Once I added plaster to the first violin it lost it’s fragility it list it’s magic, I tried scraping it off but it just was not the same. Today I whittled out another.
how does it look?
“score” #27
3/19 end of the day
“score” #26 adding some icing
My favorite part of a cake is the icing and my favorite part of this sculpture is the part I am just getting to - the icing. The little pieces, that create the quiet moments. The little nuances that add the extra flavor and detail that will hopefully make it sing. The pieces that will visually depict those tiny, fragile notes that are unique to the violin.
“gust” in porcelain
I rolled out 4 more porcelain “gust” hat reliefs.
I have covered them in plastic and will let them slowly dry out before firing.
“score” - #25 marching on
I was able to get another full day of work in. I was primarily focused on integrating the large piece of welded wire that makes up the movement created by his right arm with the steel and plaster figure’s arm and head. I am integrating the two by adding small broken pieces of wire cloth within the welded wire.
Shoulder and neck attaching to the head
Shoulder view from the front
I also added some tiny delicate wires to the movement of the bows. The delicate sounds coming off the strings.
the top back of the head
One of my artist friends Vincent Blair stopped in and took a quick pic as I worked.
My wire stash is on the pedestal.
“Score” today’s progress.
I made a lot of progress today. All those wires that were making me crazy because they were in my way were very useful today. They came in handy for creating the movement of the right arm pulling back as it moves the bow across the strings of the violin. They also worked out well to add motion to the left leg as his body sways to the sound of the violin, in creating the motion in the upper back of the figure and the movement of the bow.
I also added the violin bows
I listened to a playlist of violin solos on Spotify. I was working on the bows when Massenet: Thais/Acte Deux Meditation religieuse came on. It is a tear-jerker. I kept thinking about my 90-year-old Dad who is not doing well and was just approved for hospice. It is ironic that the piece I am working on during this sad time is titled “score”. The title today has a double meaning; it not only refers to the music score, but for my father's love for sports and scoring on the football field.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2TkpA2qsGI60157gXszMg0?si=Hma56nj1ToiImjelxQsn4Q
Below are a few of my favorite pics of the day.
The motion of his right shoulders it moves back and down.
The head focusing on the strings of the violin.
right hand movement
Right hand movement.
view from just left of him
the right hand and bow in motion.
upper body
“score” a hot mess
I love spring break because I can really spread out and workworkwork. I made progress today on his upper body. I filled in the texture on his chest, added several hands, active fingers and the violin.
Below are a few images from the end of the day.
still a hot mess but I am making progress.
gust - patina - una mas
Thursday nights= patina night. One more ✅
the before
“Score” with a second look
3/8
Today was a studio visit day so I did not make any progress on my piece. However, Sara Henderson who manages art collections came by in the morning and Christina Reese of Glasstire visited in the afternoon. And, yes, I showed them all my work; even my current project with which I am struggling. Setting up my large sculptures gave me a good second look at the “score” piece and the finish so far and there are parts of the surface that I do like.
I love it when the plaster oozes through the lath.
left foot
leg
leg detail
I am seeing some things that are working that I need to expand on. I can’t wait until my next day to work on it.
“score” - day 2 of plaster.
3/7
This is feeling like a slow process and I am now regretting adding the wires before covering the piece in plaster. The wires are making it difficult to cover the lath and rebar. I initially wound them up to get them out of the way. Today I unwound them to see if they are less of a nuisance straight, but they are still irritating me. I am trying to decide if I should cut them off or wrap them into the piece as texture now. This is a decision I will make tomorrow when I am fresher.
Front
Right
Left
Back
“Score” - the instrument
“score” #23 the violin
1/22/2017
it is a start
I used stainless steel wire fabric. I have fired the material in my barbque grill to break down the stainless finish sprayed it with an intense cleanser and then left it outside to rust.
day 2
Human chain - Galveston a commissioned piece
I have been commissioned to create a human chain for a fabulous Galveston home. It is important to me that I get this perfect. It is harder than I anticipated because the sun light in Galveston cast a green tint on everything. I made the first piece and then went to Galveston with the owner and the last two pieces of the triptych were great the others had too much yellow in them. My friend the owner gave me a pillow from her sectional in order to help me get the colors right
Below are the pieces I did, the one that worked is the next to the last one.
a ghost print
“Score” - a change of plans
3/6/2018
The entire time I have been building the armature, I have been wrestling with which media to sculpt it in, concrete or plaster. There are pros and cons to both.
Pros and cons of Concrete and plaster-
- I have a lot more time to work with the concrete, before it sets. Working in plaster is very fast and does not have to hydrate while it cures.
- The color of concrete is not as bright as plaster.
- The concrete I would pour at home, and then allow it to hydrate for five days between layers. This would tie up my welding space, and keep me from starting a new armature.
- If I make it out of concrete at home, then I will have to hire movers to get it to my studio at Glassell, in order to photograph it, and then pay to have it moved again, as we are moving out of the building in May. That is a lot of extra expense.
- I have never made a large plaster piece.
Plaster it is, now is the time to try new things.
one last look before I start mixing the plaster.
The left foot- plaster and cut up pieces of wire and broken wire cloth.
The right foot and leg.
Detail of right leg
“Score” - more violins and bows
3/7/2018
I was ready to start plastering again and a friend had set up a piece of her art in the middle of my work space in the sculpture room. No worries, I decided to work on some of the additional pieces that will be added as the plastering progresses.
A few bows and a violin
Human chain commissioned piece
“Human chain H20” it took me 6 attempts (that is X 5 pieces in a pentaptych) to get the colors perfect.
“score” - what to do with the extra concrete
I always end up with extra concrete and hate to waste it it so I made a quick bird armature to put my extra cncrete on.
A giant peace pigeon or possibly a swan, or a fancy chicken.
score- new base.
I changed the base. I purchased a 1/4” thick by 24” X 24” piece of steel and welded his feet to it. The steel weighs 40 lbs. the more bottom heavey he is the safer.
In order to weld him to the base I had to take all the paper out. Tomorrow I will re stuff him. 🤪
Studio visit/a birthday surprise event
Theater director Lily Wollf purchased a lenticular for her husband. They are in town from Austin today and she is bringing him by my studio for a visit. Little does he know that she bought him the piece. I have it wrapped in the corner with a giant brown paper flower on it. I will serve wine and show them around and then she will give him his gift. I love being able to help with the surprise.
this was a lot of fun.
International Water Media Exhibition - merit award
I think this was there 42nd International Water Media Exhibition.
I am not sure how..........
Shake shake shake chocolate IV- soap bubbles walnut oil and coffee
30” X 22”
I am not sure how, but somehow my piece 'Shake Shake Shake IV” was selected by the juror Ian Stewart for one of the merit awards. The opening was very crowded and it was hard to see all the work, but the pieces I saw between all the faces were stunning. I will have to go back to study them.
FYI: my chocolate pieces were inspired by Karen Brandt’s dog Hank. I hope Hank is feeling OK. She commissioned me to draw him shaking a few years back. I think I did five or six, and she picked her favorite.
