the before and after
Before
After
gust
Here is the second piece I will work on this spring . The felt is pretty beat up as I have been using this one to make my “gust” porcelain reliefs.
“Prickly bird”- peace pigeon project
“prickly bird” Peace pigeon project. Fall 2016 I started a project - an experiment with new materials. I made a new sculpture every week, with a different material. My subject the German beak - trumpeter pigeon. He is graceful, interesting and conducive of expressing energy. Picasso drew this same pigeon and called him a the peace dove.
drawings used in the architects renderings
My “happy dog” drawings are used in architectural renderings. On the "Steven Holl Architects" website, under the Glassell School MFAH Architects Renderings, you will find my “happy dog” drawings on the wall of the painting room.
http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/glassell-school-of-art
cropped screen shot the rendering from Steve Holl.com
“Score” #20 lath - what to cover and what not to cover
I will not cover the entire armature in lath as some of the armature will be used to support additional materials to express the energy of the music. I will add these materials after the lath and some after the concrete. Deciding what does and what does not get covered, is crucial in creating the right movement and energy of the piece.
Detail of the chest covered in lath
“gust”
1/19/2018
I am starting two new pieces for my “gust” series.
Here is the first one viewed from every side.
I have two coats of wax on it. Now I need to clean off and wax that is clumpy and make sure it does not loose its shape and character. Then I can begin the molding process to cast it in bronze.
“score” #19 tieing down the lath
The lath is what holds the concrete or plaster to the figure. Concrete liquefies with movement so the lath has to be tied securely, it can not have any play.
The tools
I use a hammer to manipulate the lath and to smash the sharp edges of the cut lath. The pliers are used to tie or twist the ties to secure the lath to the armature. The clippers are used to cut the lath.
Materials
Small piece of cut lath and stainless steel wire.
The Stainless steel is cut into small pieces that is used to tie the lath to the rebar.
Lath tied down with small piece of stainless steel.
The tie is clipped and the sharp end is folded under.
Lath ties to the rebar
“Score” #18 the lath
I know have supports on the ground and I am comfortable that the piece is not going to fall on me. In the end I may cut them off. Right now they stabilize the piece and they are not visually distracting to me.
Now to start adding the lath.
I started with the right arm and hand.
Jumping around I next added his right coat tail then his left arm.
Left arm
Left back of his jacket
1/16/2018
working on the folds in the fabric of the left pant leg.
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.
Photo by will michels.
Friends of Fondren gala silent auction- donation
A few months ago I was at a dinner for mother’s of my daughter Sage’s high school graduation class. One of the Mother’s is a lady named Barbara Gibbs she asked me to make a donation to help raise money for the Fondren Library. I don’t really know Barbara but it turns out I knew her husband David Gibbs in the 80’s when I sold commercial real estate in Houston. I had a meeting with David Gibbs that I will always remember. I was in my mid twenty’s and I had just moved to Houston from El Paso Texas. I had basically just fallen off the cantaloupe truck but I was a hard worker and was doing everything to learn the city fast, and I was doing ok considering the price of oil had fallen and most people were were really struggling. I had made one deal with David I think it was a Pea In The Pod store. I was discussing with him a new concept I had discovered in Galveston and I thought it was deserving of a really great location. He told me that after working with me on the first deal that he knew that I knew what I was talking about and that if I thought a concept was good then he trusted me. I was so excited he was a very important developer in the Rice University area and it ment a lot to me to get his vote of confidence. I could not of been more excited. I went back to my office when I received a call from my husband telling me his firm was transferring us to El Paso. I was pretty devestated as I was just getting some respect in the Houston Real estate market.
“score” #17 un doing
1/14/2018
The rebar bar I attached to provide stability to the piece (so it will not fall on me) is visually distracting me. I anticipate the sound will engulf him from head to toe but it needs to start from the instrument and hands and then expand out. I just st can’t start from the outsideand work back to the instrument. I am going to cut off the pieces I attached for stability and re attach them more discretely.
before Cutting off the distracting pieces.
The reattached pieces are flat on the ground and only in the direction I think it might fall.
Advice from Sol Lewitt to Eva Hess
Such great advice to any artist,
To Eva Hesse on being true to oneself and not worrying about critics:
“........Stop it and just DO… Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world… You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO! I have much confidence in YOU and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work. The worst you think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell.”
“Score” #16 making it safe
January 11, 2018
This winter has had many events. All good events that have distracted me from working on this piece.
Today, I get back to work.
