Sculpture and Carving Tools

It took two days driving 580 miles, 
a round trip ferry ride to an island off the coast of Washington, 
and every dollar I had in my wallet to get this beauty. I still owe $6.00.

Totally worth it.

This is a hand made adz gutter adz. It cuts across the wood grain and is used for roughing out sculpture. Just what I need for the monster log in the driveway.
A well designed adze removes wood quickly with a great deal of control.
Your wrist angle determines the amount of wood cut, from tiny chips to cutting off big chunks.
 
The level of knowledge and care that went into creating this beautiful adz is amazing.
The lower end of the handle has a shallow texture to ensure a solid grip.

If this weren't as deadly sharp as it is beautiful, I'd take it to bed like a new teddy bear.

Sculpture and Drawing - St Clare

"The map is not the territory." is good to keep in mind when drawing for sculpture.

Still, it's good to know if the territory is swamp, desert.....or a garden

Here's the final drawing for "in her garden" or St Clare. 

It's the companion relief for my sculpture "in his orchard" or St Francis  

Are people will be drawn in or put off by the saint aspect? 

I reserve the right to have two titles. The title is not the art.....

 You might notice there's an age difference between these two women. 

There's tons of sculpture of pretty young things, but sculpture of mature women?

I'm working to change that!

 Here's the initial sketch. 

Combining different sized blocks of stone into one carving gives me the 

look I want. (It's also easier on my body to work with smaller units.)

 Lots of little thumb nail sketches to understand how to move your gaze through the art.

Not every drawing needs to be a success to be successful. 

I was trying to do too many things with this one, color it to match the completed St Francis sculpture

before I even finished the layout. It told me to stop and focus on just one thing.

And that gave me this drawing.

Sculpture and the Home and Garden Show

Letting other people stage your work is a gamble.
When it works, you see your art through their eyes and learn something new about it.

For their booth at the Home and Garden Show, landscape designer Linda Meyer and contrator JP Stone used my metal sun flower panel as the focal point. She used a woven heavy metal fencing material for the roof of her pergola. The resulting patterns on a piece that's about light and shadows gives new inspiration on how to use shadow patterns as ephemeral ornament.

Sculpture and the Home and Garden Show

Why have a gallery show, with only one reception,
when you can have a three day long reception with your work seen by thousands of people?

The sun shone on landscape designer, Linda Meyer, and created those magical shadows with my sunflower panel. Both on their way to Portland's Home and Garden Show. Feb 20 to 24.

Sculpture and the Lions of Paris #4

After Parisian Lion fashion, last but not least, there's home decor with Lions.

 

Perhaps this stone bench with lion based griffons for the foot of your bed?

Be sure to reinforce the floor and hold onto your dreams!

At Versailles, this gilt bronze lion is part of a fire place mantle.

Beautifully detailed fur and eyes.

Also at Versailles, a pair of lions covered in needlework doilies.

They are by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos,
the first woman artist to show at Versailles. 

Thank you Beatriz Cunha for identifying Vasconcelos's work.

.

Sculpture and the Lions of Paris #3

Because this is Paris, a look at fashion. Lions are the ultimate fashion accessory. 

Très comme il faut.

A golden lion's mane to cover Hercules own mane.

Yes that's an enormous snake he's holding. 

That's a hero's other ultimate accessory. 

Look closer. Yes, a lion pelt throw.

With such beastly fashions, no wonder this cowardly lion is hiding under a lady's skirts!

Sculpture and the Lions of Paris #2

After paying our respects to the most senior of  lions in assisted living,

 we met many of the lions who roam all over Paris.

  

Lions large and lions small.

Theresa, this door looks like painted faux oak. Especially at the left? Yes? No? 

 Lions and Heros out for a jog

 Can we find some antelopes or Christians to chase, Please?

I was in a car, but managed to shoot this picture. Is it possible this lion has a bell on his collar?

Noble stern lions and small children with garlands of flowers at dusk. 

Walking with your lover through Paris.

Impossibly romantic.

Sculpture and the Lions of Paris #1

Are there more lions in Paris than in all of Africa? 
Everywhere you turn, LIONS!

Many elderly lions retire to Paris, in the Louvre and Cluny Museums, where all their needs are met.

Sandstone relief of lion at Cluny Museum

Lion from Iran

Looking good for his age, many hundreds of years.

I must confess, my documentation is poor. There was so much to see and so little time.
You'll just have to go to Paris,  meet them and get to know these lions yourself!

Sculpture and Lions

Do you need a garden guardian?

the little lion makes his debut at Portland's Yard Garden Patio show.

the little lion by Patrick Gracewood ©2013

The distance between inspiration and completion can be quite long.
Here is the process from start to finish...

The original marble lion at Hearst Castle and my quick drawing to remind myself.

 

The lion emerging from the block of AAC

 The completed lion in AAC. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete is fun to carve, but too soft and fragile for exterior sculpture. So molding and an edition of cast stone are the next two steps.....

Applying a thin layer of mold soap helps protect the rubber from the highly alkaline stone mix.

 After casting, the art is inspected and any imperfections (small bubbles) are filled or sanded.

An acid patina changes the uniform cold grey cast stone to varigated warm toasty colors.
Voila! that's all there is to it....... Now for good photography, graphics, a post card and brochure.
Someone will want a little lion to guard their garden? You perhaps?

Sculpture and Lions

Thank you Delphine and Paradise Express for the support and encouragement!
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the little lion ready, a rainbow from the window prisms drifted across the lion's eye.
I took that to be a good sign. I'll take auspicious omens however I can find them.....

Cast in special density concrete, the little lion soaks in the humidity of the factory curing room.
Wonder how long it will take him to chew through the rope?

Ready for patina, here's left and right profiles and a frontal view of the little lion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus images: the restoration pine cones and needle swags I made last year are in production! Always nice to see work going out into the world.

Sculpture and Lions

It took love and time for the Velveteen Rabbit to become real.......
It's taking a long time,  a lot of money, and some last minute loving for the little lion to become real.

The original AAC carving.

After paying for the mold, I got overwhelmed just looking at it. It sat in the studio for a year.
Unloved and in the way. A big "SHOULD DO".

Which is weird because I really like the sculpture.

With his debut booked for Portland's Yard Garden and Patio Show, it was time to push through the resistance, through the next two stages of casting and patina, so people can see him. 

In the belly of the beast..... To protect the mold, a thin layer of soap is applied to every surface.

No point in getting soap all over my clothes! There are days where I wish I'd stuck with drawing!

Now to load the mold and go to the concrete plant where they will cast him.