Saturday, October 29, 2011

Things you should never do during hunting season



Never, never, never book an art show when you are scheduled to leave the day before deer hunting season. It was tough enough getting ready to leave for our six week – two show cross country trip, but Emma the lab and Ken only got two days of grouse hunting in before leaving due to heavy rains/snow.

We left Sunday to head to the foundry in Utah www.adonisbronze.com, we had a day and a half to do metal check on 9 sculptures and then patinas on those and three others. Kept the foundry busy until noon on Tuesday, basing and foaming in American pi- A Moments Rest for exhibition at the Allied Artists of American show at the National Art Club on Gramercy in NYC – then off to Arkansas.

Never, never drive through Colorado during hunting season – I stopped counting guys in camo, trucks packed with gear, guns, horses and 4-wheelers – with license plates from across the country.
You never know what weather to expect when going over I70 and the continental divide, says it's clear one minute and then the road is closed, plus just when you think you’ve gone over the last snow covered summit, there is another… It was starting to stick pretty good on the last summit before as we rolled into Boulder.

Never, never stay in a hotel full of hunters, or eat at a greasy spoon or pull into a diesel stop during the beginning of hunting season. It is only a reminder of what Ken is missing in Idaho – which used to be an annual ritual since college until I scheduled a sculpture show in Little Rock on the way to our one and only wildlife show in Easton Maryland. Only worse time to travel is at the end of the season when horns are sticking out of the truck.

And if you are lucky, you will tune into KMTS in Colorado and hear "The 30 point buck" by the Bananas at Large of their follow up song "30 Point Buck, Tale 2"  Only incites our conversations about why we are heading east during hunting season.

We love the Little Rock show www.sculptureattherivermarket.com. This year they offered an $50,000 sculpture opportunity to artists attending the show. 29 of the 44 sculptors participated and at the opening reception, guests voted on their favorites and the top three were juried by a committee to determine the final award winner. Ron Chapel of California sculpture was chosen.

Show sales seemed slow, at least for us, we had several interested people, but that doesn't put diesel in the tank. Ken's work Forever Ready did win one of the eight Awards of Excellence, juried by the Museum of Arkansas as well as a local art gallery owner. Ken does have two works in the city's intimate sculpture garden below the Peabody Hotel, check out the site for images of 30 sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Garden.

I will be posting Ken's sculpture proposal at a later time on the blog. Leaving the Buffalo River we saw a four point buck-I think on the east they call that an eight point... 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Welcoming Fall and the Art Shows on the East Coast


A Welcome to Fall
 After a busy summer season, we are now preparing for fall. We were fortunate enough to have an extended stay on the North Coast of California with family this summer. At this time we are preparing for a trip back home to Idaho, just in time to put some apples up and repack for our annual trip east. Our first stop is the foundry in Utah, then on to the following shows, both feature private receptions: 

Sculpture at the River Market in Little Rock Arkansas – October 14-16 www.sculptureattherivermarket.com

Waterfowl Festival in Easton Maryland - November 10-13

Between shows, we will be exploring the hardwood forests in the east, hopefully taking a trip to visit Ken's son who doing his graduate work in Statesboro GA, visiting friends and family in TN and NC. Weather permitting we hope to head north to an art opening in NYC then onto CT, NH and ME before heading to Maryland for the Waterfowl Festival, Check out this blog for updates as we explore and Ken sculpts on the road.

Fall Releases
 Ken's newest sculpture Checking Attendance -the lab is 10% larger than life-size and an edition of 11. At the foundry on our way east we will pick up a smaller study of this sculpture – so watch for it at the fall shows.



Another new sculpture - Calm After the Storm, captures the beauty of a hummingbird after the storm has passed - the resilience of nature is empowering. This one is a reflection of our unusual weather patterns over the past several years – or maybe just our awareness to those happenings.

Calm After the Storm
 (c)2011 Ken Newman Sculptures


Fall Also Brings Museum Exhibitions
 Bosque Art Classic through September 25 at the Bosque Art Center in Clifton Texas (Observing Grace – 1st Place Sculpture Award - juror Tony Altermann)

 Idaho Paints Idaho at the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls through October 25, 2011  (Composed - Wildlife/Animal Award - juror Scott Christensen)

 Society of Animal Artists - Art and the Animal at the Dennos Art Museum in Traverse Michigan through December 30, 2012 - the show then goes on tour across the US.


98th Allied Artists of America - at the National Art Club in NYC November 5-20 Reception and Awards November 20th 1-5pm.

In late December we will be at galleries in Sedona (Honshin Fine Art) and  (Signature Gallery)Scottsdale - before heading to the 22nd Annual Celebration of Fine Art - January-March 2012. www.celebrateart.com in Scottsdale, Arizona.
 Check out the new website at www.kennewmansculptures.com

Stop back by and check out our blog while we travel east!



Friday, October 7, 2011

Uncalculated Exposure - The importance of a strong foundation = Sculpture


I have been asked to explain this sculpture, so here goes, let me know what you think?

This human form represents the struggle of life and the character it builds. It questions the concept of what boundaries we will break or expose ourselves to in order to protect something of a perceived value. What is instinctive, and what is calculated? Can we take a true risk, without exposing oneself?

One arm fends as the other gently protects and the emotional struggle and strength of this human form reflects true courage and the individual’s commitment. Whether it represents a firefighter, a parent, a CEO, an artist or you, each may take extraordinary risks to go beyond the call or to expose themselves without considering the risk.

The charred wood is an extension of his leg grounding the individual, his knee and footprint are implied. The nuts and bolts and scarred metal base represent the foundation of the  individual’s heritage, religion, and life experiences, which are the building blocks for a strong foundation enabling one to take an "Uncalculated Exposure".

A self-taught sculptor who typically sculpts from a single piece of wood, this was my first figurative sculpture. Just like with my wood sculptures, the artwork is more than just the subject. The composition and textures all try to direct the viewer’s eyes and mind to interpret and experience the emotional struggle in life. Without experiencing struggle there is no growth.

Uncalculated Exposure's AWARDS and EXHIBITIONS

Richard Marini Award—63rd Audubon Artist’s Salmagundi Club, New York NY
Raymond Brumer—92nd Allied Artists of America National Art Club, New York NY
2nd Place Professional—The Best and the Brightest at the Scottsdale Artists’ School, Scottsdale AZ 
Lines into Shapes—The Art Center of Estes Park, Estes Park CO
Contribution-The  Essence of Life—Boise State University Gallery, Boise ID
SculptureWalk 2007—Exterior Installation Downtown Sioux Falls SD