most vulnerable citizens -

I took the sledge hammer to the edge of the cup.  

This may be my favorite view. 

 “The tone is set at the top” - Negligent leadership turns a blind eye to the suffering of its most vulnerable citizens. 

Reinforced concrete,  organic plant material, welded wire and wire cloth.  

“the tone is set at the top - Greece in crisis” Post 15 retitled Broken when completed

A day of breaking off more concrete, tweaking wires, a lot of looking,

sitting,

staring,

questioning,  

and  

repeat-  

repeat -  

repeat-  

“the tone is set at the top - Greece in crisis” Post 14 ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ -

fresh out of the humidifier

Moving him back to my studio at Glassell  

Changing title- ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ- no cards #13 retitled Broken when completed

This will take time to come up with the right title.

As I work on the piece, I am constantly thinking about the social situation that it is depicting. I am constantly questioning, and asking myself: What is the most important message it can convey? What is simplest way to communicate the message? What should the title be? 

As I near completion of the piece, I have decide that the most important lesson that we can learn from Athens is that the tone is set at the top. When a civilization's leadership is corrupt, then its people will follow suit. I am renaming this piece:

”the tone is set at the top - Greece in crisis 2017” 

Working on the piece I often consider how influential Greece was in ancient times and how if it can happen to Greece...........it can happen to any civilization. 

Still thinking  

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #10 retitled Broken when completed

9/27/2017

30 lbs. of concrete added to back of the head, neck, hand, jacket cuff and foot. I added a little hay to the back of head and neck. 

Foot and left forearm. 

back of head and neck.  

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ- no cards #12 retitled Broken when completed

10/2

burning out the paper with a small torch  

Thinking about what I can use to fill his chest  

The corrupt owl. 

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ- no cards # 11 retitled Broken when completed

Video taken 9/28 

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #9 retitled Broken when completed

I added 30 more lbs. to the forearm , cup and foot.  

Arts Brookfield exhibition

 @arts Brookfield "Known and Unknown"Opening receptionThursday11-1:00Two Allen Center 2nd floor#abstractart #abstractsculpture#labradorretriever #labrador #artexhibition #houstonartist #texaartist #houstonexhibitin #cindeeklementart

 "THAT BALL IS NOT GOING TO THROW IT'S SELF"

39" X 33" X 56"

and 

"Fetch" 50" X 60" 

Concert master

Last spring I experimented with an image inspired by a photograph of my cousin Andrew Irvin. Andrew is the concert Master for the Arkansas Symphony. This fall I am starting a life size sculpture from the drawing. Actually they are monotypes. I will redrew them so that the violinist will not be a lefty.  

The left handed concert master I

Water color  monotype  

30" X 22"  

The left handed concert master II 

30" X 22"  

water color monotype 

Presently the sculpture I am planning will be out of white concrete, rebar and wire holding pieces of this found object violin. The first step is to paint the violin white. 

Painting the violin  

Painting in process.  

Fall exhibitions

Coming Fall exhibitions

Nos Caves Vin, solo exhibition

September 7th - November 30th

by appointment only.  

Arts Brookfield - Two Allen Center,

"known and under known",

September 18th - November 17th

reception Thursday, September 28th 11:00-1:00 ​

Williams Tower Gallery, 

BLOCK XVIII group exhibition

September 20th - October 13th

Reception September 26,

6:00-8:30 pm

from left - 

CONDENSATION AND CRANES

60" X 50" charcoal, ink, and pastel 2015

 DANCE OF THE CRANES

50" X 77" collage, ink, charcoal, and pastel 2015

 THE ROAD TRIPTYCH-

 77" X 38.5" lenticular print 

Art Car Museum,

The Art Cycle Project,

September - November

 JANUARY 21, 2017

wire cloth, plaster and LED spot light

50" X 27" X 16"

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #8 retitled Broken when completed

He is growing on me.  