Step 1- Right now, I am welding on it in my garage home studio. However, I will need to be able to get it into the doors at my Glassell studio when it is completed. The widest door opening is 34” maximum. I can go wider, but the depth will have to be within 34”.
My second concern is stability. Right now, it is stable and balances on its own, even with the wooden violin in the proper position. The energy of the music will project primarily forward. Since it is steel and concrete, it will be very heavy and has to balanced, even if accidentally pushed from any side. So, before I can do anything else, I have to widen the base in order to make it safe.
It is raining today, so I will cut a bunch of random lengths, grind the ends to a point inside. When it stops raining, I will take them outside where I bend them.
Rebar cut a variety of lengths.
On a grinding wheel I grind both ends of each piece into a point.
I use this brace that is attached to the utility pole behind my garage to bend my rebar. Sometimes I have the put all my weight on it to bend the bar.
I stick the rebar through the hole and bend it a little and keep sliding the bar and bending until I get a curve I like.
And some times I take it out and stick the other end through and then bend it again.
These are ar ready thank go.
trying different ways to create a strong base
I use magnets to hold the rebar so I can stand back and look. These pieces are for stability but they can’t look like they ar for stability. If the position of the rebar works then I weld a tac to hold it so that I can then look at it without the red magnets. If I still like it I finish welding the two pieces securely.
The red magnet holds the rebar so I can step back.
These pieces are within the 34” and will keep the sculpture from falling forward if it is pushed from the back or from the weight I will be adding to the front.
I am feeling uncertain about what I am doing so I am going to stop for now so that I can look at it tomorrow with a fresh eye.
On a personal note- My son married his soulmate January 3rd
The photographer sent us a sneak peak of her photos from the wedding. The photographs are beautiful and I loved Paige Ramsey’s description of Griffin and Alex.
https://www.theramseysphotography.com/elopement-at-the-houston-arboretum/
Elopement at the Houston Arboretum | Griffin and Alexandra
If there was an award for the shortest amount of time between emailing us and getting married, Griffin and Alexandra would be the winners. They contacted us just 3 weeks before their elopement at the Houston Arboretum. Making them the last wedding booked in 2017 and the first wedding photographed in 2018. And it was the best way to start the year.
Griffin and Alexandra are incredibly personable. They’re the kind of people you feel like you know immediately. It can be hard as a stranger to walk into an intimate family setting like this, but they made me feel right at home.
Alexandra is from Canada, they met in Costa Rica, got engaged in Mexico and now live in America studying at Texas A&M. I could have spent hours listening to Alexandra talk about their work helping small farmers prepare for the effects of climate change on their farms (and we obviously have a special place in our heart for couples that work together).
Because of their love for nature, it makes perfect sense that Griffin and Alexandra planned their elopement at the Houston Arboretum. I met Griffin at the entrance, walked with him back to the north meadow, and then returned to the entrance to meet Alexandra. Their ceremony was short, officiated by a family friend, and attended by just their immediate families and their dog, Grito.
We found a little clear spot at the edge of the meadow (you are NOT supposed to leave the trails to help protect the habitat of all the critters that live in the Houston Arboretum) and captured the sweetest couples portraits.
This simple and intimate elopement at the Houston Arboretum set a great tone for 2018. Couples like Alexandra and Griffin inspire us to live more adventurously and lovingly. To value our families, one another, and the earth more. To take more pride and put more passion in our work.
We hope we can pass some of that inspiration on to you.
My friend judge Carolyn Johnson presided over the ceremony.
They each wrote their own vows
Sage did the reading.
Of course their fur baby Grito behaved perfectly.
Griffin Joseph and Alexandra Groome Klement ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Happily ever after
Gust
This is to be the first hat in the series (best laid plans). Like the last hat I poured this fall, it had cool spots that did not pour. I am going to finish it and consult with a commercial Foundry, Legacy Fine Art Foundry, regarding patching it.
I will use an angle grinder and cut the sprues off level with the felt.
All the chasing is completed here.
After legacy fine Arts Foundry matched it.
I think it looks amazing. They did a great job.
The next step is for me to add the felt texture to the patches.
“The road” Houston to Seattle a father and son moment.
