#543 Throw on another log . . . in the gallery

The juried and invitational museum shows and exhibitions are an important way for artists to introduce new works and meet and intermingle with collectors, art lovers, museum and gallery folks, and peers.  Collectors enjoy the excitement and opportunity of the one-night only art sale and meeting the artists.  Sculptors who work in bronze and therefore offer multiple castings of an individual sculpture, do best when, like the painters,  introduce new work at museum shows.   Paintings, being one-of-a-kind, sell better at the one-night sale as savvy collectors know the sculpture edition will still be available in the galleries when the exhibition ends.    

 The museum shows are prestigious and exciting and most galleries want
their stable of artists to be invited.   I place equal importance however, on
gallery representation.  Whether I'm in the studio, paddling a canoe in Alaska,
or photographing wildlife in Africa, the galleries are in the trenches day in and
day out representing me.  Also, a collector can be more objective without the
artist at hand and the prospective buyer can express themselves more
freely about an individual artist's work.
I rely on my galleries and listen to them for 
they are the voice of the collector.                                                                   

I don't compete with my galleries by listing a personal or studio email address or telephone number on my website, 

on my blog, or advertisements . . . if an artist does this, it's logical that inquiries would go directly to the artist.  

I do not use the internet for sales although there is definitely a place regarding sales for the internet to work 

for professional artists with gallery representation.   The key is communication and disclosure . . .
in other words, no surprises between gallery and artist.  For instance, an ad is currently in an
art magazine for the National Sculpture Society that lists contact numbers for the studio . . .
this was my mistake as I did not review the ad when it was sent to the studio before publication.  

My home state gallery, Wilcox Gallery in Jackson recently sold the first of five castings of "Requiem for the Fallen" 

as a result of an ad in the May/June issue of "Art of the West" magazine shown below.

The ad was paid for by eight of my galleries and announced the new Prix de West sculpture. . . 

a win, win, win situation for Prix de West, the galleries, and the artist!

While most artists follow their personal interests and desires during the creative process,

 I continue to understand and appreciate the relevance of gallery representation.

I'm currently working on a small sculpture of a moose that was requested by Wilcox Gallery.

The work will be introduced and available at the gallery in September during the annual 

celebration of the arts in Jackson Hole and at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.  

Below, are images of the new moose in progress.  Jackson, Wyoming is moose country!

Wilcox Moose Study (working title)
10"H 10"W

Wilcox Moose Study (working title)
10"H 10"W

Below are images of the moose sculpture in progress after one hour's work.  A quickly executed
block-in can have life and spontaneity.  The artist must understand the subject's anatomy and
structure in order to create correct proportion with large shapes and masses.

A complete list of the galleries that represent my work can be seen at the beginning of this blog.



To learn more about the subjects go to the links below.

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and
type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

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

#542 "Art of the West" magazine . . . for all fine art collectors

There are several art magazines out there that are of interest to art collectors, artists, and art lovers.  One, however, stands out:  "Art of the West".  Now in it's 27th year, Tom Tierney and Allan Duerr continue to publish a bimonthly magazine that is thoughtful, original, and important.

I, like so many subscribers, anticipate the magazine's arrival to read about featured artists, collectors, and galleries.  The various departments that are included in each issue are significant:  They include, "What's News", "Straight Talk", "One on One", "Letters", and the informative, "Law and the Art World".   

A recent letter to the editors from an artist whose work was featured in the last issue sums it up best: " . . . I think you are awesome.  Your commitment to maintaining a magazine in which nobody can 'pay to be featured' is absolutely outstanding.  Thank heaven that there's an art magazine that's honestly 

concerned with informing collectors of quality work!  I may be the only artist in Art of the West history whose galleries completely dropped the ball.  I didn't advertise, they didn't advertise, and you still ran the feature. "  - Josh Clare

Tom and Allan routinely attend shows and exhibitions and are truly dedicated to the art world.  Below, I'm with Tom at this year's Prix de West in Oklahoma City.  The next photo is Allan at the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody, Wyoming.

As a sculptor, I appreciate the fact that sculpture is included in most issues.  Below, is a recent article spotlighting the Briscoe Museum's commission and installation of my site specific architectural sculpture elements that were added to their stunning museum restoration and Art Deco masterpiece located on the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio.

To learn more about the subjects go to the links below.

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and
type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.


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

#541 Fundamentals: KCAI and early equine art influence

I attended the Kansas City Art Institute in the early 1960s, and it was the most far-reaching event of my life.  

To this day, I view the time spent there as the awakening of my senses.  My eager young 

mind absorbed the rudiments of what would become a lifelong journey in the arts.  

Nothing since has equaled the enthusiasm in which I immersed myself in the study 

of art fundamentals and art history.   To this day I thrive upon the confidence instilled 

in me by competent instructors who inspired and directed me toward achievement.

Recently, I returned to KCAI and was flooded with heartfelt memories of times past.  We were
there on a weekend and roamed the empty campus while enjoying beautiful spring weather. 

Below, are images taken last month of a nostalgic return to the place that determined my life's work.

Fifty three years ago this summer, my parents and I passed through the gates shown below
after driving from Tulsa to Kansas City to enroll me in KCAI.

The Nelson Atkins Museum is located across the street from the KCAI campus and
Trish and I spent several days last month viewing the outstanding collection.

Shown below is the north side of the Nelson Atkins Museum located across the street from KCAI.
In 1994, Claes Oldenburg's aluminum and plastic sculpture entitled, "Shuttlecocks" replaced Rodin's,
"The Thinker", which was moved to the south side of the building.  As a new student, I'll never forget
 walking under Rodin's, "The Thinker" during the first week of orientation when freshmen
were taken on a tour of the magnificent museum . . . O, the excitement and anticipation of art classes!
pretty heady stuff for an Oklahoma country girl!

I remember more trees and landscaping around the museum in the '60s.  I did a search and found a
link that shows images of what the museum looked like back then.   Nelson/Atkins '60s

Kansas City is known as the "City of Fountains" and the famed Country Club Plaza area - with its many fountains - 

is located a few blocks from the art institute and museum.  In 1958, three years before I entered the art institute,
the sculptor, Henri L. Greber created the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain and it was installed
on the Plaza . . . it was the talk of Kansas City.

As a young art student, I spent many hours absorbing the wonders of Greber's equine fountain.

From the moment I saw the stunning creation, with its flaring nostrils, flashing hooves, shooting water, and baroque drama . . . I knew I wanted to be a sculptor.

Below, are images of Henri L. Greber's famed masterpiece on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.

To learn more about the subjects go to the links below.

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and
type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.


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

#540 In the studio: Creating "Requiem for the Fallen"

There are several dates in history that are not only remembered but one can tell you where they
were and what they were doing when the event took place.  People of my parents generation
remember the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, D-day, and the day FDR died.  My generation
remembers the Kennedy assassination, Armstrong landing on the moon, and the day Elvis died.  

More recently, who can forget where they were when the Oklahoma City bombing happened?
By far, the most painful event that most people remember is the day our homeland was attacked. 

That day shook our great nation to it's very core:  September 11, 2001 . . . more commonly known as 911. 

Throughout history artists, writers, performers, and communicators have attempted to convey 

impressions of momentous events . . . it is a basic need.  Realistically it's a need for everyone.  

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was alone in a small auxiliary studio and apartment that I owned
in Lander, Wyoming.  It seems like tragedy and uncertainty is felt more deeply when one is alone.
I had not yet moved my headquarters from Colorado to Lander . . . I was away from home, family,
dogs, and friends . . . pacing in my studio while listening to the horrific events unfold on the news.
Unable to tear myself away from the news, I remained in the studio all day, feverishly
working on a creation that I eventually named Requiem for the Fallen.   

Several years later, after I moved into my new studio/headquarters that had been built in Lander,
the clay model was placed high on a shelf  where it gathered dust until January of this year.
I took it down and as I cleaned it, I was careful not to lose the spontaneity and freshness
of the soft clay passages executed with passion and purpose so many years before.
As I prepared it for molding and casting, I was flooded with memories of that
fateful September day, 2001 when our beloved country was changed forever.

Below, are images of the clay model after cleaning.
Years ago it did not occur to me to take photos during the creative process.

Below, the work during the patina process at the foundry as a traditional patina
is being applied using liver of sulfur, cupric nitrate and ferric nitrate.


Below are images of the completed work.  I am currently enlarging this piece to 25"H 50"W for a
collector.  It is my hope that I will have the opportunity to enlarge it into a monument in the future.

Requiem for the Fallen
16"H 33"W 8"D

Requiem for the Fallen
16"H 33"W 8"D

To learn more about the subjects in this blog go to the links below.  

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and 

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

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

#539 In the museums: Prix de West weekend, con't . . .

The Prix de West weekend is over . . . my work was well received and sales were brisk.   It's a great feeling for an artist to see names pulled out of the box and sales posted!  Below, are images of three of the four works I exhibited.
"Requiem for the Fallen" can be seen on the previous post . . .  # 538.

 Falcon Flight

20"H 19"W 8"D

King of the Coop  

18"H 18"W 7"D

Ed. 65

Retail 4,200

 King of the Coop

18"H 18"W 7"D

Tethered and Tangled

7"H 10"W 7"D

This was my 26th year participating in the prestigious invitational at the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City.  Museum shows such as the Prix de West and the winter invitational - the Autry in Los Angeles - continue to play a major role in the resurgent interest and excellence in figurative and representational art.

Below, are images and memories of the 2014 Prix de West.

King of the Coop  

18"H 18"W 7"D

Ed. 65

Retail 4,200

Below, the light was beautiful on James Earle Fraser's "End of the Trail" at the museum.

Below, I'm with Greg Simon, chairman of the Prix de West Art Committee.

Below, the new incoming President of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum: Dr. Steven Karr.

Below, the sculpture, "Pigmalion" sold in the fun-filled Saturday night gala, sale, and auction.   The annual auction carries the festiveness of Prix de West into the Awards Banquet and provides important fundraising support for the museum.  

Pigmalion
18"H 18"W 11"D

To learn more about the subjects in this blog go to the links below.  

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and 

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

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

#538 In the museums: Prix de West . . . "Requiem for the Fallen"

Tomorrow night, the Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition opens at the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.  This is my 26th year at the prestigious event and as in previous years, it is very important to me to introduce new work.  All of my works this year are newly released in 2014 and two of them
have never been exhibited: "Falcon Flight" and "Requiem for the Fallen".

Below, are two images of "Requiem for the Fallen", followed by the catalogue remarque.

 Requiem for the Fallen
16"H 33"W 8"D

Remarque:  "On a beautiful September morning in 2001,  I watched in horror as our great nation 

was attacked by terrorists.  Seeking solitude and reflection, I entered my studio . . . overwhelmed 

by the need to respond to the unspeakable events as they unfolded throughout the day.

The clay sketch, Requiem for the Fallen was the result and at the end of that unbearable day,
I placed the rough block-in on a shelf where it collected dust for over 12 years.
Several months ago, I revisited the abandoned clay model and cast it in bronze."


http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

To learn more about the subjects in this blog go to the links below.  

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and 

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

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

#537 In the field: Art in New York, New York!

Last night, Trish and I returned from an exciting, art-filled trip to New York. 

 The itinerary included the annual National Sculpture Society Celebration at the Century Club;  the presentation of the Medal of Honor for Achievement in Film - honoring Ellen Burstyn at the National Arts Club;  a guided tour of the Morgan Library with NSS members, guests, and patrons;  a visit to Conner- Rosenkranz Galleries to see sculpture and drawings with Robin Salmon -  the Curator of  Sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens who introduced me to the extraordinary art dealer - Joel Rosenkranz;  and a visit to the Frick Museum to see sculptures by Houdon and Clodion and to view
Renaissance and Baroque bronzes from the Hill Collection.  

Below, are images, notes, and memories of an unforgettable experience in New York.

Program for the National Sculpture Society's Honors and Awards Luncheon at the Century Club.

Below, honoree and film icon:  George Lucas

Below, a conversation with the great sculptor, Bruno Luchessi.

Gwen Pier - Executive Director of  the National Sculpture Society, flanked by NSS sculptors,
Tuck Langland on the left, and Greg Wyatt - Sculptor in Residence at St. John of the Divine in New York.

Below, a conversation with George Lucas and sculptor, Lawrence Noble.

Robin Salmon - NSS board member,  Curator of Sculpture and Vice-president of Brookgreen Gardens with George Lucas.

Below, I'm with NSS Medal of Honor winner, Eugene Daub and sculptor, Gwen Marcus on the right.

Below,NSS sculptor, Christopher Smith and Trish Smith [no relation], Patron Member of the NSS.

Below, Frank and Cheryl Newby - Patron Members of NSS, with Nina Akamu - NSS Sculptor.
I am proud to have my work represented by the Cheryl Newby Galleries in Pawley's Island, South Carolina.

Below, I'm with Jim and Ann Jennewein.  Jim is a noted architect, NSS board member,
and son of the illustrious American sculptor - Carl Paul Jennewein.

The National Arts Club - of which I am a member - honored the great actor:  Ellen Burstyn.

Below, at the champagne reception for Ms. Burstyn at the historic National Arts Club.

Below,  Chris Poe - President of the National Arts Club -  presenting
the Medal of Honor for Achievement in Film to Ellen Burstyn.

Below, Beatrice Fenton's charming fountain graces the courtyard at the Conner- Rosenkranz Gallery.
I'm with Joel Rosenkranz and Robin Salmon.

To learn more about the subjects in this blog go to the links below.  

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and 

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

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