My Latest Alabaster Stone Carving - Part 2

So, here is how I begin. I am mostly an additive sculptor, using clay I can add clay where I want it and move it around. If I make a mistake, I just add or delete clay as needed. Stone sculpting is subtractive, I can only delete the stone, so if make a mistake, well, that’s how abstract art came about.

I always start with a drawing then I make a clay maquette piece, most of the time it is the same size as the final stone. It makes it easier to transfer measurements, from the clay to the stone, but I have used a smaller maquette on larger stone pieces.

Once I get the stone, chances are I have to revise the clay to fit the actual size and usable part of the stone. You can see in the photos from my last post that the stone came with some challenges, but all is good.

The photo on the left shows my first steps with the stone. I draw on the stone with a blue crayon, the profile of the piece from one side. Then I use my crosscut saw, (alabaster is a soft stone that can even be carved with a knife), to cut kerfs in the stone stopping at the profile line. This allows me to quickly get rid of a lot of stone without a lot of effort. 

I then pick up my pointed chisel and knock off the kerfs. Within a few hours, I have taken the stone down to a profile that is easier to work with. Next step I use my calipers and dividers and transfer measurements and drawing from the clay to the stone. On this piece, once I have the drawing on the stone, I start with the forward thrusting leg and again with the pointed chisel start to carve away the stone.

My Latest Alabaster Stone Carving - Part 1

Had a great meeting today with the couple, Steve and Jane, on the stone carving I am creating for them. They purchased two of my bronze sculptures, The Glassblower and The Stone Sculptor. Jane and Steve told me what they were looking for in the stone, so I did a drawing once I got the stone and emailed it to them.

They had some concerns about the drawing which is why we met today. Along with the sketch I sent them, I also showed them the clay model I made. I always do a clay maquette before I start carving as it is easier for me to see what to carve.

They loved the piece, just wanted the figure to be slimmed down a bit through the legs and thighs. Easy enough.

So I have started working on the stone when I got home from our meet. This is my sketch and photo of the stone and clay maquette.

                           

Tools/Materials 4 sandbags - made from a pair of cut up jeans 1.5 lb. Milani Soft Iron hammer Steel Chisels from Milani: small & med point,                          small & med flat, small 4-tooth Milani Rasps: 8” - #657, #660, #662, #667, #664 Safety Glasses with 2.5x bifocals Shock absorbing Veleco fingerless gloves 3M 7093 Double Respirator labeled P100 Aleve – no surprise here Mario’s Italian White Translucent Alabaster 35lbs.

Blue-Emu Penetrating Gel –      For my arthritic hands Clay Maquette of figure Calipers/dividers 18” Ruler/blue crayon 3M Sandpaper wet/dry: 165-800grit Kiwi Neutral Paste Wax Black & Decker Sawhorse Rubber Floor Pad Dremel - for tight areas of sanding Crosscut wood saw

 

Final Book Edit

Finished the final edit to my book. Now I have to go through my sketchbooks from the trip to add to the book. I figure this book will be 88 pages plus the cover. More pages than the first one as I actually did over a dozen paintings for my show last Nov.

"Water" Bronze Sculpture at the Spring Unveiling Art Festival Weekend

AIR      

I have been working on the edits to my latest book, Behind The Paint France & Italy 2013. My goal is to get it published before my show.

I will be unveiling my four Classic Elements sculptures, at the Cannon Beach Spring Unveiling Arts Festival, May 2-4. My Unveiling will be at Haystack Gallery on Sat. 3rd at noon. I will be at the gallery the whole day from 11-4pm doing a sculpture demo. The piece I will unveil is Water, cast in bronze. The other three sculptures, Air, Earth and Fire will be completed in clay and at the show.

New Works From our France & Italy Trip

Exciting times.

First, Nancy and I went to France and Italy in June to celebrate our 41^st wedding anniversary and we spent our special day in Paris, what a magical city.

