Continuation of Bighorn (waxes and molds)

This is a continuation of the work done to develop my Rocky Mountain Bighorn piece.

This is following the pouring of the waxes and molding process and cleaning up the waxes to prepare them for the foundry.

This is showing the mold involving the legs and horns which are molded separate from the body

This is just showing the empty mold just before you spray it with separation material where your waxes will come out perfect. I then put the molds together and band them with huge rubber bands bought at Home Depot and pour two coats with 240 degree and two coats of 170 degree, give it a few days then un-mold and clean.

This shows the bodies of the rams after you have removed the pour spot and are ready to begin re-assembling the rams to where you can return them to the foundry.

This shows the pour hole that must be repaired and also shows that the limbs where cut off needing to be cleaned out and made where the metal will flow continuously.

Now this shows where I have cut the holes in the ends of the limbs where the legs can be rejoined and the flow will be uninterrupted.

Notice the horns are the same I must clean out the seal where the metal will flow into the tip when it is welded back on.

See the little mark that shows where the tip is to be welded back onto the base of the horn, it is wise to score any where that must be welded onto another matching piece.

This looks terrible because the glue I used (sticky glue) is the color of honey and also the wax leg was poured in another color of wax rather than the dark almost black (such is life). Notice the slash mark to match objects.

This just shows where I have put legs on and also sealed the bottom pour hole so that it must look just like it was intended to look in the clay.
After all is re-assembled you need to go over the entire piece for any imperfections such as bubbles, cracks, holes or bumps and remove...this is important and saves money on the metal side when you have to remove them or correct them in metal (which is harder). Always check ears, eyes and noses because a tiny bubble is easily formed in these areas.

Next stage is the trip to the foundry

 

Journey of creating a piece, Rocky Mountain Bighorn

A lot of people still ask me what all entails coming up with creating a piece from start to finish and it is not something you can tell in 15 seconds.

To begin with you must have an idea of what you want to do and be able to play around with it so that it is not set in cement. Ideas are great but they often have to be flexible, you will run into problems and have to spin off in a different direction.

When I began my research I first had to decide which animal I admire enough to spend 4-6 months creating it and devoting my time to developing it. Out of the same family there are several rams that are similar but divided by geography and often build or coloration.

Dall Sheep

Desert Bighorn

Stone Sheep

These are all so similar in genetics but not in region.

 

 

Rocky Mountain Bighorn

I very seldom use taxidermy animals but have resorted to using for delicate areas that I would be unable to view on a live animal.

These were all animals at the DOW office down off of I-25 in north Denver. In fact the bighorn is the state record for largest Rocky Mountain Bighorn. These photos will play an important part in the development of this piece (plus I won't have to guess).

 

Now the next step is to do your own research from you own sightings and watching the animal move will help you decide exactly what position you want to begin your armature.

 

 

 

This was a very nice Rocky Mountain Bighorn caught enjoying his high view in the Big Thompson Canyon.

 

 

These are a little grainy but gave me an idea of the terrain around the animal.

 

 

Now the idea is established and the work begins, first the armature and catching the gesture that you want.

Often you will play with clay figures until you get them exactly as you see in your mind.

 

You play with clay until you find they are looking more like the stone shelves you saw the animals on being sure to not leave undercuts where they do not need to be (making a clean mold take-away). I actually separated the base so that they are each standing on their own little base removing some of the weight and also distraction from the piece.

I will dedicate another post to the casting and final work on the piece.

Thanks for checking in on my blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for the Gold

All of you realize that you have to fill the well so stop a moment and go along on this journey with me in my Fall search for the GOLD. Enjoy.

Thanks for coming along now get back to work.

Low Blood Pressure and Shows Alert!

I recently made an unexpected trip to the Emergency Room because of something I was totally unaware.

Going backwards four days I began by setting up a show which was an hour and a half away so needless to say my destructive decision started early one Friday.

No one thinks twice probably about fluids during the average work day for an artist setting up a show (or for that matter just about anything you get busy with and distracted).

