Wildlife, wildlife, wildlife!

I so enjoyed this trip into the mountains of Colorado this Fall. We saw all kinds of wildlife and in all types of situations. This was a sculptors dream, to be able to capture these animals in their true surroundings and watch them interact normally.

Was excited to see this big guy but I stayed my distance as he was moving quite fast.

Just goes to show you that you have to have your camera ready at all times.

This beautiful guy was bugling to his challenger.

There is a rule of thumb I always try to remember and that is never go around with no film in camera or down to the last shot...this was actually taken on my walk to the bathroom. You just never know!

If you are an artist trips like this add to your inner pool...if you are a patron, you often wish you could duplicate what you saw in a piece of art. Either way enjoy outdoors and all it has to offer and try to keep it the same or better for the generations who come behind you.

Pack it in, Pack it out. So many leave more than just footprints to clutter our outdoors, choke a chipmunk or turn a bear into a looter.

Otters the clowns of wildlife

This was a fun piece to put together.  It involved two of my favorite things, animals and wood.

Underwater Playground

At the time I was helping the Division of Wildlife here in Colorado research river otters along the Platte.  My partner on that first particular trip ended up not showing so I covered the area alone.  I became aware of the danger in that when I fell through the top of a cave along the bank created by a beaver.   It thankfully did not break anything but I realized I was miles from a vehicle if I had needed it. To an observer I probably looked pretty comical because my main fear was a rattler down there so I came out as fast as I fell in the hole.

From then on we partnered that responsibility and my son often joined me to scare off snakes and collect all the ticks first.

Otters are playful, fun animals and I tried to catch that attitude plus the grace and movement of these wonderful creatures in this work. (Ocean otters are totally different)

Old wood, what can I say, I have wandered shorelines for years picking up drift wood and love what time and weather do to give it character.  I tried to capture that look in the tree that the otters chase the trout around. Often trees damaged when young have distorted root systems and create a playground for fish and otters alike.

This work went fast as does anything you are passionate about. The patina lends itself to a look of underwater reflections on the tree and the otters. This is an older piece with only one edition remaining. It has also always been a difficult piece to photograph but then photography of sculpture is another long post in itself. A good piece that can be viewed in the round also showing the movement and flow easily.

Admiration for Kirsty Hall

I know that like all artist you probably research constantly for good advice or critic. I would love to quote Kirsty Hall with some of the best I have heard.

"I've seen far too many people, particularly at art school, endlessly struggling with a medium or form that they just don't enjoy. Why? Art is hard enough without handicapping yourself with a process that doesn't excite you.  You need a certain amount of joy to get through all the bits that you don't like, so don't lumber yourself with a form that just doesn't do it for you - it's not noble, it's just masochistic!"

"Anyone who tells you that art is a wonderful, creative thing that always makes you happy is an idiot!  Annoyance, small bursts of depression and large doses of frustration are a normal part of the artistic process.  It doesn't mean that you're no good, that you're not cut out to be an artist or that you're doing the wrong thing, it just means that you're engaged with your work.  Just make sure that you do have a deep core of love for your process - if you're annoyed all the time then you probably need to reconsider your medium.  In my experience, anger and frustration usually happen right before a breakthrough and it's a sign that I need to stick with a piece - although if I'm throwing things around the studio and yelling, I tend to take a day off! Feeling low usually happens when I've just completed something big - I call it The Exhibition Blues - and it's always a sign that I need to step away from art for a while to recharge my batteries, assess what I've just finished and get ready for the next piece."

Kirsty Hall is one of the best artist I know for giving other artist advice...including myself.  Thank you Kirsty for the kick in the butt that we all need on occasion. We all need that moment to step back...follow her at http://kirstyhall.co.uk/blog

Lessons learned

When my son was really young he was talking to me one day and I was busy doing other things and listening as I worked (typical mother, multi-tasking). All of a sudden I realized he was upset with me and I turned to look at him, he said "whenever I am talking to you, you look at me"! I was dumbfounded of course because you know you heard every word he said but I was not valuing him enough to take the time from my day to really look him in the eye and let him know that what he was saying was important.

Again the other day I noticed that my grandson would do something and then turn to everyone that is near and look them in the eye to see that they are paying attention and giving him the eye contact that means so much to humans.

Artists are very sensitive I find in needing validation and it could be that way with everyone I can only draw from my experience. It is the same way with criticism, artist need feedback on work in progress but only if it is good feedback not just criticism. My son is my best feedback and I can always trust him to be right on the money and know exactly what does not look right. Often I can see that something is not right but I just can not put my finger on how to fix it.  On the other hand I also need the emotional support that only my daughter can give me, she gets to hear the whining and complaining and patiently turns me around to head off in the correct direction. With both I can keep the optimism going to keep producing when negativity is so common now days.

Encouragement is such a small gift to give someone whether it be a child or an adult it is like water to a flower, encouragement is only part of the gift, validation is the rest.

Busy, Busy

I know it must not seem like it viewing the blog but I have been busy. Once you have a piece done in clay things seem to start to really demand time and energy that pull you away from everything else.

This month I have had to locate a new mold maker and test the waters, I have explained in earlier posts that if the mold is complicated I tend to hand it over to a professional instead of adding to my frustration. I feel that I do as much on a piece as possible the rest I leave to a knowledgeable artist in their own right.

I am only about 35 miles from the foundry I use and each piece I create means driving to each entity several times to either discuss, process or pick up my work. I am always a bit apprehensive when dropping a piece off but I also have learned to trust the people that do a great job for me.  The new mold maker will just be a new family member to the entire process.

Horse sculpture (colt)

 "...and God took a handful of southerly wind blew his breath over it and created the horse". Bedouin Legend

This is an opportunity to purchase a piece in  progress. Because of the choice of deciding whether a patina will look like the standard traditional bronze patina or you wish to create a memory of either a horse in the past or the present, you will have that option on contacting me.

In this particular piece, a colt about a month or so old, I have tried to capture the undeveloped gawky look that endears them to our hearts.

The reason I am showing this in clay before it is patinaed is that some patrons  might want to personalize it by having it look like their own sorrel, paint or black as satin.

 I love horses so much (in the last year we lost a 34 year old) and I have had horses all my life.

My first horse was a spoiled rotten Palomino mare who would get down on her knees just long enough to let me off before she rolled letting  me know the ride was over. Later my Dad gave me a colt off the King Ranch to break all by myself. I managed to break him (I still don't know why they call it breaking because it sounds cruel) and a year later a guy blinded him in one eye and I had to re-train him where he was not gun shy on his right side.

My husband and I have had many horses through our lifetime and each one a charmer. There is no better life than to share it with a four legged equine friend.

This colt, not adding the base yet, measures 9 1/2" x 6" x 5 1/4"  and will have around an 1 1/3" base with routed edge following the contours of the colt. This will be an edition of 25, once all 25 are cast the mold will be destroyed.

This is the metal after cleaning and just before patina and base

Here are more pictures of the progress...the darker is the wax after pouring and cleaning.The next is the picture of the actual bronze fresh from the foundry and needing metal chasing. Notice the sprue coming off his chin and knee and also the tips of his ears...there is also a larger one on the backside of the neck and along the bottom.  These are all vents to either pour or vent the gases and help with the flow of the entire metal being forced into the mold at around 2300 degrees.

Big Wide Country

Great place to research!

As you can tell I am out where I am the happiest, a bit bundled up but happy with my camera in my favorite place, the great outdoors.