#760 "The Strut"

     

"The Strut"  -   clay model in progress  -   40" highThe current covid quarantine has caused an unplanned and productive block of creative studio time.   Typically, I'm traveling to shows, enjoying my seasonal cabin on Lake of the Woods in Ontario and spending museum time in Europe . . . this year, planned trips to Spain and France had to be canceled.  Many of these works are workshop demos and startups that were abandoned for one reason or another. Lots of time has resulted in a return to the sculpture stand to pursue their worthiness for casting. Among over twenty new sculptures in progress is "The Strut".
                          Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#702 "Southwest Express"

"Southwest Express"

17"H 17"W 8"D

Edition 65

This recent sculpture was created for a client of one of the galleries that represents me.  

The client was not sure of the pose she wanted so I presented several drawings for 

her to choose from.

I loved working with the Roadrunner as a subject.  There are so any species that I 

want to add to my portfolio that pleasing someone with a drawing before actualizing 

the sculpture is a great tool of the trade.  There are over 10,000 species of birds 

alone . . . I’m afraid I won’t get to all of them!

  

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

#686 New sculpture: "Silver Wings - Trumpeter Swan"

   "Silver Wings - Trumpeter Swan" is a new sculpture introduced in Cody this fall.  Please go to the search box and type in trumpeter swan for more information about the creation of this work . . . drawings and photos are shown. 

 Below are images of the work in progress in clay and the finished sculpture cast in bronze.

Shown below . . .  the flexible rubber mold in progress.

Shown below . . . silver nitrate being applied during the patina process at the foundry.

Shown below . . . two images of the completed and based bronze casting.

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  

See post #616

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

#679 Art shows: "Buffalo Bill Art Show" . . . 2014

Last weekend was the 34th Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale held at the

 prestigious Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming.

http://www.buffalobillartshow.net

Below, are images of my work in this year's exhibition . . .  "Silver Wings",  

depicts a Trumpeter Swan;  followed by "Dixie".

Silver Wings

Dixie

Shown below, are images of the new sculptures in clay before being cast into bronze.

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  

See post #616

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

#672 Africa Portfolio 1 . . . "Recumbent Giraffe", con't

Please seen the previous 2 posts for more information about this blog.

A Giraffe has only two gaits:  Walking and galloping.  Walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body at the same time, the doing the same on the other side.  A galloping giraffe is a wonderful sight to see . . .  

the hind legs move up past the front legs BEFORE the front legs move forward while the long neck and head rock 

forward and backward to maintain balance!  The obvious pose for me to choose for my first Giraffe sculpture

 would have been a standing, walking, or galloping Giraffe as I had plenty of reference material

 from my trip to Africa but I chose a recumbent pose with more Giraffe sculptures planned in the future.


Below, Note both legs going forward on the same side while going back
on the opposite side . . . similar to a pacing horse.

Below, are photos of "Recumbent Giraffe" in progress in clay, cast in bronze, and making the mold.

  

It's important for the artists to understand how and in what direction an animal's limbs are folded when they are in a recumbent position.  Typically, the limbs are arranged in such a way as to enable the species to rise with the greatest facility.  By observing wild animals in the field and photographing and sketching them, invaluable information can obviously be obtained.  However, much can be learned by studying domestic animals which are much more readily available to study and scrutinize.  For instance, a house cat has the structural arrangements - supple spine, etc - as a lion.

 Dogs resemble wolves, fox, etc;  cattle resemble bison, etc;  and goats resemble deer, Giraffe, and more.

The artist must know how the skeleton is arranged,
 how the bones articulate and identify bony landmarks and waypoints.
All quadruped skeletons are fundamentally the same but some species have limited mobility
in the reclining position.

Below, is an early work depicting a recumbent cow. . . useful observation and information for modeling wild species.

For anatomy reference, see posts #616 and #655

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  

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

#671 Africa Portfolio 1 . . . "Recumbent Giraffe", con't

Please visit the previous blog for more information about this post.

There are some events that occur in the field that are branded in your memory for the rest of your life . . . 

in Africa, my first sight of a Giraffe in the wild remains one of the most profound animal encounters I've ever experienced.