I was pretty busy the next two days and the fourth day I went to Denver all day so there you have it four days with very little fluids due to the fact I was busy, distracted (or just plain did not want to leave my tent to a stranger thinking I would miss a sale.)

Hypotension is caused from dehydration and can cause all kinds of symptoms but do not get me wrong it is not just water but electrolytes you are lacking (note: you can drink too much water).

People with already low blood pressure do not have that far a drop before symptoms begin. Lack of sufficient water cause your blood pressure to drop even further into a danger zone.  I felt like I had had a heart attack laying on the floor that morning but it can also cause dementia type problems or coordination glippes.

Electrolytes control a lot of things in your body and they all shut down.  Please just remember to take along at least half your body weight in ounces of water and use something like Harmless Harvest  coconut water with electrolytes to supplement (also a banana helps). It is scary to think that could have occurred while I was driving or worse.

Be proud of your low blood pressure (within reason) but also be aware of the need of electrolytes each and everyday. Be safe.

Amazing Find

I met a gentleman, Keith Martin, at the Loveland Sculpture Invitational Suppliers Tent that gave me some sample products to try that were a different concept for me.

In cleaning my waxes I always find tiny pin point holes that are unnerving but almost cause more damage than they are worth to go in with a hot tool and repair.

Well, thanks to Keith from REMET, http://www.remet.com or sales@remet.com I have used his Premiere Patch wax and find it super, just perfect for smearing a dab over those annoying tiny holes.  Also when reassembling my animal waxes  (ears, horns or other appendages) it is child's play with Sticktite a sticky wax they produce for just that purpose.

These are both really nice and I appreciate their efficiency of the products.  Hopefully I will still be saying this a year from now.  Will keep you updated.

REMET makes a lot of other products so check them out.

Goodbye to an old friend

This particular piece of sculpture was created a while back and was always a favorite of anyone that ever saw him.  The piece was named "Keeper of the Sacred Spirit" and it was done using a model off the Spoomer Ranch outside of Greeley, Colorado. 

The model's name was Aspen and was a pet kept at the buffalo farm that the manager even rode because he was so gentle. As all fairy tales go things changed and he passed away.

The last of the edition Ed. #15/15 is currently being completed so that someone may have this beautiful piece and then I will only have my AP copy to give my children but I will always have my memories of this fantastic animal and the way he carried himself and also the way he enjoyed my scratching his nose while studying his beautiful eyes.

Sculptors often fall in love with their subjects (as I feel all artist must to catch their true spirit) but as I celebrate the end of a wonderful adventure by destroying the mold when this edition sells out I will also feel sad that this great beasts which had such a rich history in the making of the old west and the survival or defeat of the American Indian was for a brief time something tangible in my life.

MADE IN THE USA

Recently I began to look around me at everything we buy and use just in our daily lives. It is pretty discouraging to see the products that do not come from our country but foreign soil.

If you consider an artist work whether it be pastels, oils, pencils or watercolor (or sculpture) we all try to buy American and keep it as near to us as possible to continue to help the communities around us. Just try reading the "made in" labels in your purchases, then thank the artist you make your next purchase from for keeping it all at home.

My foundries are Berthoud (Madd Castings), Loveland (Art Castings), Denver (Josephs). I know the people that work in these foundries, they are friends that have to put bread on the table just like I do and that makes them personal in our relationship to achieve the end piece of work that I have produced in clay.

I am sure that I am not the only one that has been pursued by companies online to "just try us out" and see that our work is cheaper even though some have an email address that sounds like California if you keep checking it ends up being a foreign country.

We as artist should be proud that when we finish an item filled with all the inspiration, hope, talent (mixed in with a little fear) that it will not have a stamp on the bottom of it from a foreign country.

So if you are an artist, be proud of your work and consider a stamp on the bottom of your work to read, MADE IN THE USA.

Thanks for dropping in on my soapbox......

