A friend sent this toy for our lab Emma, she had so much fun I just had to create a video thank you to the person who sent it to her. His sister in California makes these toys, they are washable and as you can see-she loves it.
An interesting journey on the road, sculpting from wood and in clay for bronze sculptures. This blog reflects weekly conversations about sculpting, art shows, museum exhibitions, art organzations, galleries, selling art and the business of art.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Today in the shop - Celebration of Fine Art
Ken has headed to a fellow artists' wood shop to manufacture some walnut that will bring his first laminated sculpture to life, hopefully this weekend all the parts will come together on what has been named by fellow artists as the LUNCH TRUCK. Visit the Celebration of Fine Art by March 29 to see the sculpture. http://www.celebrateart.com/ in Scottsdale AZ
The sculpture started with an old friend, who Ken has been getting walnut for bronzes bases for a number of years. He had both Eastern (cut and milled in TN) and Western (cut and milled in CA) over 30 years ago. He asked Ken if he might want to use the walnut for a sculpture since he really won't have an opportunity to use it in his lifetime.
Ken has always worked in raw forms, except for one sculpture done in a glue lam beam years ago, it wasn't something he was considering. The more he thought about it, there was a concept he had in his notes that might just work. He had planned to do a smaller sculpture, but the opportunity to work in this particular walnut (both eastern and western) was a draw.
So he took some walnut and went to work. First he cut and milled some of the walnut into plywood. He used both the Eastern and Western walnut and layered it adding strength in order to carve into it. This became the grill.
He then routered walnut for the radiator frame and the spires in the grill. Ken then carved the truck emblem, using a 1950's/60's truck logo, choosing it for the spires and large circle center. It was imperative to use an impressive symbol... this is what the sparrow fledgling is focused on, something impressive.
Then the carving began, he chose to use hand chisels rather than fancy router bit to create the screen of the grill... imperfection was important, a variety of insects were chosen to grace the grill. From the Northwest and Southwest to the Southeast to the Northeast, some insects are only found in those particular areas, like the Mendocino moth, Monarch butterfly, Cicada and Eastern Pygmy Blue and the Love Bugs. Each bug was chosen for their unique shape. This again speaks to the transcontential movement of the truck across the US.
The concept includes three sparrows feeding on the insects on the grill... This is a based on our travels across the US. As we travel the interstate system, Ken is always fascinated by nature's adaptation to man and has noticed that the birds have adapted to man's travel by nesting in the bushes and feeding on the grills of the big rigs at the rest stops and fuel stations.
Each sparrow is carved separately and then laminated on the grill. The sparrow fledgling is sitting on the deer pipe guard focused on the truck logo... the other sparrows are encouraging him to join them on the grill.
More later when I post the images this weekend...
As you might image, this sculpture has taken about 9 months and I expect him to complete it by May.
The sculpture started with an old friend, who Ken has been getting walnut for bronzes bases for a number of years. He had both Eastern (cut and milled in TN) and Western (cut and milled in CA) over 30 years ago. He asked Ken if he might want to use the walnut for a sculpture since he really won't have an opportunity to use it in his lifetime.
Ken has always worked in raw forms, except for one sculpture done in a glue lam beam years ago, it wasn't something he was considering. The more he thought about it, there was a concept he had in his notes that might just work. He had planned to do a smaller sculpture, but the opportunity to work in this particular walnut (both eastern and western) was a draw.
So he took some walnut and went to work. First he cut and milled some of the walnut into plywood. He used both the Eastern and Western walnut and layered it adding strength in order to carve into it. This became the grill.
He then routered walnut for the radiator frame and the spires in the grill. Ken then carved the truck emblem, using a 1950's/60's truck logo, choosing it for the spires and large circle center. It was imperative to use an impressive symbol... this is what the sparrow fledgling is focused on, something impressive.
Then the carving began, he chose to use hand chisels rather than fancy router bit to create the screen of the grill... imperfection was important, a variety of insects were chosen to grace the grill. From the Northwest and Southwest to the Southeast to the Northeast, some insects are only found in those particular areas, like the Mendocino moth, Monarch butterfly, Cicada and Eastern Pygmy Blue and the Love Bugs. Each bug was chosen for their unique shape. This again speaks to the transcontential movement of the truck across the US.
The concept includes three sparrows feeding on the insects on the grill... This is a based on our travels across the US. As we travel the interstate system, Ken is always fascinated by nature's adaptation to man and has noticed that the birds have adapted to man's travel by nesting in the bushes and feeding on the grills of the big rigs at the rest stops and fuel stations.
Each sparrow is carved separately and then laminated on the grill. The sparrow fledgling is sitting on the deer pipe guard focused on the truck logo... the other sparrows are encouraging him to join them on the grill.
