Saturday 30 June 2012

#270 Remarque: "Above Timberline"


Several years ago I was commissioned to create a Bighorn Sheep monument for Colorado State University, located in Fort Collins, Colorado.  I've lived in the Rockies over 30 years and have experienced the magnificent animal in the wild in the Poudre Canyon, west of Fort Collins, on many occasions.

Above Timberline is a design study (also called the maquette) that was used as a guide to construct the large armature and model the monument in clay.


Shown below, are two images of Above Timberline maquette 
14"H 14"W 7"D
3,900




Thursday 28 June 2012

#269 Remarque: "Swine Song"


The associations people have made with the word "pig" are not glamorous and there are many negative connotations attached to the word.  Throughout the centuries, the pig has been defamed, insulted and condemned as morally and physically unworthy and stupid. However, pigs rank fourth in animal intelligence behind chimps, dolphins and elephants.

At right, Trish stands next to Swine Song at a recent Prix de West exhibition. Collectors love the pig image, and over the years it has been one of my best selling subjects.  


We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals ...
They are brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, 
caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, 
fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.
                                                                                               - Henry Beston



Swine Song
40"H 40"W 26"D
Edition 75
33,000


Wednesday 27 June 2012

#268 Beyond my window: Geese, gander, and gosling


Today's post is an update about the gosling hatched 6 weeks ago at my studio headquarters in Lander, Wyoming. See posts #247 and #248; May 30 and 31.  

The gray gander has been released from his pen and the gaggle is together now that the gosling has grown. Time will tell, during mating, if the gosling is a goose or a gander.  The young one is maturing with gray and white markings.
















Observing, drawing, and photographing animals, whether domestic or wild,
provide a source of reference for future etchings, paintings, and sculptures.  




Tuesday 26 June 2012

#267 Throw on another log: Original prints and reproductions


Traditionally, fine art prints or original prints are etchings, drypoints, engravings, lithographs, block prints, and serigraphs - all meeting standards set by the Print Council of America. printcouncil.org/  Original prints are produced by hand presses, are created directly on the plate, block, stone, etc., using pigmented inks and are sometimes hand-tinted by the artist. Editions of these prints are usually limited to a few hundred or less, thus insuring rarity, collectibility, and value.

In the early 1970s, large national companies began to produce photomechanical offset reproductions of paintings issued in large editions.  Although they were hand-signed by the artist and advertised as "limited", some editions were so large as to be considered unlimited by standards of just a few years earlier.  Moreover, the offset dye inks were not permanent and if the "print" was exposed to light, it would soon fade.

Today, there are new printing techniques, using permanent inks, that make it possible to own a hangable reproduction of a painting by an artist whose work would otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable.  Many are produced in small editions.  The designation for such work is "photomechancial reproduction" and not the time-honored term, "print".


Sheep
Original Etching by Sandy Scott;  7 X 9 3/4

Sunday 24 June 2012

#266 In the studio: Style


By stripping the figure of the unessential, can a fresh discovery be made?

Every artist who evolves a style does so from illusive elements 
that inhabit his or her visual storehouse; 
but the actual breakthrough in the privacy of the studio, 
when one dares to [sculpt] in a new manner, 
is a solitary thrill, dependent upon no one else.  
It is the individual artist who must act courageously in an effort to grow.
                                                                         - Mary Carroll Nelson


Peacock Fragment I
18"H 20"W 7"D

Saturday 23 June 2012

#265 Living with art: "Working the Singles"


My Father always had English Pointers and I spent priceless days afield with him,
hunting Bobwhite Quail behind his favorite dog, Betty.  

Pictured below: A Matt Smith winter landscape hangs above
one of my favorite bird dog sculptures, Working the Singles.


Working the Singles
11"H 14"W 6"D

Friday 22 June 2012

#264 In the studio: Armature


Sculptors are builders:  We construct things and must get to the business of building by understanding armature, structure, bones and joints - not only where they attach but where they articulate.  

Shown below is a two hour block-in of a Screech Owl modeled at a recent demo.  See post #254.



The image on the right shows the model turned slightly to reveal the pipe support.  Note, the pipe flange has been attached to a wooden wedge which creates an angle . . . allowing more freedom to work under the sculpture.













Wednesday 20 June 2012

#263 National Museum of Wildlife Art: "Sculpture Trail", con't . . .


Last Thursday, the NMWA in Jackson, Wyoming unveiled and dedicated the Presidential Eagle. The event marked the opening of the new Sculpture Trail, see
posts # 260, 261 and 262.

No trip to Jackson and the Tetons is complete without spending time in the beautiful and wildlife-rich outdoors, photographing and sketching birds.



To learn more about the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the new Sculpture Trail go to:  

Trumpeter Swan clay model in progress




Tuesday 19 June 2012

#262 National Museum of Wildlife Art: "Sculpture Trail", con't . . .


In 1987, the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) was founded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with a prestigious collection of wildlife art donated by Joffa and Bill Kerr.

The cornerstone of the Museum's holdings is the JKM Collection.  Named for the Kerr daughters, Joffa, Kavar, and Mara, the collection spans three centuries, capturing the magnificence of the American west.  Featured artists include Audubon, Barye, Bierstadt, Bonheur, Catlin, Kuhn, O'Keefe, Rungius, Russell, and selected living artists.


To learn more about the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the new Sculpture Trail, see post 260 & 261 and go to:  


I'm with Bill Kerr at the June, 14th dedication of the new Sculpture Trail and the Presidential Eagle



Monday 18 June 2012

#261 National Museum of Wildlife Art: "Sculpture Trail", con't . . .

