Monday 31 October 2011

#70 Remarque: "Muskie" - Original etching



Early issues of Gray's Sporting Journal featured my etchings on their back cover.


Muskie
7" x 5"



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Sunday 30 October 2011

#69 Remarque: "The Clearing" - Original etching



Asymmetrical composition and negative space allows much to be imagined by the viewer.


The Clearing
7 3/4" x 9 3/4"


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Saturday 29 October 2011

#68 Remarque: "Chickadee" - Orginal etching



Simplicity and understatement allows focus on the subject.


Chickadee
4 1/2" x 4 1/2"


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Friday 28 October 2011

#67 In the Studio: "Gambels Sunrise" - Clay model



This composition combines clear spacial organization and harmony -
a simple placement of the figure in nature.


Gambels Sunset
California Quail - Cock
11"H 15"L 8"D


Thursday 27 October 2011

#66 In the Studio: "Gambels Roost" - Clay model



Basic design principles apply to sculpture as well as to printmaking and painting.  Negative space balances and supports the subject and gives visual activity.



Gambels Roost - clay model
California Quail - Hen
9"H 12"L 8"D caption


This new sculpture along with its companion piece, Gambels Sunset will be presented at the Masters of American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale February 3 - 4, 2012 at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, CA.  The two sculptures depict the California Quail, both hen and cock.  Sandy will introduce three additional new works created for the show as well.


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Wednesday 26 October 2011

#65 Remarque: "Wood Duck" - Original etching



I rely on the solid principles of design, drawing and technique that I learned as a young art student at Kansas City Art Institute.

During those early years I was and continue to be influenced by oriental art.  Many of my sculpture and etching compositions demonstrate what the Japanese refer to as  "formal sparseness of design".


Wood Duck
5 1/2 x 7 3/4

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Tuesday 25 October 2011

#64 Remarque: "Dabbling and Diving Duck Decoys" - Original etchings



I became interested in original printmaking while attending Kansas City Art Institute in the early 60s'.  By the mid 70s' my sepia-toned, transparent watercolored etchings were in galleries from Maine to California and beyond.

In 1982 I created my last portfolio of etchings and concentrated on sculpture.  Shortly afterwards my master printer printed out some of the small editions and they were put in storage for the future.

I recently started showing them again in select galleries and enjoyed sales at the National Museum of Wildlife Art's Western Visions Original Print Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming this fall.  I smiled when I overheard someone ask the question at the show: "Is she the same Sandy Scott that does sculpture?"
It put into focus how many years my original prints have been locked away and how much I want to reintroduce this early work.

    
         
Diving Duck Decoys
Canvas back
Goldeneye
Scaup
Redhead
Ring Necked
11 3/4 x 7 3/4
Dabbling Duck Decoys
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Pintail
Black Duck
Widgeon
11 3/4 x 7 3/4 caption



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Monday 24 October 2011

#63 "A Day on the Bay" (Bufflehead Duck)



This morning a flock of bufflehead ducks flew into the bay where my cabin is located on Lake of the Woods.

Buffleheads belong to the subfamily of diving ducks and are definitely separated from the subfamily of surface-feeding ducks which include mallards, teal, gadwall, widgeon and pintail.  The diving ducks such as scaup (or bluebill), goldeneye and bufflehead prefer open, deeper water on large bays where they can dive for their food.

The wildlife artist (and hunter) must know the difference between the 35 species of ducks common to North America. The surface feeding ducks - commonly called dabblers - feed on vegetation along the shore and are generally better table fare than the divers which subsist on fish, shellfish and other aquatic matter.


Recipe for Bufflehead Duck:

Place the duck and a rock in large pot of water and boil.
The duck is ready to eat when you can stick a fork into the rock.



A Day on the Bay
12"H 15"W 10"D
3600


A Day on the Bay
Second view


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Sunday 23 October 2011

#62 In the Field: Penny's first grouse . . .