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #7 retitled Broken when completed

Today I poured and applied 30 lbs. of concrete to the figures left hip and shoulder. I also added recycled wire cloth to the owls wings and eyes. 

In my humidifying box. 

The Owl is sitting heavily on the back of the figure. See newly added recycled wire cloth around his eyes. 

Owl eyes and horns 

Owl chest and profile of his face. 

The head and shoulders of the front of the figure and the owl's chest. The body is stuffed temporarily with newspaper.  

This application of concrete will hydrate for 5 days.  

Detail of wing texture  

tail feathers and wing detail 

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #6 retitled Broken when completed

After five days of hydrating-

Once the piece is hydrated I need time to study the piece.  

Detail of the texture of his back.  

The questions I ask myself-

Do I like the texture, and lines added  with a broken pieces of bailing wire?  Do I like the exposed lath that shows through the concrete? Do these marks in addition to his posture convey that the figures is beaten down, exhausted and discouraged? 

Does the Size  of the owl weigh down the figure or should he be heavier? Does the owl look corrupt? Can an owl look corrupt? 

Do the owls eyes need more feathers, should they be closed? Should the owls body be more rounded? I need time to absorb and digest how things are shaping up. I keep asking myself  are the shapes, lines and textures proposing the right questions, or making the right statements? 

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #5 retitled Broken when completed

Covering the back of the figure in concrete.  

First I am stuffing the cavity of his body with paper to create a surface to stop the concrete from going completely through the mesh.  

the cavity to be filled with paper.  

stuffing the crevices.  

filled with paper.  

view from the back  - you can see the newspaper stuffed in the cavity through the lath. 

I am now ready to add the concrete to the back.  

When working in concrete you start from the top down. In this piece I started with the owl. Concrete is constantly falling and you don't want to have any fall on a surface you have finished. On each section I work from the bottom up, placing the first handfuls on the lath where it meets a surface that can support the weight of the concrete. In the below case I started on the hips and built the concrete up his back to the shoulders. 

30 lbs- covered his back. 

now it hydrates for 5days.  

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #4 retitled Broken when completed

A peak at the progress. The first layer of concrete on the owl has cured for five days. How does he look? 

I love his cra' cra' eyes.  

I think I will fluff up his face with wire cloth and concrete.  

The left side of the piece.  

In my garage shop. 

Detail of owls surface. I think the exposed lath makes a fabulous feather pattern.  

Right side of owl. He is turning away from the figure.  

View from his front right.  

ΟΧΙ ΚΑΡΤΕΣ - post #3 retitled Broken when completed

After Harvey

We were among those whose home did not take on water, however, our hearts are broken for those not so fortunate. I have decided to commit to walking the dogs of the families staying at the GRB with pets every morning at the crack of dawn so the families can sleep in. That way I get my exercise in and help out with the disaster relief and then I can work on my sculpture. 

they have a few extra kennels in  the family's with pets dormitory at the GRB.  

They make a super cool sculpture, hmmm....... ideas.  

I pored 30 lbs. of concrete today.  

Pouring concrete is a lot like baking. You mix all the dry ingredients together, make a hole and then add the wet ingredients.  

The wet ingredients poured into a hole of the dry ingredients.  

30 lbs. ready to go

I put the armature in a 8'X 8' frame made from pvc covered in a plastic jacket that Christine Medina made for me. Concrete liquifies when moved so I work on it in this space so I can seal it up turn on a humidifier and zip it up. It has to stay moist for 5 days or if will crack.  

The 30 lbs. is enough for a thin coat on the owl.  

I love the way the metal lath mimics feathers. I want to be careful and not completely cover the mesh. ​

The little humidifier ran ran out of water to fast so I punched a hole in the bottom and set the whole thing in a giant bin.that way I only have to refill it twice a day. 

Everything is zipoed up tight.  

peaking in to see if the humidity is building up- yep- 

"Saturday, January 21, 2017 - the woman's March on Washington"

The art Car museum is open today.