Sculpture and Engineering

Most artists are so used to doing everything themselves that delegating a task never occurs to them.

Well, it finally occurred to me, and I am glad it did!

Here's my CAD engineering drawing, showing the metal structure that houses the wood carving.

I explained what information was needed and showed Tom Houha the full scale cardboard model.

He listened to me, took measurements and photos, and sent me the PDF a few days later.

What a relief!

It's my idea, my art, my model. I made them all, BUT doing this kind of technical illustration would have taken me forever and not looked as good.  It's a big relief to have a professional drawing with all the correct information to present to TriMet and my metal fabricator.

Sculpture and Paper

As a working artist myself, I love seeing art that is engaging and pays the bills.

Japanese artist, Yuki Ariga, created these origami animals from tissue paper for the Japanese paper manufacturer Nepia.  Kleenex is NOT an easy paper to work with!



Yuki Ariga gets the credit, but see how many people are involved in making the video.

Sculpture and Architectural Ornament

There's so much possibility with the new technologies of scanning and computer milling,
and yet there's nothing like the beautiful hand carved ornament.

Why is this?

Because machine made work is perfect. Perfection quickly becomes visually boring.
Everything is identical, whereas objects made by hand have subtle variations that keep things alive.

 Detail below

These panels are so beautiful in how they play with light and shadows.

 

Architectural ornament from the Jefferson Market Courthouse in New York City.

Seen on a recent trip to New York City.

Sculpture and Illusion

In making art, having a strong point of view is everything.
Combine that with anamorphic illusions, where there IS only one viewing angle and you have this.



and a look behind the scenes for how they made it:


The illusions are wonderful.
Even more impressive is the thought and work that created them.

Sculpture and Fairy Tales

It looks like a modern fairy tale, a still enchanted figure under a canopy.

But am I dreaming her into being? 

Or is she dreaming of me setting her free from the log.

After 75 years as a tree, I counted the rings, she emerges not as a young beauty, but as an old woman.

It's funny, the thoughts you think when you work outside on a beautiful day

Sculpture and Time

 A good quote to find this morning:

"Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; 
only when the clock stops does time come to life."           - William Faulkner  

All the work on this sculpture so far has been getting rid of the l2 foot log.
Now it feels like I can actually begin carving.

I've been working with the log horizontal.
Tipping it upright let me actually see what I'm doing.

She's larger than I expected.......

Sculpture and the Bronx Zoo

Are you tired of reflective glass buildings?

I love when architecture has something to say.

Jennifer Cook took these photos of architectural sculpture at the Bronx Zoo.

See previous post with her work in Pumpkin Sculpt USA.

An almost flying rhinoceros.