The first time your young bird dog runs into the brick wall of bird scent and freezes - for a few sweet seconds, time stops.  You never forget the first real point.

You don't remember the shot - only the point.










Trish and Penny after a great day afield.  Tomorrow the grouse will go into the crockpot with my special wild rice recipe.  The wings and tails will be frozen and used as reference in future 
bird sculpture workshops.



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Saturday 22 October 2011

#61 In the Studio: Lake of the Woods



A friend of mine has a lab and I modeled a head study of her dog this week at the studio in Canada.   Labs are popular as both a sporting dog and a pet.  If ever there was a dog considered to be "universal", it has to be the Labrador Retriever. I had a chocolate lab years ago and know what's it's like to be under their spell.

I now own a Brittany (that's her in the image to the right) who I love as much as any dog I've ever owned. . .in fact - she owns me.  Trish and I will take her on her first partridge hunt tomorrow.








Clay model of Labrador Retriever Bookends



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Friday 21 October 2011

#60 Remarque: "Nice Catch" . . .



It is the birds I notice most when seasons change.  I heard a loon call a few days ago, but not since.
I note the pelican's absence.  The bald eagles will remain as long as there's open water.  A little flotilla of mergangers dive for bait fish in front of the cabin...a fat kingfisher watches from a bare branch as gulls wheel.  The non-mirgratory partridge are fattening up for the winter.  The snowbirds and chickadees search for sunny hours.

Whispering wings fly overhead as ducks and geese leave the north country before freeze up.  The golden days of autumn are to be savored.


Nice Catch
15"H 20"W 11"D


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Thursday 20 October 2011

#59 Remarque: "Whitetail" . . .



Seeing things first hand or "being there" is vital to the wildlife artist.  Sometimes being there causes things to happen - sometimes things happen because you've been there.

As a young woman out of art school and undecided about where to go in the arts, I had the privilege of "being there" by tagging along with my father in the wilds of Canada.

While grouse hunting (or partridge as the Canadians call it) on a logging road several years ago a whitetail buck emerged from the woods (or the bush as the Canadians call it) and struck this pose before bounding off again.


Whitetail
12"H 12"W 4"D



Whitetail
12"H 12"W 4"D


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Wednesday 19 October 2011

#58 Remarque: "Hay Bay" . . .


Hay Bay is a place on Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada.  It’s about 5 miles by boat from my island studio and camp.  Flocks of mallards wheel into this immense grassy bay in the fall offering great sport and excellent table fare.  Although I ‘m an avid hunter, at times I’m content to merely watch the beautiful birds swing into the decoys.

Lake of the Woods studio is above all my source:  As the seasons change I’ve observed these creatures and more in this rugged, watery wilderness.


Hay Bay
19”H 25”W 14”D



Hay Bay
19”H 25”W 14”D 


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish


Tuesday 18 October 2011

#57 Throw on another log . . . Lake of the Woods Cabin/Studio



Birch fire at the Lake of
the Woods cabin/studio on
a cold and blustery morning















Above all, this place is my source:  Ravens, jays, pelicans, partridge, 
ducks, geese, beaver, fox, squirrel, wolf, deer, kingfishers, otter, mink, mergansers, cormorants, osprey, herons, gulls, woodpeckers, black 
bear and the ever-present loons and eagles are common in this vast 
wilderness.  I've experienced these creatures in their domain as the 
seasons change, for my island has given me a choice seat from which 
to observe them and the wonders of the great Northland.










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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Monday 17 October 2011

#56 Throw on another log . . . Lake of the Woods Cabin/Studio





Birch Fire on a cold, blustery night
Lake of the Woods cabin/studio

My island on Lake of the Woods in Ontario Canada, holds a special place in my heart.  It represents a place of solitude where loons call, eagles cry from high pine limbs and moose thrive in bog and muskeg.  It is flooded with  memories of spring portages, of summer fishing for walleyed pike and crisp autumn days hunting ruffed grouse on lonely logging roads.



