#85 In the studio: Leaving the Canada camp and studio . . .

Our boathouse at daybreak

This morning we woke up to bitter cold and snow.  It's clearing
and calm and a skim of ice will form by tomorrow.  We must take care of last minute closing tasks and be off the island by mid-morning.

My father died 20 years ago on this day.  An hour before dark last night Trish and I went to his favorite spot across from the island and caught a couple of nice walleye.  We honored him and his memory by cooking a walleye breakfast before leaving.  What I would have given to have caught those fish with him.

The north country experience was a gift he gave me.

We left the moose sculpture out overnight so the soft oil based clay could firm up for transport

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

#83 In the studio: "Pipestone Marsh Bull"

Tomorrow we pack, drain and close the camp for the season.  It's almost freeze up and yesterday I spent the day in the studio.  We have been deer hunting the past few days and it helped to get away and return to the moose sculpture with "fresh eyes".

If I cast the moose I'll name the old boy Pipestone Marsh because that's where we saw him earlier this month.  I will take the model to the Lander studio to finish where I have a library, video and more extensive "scrap" or reference files.  I will continue to use the Bob Kuhn painting as the pose.

                    Immature artists imitate.
                       Mature artists steal.
                                        Lionel Trilling

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

#78 In the Studio: "Tweaking" it . . .

Bitter cold wind has kept us inside and the moose "tweaking" continues in the studio.   Anatomy and proportion, clarity of contour and silhouette, meaningful and understood shape is my goal.  I try to determine if this will be a working sketch or will I complete and cast it.  I want to retain the freshness and simplicity of the initial idea.

Although the leg length is correct "by the book" and calipers, I'll consider exaggerating the length.  A piece of aluminum foil makes me see antler shape and silhouette.

I'm in pursuit of the essence of the animal.

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

#76 In the studio: Moose sculpture block-in con't. . .

After a long day I put the moose sculpture I started yesterday morning aside and will live with it, which is my working style.  The photo tells me my proportions are off: The head is too small and the legs are too short. I will continue obsessing on it and "tweaking" it while here.  It will go to the Lander studio when we leave where I have better reference material.

Typically, I have many pieces going on in the three studios:  Sometimes 50 or more in various stages of completion.
I'll use low light which produces strong shadows to eventually finish the work.  Inspiration, deadlines, finding or experiencing new reference material or simply "seeing it" will cause the conclusion, signing, molding and casting of the sculpture.

Moose block-in study ready to "tweak"

"Sculpture is the study of a thousand silhouettes."  

                                                               Rodin

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

#75 In the Studio: Under the Bob Kuhn spell cont'd. . .

We saw a moose in the distance a few days ago. The weather took a turn for the worse overnight so this morning I started a block-in study of a bull moose.


I remember a discussion with Bob Kuhn about recognizing an animal the way bird watchers do in the field: by shape.  The animal I saw in the distance was unmistakably a moose:  not a deer, not a bear - but a moose.  I didn't need to see detail or get out binoculars to recognize the critter - just the basic, overall shape shouted moose!

Modeling from Kuhn's moose painting,

Return of Autumn

  Kuhn's drawing ability was so spot
  on and so beautifully understood;
  the structured shapes and
  silhouette so accurate, that a
  sculptor with a basic knowledge
  of quadruped anatomy and a
  magazine clipping of one of his
  moose paintings can muster the
  courage to model after the master.

  North-wind howling, birch fire
  roaring:  I know I'm under the spell
  of my subject when it's noon and
  I'm at the sculpture stand and still
  in my bathrobe.

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