Sculpture and a wise man

It was time for a starring role for this warrior, to prove he's more than beefcake.

But who is he going to play?

These holiday flowers came individually wrapped in this cool expandable mesh.

HMMMMMM, too cool to throw away....

The idea was he'd be a wise man. 

A king, yes.
But alas, tis a tragic king he plays.

Othello.

 The plastic mesh wanted to become Elizabethan lace and ruffs to hide my lack of sewing skills.

I'm fine with that.
So is he.....

Observation on sexism in toys: Toys for boys have hands that can actually hold things. They're sold with weapons, but I like a chunk of frankincense and green sushi plastic.
Barbies can't hold anything. What lesson is that?...

It's a wise man who knows how to play.

Sculpture and Christmas

 If you asked them if they had a sculpture collection, most folks would say "No."

But if you ask them if they have Christmas ornaments, most will say "Yes."

Ask them why they love the ornaments and you'll soon be having a discussion about sculpture.

Here are some of the ornaments sculpture on our tree.

 The carved articulated Christmas angel goes at the top of the tree.

Wood, carving, craft, tradition...

 The cold business man....and the library lion from the same series.

Scale, humor, allusions

 a delicate glass whale with spout from a trip to Provincetown brings back memories.

craft, traditions, scale and contrasts

 This new addition was our 10 year old's contribution. On her own, she had an idea, searched out all the necessary materials of glue, string, scissors, paper and made her own angel for the top of the tree. I'm so proud of her. Creativity is its own gift that keeps on giving.

Each year I assemble a creche scene of sculpture I've collected or made.

 Sculptures of old women and goddesses surround the Marys.

Small sculptures of animals make up both the manger and much of the procession.

Who is this dude?

A naked warrior being prepped for his role as a wise man.

Sculpture and Snow Saws

My friend Ben Yang doesn't mind the winter cold because Ben makes snow caves and igloos.
He's created unique snowsaws that make it fun and fast.

Survivalism aside, the caves are beautiful with a unique quality of light inside.
The arc of the saw creates a series of niches, large enough to sit in or small enough for a candle.
And what other sculpture material is 100% biodegradeable, leaving no trace of itself a season later?

Sculpture and Manniquins "Because Who is Perfect? Get Closer."

My first job was sculpting realistic high fashion mannequins for Wolf and Vine Greneker.

Realism in fashion is a slippery slope as the bodies are stylized to fit the clothes.
Padded shoulders = longer necks, short skirts = longer legs.

Pro Infirmis, an organisation for the disabled, commissioned a series of realistic mannequins.
The purpose is to raise awareness for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.




This video gives you an idea of the processes involved in creating a mannequin: drawings, measurements and most important - working with the models. Because of the uniqueness of each person's disability, each mannequin is also a portrait.

There are many emotions involved when sculpting from life. There is vulnerability, the work of modeling, waiting for the artist to take more measurements and pride in being seen and represented.

Sculpture and NeoLucida

I saw this video in November, and help fund the NeoLucida.

It arrived this week!

Here's my first drawing, of our girl as she plays a zombie video game.

I've drawn for years, so learning to use the Lucida is harder than just drawing her.

But I'm determined to really learn how to use this tool as I can see how it will make technical drawing faster and more accurate. And since any new tool has a bit of magic in it, I'll see if I can hook the little one on the life long pleasures of drawing and really seeing the world.

For more information on the NeoLucida, click here.

Sculpture and Liu Xue

His work speaks for itself, (It does!) because I can't find any bio information on Liu Xue.

 

Here is Liu Xue working on the plasticine original of the walrus man. 

Nice to know the scale of these figures, and that he has a sense of humor.

 

And my favorite, the diving sea horse man!