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Sunday 16 October 2011

#55 In the Field: Lake of the Woods Studio





Saint-Gaudens' Sherman Monument in Central Park
We leave New York today for the Lake of the Woods Studio in northwestern Ontario, Canada (see Aug. 6,7 & 10 Blog).  The change from an extreme urban and cultural environment to the remote northern wilderness is enormous but stimulating.


The island cabin/studio is the source, inspiration and reference for my wildlife sculpture and has been for years.  As the geese fly south I will spend the short autumn days in the studio and afield refreshing my senses and savoring natures's glory. 




Canadian island cabin/studio from the air in the summer




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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Saturday 15 October 2011

#54 In the Field: New York con't . . .



Yesterday we spent the day in the museums.  I must comment on the Sorolla murals at The Hispanic Society of America:  The great portrait painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler (see yesterday's Blog) informed me  that these paintings inspired him to became a painter when he was only 11 years old. They are magnificent and are worth the trip to the upper west side, on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets.


El Cid
Anna Hyatt Huntington  (1876-1973)
The Hispanic Society of America


Sorolla Murals
The Hispanic Society of America
New York, NY


Afterwards we joined the National Sculpture Society members and patrons  at the Cathedral of Saint John of the Divine on the upper west side for a private tour.  One of our National Sculpture Society Fellows, Greg Wyatt, is Sculptor in Residence at the Cathedral.  Greg has been a dear friend for over 30 years and is one of the most,  knowledgeable and passionate artists  I've ever met.  It was great fun talking art and reminiscing about times gone by.

Later we all met at a charming local bistro (we reserved the entire place for our group) near the Cathedral for a cocktail reception, dinner and a lively good time.


Sandy, Greg Wyatt, Robin Salmon and Fay Wyatt
In front of Greg's Peace Fountain

Robin is Vice-President and curator of Sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens (See Blogs Oct.3-9)
Fay is a recognized Shakespearean scholar




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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Friday 14 October 2011

#53 In the Field: The National Arts Club


Entrance at Gramercy Park



The National Arts Club was founded in 1898 by Charles deKay, the literary and art critic for The New York Times as a national institution to assemble artists and patrons for maximum impact on the country's cultural life.

The prestigious club is located in the historic Tilden Mansion, a beautiful Victorian building in Gramercy Park. It is both a designated New York Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

The club membership has included Fredrick Remington, 
Daniel Chester French, Augustus Saint Gaudens,  Robert HenriWilliam Merritt Chase, Everett Raymond Kinstler,  Paul Manship, Anna Hyatt Huntington,  Mark Twain, Robert Redford, Uma Thurman, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower.



The renowned portrait painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler sponsored my membership years ago and when I'm in New York I routinely stop in for cocktails and dinner. Trish and I dined with him, his lovely wife Peggy and painter Holly Metzger at the club this week.  We discussed his upcoming retrospective at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA in March which we plan to attend.  Coincidentally, he had spent the day in his studio with Senator Alan Simpson, R-WY, who we had meet in Cody last month (see Sept. 25 Blog). Ray is painting his portrait for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.  We had a wonderful evening with our great friends.



Interior view of the National Arts Club


http://nationalartsclub.org
http://sandyscott.com



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish



Thursday 13 October 2011

#52 In the Field: National Sculpture Society, New York . . .



Sandy with Rodin's Burghers of Calais
Metropolitan Museum of Art 
In 1893, our founding members, including Daniel Chester French, Augustus St. Gaudens, Stanford White and J.Q.A. Ward, established the Society to "spread the knowledge of 
good sculpture." Today, NSS continues to support sculpture 
as an active, vital, not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization.

This week National Sculpture Society hosts a reception in 
honor of its Patron and Allied Professional members.  Trish 
and I are in New York to participate in these festivities.  

