#612 In the studio: Cat reference

The role of reference is to inspire thoughts and give anatomical data and proportions.  I recently completed the sculpture of a Cougar shown at right which I posted on the previous blog.

Each individual animal has different shapes and characteristics that are unique to that species.  My goal is to recognize and capture that individuality and this post compares
the anatomy and proportions of large cats.  

While I've only seen a Cougar in the wild twice and both times in Wyoming from a distance, I recently
spent many hours researching the animal in my library and reference room which is attached to the studio.
Research puts me in the "zone" artistically and when I'm there I accumulate everything I can such as
drawings, photos, notes. books, video, clip file,  taxidermy, skulls . . . anything that that makes me
live, think, see, feel, dream, and understand the animal I'm working on. 

While cats such as Cheetah, Leopard, and Lion have similar anatomy, their proportions, skeleton, and behavior are very different.  For more info and anatomical and skeletal data and comparison . . . see blog #479 posted Nov. 17, 2013 thru #483.  Also refer to blog #496 posted Jan. 15, 2014.  Comparative anatomy is an important research consideration.

www.Blog#479     www.Blog # 496

I am fascinated by the motion, movement, and stealth-like behavior of North America's Cougar.

Cougars are slender, agile, secretive, solitary and considered nocturnal predators . . .
They typically hunt by stalking and ambushing and must feed exclusively on meat to survive.

They are very athletic and can jump, climb, and swim. The Cougar (Felix concolor) holds the Guinness record
for the animal with the highest number of names. It has over 40 names in English alone!  Among them:
Cougar, Mountain Lion, Puma, Panther, Jaguar, Catamount, and the list goes on!

The beautiful Cougar can weigh as much as 300 pounds and can be nine feet long including
the tail which like most cats, is used for balance.  Like all cats, the Cougar's bones are joined together very loosely
which allows extreme flexibility of the spine and scapula.  The scapula is so loosely bound to the ribs that they can push up above the spine when the animal crouches.  Cats, in general, are so supple and flexible that their
front limbs (arms) are capable of almost as many motions as our own.  There are five fingers on either hand though the thumb is smaller and higher up than the others, but on the foot, there is no dewclaw and only four toes.

Below, is the Cougar's skeletal silhouette compared to a house cat.

Much can be learned about large cats by observing your house cat.  Below, is a sculpture entitled "Preening Cat".
 Note the flexible vertebrae of the cat's back . . .  most quadrupeds, including dogs, are more
rigidly constructed and do not have the extreme flexibility of the spine.

Cats have supple and flexible bodies and move with stealth and agility.  Below, are extraordinary examples of cat sculptures by famous artists of the past.  Note the flexible spring-like spine in all works.  The first example is
"Tiger Devouring an Antelope" by Antoine Louis Barye (1796 - 1875).

Below, is "Crouching Tiger"  by Rembrandt Bugatti (1884 -1916).

Below, is an image of  "Reaching Jaguar"  by Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876 -1973) which is in our collection.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.  See posts #616 and 655

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

#497 In the field: photography in Africa

Please start this series of posts with #477 

The recent trip to Africa was the most productive and exciting "in the field" experience of my life.  Productive, because we returned with over 20,000 digital photos of animals we had never seen before in the wild . . . we are still going through and editing them.  Most important . . . I returned with motivation, inspiration, and urgency, that I have never felt.  There was not a moment in the field that we could put our cameras down because we encountered so many animals and there was so much action.  While on safari Trish and I each had two cameras with us at all times in addition to a little pocket camera we called our "mouse cameras" and fresh back-up batteries for all.  We both relied on our telephoto zoom lens for the many close-ups that are proving to be invaluable in the creation of sculpture.

The images presented in this post are currently being used in the studio as reference for several lion and elephant sculptures in progress.  As mentioned in previous posts about the African adventure, a sculptor must collect reference and data regarding detail, texture, form, proportion, and more to create sculpture.  However,  the only way an artist can connect with their subject is the up-close and personal, "in the field" experience with the animal itself.

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

#496 In the field: Africa . . . conclusion of Part I

Please start this series of posts with #477 

This post and the next, concludes Part I of the Africa series.  I will return with Part II in a few weeks and 
introduce 10 new species.   Part I focused on 10 species:  cheetah, leopard, lion, rhino, secretary bird, ostrich, flamingo, hippo, hoopoe, and elephant.  I currently have 12 block-in sculptures of African subjects in progress 
and as the work is completed and prepared for casting, I will post images.

In conclusion, it may be useful to know how I, as a sculptor, use a camera and interpret the results in the field 
and in the studio.  A sculptor works in a much different way than a painter . . . a painter paints what they see 
and a sculptor sculpts what they know.  While a painter uses light, color, edges, value, perspective, 
and more to create an illusion on a two- diminutional surface, a sculptor creates an actual form of a 
figure that exists in space  Knowledge of structure and anatomy is a must in order to 
build the armature and assemble forms and shapes.  

