From Idea to Clay to Foundry - American π Series

Why does an artist create a piece of art? What possesses their minds with the need to create? Is there always a message?  I found the quote below and always think about it when Ken is contemplating a new sculpture.

"An artist cannot talk about his art anymore than a plant can discuss horticulture". Jean Cocteau – Newsweek 1955.

This is very true when Ken begins working on a sculpture and typically he only writes about a sculpture when it is complete and he has to provide information on the piece for a museum/exhibition catalog or when the sculpture sells and I encourage him to share something about why he created the piece with the Collector.

Sometimes his words are puzzle to me, but other times he surprises me with his wonderful way of looking at the world. It may be innate for a conversationalist to express themselves – but most artists aren't conversationalists. They are thinkers, contemplate and sometimes don't want to share their inner thoughts about their work, isn't an artist suppose to be mysterious? What if what they say is not popular or misunderstood- not only do they expose their inner thoughts with others who only critique their unique view of the world.
If you read Ken's Artist Statement, you will gain a small insight into his work and why he does what he does.
How do you get inside the head of an artist... Well with images - I hope to show you the process Ken goes through to create a sculpture.


The Beginning of a Sculpture Series:

He began the American Pi female figurative sculpture series in 2008. He had completed a couple male sculptures and wanted to create his first woman figurative work. He chose not to create the perfect woman based on societal standards, but began with asking women of all ages – who was their mentor? Who did they derive their strength from in hard times?

It was amazing to him that most women would skip their mother's generation and reflect on their grandmother. So this was the beginning of his reflection on women.

First in the series was American Pi – Sunday's Dress (capturing the 1940's depression and war years), then American Pi-A New Perm (1950's post-war prosperity in the US and the beginning of marketing on women) and now at the foundry is American Pi-A Moment's Rest (the late 1960's women balancing work and home – trying to find the strength and balance to do it on her own terms.

In this sculpture, he created the female form as a nude and it traveled with us across country from weekend art festivals, sculpture shows, galleries, and to wildlife art shows. The sculpture received a lot of attention by men and women alike. Women seemed to enjoy the independence and strength of the sculpture, men seemed to enjoy the nude form, mostly.

As he worked on the posture, it changed several times.  Here is the first study for the sculpture, typically Ken creates a study to identify the armature he will use in the larger sculpture. This study was 3-4 inches tall.

Small Clay Studies



Metal Armature





Everyone wants to pose for Ken.

More clay and arms evolve.

Even family gets in on the posing.





Even a cowboy!



Sculpture headed to the Foundry in February 2011



At foundry in April, checking on metal.

Heading to the foundry in May to work with foundry staff on finalizing metal and patina.

Look for final images about May 16, 2011

Check out Scott Rogers, a fellow sculptor who enjoys writing about his work - http://www.scottrogerssculpture.com/







April Newsletter is OUT!

The Dragonslayer

In January, Ken stopped by Ball Consulting in Tempe Arizona to purchase clay for a new sculpture, while checking out he read a poem on the board. After that visit, he asked me to find the poem, saying, or words on the internet. He told me it was by Roosevelt and the name was The Dragonslayer. No success for me on the search, so during his next visit he asked if they could copy the text from the board.


This poem so resonated with Ken, I am posting it here for all those who are out there making their way in the world and knowing that we all error and come up short... but it is the pursuit of a worthy cause that is the real reward.

The Dragonslayer

"It is not the critic who counts,

nor the man who points out how the strong person stumbles

or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the person:

who is actually in the arena,

whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,

who strives valiantly,

who errs and comes short again and again because

there is no effort without error and shortcomings,

but who does actually strive to do the deeds,

who knows the great enthusiasms,

the great devotions,

who spends himself in a worthy cause,

who, at best knows in the end,

the high achievement of triumph,

and who, at worst if he fails while daring greatly,

knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls

who know neither victory not defeat."

 

T. Roosevelt

Well Worn Sculpture - SOLD OUT!

Well Worn (c)2007

Well Worn, was sculpted to reflect exhaustion and its presence in our lives. What fascinates and inspires me is the individual who possesses this strength of character. When completely exhausted, what enables one to continue, Responsibility? Dependability? Commitment? Each are components to the foundation for success, and these are characteristics that I have the utmost respect for. Sacrifice, another critical element, is subtlety suggested by the missing digit and it is often this unspoken sacrifice that grounds and creates a strong individual. This sculpture is also a reflection of the labor movement in America and how it was built on the back of steel works, loggers, miners, builders, and all the trades that continue to build America.

While sculpting this I was reminded of my father’s generation and Tennessee Ernie Ford’s song, Sixteen Tons… The marble used on the base is from Colorado and was a remnant of Yule marble used for headstones at the National Memorial Cemetery in Washington DC and the walls of the Lincoln Memorial. Discarded from the marble mine, the small boulder was unearthed while creating a road deeper into the mine.

In our last newsletter, we noted that the last casting in the edition of Well Worn. The last sculpture in the edition was sold in late March at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona.


Part of the sculpture process is destroying the mold, we took possession of the mold after the final casting was completed. In the next several months we will pull one last wax for to be used in creating a digital model for a future monumental sculpture. The sculpture will not be cast in various sizes, only monumental, possibly 1-1/2 life size.

After we pull the final wax, the mold will be cut up. It is a tradition in the foundry business to offer clients a piece of the mold. So watch for the process of destroying the mold. Maybe live video!

WELL WORN AWARDS and EXHIBITIONS:

Raymond H Brumer Memorial Award

94th Annual Allied Artists of America, New York NY

Founder’s Award

25th Annual Wallowa Valley Art Festival, Joseph OR

52nd International Open Exhibition

Bold Expressions, Sacramento Art Center, Carmichael CA

Lines into Shapes Exhibition

Art Center of Estes Park Estes Park CO

Spring issue of McCall Magazine features Ken Newman's sculptures

Lake Fork Publishing featured Ken Newman in their Spring Issue of McCall Magazine. Freelance writer Carissa Sindon caught up with Ken this fall over the internet and interviewed him for this article while we were traveling to a show on the east coast. Carissa focused on the journey we take in creating and selling art. She met Ken last summer at the McCall Arts and Conference Center in McCall during the Artists in Action Show in July, where they had a long conversation about how he approaches his work and life. Thank you Carissa and Lake Fork Publishing for choosing to share Ken's journey and passion for Sculpting on the Road.

Click on the link McCall Magazine Spring On-line Issue to enjoy the entire article and McCall Magazine's Spring issue. Chose the McCall Magazine at the bottom of the site, below the Boise Magazine

Pick up a copy of McCall Magazine at any one of these fine retailers:

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