After 3 nights in Paris we took the bullet train to Avignon in the Provence region. We stayed there for 3 nights in a great B&B, rented a car and took day trips around the area in search of lavender fields. That’s why we came here in mid-late June, I wanted to see and paint the miles and miles of lavenders. Unfortunately, because of the cool and wet spring, the crop was late, 3-4 weeks late. Drove around the little villages and fields – took many photos and sketches and when I paint the areas, I will add the blooming lavenders. As a painter, I can add anything.

Nancy and I drove to Nice where we left the car, stayed the night and took the train the next morning to La Spezia, Italy and to Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. We spent three days there running around the five little towns on the trails and on the local train. A lot of fun really loved the towns and the whole area.

Then we rented a car and drove to Siena and spent 3 days there. We came to this area of Tuscany for the sunflower fields that were supposed to be in bloom. Again, 3-4 weeks too early because of the cold spring weather.

Nancy is typing up my daily journal and when she is done, I will post it here and you can read all about our adventures.

Since we’ve been home, I have completed 7 out of 10 paintings of our trip. I will unveil them at the Stormy Weather Arts Festival in Cannon Beach, Oregon on Friday, Nov. 1. Also, I have published my sketchbook and journal of our Italy trip in 2011. The book will be shown for the first time also at the show. People who purchased my paintings of that trip will receive a free book, because it shows sketches of the paintings and tells a bit about each one, the back-story. I have found that people love to hear the stories about their paintings and I think they will like this. The name of the book is “Behind the Paint – The First Chapter – Italy 2011.” It will be available in paperback on Amazon for $9.95.

The sketchbook/journal from our trip this summer will be published in the spring and given away free to those who purchase my new paintings. I have decided I will continue to do this with my travel series paintings. 2014 takes us to some of the National Parks in Utah.

Stay tuned in.

Water & Fire are Completed

I am getting ready to unveil two, maybe three completed clay's of this piece for the Spring Unveiling weekend May 3-5 in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Join me at Haystack Gallery on Friday, May 3 from 4-6 pm . 

Water and Fire are completed and Earth is half completed. 

Water -Final Clay
On the west, is the element of Water. I have tried to capture the qualities of Water: emotion, love, compassion by laying her down in a long, smooth textured, fluid pose, her hair winding under her and becoming the water gently flowing over and caressing the rocks beneath her. In the Greek and Christian beliefs she embodies the season of winter which I have depicted with her headband emblazoned with a snowflake. Water’s “tool” according to the Wicca and Christians is a cup which I have her holding and it has two dolphins which are her “animal” sign, and a water creature like her astrological sign of Pisces. Lastly, on her chest is her ancient “elemental symbol”, the triangle with the point down, or could it also be a chalice?

Fire - Final Clay
The opposite of Water on the eastern point of the compass is Fire. She is the opposite in every way. Fire is energy, passion, strength so I have her rising up as a warrior springing into action with her sword, her “tool” in the moment of attack. Her fiery personality is carried through with her spiked hair and active texture on her and the area engulfing her. Her headband carries the sun symbol, her season of summer. The elemental symbol is the triangle with the point up, the opposite of Water. Her sword handle carries the symbol of her astrological sign and “animal” Leo – the lion.

Earth - Under Construction
The south holds the element of Earth. Her qualities of order, stability and maturity are emphasized in a more curvaceous maternal body, seated on a globe holding court with her “tool”, a sturdy staff, and on the head of the staff is Taurus the bull, both astrology sign and “animal” symbol. Her headband prominently displays a leaf, as she is autumn. Proudly on her chest is the elemental symbol of a triangle- point down- and a line running through it.

Air - Under Construction
Out of the north, is the element - Air. Not only the opposite in direction of Earth, but in all other qualities. She is rising up in freedom, creativity and intellect, and carrying her message and intertwined in her flying hair, are birds her “animal”. She has a more youthful and open figure than Earth and on her headband is her season symbol of spring – a budding flower. The “tool” she carries is a light wand with the astrological symbol of Libra. Her elemental symbol, is the triangle with a line through it, but with the point up.