#16 In the Foundry: "Noble Eagle, Spirit of America" con't . . .

Foundry technicians take measurements from the maquette and enlarge to a monumental sized version of the sculpture.  This procedure is called the "point-up". Styrofoam panels are glued together and carved to create the general shape of the figure.

The artist makes necessary changes to the proportions of the shapes before the foam is covered with a membrane of clay.  The artist then models the clay surface.  Underlying the clay is the styrofoam block-in.

When the work is completed a rubber mold is made from the clay model and the lost wax bronze casting process begins.  

The powerful presence of the American bald eagle

 The massive clay figure towers above the artist in the Lander studio

The general lines and basic masses of a monument must be simple

Masses must be balanced around a central axis 

The resin cast maquette in the foreground

The overall contours are suggestive of flight 

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

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

#15 In the Foundry: "Noble Eagle, Spirit of America"

Noble Eagle Spirit of America

12'H 14'W 10'D  (without base)

Over the years, my heroic-sized eagle monuments have been placed in many public places and private residences.

This week I will be working in the Lander foundry with the artisans and staff casting an eagle monument entitled Nobel Eagle, Spirit of America. The colossal work will be trucked to Wisconsin next month and installed in a public setting.

Shown below is a smaller bronze casting of the original design called the "maquette".

Nobel Eagle Spirit of America maquette
27"H 37"W 20"D

Second view

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

#14 Remarque: "Buffalo Relief I & II"

While creating these works I was under the influence of my subject's strong shape.  I attempted to combine simplicity and clarity into an uncomplicated sculptural statement.  Artists and their styles evolve naturally while searching and exploring various possibilities of design. 

Buffalo Relief 1

Buffalo Relief II

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

#13 Remarque: "Falcon Heart Humming"

The embodiment of speed and power can be found in the sleek Peregrine Falcon.


This beautiful bird performs spectacular "stoops" by folding it's wings back and knifing through the air at dazzling speeds.

Falcon Heart Humming
20"H 20"W 16"D

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

#12 Remarque: "Red-tailed Hawk Alert"

This large, broad-winged hawk often perches along road sides on fence posts or in trees and hunts mainly mammals.
  
Each individual bird species has unique shapes and characteristics.  The artist who recognizes this individuality can achieve, for instance, an unmistakable "hawk-ness", a "falcon-ness" or an "eagle-ness" in their sculpture.  If it's a hawk, it must shout HAWK!


The most important characteristic of an animal must be grabbed and perceived by the viewer at once.  The secret to the "grab" is to choose a pose or gesture that is typical of or even unique to that animal.

Red-tailed Hawk Alert
20"H 13"W 15"D
Ed. size 35
6200

Red-tailed Hawk Alert
20"H 13"W 15"D
Ed. size 35
6200

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

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

#11 Remarque: "Fox Watch"

A fox is a lavishly beautiful animal with a triangular shaped head and a look that a cartoonist would give to the devil!


When designing and modeling a longhaired or fur bearing animal, meaningful shapes and surface passages cannot be accomplished without understanding the subject's skeleton and anatomy.  The sculptor must assist the viewer with strong, simplified structure and understood bony waypoints.


This knowledge is also important when sculpting tomorrow's subject - birds.  Where a quadruped is covered with hair or fur, a bird is covered with feathers and the artist must know what's underneath and how the bones articulate.  

Fox Watch
16"H 16"W 9"D

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

#10 Remarque: "Shade of Paradise"

Peafowl are domesticated ornamental pheasants.  Their feathers are vividly colored -  particularly the peacock - and boast a shimmering play of colors known as iridescence.  Their spectacular markings and elaborate plumage display attracts the prospective hens.


This quiet study ranks as one of my personal favorites and one day I hope to model the piece life size which would result in a sculpture over 7 feet long.

Shade of Paradise
13"H 23"W 11"D

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

#9 Remarque: "Old Red"

Old Red is a portrait of our Rhode Island Red rooster that I spoke about yesterday.  I've had chickens for years and can't imagine a world without this arrogant, common bird:  No eggs benedict with corn fed yellow orange yolks and no announcement at daybreak of the rising sun. 

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

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

#8 Remarque: "Roosting Rooster Fragment I"

When our studio and headquarters of 20 years was relocated from Fort Collins, Colorado to Lander, Wyoming we bought property on the Popo Agie River (a tributary of the Wind River) and built a log house and studio near the foundry that casts my work.


Roosting Rooster was created for the new kitchen with our enormous Rhode Island Red rooster we called Old Red used as a model. He bit the dust a few weeks after the piece was completed when a fox raided the chicken coop.   His stunningly beautiful tail feathers are in my extensive feather collection.

Roosting Rooster Fragment I

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

#7 Remarque: "Mallard Rising"

There is nothing random in nature; everything is structured.  Though an animal sculptor does not need to be a scientist he must know and understand the important bones, joints and muscles, not only where they attach but how they articulate.  In addition to this knowledge the bird sculptor must know the major feather groups.  The feather sets are basic and every bird has the same groupings, from the tiny hummingbird to the gigantic albatross, the mallard duck and beyond.


Mallard Rising was modeled life size and is suitable for outdoor installation or for a water treatment to create a fountain. It can also be presented on a walnut base.