The poetry between a father and son - documenting a son’s epic ride, and a father’s support. I was contacted by a fellow St. John’s mother Lourdes Hernandez to donate my artistic skills to decorate a boots for the MD Anderson boot walk fundraiser. When Lourdes dropped by my studio, I gave her my typical studio tour/artist talk. She really connected with two bodies of work; first, my hat series 'gust'. Her grandfather wore the same hat. Holding it, her eyes filled with tears, she said she could smell him. This filled my heart, it is a dream moment for an artist to get that type of a reaction from a sculpture. She also connected with 'The road' series of a cyclist. Her son rode his bicycle from Houston to Seattle. Her husband rode the last two days with him. She wanted her husband to see the work. A few weeks later, Lourdes and her husband Randy stopped by. It was clear to me that the connection between Randy and their son Ben on their cycling trips were very important to both Lourdes and Randy. I offered to do some more pieces with just two cyclists a father and a son, and asked to look at some of their photos from their trips. All the photos of Randy and Ben were in evergreen environments. Randy and Ben are extremely fit. I did the the five pieces below incorporating trees in the background, making the cyclist trimmer and making the two cyclist closer together. Lourdes gave Randy 'The road' Randy and Ben V for Christmas. I really enjoyed getting to know Lourdes, hearing about her amazing son’s ride across country. I am honored to be able to create a piece of art for their family that documents their love and admiration for their son. I hope we can keep in touch.
Score
Loading him up for my last studio visit of 2017.
I love the shadows he makes on my brick wall.
Peace pigeon project
After 12 months I have finally had these pieces photographed. Nash Baker took the photos, I think he did a beautiful job.
It is a large body of work and I had to choose what should be shot and What would not make the cut.
Artist statement
In the fall of 2016 I decided to experiment with sculpture materials. I challenged myself to sculpt a new sculpture a week, each week in a different material. As my subject, I chose the German beak crested trumpeter with leg muffs pigeon because he allows me to express a lot of movement and energy. I have many drawings and a bronze sculpture of the German beak trumpeter. From a sculpturing point of view, his feathery feet keep him balanced without a pedestal allowing for lots of the expression of energy and emotion.
It turns out that the bird known in the US as a German beak trumpeter pigeon is the same bird that Picasso drew as the peace dove. Everyone knows His famous "peace doves". This particular pigeon was given to him by Henri Matisse. It is described as a Milanese pigeon. Possibly it was from Milan, but you can tell by the fancy feathers on his feet that it is a Germanbeak-crested trumpeter with leg muffs. In German and French, the term pigeon and dove are interchangeable.
I am no longer committed to sculpt a peace pigeon a week but I don’t hesitate if a material or found object jumps out at me to turn it into a sculpture. I was not able to photograph these until the end of 2017.
http://www.arttimesjournal.com/art/reviews/May_June_10_Ina_Cole/Pablo_Picasso_Ina_Cole.html
Feather finery
plaster and yard clippings
regenerative agriculture/art the search and research for a new body of work.
Regenerative agriculture/art- for some months I have been searching for a way to use my art to promote sustainable living and/or regenerative agriculture in an urban environment. I have had numerous conversations with my son, Griffin Klement, and his fiancé, Alex Groome (both whose life’s work is to save the planet and #livewithdignity), discussing what is the most viable message to communicate to people living in urban communities. Our conversations began on Mother’s Day weekend (2017), when I was visiting them in San Miguel Allende. They gave me a tour of the Via Organica farm that teaches locals how to live in a sustainable way. Yesterday, Alex Groome and I went to a regenerative agriculture farm in Spicewood Texas Terra Purezza to continue my research into what I hope to be a new and important part of my art practice.
It is hard to pick 1 photo out of the 150 photos I took to represent the day.
This video clip may not be the most interesting visually but listen to Orion as he sums up their priorities at Terra Purezza.
http://terrapurezza.com/about/
Tina and Orion Weldon, and Tina’s sister, Karina Mackow were so generous with their time, Alex and I both were very grateful and as well as impressed. They are truly admirable and cutting edge regenerative citizens.
Karina, Tina, Orion and their beloved sounder of swine.
Alex Groome (my soon to be daughter in law) taking photos and videos to post on http://regenerationinternational.org/
one of the organizations that she and Griffin have worked hard to helped organize.
Alex giving one of the Gloucestershire Old Spot (GOS) pigs a good scratch. They love Love Love you to scratch them. They are playful a sweet creatures as well as good to eat.
post to be continued.
Silver lining- Boot walk - Artist designed award boots
I was asked by Lourdes Hernandez to design a boot to be used as an award for the MD Anderson boot walk. Lourdes brought the boot to my studio. As I was walking her to her car, she told me about her three battles with cancer. Three battles; and what she talked about was learning what was really important in life. Her story and her positive attitude inspired my boot — Silver Lining.
First I painted my boot white.
I silver leafed the inside.
Silver lining