While driving on the dusty road from Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania to the south end of the Serengeti, we went over a rise and a Giraffe was to our left, less than 20 feet from the Land Rover.  "Twiga, said our guide in Swahile" as he stopped the truck . . . a blazing sun, low in the west backlit the magnificent Masai Giraffe (Twiga) as the magic of Africa enveloped me.  The animal advanced slowly, swinging its head and neck from side to side to keep its balance . . . looking as though it was moving in slow motion.   Without raising the camera, I simply soaked it all in . . . knowing that Africa in all its glory,
the grand, long-awaited adventure and subjects for untold future sculptures lay ahead.

Below, are photos taken of Giraffe in Tanzania.

Shown below,  are images of the clay model that was created in one sitting outdoors after our return from Africa.
I don't cast most of my one-sitting  (typically, 2 -4 hour) clay sketches but this one, I deemed worthy of bronze.

More about Giraffe and modeling recumbent animals in next Wednesday's blog.

For anatomy reference, see posts #616 and #655

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.

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

#637 In the studio: Green Heron

Compared to most herons, the Green Heron is small, dark, short and stocky with short legs, broad wings, 

long bill, and thick neck.   The crow-sized bird is sometimes call the Green-backed Heron.

Below, is John James Audubon's (1785 - 1851) lithograph of the Green Heron.

The Green Heron is typically concealed in vegetation and is hard to see because its coloration appears dark.

The little heron is solitary and secretive and lives around small bodies of water or densely vegetated areas.  

Seeing them is tricky and I've seen the bird only a few times in the wild and always along shallow marsh edges.

Below, are drawings created during a rare encounter with a Green Heron while in the South Carolina Low Country.

The Green Heron's neck is often pulled up against the body when at ease . . .  but when feeding, 

the bird thrusts its neck forward and the long, dagger-like bill strikes swiftly to catch prey.

Below, is a clay model of a recent sculpture of the Green Heron.  I chose a pose that depicts the bird hunting and about
to plunge for its its prey.  The heron appears dark while hunting in the shadows, but is beautifully colored in the sun.

The sculpture was modeled with a dark brown Classic Clay which is a very fine product and one 

of several different types and brands of oil based plasteline clay I use.  Typically, if the wings are extended, 

I use Chavant's Le Beau Touche clay because it is sticky and will adhere to armature wire and aluminum foil better.
 Note:  It's difficult to photograph Classic Clay because of its dark pigment

Below, is the new sculpture, "Green Heron" cast in bronze.
The patina was achieved with liver of sulfur, cupric nitrate, and a trace of ferric nitrate.

Green Heron
11"H 15"W 9"D
Edition 50
3,000

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

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

#619 In the studio . . . horse anatomy and bony landmarks

Please start this series of posts about horse anatomy with blog #616.

The artist must understand the location of bony landmarks when drawing, painting, and sculpting a figure such as the horse.   A painter creates the illusion of form by showing shadow, middle-tone, and highlights while the sculptor models a form in space that creates its own.  It may sound simplistic, but when asked what my main concern is in sculpture . . .
my reply is to make sure all of the shadows fall in the right place!


But how does a sculptor make sure all of the shadows fall in the right place?
The answer:  Bony landmarks.

The best way to analyze bony landmarks involve the following considerations:

1.  How does the skeleton influence the surface appearance?

2.  The artist must understand the animal's skeleton and the location of bony landmarks in the figure.

3.  Where does the skeletal structure rise to the surface?    

4.  Bony landmarks are typically hard edges while muscle structure is not.  Their relationship to each   

     other, where muscles attach to the main bones, must be understood.

5.  Observe the horse:  Where there are dips, curves, bumps, and knobs, projection and indentations -
     there is an anatomical explanation that the sculptor must understand.

6.  A bony landmark is a "waypoint" for the sculptor and is any identifiable point on the figure that     

     can be referred to such as where the femur joins the pelvis, where the humerus joins the scapula,
     or the tibia joins the metatarsus [cannonbone], etc.

                 Shown below is a clay model of a horse with body landmarks identified with dots.