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

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

#6 Remarque: "Hearts Entwined"

The dove motif has a noteworthy and special meaning to me:  Thirty years ago in 1981 I turned my attention to sculpture which had interested me since early studies at the Kansas City Art Institute.  My etchings and stone lithographs had been in galleries for years and sculpture was not only a diversion but a medium I wanted to add to my portfolio.  I spent a considerable amount of time modelling the first piece to be cast in bronze entitled Fantail Dove.  The work was modeled from life using birds raised and bred at my studio then located in El Paso, Texas. It was well received, won several awards and sold out quickly.  


Printmaking took a back seat to sculpture and I soon moved my studio to the Loveland/Fort Collins, Colorado area where the foundries were located to pursue sculpture — my new passion.


And now, thirty years later I have revisited my beloved subject, the fantail dove and created Hearts Entwined.

Hearts Entwined
12"H 22"L 11"D

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

#5 Remarque: "Elephant Fragments I & II"

On September  15, 2011 Wilcox Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming is introducing a new portfolio of my sculpture and recent works. This coincides with the Western Visions Art Show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Jackson Hole Arts Festival and other art events.  

 

Over the next few weeks I will introduce new works on this blog.  Many of the new pieces are fragments and truncated sections from previously introduced works in the round.  They are designed to be used as mantelpieces or placed close to a wall.  I'm also presenting three-dimisional bronze wall hangings that group well with paintings.  

All sculptures are signed and numbered in a limited edition and will be available in my galleries.  I will post the new sculpture as it comes out of the foundry and is photographed and review recent works as well.  You will notice that some of the recent bronzes are already on my website.

Elephant Fragments I and II

Elephant Fragment I

Elephant Fragment II

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

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

#4 In the studio: Trumpeter Swan study (untitled)

 This is a new work I started a few years ago at the Ontario Lake of the Woods studio.  It is a study of the superbly elegant and graceful trumpeter swan that we routinely see in the Yellowstone area near our Lander, Wyoming headquarters.  It is a small study of a very large bird - over 7 foot wingspan.

Behind the clay model you will see reference photos from my "scrap file" or "morgue" - terms from my early years as an artist in the film and ad agency industry.  Over the years I've accumulated an extensive morgue at the Canadian studio which makes it a wonderful place to research and create new works.  I have spent hours tearing and filing scrap from old magazines.  I often tell my workshop students that sculpture is over 75% (or more) research and knowing the subject and the rest of the time is spent actually modeling the sculpture.


The trumpeter will stay behind when we leave Canada in a few days.  It will be waiting for me when I return in the fall.

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

#3 In the studio: Making a mold

Today we started the mold on the new whitetail deer at the Lake of the Woods studio.  Notice -Trish has cut off the antlers and one rear leg to make a parts mold that will be cast and assembled in bronze at the foundry.


I'm often asked how it's possible to travel between 3 studios and get my work done. The fact that Trish makes my molds is the main reason.  I don't have to shuttle delicate clay models from the studio to a distant mold maker - if I model a sculpture in Canada or Colorado - the mold is done right there and then taken to the foundry in Lander for casting.


Another reason Trish and I can travel so easily between three studios is our good friend Mary Jo Hemesath.  She lives on the premises of our Lander headquarters and looks  after things such as the yard, the house, horses, chickens, domestic geese and several house and barn cats - the dogs travel with us.  She forwards our mail and with the help of the foundry (and the electronic age) the basic needs are taken care of by these wonderful friends.

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

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

#2 In the studio: Whitetail deer (untitled)

We are at the Lake of the Woods studio on a cool, breezy summer afternoon.  Sandy just completed a new sculpture of a bounding whitetail deer. Although it looks as if the photo was shot in the fall, the glow in the distance is actually a stunning  Canadian sunset setting the trees ablaze.

Trish will start the mold in the morning.  This sculpture is the maquette (study) for the larger version that will be introduced at the Autry in February.

We will be returning to our Lander headquarters soon to get ready for the Wilcox Gallery Wildlife and Wildlands show in Jackson, Wyoming Sept 12-30.  The show coincides with the Western Visions Show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Sandy will be there Sept. 15-18.  Then its back to Lander to antelope hunt and then to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming the following weekend.

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

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture, Whitetail deer, clay models. . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#1 In the field: Exploring

Although this summer has been an intense work time, Sandy and Trish took a few days off over Sandy's birthday in July. Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts flew them to a remote lake in northwestern Ontario for a much needed break.  There is only one little cabin there and they had the lake to themselves.  Great walleye and northern fishing! Then back to the Lake of the Woods studio/cabin to work on Sandy's new website and her upcoming show in Sept.  Sandy has owned her island paradise for over 30 years.  The setting is beautiful, wildlife abounds and it serves as her source and inspiration. 

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

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

sandyscottblog.blogspot.com

Written by nationally acclaimed sculptor Sandy Scott, the focus of this blog is sculpture and is directed toward collectors, galleries, students and those who love art.  Words and pictures intertwine to reveal both the substance and style of a figurative and wildlife artist who lives the life she depicts.  It is a learning tool and a profile of a successful artist that connects the reader to studio procedures, field study and how an artist works.  To learn about Sandy go to sandyscott.com and click on The Artist.

Sandy, Penny and Watcher