Sculpture and Drawing

When did drawing become performance art?

This young woman tells a moving story wordlessly. (Good thing since any information is all in Russian.)

The power of this presentation comes from the almost magical immediacy and flow of the images. They bloom in a gesture, evolve and vanish into the next. This art evokes rather than depicts, allowing us to participate as we fill in the details. The music soundtrack supports and tells the story too.

In order to be this spot on and fast, she's practiced and choreographed every gesture to literally have her art at her fingertips.

A Visit to Master Cabinet Maker Michael McCallister at BoxHaven

I visited woodworker Michael McCallister, aka "Mel", of BoxHaven to see his marquetry studio and lazer cutting machine. It's in a well organized basement, desk, computers and lazer clustered in one area, the rest of the space has finished projects and walls hung with stacks of colored and natural veneers.

For demonstration Mel used a Japanese design that had been translated into vector patterns. He said that paper is actually harder to cut than the veneers because of the cross linked fibers. The lazer was quick and fairly quiet. (How noisy can light be?) It quickly cut the intricate pattern, and works to thousandths of an inch tolerance. It's a wonderful example of the machine freeing the artist from hours of painstaking cutting, allowing him to focus on the art.

I was so engaged watching that I forgot to ask about the machine itself and what the cost would be to hire it out for custom designs. It's worth a second visit. If you have any questions about your own projects, Mel can be reached here.

Sculpture and the Voices of Living Creatively

Susan Gallacher-Turner interviewed me recently on what it means to live as a working artist. It was very casual, we talked for over an hour about my art and how I've used it to earn a living. We covered everything from my first art job, films I've worked on, to what i've learned from 30 years as a sculptor and how that influences my current work.

It was good to take stock of my life and art. I didn't quite know what to expect from the interview other than it was good practice to talk about my art. She and Michael Turner took the recording and turned it into a very professional podcast and web article.

Susan Gallacher-Turner is an artist, writer and teacher. Michael Turner is a writer, professional voice talent and audio producer. Putting their interests and talents together they've created "Voices of Living Creatively" to tell the stories, struggles and successes of people living creativley.

Their mission is to listen and learn, then share these stories with as many people as possible in publications, iTunes podcasts, their website,,"voices of Living," their client's websites, and the blog, Voices of Living Creatively. They will listen and produce a web article and podcast that anyone can use on their website and blog.
Contact Susan here.

Sculpture, Clothes, Stop Motion Wedding Invitation

Some things delight because they are such skillfull play.
So much work, such delight in making a magical invitation to family and friends. Created by Corey McKenna.

Contact Improvisation at Performance Works NorthWest

Martha Ullman West reviews the Alembic Series, part of thePortland Project on Art Scatter.

She writes of our dance, Special Alembics, "The performance was at once sensual and intellectual, and downright suspenseful. My God, what are they going to do next? I thought at one point, as they entwined and re-entwined their bodies on the floor, becoming at times a single body that appeared to have eight misplaced limbs. Nobody “wired for skepticism” can dance with a partner blindfolded, it seems to me, particularly one on whom she depends to shape the next step in the dance."

The review also cover Tere Mathern's Phase Phrase and Gregg Bielemeier's Tracings

Sculpture and Virtual Living

There are many online support sites for artists: Alyson Stanfield at ArtBizCoach, the Unconventional Guide to Art and Money. Fine Art Views, and as many more sites as you have time and money to spend on their books, webinars, etc....

But it's good to know your limits. I've just met mine. Art Calendar, the Business Magazine for Visual Artists is running a series called The Artist's Guide to Marketing and Networking in Second Life. That's right, you can be marketing yourself in a fantasy game world.

The article says there are many SIMilarities with real life when it comes to presenting yourself to the inworld audience of curators, collectors, and other artists.

Really? The idea of creating and participating in an online game version of myself seems like a special level of hell.

The article, sounding like Seventeen Magazine, goes on the tell you how to trick out your virtual personna, I quote:
"First things first, you’re going to need to make your avatar look cool. The more thought and fun you put into it, the more memorable you will be. SL has an “appearance” mode in which you can shape and model your avatar’s size, shape, color, gestures, clothing and facial expressions. Many well-known SL artists have interesting avatars. These artists realize that it can be a great extension of their artistic, philosophical, comedic and creative principals. Go nuts, or try to make your avatar look like yourself. It’s up to you, but remember to take your virtual identity seriously. This is how people will get to know you."


This is how people will get to know you.

Sculpture and ANLD Garden Tour

How do you show working fountains in a temporary display?

I made this plywood stand to show two fountains in a very small space. Placed back to back they don't compete with each other. Two black plastic tubs served as the water reservoir. I used wire mesh to cover the tubs, leaving a central open space for the falling water. The wire grid was filled with pachysandra cuttings.( Any greenery would work, but I plan on rooting the pachysandra cuttings and using them in my garden.)

The greenery did three things: It hid the ugly tubs and visible pumps. It focused attention on the fountain, not the pool, and it contained the water splash and kept the display dry

My sculpture was in a new garden in Eastmoreland as part of the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers "Behind the Scenes Garden Tour"