#554 In the field: Wilderness aesthetics, con't . . .

Please start this series of blogposts with #549, Wed. July 23

The Rocky Mountains stretch from the Brooks Range in Alaska to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico and during my life I have experienced  both the northern and the southern reaches of the dramatic mountain range.
Most of my Rocky Mountain travels have been close to home in the central portion in Colorado and Wyoming.  I have lived in the Rocky Mountain region for over 35 years and currently reside in the Wind River Range of the Rockies in Wyoming.  The Rockies contain ecologically diverse regions and vast expanses of wilderness for the artist and nature lover.

The lives of all birds of the Rockies are greatly influenced by the seasons and although most of the many species are migrants, some stay to nest and some are winter residents.  Waterfowl, eagles, and osprey leave the high elevations when water
freezes while owls and grouse will remain in the winter.

At right, Canada Geese glide past a feeding cow moose on a high mountain trout lake.  They hatched and raised their small brood here and will teach them to fly out before freeze-up.

The focus of this blogpost is five of the large birds we encountered and photographed last month as we celebrated my birthday week in the Colorado Rockies.  While fishing for trout in a high mountain lake, just below the timberline, we shared the beautiful setting with Bald Eagles, Osprey, Ravens, and Canada Geese . . . not until we left the high
country for lower elevations did we encounter the Great Blue Heron.  With each change in elevation,
habitat, and vegetation, there is a change in bird life.

Below, are photos of our experience and recent artwork of the five species depicted.

 Original etching entitled Bald Eagle

Sketch of an osprey

 Bronze sculpture entitled Ravenrock

 Bronze sculpture entitled Nesting Heron

Sketch of Canada Geese

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 upper right.

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

#519 In the studio: The Tom Browning portrait

Last Sunday, I posted a blog about a new eagle monument in progress in the Wyoming studio . . . 

see post # 517, dated March 30, 2014.  Since then, I've had several inquiries about 

the portrait shown in the upper left corner of the image shown below.

The portrait  in my studio was painted twelve years ago by the superlative painter - Tom Browning.  Tom and Joyce have been dear friends for over 25 years.  Incredibly, one wing of the eagle that I'm now working on, years later, is shown on the far left side of Tom's painting!

This proves the comment I've posted several  times in my
blog that I routinely start a number of different sculptures and keep them "in progress" for many years . . . tweaking, refining, and eventually completing most - but not all - of them.

The Tom Browning painting is what I would grab on the 

            way out if I had a studio fire . . . oh, and the        
Kuhn drawings above the north windows.


 With Browning and Kuhn to inspire me, below are images of works in progress in the
northwest corner of the Wyoming design studio.

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

  

#517 In the studio: new eagle monument

Throughout history,  the eagle is one of the few birds that has been successfully depicted larger than life by sculptors.

Common sense and logic tells the artist and viewer that not all birds should be monumentalized!

The eagle is one of the world's oldest symbols of power, resurrection and victory, and has been a traditional motif for sculptors for centuries . . . it is the symbol of our great nation.

Shown at right, is the small sketch or "maquette" that was
created to use as a guide for my new monument.

Below, are images of a new eagle monument that I started in the studio last month.  The initial drawings and reference have been assembled and a small clay sketch, called a "maquette", was developed and used as the precursor to blocking in the large sculpture design with very dense foam.  Afterwards, the large sculpture is shown being carved with a serrated knife and blocked in from the foam . . . it is then covered with oil-based clay and modeled before a mold is made and bronze casting begins.    The eagle in this sculpture is being presented approximately twice life-sized.

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

#469 A new book: "Art of the National Parks"

Earlier this year, a new book entitled, "Art of the National Parks", was introduced.

The book includes 70 artists who offer distinctive visions of 8 of the nation's beloved national parks.

With more than 450 artworks in 430 pages, this glorious, large format book is a must for
anyone who has hiked the trails, watched a sunset, marveled at buffalo herds,
or yearned to experience America's mythic and transformative vistas.  

Published by Fresco Fine Art Publications, co-authored by Susan Hallsten McGarry,
well-known author;  Jean Stern,  curator and art-historian;  and Terry Lawson Dunn,

biologist and educator, the book is an indispensable compendium of artists who are at the
forefront of 21st century American landscape and wildlife art.


Below, included in Yellowstone section of the book are friends and fellow artists . . .
Clyde Aspevig, Scott Christensen, Ralph Oberg,  Jim Wilcox, and more.
Jim's painting is featured on the cover of the magnificent book.

http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.unmpress.com/

My work was included in the Yellowstone National Park section.

Below, are images of works featured.

 Sleepy Fox
18"H 15"W 9"D

 Ancient Way
20"H 24"W 11"D

 Red-tailed Hawk at Sappa Creek
42"H 30"W 25"D

 Harbinger of Light
13H 20"W 16"D

Hay Bay
19"H 25"W 14"D


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

#446: In the field and studio: "firsts"

The first great event of my life was a family summer vacation to Yellowstone when I was 13.  The Wyoming trip plunged my young life into a rich adventure which would change me forever . . . it was the beginning of a spell that the West has had on me to this day.