The Sculpture Trail is a new outdoor art venue for the National Museum of Wildlife Art, designed by award-winning landscape architect, Walter Hood. Overlooking the National Elk Refuge, the trail will feature nearly 30 permanent and temporary works of art.


Sculptures play with light and different seasons, offering an ever-changing view of art in the wild.


To learn more about the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the new Sculpture Trail, see yesterday's post and go to:  




Sunday 17 June 2012

#260 National Museum of Wildlife Art: "The Sculpture Trail"


Thursday evening, June 14, the National Museum
of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, unveiled and dedicated the Presidential Eagle.  

Gift of Joy and Tony Greene, the event marked
the opening of "The Sculpture Trail" - a new outdoor art venue which introduces sculpture into the fabric of Jackson Hole's incomparable landscape.  

To learn more about the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the new Sculpture Trail, see tomorrow's post and go to:  


The sun set on the National Elk Refuge, located across from the museum, as I spoke at the dedication.

Museum photo © Edward Riddell Photography

Saturday 16 June 2012

#259 In the studio: Shape and line



Shapes are two-dimensional and are surrounded by line.  Shape has length and width, while line has only length.  

A page from my sketchbook . . . much can be said with line


Friday 15 June 2012

#258 In the studio: Shape, form, and drawing



In drawing, when the artist adds shading to shape, the illusion of form is created.

Macaw Study
Copyright Sandy Scott

Thursday 14 June 2012

#257 In the studio: Shape, form, and sculpture



In sculpture, shape becomes form:  The sculptor assembles three-dimensional form to create a figure.


Wednesday 13 June 2012

#256 In the studio: Shape and form


All shapes and forms in nature can be reduced to controllable simplicity.  
The artist must think in terms of these elementary shapes and forms.  


Shapes: Shapes are 2-dimensional and have length and width



Form:  When depth is added to shape, it becomes form 


Monday 11 June 2012

#255 In the studio: Drawing and shape


Painters paint what they see; sculptors sculpt what they know.
The bird sculptor must know and understand bird anatomy and the major feather groups.

Break your subject down into simple shapes.  When looking at your subject, instead of seeing feathers, you'll see the ovals that makes up the large body shape and scapular feather groups.  Notice the circle shape of the head and the triangular shape that defines the nape and the rump.  The feather groups of the wing should be simplified and understood. Keep your drawing simple.  Shapes make up the whole.

Saturday 9 June 2012

#254 In the field: Prix de West Invitational


This weekend, the Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition opened at the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.  This is my 24th year at the gala event and I was invited to present a bird sculpture demonstration and talk.

My subject was the Western Screech Owl and I showed the audience studio procedures, preparation, and modelling techniques.  I gave a brief chalk-talk about bird anatomy, armature building, and how to block-in a bird in flight.
nationalcowboymuseum.org/ and nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/cms/.


Shown below are preparatory drawings for my screech owl demo.







Friday 8 June 2012

#253 In the foundry: New works


It is very important to me to introduce new work at the major invitational museum shows as well as gallery openings. This year, my new buffalo fragments have been very popular and collectors have responded to the way in which the sculpture can be placed.  Mantlepieces, such as the pair shown below, came be displayed close to the wall and large fragment panels such as the enormous bison panel can be displayed in areas of limited space.  Weight and cost is significantly reduced and the contemporary, yet ancient "feel" of the bronzes appeal to many collectors.


Buffalo Fragments III & IV Mantlepiece
This new work will be introduced at the Prix de West Invitational this weekend at the 
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City
nationalcowboymuseum.org/



Bison Fragment II
The bison panel is heated and golden ferric nitrate is stippled over the blue cupric nitrate undercoating.
This new work was introduced and sold at the Gilcrease Rendezvous Reunion in Tulsa, OK in April.
gilcrease.org/


Tuesday 5 June 2012

#252 Remarque: "Las Palomas Fountain"


Over the years, fountain design has been a significant part of my portfolio.
The Las Palomas Fountain depicts a flurry of doves surrounding tiered bronze basins.  The architectural elements are designed in the Mediterranean style.
The active birds supported by water treatment and elegant basin design presents visual excitement.  

The dramatic fountain can be seen at Whistle Pik Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas and Wilcox Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming.




Las Palomas Fountain
76"H 

Monday 4 June 2012

#251 Living with art: Swamp Buck



The Prix de West in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma opens this weekend and 3 of the 4 pieces I have entered will be new works.  Although Prix de West  attracts collectors from all over the country, Oklahoma is whitetail country and I hope Swamp Buck appeals to the folks in the beautiful state where I grew up.

This is my 24th year participating in the prestigious invitational and I look forward to seeing collectors, gallery and museum people, students, art lovers, friends, and fellow artists.  It is museum shows like the Prix de West and the winter show at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles that have been responsible for the continuing interest and excellence in representational and figurative art.


Swamp Buck with a conte drawing of deer by Bob Kuhn



Sunday 3 June 2012

#250 Beyond my window: Deer


The deer on my property in Lander, Wyoming are a never-ending source of inspiration and reference.


The simpler your lines and forms are the stronger and more beautiful 
they will be.  Whenever you break up forms you weaken them.
It is as with everything else that is split and divided.
                                                                        - Ingres



Doe   5 x 7
Original etching, copyright Sandy Scott

Friday 1 June 2012

#249 Living with art: "Preening Cat"


Morning light falls on a Couse painting and Preening Cat.  A quiet pose is easy to live with.


Preening Cat
13"H 9' Dia