2014 Class offered

Finally my life is settling down with only one more show to go so I can actually schedule my time to teach.

Those of you that know me know that I try to help younger artist that are just beginning...the reason being is one day a young man told me that it was so hard to ask artist questions about technique because they acted as though they wanted to keep it all a vague secret.

Well nothing I do is a secret and I consider it just part of life that you would want to pass along to someone else what you know or what you have learned the hard way just to keep someone from going through the same hard lesson. Anyone that has read this blog knows that I don't hold anything back.

This class is as always a class for the beginning sculptor and we cover research, armatures, subject matter developing with the bone structure and muscle underlying. The student will bring with them an idea of subject and also any research pictures or sketches they have to refer to (they also will be responsible for any purchase they have to make towards clay bought at the sculpture depot in Loveland) which would be our first day outing if they do not purchase this in advance. Also the pipe structure discussed will need to be either sculpture wire purchased at Sculpture Depot or fittings bought at Home Depot.

The class will begin Sept. 30 and continue through the 3rd of October, a four day class that will be intense from beginning at 8:30 until 4:30. (You will be asked to provide your own lunch). I am 10 minutes from hotels and food.

We will cover not only anatomy of the subject but support, balance, movement and space. You will end up with a piece that is almost finished or finished depending on the size you undertake.

Come have fun with me and learn about texture, using your eye, finding errors and enjoying the great Rocky Mountains afterwards if you want to explore the beautiful mountains or enjoy the wildlife on your own. I am an hours drive from the Rocky Mountain National Park and 50 minutes from Denver or the Denver International Airport.

The class is only $375.00 for four days and you can contact me at 1 970 396 1098 or pcampbellsculpt@yahoo.com I also have Square if any want to use credit cards. Here is wishing you a great day and may your desires to sculpt come true. It all begins with baby steps.

unexpected fun

Recently as you know I was up in Jackson Hole participating in the Art Festival up there and during that time I met many really nice people.

Among those I met, a lady that is with the Teton Association and she studied my work closely and finally asked me if I had ever done a pika.

Now for those of you that live on the prairie and never have ever seen a pika, it is a very small animal kin to the rabbit that lives at a very high altitude and is endangered

because of the temperature change we are experiencing due to global warming (yes folks it is not a rumor, it is very real and changing faster than we imagine). These little critters are like the polar bear that drown looking for the missing ice bergs with the serving of seal on top. They continue to move higher and higher to find that cold altitude that they must live.

I had fun doing the research since we have them here as well as Wyoming does but they are way high up above Trailridge Road and Longs Peak trail along with the Ptarmigan.

I love doing fun little pieces and hopefully it will assist the Teton Association in their quest as a fund raiser. Here is my little guy...enjoy.

Not preaching just reminding, what you use and how you use it has an affect on every living little creature...think next time you make a purchase. It could be you on the endangered list next.

Thanks for dropping in.....

Splatters happen and also wind (fun project)

I recently was on Etsy and came across a method for pouring tent weights and thought it was great...already have them poured and ready to go for the upcoming Estes Park Art Festival in September.

I took two pvc pipes 10 feet long and cut them in half, sealed them with caps on the end then lashed them to a fence post and filled the other end with cement and placed a long I hook screw (with nut on end for grips in cement) into the cement on the poured end before it hardened and I am now ready for whatever wind blows at me. They lay nicely close to the tent pole (better than the sand bags I have been using). Thanks to Etsy Metal and Kathryn Riechert.

So I thought I would return the favor, here is my solution to splashing, staining and steam while cooking when you have a wood cabinet that is catching it all from the side of the stove.

  This is simple tin purchased from Home Depot and placed in the vulnerable area where the heat and splashes occur.

I based this idea on the old pie safe you used to find in antique shops. I decided on the design, two moose heads to compliment the decor in the rest of my house. Drew the design out on just plain paper then laid it on the tin in the area needed and viewable.

I took the raw tin and placed it on a board that did not matter and took a very large nail and just tapped around the design until the profile I desired. Try to keep your tapping the same strength because it makes your holes all the same depth.