More later when I post the images this weekend...
As you might image, this sculpture has taken about 9 months and I expect him to complete it by May.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sparrow on the Pipe Deer Guard
The sparrow on the deer guard is coming along. Ken will spend Weds morning ripping wood for the deer guard and other pipe guard and by next weekend the entire piece should be together for final carving. He will be working the insects to make them somewhat identifiable and carving the insect in the male sparrow and the beak on the female sparrow. This image is of the fledgling..his first time to the grill.
Pairing Art with Wine
Two weeks left at the Celebration of Fine Art, this year a group of artists planned an event worth writing about. One of the artists, an artist/wine consultant provided his expertise to pair 11 international artists with 11 international wines... all in the NW corner of the Celebration of Fine Art. Each artist described their work with three words and Aldo Pitton researched and paired wine to each body of work..
Clients were invited and then ventured to each artists booth with the goal of identifying the three words the artist chose using the smell, color and taste of each wine while engaging the artist about their work. The purpose of the event was to encourage clients who have connected with one artist to experience the work of a variety of artists in the same area. It was a fun evening with encouraging movement among the tent and a very different approach to viewing art. Remember it is all about the art.
Don't miss the last two weeks of the show in Scottsdale AZ, http://www.celebrateart.com/
This week we have been busy applying for future museum, gallery and sales shows for the balance of 2009. Our next show will be in Joseph OR at Indigo Gallery, then off to Marin for the Marin Art Festival in Northern CA. Ken will be demonstrating at the Indigo Gallery with hopes of having the completed grill project there as well as new bronzes.
Clients were invited and then ventured to each artists booth with the goal of identifying the three words the artist chose using the smell, color and taste of each wine while engaging the artist about their work. The purpose of the event was to encourage clients who have connected with one artist to experience the work of a variety of artists in the same area. It was a fun evening with encouraging movement among the tent and a very different approach to viewing art. Remember it is all about the art.
Don't miss the last two weeks of the show in Scottsdale AZ, http://www.celebrateart.com/
This week we have been busy applying for future museum, gallery and sales shows for the balance of 2009. Our next show will be in Joseph OR at Indigo Gallery, then off to Marin for the Marin Art Festival in Northern CA. Ken will be demonstrating at the Indigo Gallery with hopes of having the completed grill project there as well as new bronzes.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sparrows in Walnut
Here are a couple other images...
Welcome to the new followers of my website, Russ Erickson and Ann..
Sparrow in Walnut
Ken is working on the grill of a semi truck at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale AZ.
In the past two weeks he has been working on carving sparrows. First he modeled them in clay, then cut walnut for each piece... It is good that he has friends in the tent so he could use a band saw... he doesn't own one... he typically works in raw forms of wood and a band saw is worthless. This sculpture is a complete departure from his previous works in wood...
Yesterday our neighbor in the tent En Chuen Soo told me that when Kenny is working on the birds in the clay or wood he is the happiest, he smiles and whistles... I told her he could sculpt 24/7 he loves it.. There is nothing he would rather be doing..except maybe being out in the woods. More pictures to come. I am way behind with my blogs. All three sparrows are rough carved and will be mounted on the sculpture within a day or two, so check back.
Debbie
How do they do that...ZAPP
If you are an artist, traveling and doing shows... have you ever wondered how 950 artists apply to a show via ZAPP for 310 spots...Everyone downloads their information in the ZAPP format and a group of people choose who should be chosen.. Yes, I image there are the different categories for the show and they are whittled down.. But, just think what it must be like... 15% don't complete the application right, 15% are poorly presented, that is 30% gone from the get go.
Ken juried a show in Mendocino during an artist residency with another local artist. He never imaged how difficult it would be to pick and choose works for a show. The work he thought looked the best in photos was poorly executed, and some that had potential in the photo actually ended up being some of the best work.. And in a jury pool..the jury agrees to disagree, a lot of compromising goes on..
More tomorrow.. into the ZAPP art entry show dynamics.. Off to the Celebration of Fine Art for the Art of Food, a benefit for St Mary's Food Bank in Scottsdale AZ.
Ken juried a show in Mendocino during an artist residency with another local artist. He never imaged how difficult it would be to pick and choose works for a show. The work he thought looked the best in photos was poorly executed, and some that had potential in the photo actually ended up being some of the best work.. And in a jury pool..the jury agrees to disagree, a lot of compromising goes on..
More tomorrow.. into the ZAPP art entry show dynamics.. Off to the Celebration of Fine Art for the Art of Food, a benefit for St Mary's Food Bank in Scottsdale AZ.
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