New York is always an "in the field" event for me:   I revisit museums, monuments and architecture that have helped 
shape my career as a sculptor and never fail to discover new and significant places, spaces and art.



http://www.nationalsculpture.org/



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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish


Tuesday 11 October 2011

#51 Remarque - "Sleepy Fox Mask"


This mask, created in high relief, is designed to be hung on a wall or flat surface.

Sleepy Fox Mask
8"H 7"W 6"D




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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Monday 10 October 2011

#50 Remarque: "Sleepy Fox"

I modeled this sculpture from life at the Brookgreen Gardens Zoo while artist in residence.   I was under the influence of my subject and in pursuit of the essence of the animal.  The actual yawn, however, was better realized while observing my cat in the sanctuary of my studio.


Sleepy Fox
18"H 15"W 9"D


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Sunday 9 October 2011

#49 In the field: Brookgreen Gardens Zoo

Included in the 9,200 acre grounds of Brookgreen Gardens is an accredited zoo where I took these photos recently while artist in residence.























Chickens on the Wind

Before modeling my subject I will collect reference
 to use in the studio.  Photography is invaluable.  A
 zoo environment allows me to experience my 
subject up close and personal and make clay
 sketches and studies from life.


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish
  

Friday 7 October 2011

#48 In the field: Brookgreen Gardens con't . . .

The collection contains over 1600 works spanning the entire period of American sculpture from the early 1800's to the present.


Riders of the Dawn 
Detail

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Thursday 6 October 2011

#47 In the Field: Brookgreen Gardens con't . . .

Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, is the most significant collection of sculpture by American artists in the world and is showcased under a canopy of historic live oak trees, native plants and flowers.


Entrance to Brookgreen   -   Fighting Stallions
Anna Hyatt Huntington



Diving Eagle



http://brookgreengardens.org


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Wednesday 5 October 2011

#46 In the field: Brookgreen Gardens Bird Sculpture Workshop



Chalk talk - Bird anatomy 101


Scott will begin the workshop with a discussion about bird anatomy, aerodynamics and achieving the illusion of movement of birds in flight. She will also discuss the difference between a technically adequate piece of work and one with spirit and life. 








Computer search for bird reference
Students will work from computer reference searches, photography, drawings, taxidermy mounts and videotapes of birds in flight. Instruction includes building bird armatures. Above all, move­ment, gesture, and anatomy are the focus.




Sandy critiquing students work
She will emphasize the value of lost and found edges and how good com­position and an expressive surface convey a feeling of movement, rhythm, light and emotion. 











Students will learn the importance of assembling strong, meaningful shapes and how eliminating unimportant details can create the essence of the bird. 

Group critique and demonstration


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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Monday 3 October 2011

#45 In the Field: Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens, south of Myrtle Beach in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina is the creation of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington who in 1929 purchased four coastal plantations to showcase her sculptures. It is the country's first public sculpture garden and has the largest collection of figurative sculpture by American artists in an outdoor setting in the world. It is also home to an accredited zoo.


Sandy Scott's baroque-inspired masterpiece, Fountain of Peace, was acquired by Brookgreen Gardens in 1995 and is installed on the grounds in front of the old kitchen. 




Fountain of Peace
Brookgreen Gardens
90"H

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Sunday 2 October 2011

#44 Remarque: "Harbinger of Light"



Harbinger of  Light
Detail


   
Raven, the trickster:
The Haida Indians believed raven - creator of the world - took light from a cedar box and lit up the world.  While flying with the light in his beak he was startled by an eagle close by and dropped the light which hit the earth and broke into three pieces.  Two pieces became the moon and stars.  He ascended to the heavens with the third piece creating the sun.

Harbinger of Light was influenced by many trips to Southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.


Harbinger of Light
16"H 20"W 16"D


Tomorrow I will begin teaching a bird sculpture and anatomy workshop at beautiful 
Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.




Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish