#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/

#211 In the field: Gilcrease Rendezvous Reunion, con't . . .

I was born in Dubuque, Iowa and when I was 2 years old my family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I attended Tulsa Public Schools which were known at the time to be
among the best educational systems in the United States.  My high school art
teacher, Sue Johnson, was a recognized American watercolorist and was
instrumental in my acceptance into the Kansas City Art Institute in 1961.

Friday, during the artist luncheon at the Gilcrease Museum's Rendezvous Reunion, 
I spent a quiet moment in the Vista Room which overlooks the beautiful Oklahoma 
Osage Hills.  Below me, on the manicured lawn, was my eagle sculpture, Above It All; 
which is in the museum's permanent collection. 



In the distance I noticed a yellow school bus which had carried children to visit the museum; just as a yellow school bus had carried me to this magical place so many years ago.  I remembered the overwhelming feelings I had when I visited the museum as a child and saw the paintings of Moran, Bierstadt, Remington, Russell, and the John James Audubon's painting of the Wild Turkey.  Television was in it's infancy and the art took me to places I had never  imagined and opened my eyes to the wonder of art.

gilcrease.utulsa.edu

#210 In the field: Gilcrease Rendezvous Reunion

The Gilcrease Museum, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, continues to honor the legacy of its founder, Thomas Gilcrease, by supporting contemporary artists 
who paint and sculpt images of the American West. Since 1980, Gilcrease has showcased America's most prominent artists by choosing two artists annually - typically a painter and a sculptor -  and exhibiting their work in a retrospective; 
my work was exhibited at the world-renowned museum in 1998 with the painter, Steve Hanks. Some of the illustrious artists, such as Joe Beeler, Eric Sloane, Wilson Hurley, Frank McCarthy, Bettina Steinke, Fritz White, Morris Rippel, 
Hollis Williford, Tom Ryan, Paul Calle, Chen Chi, James Reynolds, and 
Bob Kuhn are no longer with us. I knew them all and I miss them.  

This year's Rendezvous Reunion features 35 former Rendezvous artists during an exhibition and sale that opened last night and will continue through July 15, 2012. Today, I've posted images from the gala event that includes pictures of some of the artists in attendance.

At right I am with friend, fellow Tulsa-native and one of the founding members 
of the Cowboy Artists of America, Gordon Snidow; Rendezvous artist in 1981.

5 sculptors, John Coleman, Sandy Scott, 
Doug Hyde, Edward Fraughton and Gerald  Balciar 

Opening Panarama

                                               

gilcrease.utulsa.edu

#209 In the field: Gilcrease workshop

Yesterday I completed a 3-day workshop at the Gilcrease Museum.  I had the delightful experience of teaching in the original house that Thomas Gilcrease built and lived in, located in the beautiful Osage Hills northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma where the museum is located.

I enjoy teaching 3-day workshops . . . typically, my workshops are 5-day but I have found that it's possible to condense the class to 3 days.  My workshops are structured, organized and I cover an enormous amount of information about bird anatomy, flight, armature building, and the art of sculpture in general.
The subject focused upon in this class was the Common Tern:  a bird with a 30" wingspan which we modeled life-size.

My sculpture, Above It All, was acquired by Gilcrease in 2000 and is installed on the grounds.

gilcrease.utulsa.edu

#208 In the field: Gilcrease Museum

Recognized as one of the nations premier museums, Tulsa, Oklahoma's Gilcrease Museum features the world's largest and most renowned collection of art and artifacts, historical manuscripts, maps and documents of the Americas.  The museum's internationally famous western art collection includes works by Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, Joseph Henry Sharp, and Charles M. Russell.

This week I am teaching a Bird Anatomy and Sculpture Workshop at the museum and attending the 2012 Gilcrease Rendezvous Reunion.  The show brings together featured artists from years past.  The museum honored me as the Rendezvous Artist in 1998, and I am thrilled to be here for the reunion.

My sculpture, Above It All, was acquired by Gilcrease in 2000 and is installed on the grounds.

Above It All  8 1/2' wingspan

gilcrease.utulsa.edu