Now it is wipeable (if that is a word) and keeps steam and stain from ruining my cabinet.  Have fun and let me know what you tried. Also we had aluminum stove etc. in room so they matched (I guess you could do the same with copper if that matched better).

New Friends

I have to tell you I am always so impressed with the quality of art I see at the shows I do. I met a man with turned wood, a lady with antique door knobs on hardware that were gorgeous, a very talented print lady (check her out at www.janvanderburgprintmaker.com)  and an egg tempura artist these all at the Chessman Art Festival in Denver.  Most artist can not afford to pay big bucks into these shows and not have quality work. Most of the people I met are so good at what medium they chose such as  at the Jackson Hole show I met Cathra-Anne Barker (check out her wonderful art at www.parker-meyer.com). Each time I have a show I meet phenomenal artist again such as www.melissahughston.vpweb.com and www.lorettayoung-gautier.com all sweet talented artist.
I enjoy so much meeting the other artist and I want to always mention them in reference to a quality show...it always is not about the money (even though it helps pay for your travel and show expenses and seed money) but also the relationships you form along the road. Not only the artist but you get to visit with a lot of remarkable people , the organizers that work their tails off to make the shows work, the patrons that walk all day through the tents patiently looking for that perfect work.
As usual we had various weather in Denver for the Chessman Park Art Fest, it burned us, it melted us, we ended up opening up the back of the tent to let in fresh air but yet had to keep an eye open for the dark clouds that would promise rain. I used two portable battery operated fans inside the tent that both myself and the patrons appreciated.
I had a nice surprise as the time arrived to pull down our tent and pack everything away...my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren arrive to help and it really went a lot faster.
So thanks to all for a job well done.
One more show to go and I will complete my journey this year, it is Estes Park and I will hopefully be able to include some pictures with my entry in September. Happy trails.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming Art Festival

We arrived on Wed. before the show in order to set up our own campsite which we found Gros Venture to be the perfect spot. Just outside Jackson Hole and far enough away that we had a young moose wonder through camp around 6:00 am the next morning. He had been kicked off his mom when she probably became pregnant again and knew that she would have a new little one again.

 The entire area is so beautiful that it was truly difficult to put my responsibilities aside and not run off into the wild to just take pictures.

Most of the drive was bleak the first few hours as it goes from flat and dry to valleys and pines. The entire trip up took us 8 and a half hours from Greeley to Jackson Hole.  There are beautiful ranches along the way though that have taken advantage of the beautiful rock formations to choose their locations...course the wind probably had a great deal to do with that decision.

This was a shot of the Tetons that I just could not resist using.

You can tell by the pictures of our tents set up that it was the beginning of the morning and this was just a small percentage of tents in my area...I think there were around 150 tents with over 800 entering the juroring.

This was my tent set up and we had a variety of weather, hot (86) and then wind and rain so we got to test our fortitude. Yes the sandbags are a distraction which we solved later but were required (100 lbs on each leg) in order to handle the gust or micro burst we experienced.

Like I said I could have stayed all week and just taken pictures. The flowers were the cream on the top of the mountain shots. Just gorgeous.

 

Small note, we had to put all our food items in a steel box called a bear box in the campground so that we did not intentionally attract a bear. That also included toothpaste, soap, deodorant etc.

 

This was a show that even though I did ok it will be debatable as to whether it would be one that I would drive 8 1/2 hours again to attend. The crowds were ok and the views tremendous and maybe you just have to think that, hey I had a great vacation and made sales also so what do I have to whine about.

 

As I have always said the greatest thing that I can say I enjoyed was meeting the patrons I met and the other creative people that were around my tent...that is what makes a trip enjoyable.

 

Back home again I begin the process all over again and prepare for the Chessman Art Festival in Denver...at least I can sleep in my own bed this time even though you can not beat the fact that I went to sleep one night watching the most beautiful full moon slip its way up through the trees over the Green River.