Having never traveled beyond Oklahoma, this event presented many "firsts" in my young life:
First time in a boat, caught my first fish - a Cutthroat Trout . . .  saw my first Elk, Antelope, Moose, Bald Eagle,
Grizzly, Bison, and Mule Deer.

The experience revealed the treasures and possibilities that lay ahead in life:  I now live just two hours from
Yellowstone and never fail to reflect upon and realize the meaning of that summer vacation long ago . . .
the vast and wondrous frontiers waiting to be explored were unveiled during that first trip out West.

 Below, a watercolor from my sketch book.

Below, a recent sculpture . . . Elk Bull and Cow Bookends  15"H 14"W 8"D

Below, a clay sketch in progress of an antelope bust

Below, a small oil study of a moose  5" x 7"

Below, dedication of Presidential Eagle at the National Museum of Wildlife Art . . . with Bill Kerr, founder 

Jackson, Wyoming

Below, Tail hook  19"H 36"L 18"D

Below, Buffalo Fragment II  18"H 17"W 7"D

All painting, sculpture and etchings - copyright Sandy Scott

#436 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't . . .

Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403,  March 10.

Negative space is a sculptor's design element and is defined by the figure's silhouette.  

Negative space is easiest to see when working in two dimensions, 
but when perceived and controlled by the sculptor, the effect is dramatic.

The sculptor should make their statement in one area and allow everything 
else to become supportive or subordinate to that statement or gesture.  
The sculptor determines what the center of interest will be and composes the elements accordingly.  
A harmonious sculpture produces unity. 

Proportion, balance, rhythm, contrast are principles of organization affecting the composition of sculpture.
Below, is a silhouette of the 16" wingspan monument entitled Presidential Eagle.
Appropriate design and concept is called for if a sculpture in produced in a grand scale. 

When designing large outdoor monuments, the dominant message 

should be conveyed to the viewer in the simplest manner. 

Above all, the sculpture should be united in a clear, logical concept.

You will realize that sculpture is not  a reproduction or 

duplicate of the animal but positive and negative 
shapes that the artist has arranged to form a design.

All drawing and sculpture, copyright Sandy Scott

#418 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't .

Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10.

Most birds have 6 pair or 12 tail feathers . . . some birds have less: hummingbirds, swifts, and cuckoos have 5 pair or 10 tail feathers; and a few species have more . . . turkey, grouse, and pheasant have 9 pair or 18; and a white pelican has 12 pair of tail feathers or 24.  It's important to remember that all birds have an even number of tail feathers on each side of the body centerline; and the pairs originate from the pygostyle at the end of the spinal column . . . and all tail feathers, whether closed or fanned, must radiate from this central point of insertion.

The tail contains 3 feather areas:  The tail feathers, called retrices; the upper tail coverts; and the under tail coverts. The coverts lie over the base of the tail feathers, their function is to protect, or cover  the retrices and smooth the airflow over them.   

Why is this knowledge important to the bird sculptor?  Feather groups and sets are structured . . . not random.  
Knowing the bird's skeleton enables the artist to determine where the feather groups originate. 

Copyright - Sandy Scott

When modeling a large, over life-sized bird monument, such as an eagle . . . 
knowing the tail feather groups as well as the wing feather groups and all others, are of particular importance. 

Noble Eagle - in clay

22' wingspan

#399 At the foundry: Patina, the power of color, con't . . .

Please start this series about patina with post #391, Feb. 13

When I consider the aesthetics of patina, typically I employ a single overall color for the vast majority of my work. 

I rarely use a multi-colored patina which causes a "toy soldier look", where various parts of the sculpture are
patinaed different colors . . . such as green bird, yellow beak, black legs, brown branch, and so on.   

However, on rare occasions I find the suggestion of various colors effective . . .  

such as the patina used on the early work below, entitled Windmaster.  

To achieve this patina, I polished the head, cape and tail to a high sheen to represent white.  Next, a pale application of ferric to the beak, legs, and talons created yellow.  The body and wings were patinaed a rich brown by using liver of sulfur and ferric nitrate.  Finally, additional liver of sulfur was applied to the wing tips, creating a blackish-brown color.  

My goal was to present the distinctive and dramatic color variations of the American Bald Eagle.

Remember, color is more powerful than form and the sculptor must strive to retain 
the clarity and silhouette of the figure while interrupting form with color changes.

The power of color is even more realized by using a sky blue background in the photography.

Windmaster
13"H 23"W 14"D
Copyright, Sandy Scott

#378 In the studio: "Noble Eagle, Spirit of America"

Last fall I was asked to create a small study of a previously executed eagle monument entitled Noble Eagle, Spirit of America.  A larger maquette had been designed as a precursor to the colossal monument . . .  but a study, which is a smaller version of a maquette, did not exist.

Shown at right is the monument and shown below are a series of pictures that depict the creation of the monument.

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

Shown below, is the recently completed small study of the eagle monument.  Although a clay sketch was created 
similar  to this several years ago, it was never cast.  The monument was so enormous that a larger maquette 
was needed in order to increase the size of the sculpture and obtain correct proportions.  
Shown above is the larger maquette being used as a guide.