7.  Bony landmarks occur at places where different parts of a form meet or come together.  This is  
     also called  "points of articulation".
8.  Understanding anatomy takes the mystery out of drawing, painting, and sculpting.   Start with the
      largest bones and compare them with your own.  All mammals have the same basic design.
9.  Bony landmarks can assist the artist in establishing proportion and a point of reference which is      
     discussed and illustrated in the next blog post.
10. Beyond bony landmarks and waypoints, the sculptor must keep the large masses simple. clarified,          
      and unified . . . more is said with large shapes, planes, and masses.
11. Indicate the simple, underlying masses of the skeletal system:  Skull, rib cage, pelvis, lumbar,
      abdomen, neck, shoulder, upper and lower leg, etc.
12. Bony landmarks are generally the joining of limbs and the points of articulation . . . be aware of

      your own body and movement when modeling the horse.   See drawing below.

13. Don't give premature attention to detail . . . there will typically be problems with proportion.

14. It's really true:  Sculptors sculpt what they know and painters paint what they see.

Three-dimintional form creates shadows . . .  when the sculptor understands anatomy,  

the shadows fall in the right place.

Eclipse
26"H 25"W 9"D

                 

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See posts #616 and 655

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

     

#611 In the studio: "Stealth"

I am fascinated by the motion of all cats including Africa's big cats such as the Cheetah, Leopard, and Lion - see blogs #479 through # 483, posted Nov. 17, 2013 until Dec. 1.  I  have several sculptures of the subjects in progress which will be introduced at an upcoming show in August of this year.

http://Blog 479 - 483

Shown at right is Trish with our cat, Ziggy.  Much can be learned about big cats and cats in the wild such as Cougars by observing the locomotion of a house cat.

Recently, the North American Mountain Lion - also called the Cougar - has captured my imagination and

 I have created a new sculpture entitled "Stealth".   In America, Mountain Lion has become the most common name used,
but the proper name used by scientists is Puma . . . (Felis concolor).  There is actually an all black Puma
sometimes seen in Florida.  Below, are two views of the new work. . . "Stealth".

Below, are images of "Stealth" with the first coat of rubber mold material applied including a picture looking down on the sculpture. The rubber presents a sleek and smooth appearance of the clay model, reducing it to an abstract impression lacking modeling detail.  Viewing the sculpture in this manner is akin to a painter "squinting down" on their work!

Animals and animal groups are special unto themselves and each have their own variation of anatomy in motion. 

 Next Wednesday's blog will explore a more in-depth look at cats and how nature designed the beautiful creature.

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

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

#600: Throw on another log . . . the influence of Bugatti, con't

Throw on another log is a commentary and opinion about art
and this blog is a continuation of the previous post . . . 

Please scroll back to blog # 599,  posted Jan. 11, 2015.

I welcome your comments and observations.

Since the last post,  I've received several comments and inquiries from
former students and others about the influence of Bugatti regarding my
 work.  Years ago, I purchased the big Bugatti book - cover shown at right -
and while it had a definite presence in the studio, it was not a
"go-to" source of reference during the early, formative years . . .

 There's no clay on the pages which attests to the fact.

 The trip to Paris last month has directed my attention to this incomparable sculptor of animals.  I was mesmerized by his plasters at the Musee d'Orsay,  (shown in the previous post),  and spent hours in the Petit Palais,
(also shown),  with his sculptures . . . captivated and influenced.

Bugatti died young - he committed suicide at age 31 - and during his short life he created over 300 sculptures. 

 He explored many different methods and styles while creating a multitude of masterpieces . . . each one a classic observation of the animal . . . in gesture and in spirit.  Every sculptor would be well-served to study his work.   

While I can't say my work has been grounded and influenced by Bugatti over the years, since returning from Paris,

 I'm haunted by the memory of experiencing his sculpture in the museums.  This morning, I created a study of a walking panther - shown below -  that would not have been on my radar to do without being under his spell.  

Every artist is the sum total of their interests, experience, knowledge, and feelings.

Artists and their styles evolve naturally while searching various possibilities of design.

Style, like feelings, cannot be forced.

Shown below, are images of Bugatti's cats.  Note the various surface treatments and styles.

I'm concluding each art blog about our trip to Paris last month with a glimpse of life in the beautiful city.

Below, the morning sun streams through the window of the upper level cafe as Trish and i enjoy coffee,
a baguette, and cheese at the Musee d'Orsay . . . an enlightening day, experiencing Bugatti.

Also shown is the incredible Sorolla painting that is close to the cafe.

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

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