Below, is a sculpture of a leopard blocked in and in progress.

As I mentioned in the last post, I prepared a sketchbook of various animal skeletons to use  in conjunction with 
the camera equipment while on safari in Tanzania.  The drawings were invaluable while observing 
animal locomotion in the field and while reviewing my digital images.  

While on the photo safari in the Serengeti, we achieved the best results by waiting and watching at watering holes in the morning and evening.  Most animals ignored us in the Land Rover and we were able to get very close to our subjects without stressing them.  Our tent camp was located inside the park so we could stay and photograph until dark.

Below,  is a photo of zebras taken at a Serengeti water hole.

While at Tarangire, our camp - Kikoti Camp - was outside the park and we had to exit by 6 p.m.  
Many great photo opportunities occurred on the drive back to camp.  

Below, are zebras at the watering hole next to Kikoti Camp.

In Tarangire, we left camp for the park at dark in the morning and were constantly on the move.  We encountered animals at almost every turn and were compelled to keep moving in our excitement.  Many times, we would see more than one species together.  

Below, is a typical image from our photo safari in Tanzania. . . several species 
in one area such  as zebra, wildebeest, and African buffalo in the distance.   

As a wildlife sculptor, I go to the field so I can work and I work so I can go to the field.

Below, is a review of several block-ins of work in progress since my return from Africa.
I will continue focusing on "in the field" photography in the next post.

For anatomy reference, go to posts #563, #616, and #655

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

     

#483 In the field: Africa . . . the big cats: Lion, part 2

Please start this series of posts with #477

Before I approach the sculpture stand and begin to model clay, most of the actual work has been completed through planning, researching the species to be depicted, drawing, photography, and importantly . . . in  the field work.  Being there is a huge part of the process for without it, the desire, inspiration, interest, and knowledge is simply not realized.

Below, are images of Lions from a recent trip to Tanzania.

If I struggle with a design, typically I'll either put the work aside or start over. . . rarely, will I force the sculpture to completion if the concept continues to present problems.  If I need additional understanding regarding anatomy, I will return to my reference and resources . . . but planning and envisioning what the finished work will look like, 

BEFORE I begin the actual sculpting, is paramount.

More than anything, I'm in search of the essence  and  essential character of the species I'm working on in the studio and I constantly ask myself:  "What is the most significant thing that I felt when I first laid eyes on this animal?"

I keep in mind the fact that feelings cannot be forced and I continue to seek meaning and substance in my work by constantly seeking the basic nature and spirit of the animals I've experienced in the field.    

Below, are drawings from my sketchbook in the Serengeti.

Below, is an etching drawn from a zoo animal before I travelled to Africa.  Although I've created a handful 

of works from zoo animals, it's not the same as seeing a species in the wild.  I see animals in a totally 

different way in their natural habitat  . . . not only do they look different, but they evoke an emotional 

response  and connection that is conducive to creativity.

Below, while photographing in the field, I take many close-ups of various details which are great reference in the studio.

I was very anxious to start work in the studio upon my return from Africa . . .  with over 20,000 digital photos and lots of drawings and inspiration, I could hardly wait for the clay to warm!  I have several works started and blocked in. 

Below, is a head study of a male Lion, in progress.

For anatomy reference, go to posts #563, #616, and #655

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

#482 In the field: Africa . . . the big cats: Lion, part 1

Please start this series of posts with #477

This post spotlights the LION.

Unlike the Cheetah and Leopard - see post # 479, 480, and 481 - Lions live in a family
group called a pride.  A pride can be as small as 4 lions or contain as many as 30 or more.

Below, is a pride of lions photographed in the Serengeti.

The females in a pride usually do the hunting . . . but once a kill is made, the male typically will drive the females away and eats his fill first . . .  afterwards the females and cubs eat the rest.

Lions typically work together when they hunt, which increases their chances of catching prey.  They usually hunt at dusk and the female does most of the work.  Lions kill only when hungry and their immense physical strength places them at the top of the savannah food chain.

While in Tanzania a few weeks ago, we spotted many lions in the Serengeti, Ngororgoro Crater, 

and Tarangire . . .  including the pair below, on their "honeymoon."

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

#480 In the field: Africa . . . the big cats: Leopard, part 1

Please start this series of posts with #477

This post and the next, spotlights the LEOPARD . . .
one of three big cats experienced "in the field" on a recent trip to Tanzania, Africa.

Please note, the previous post was about the CHEETAH and after two posts about the LEOPARD, I focus on the LION.

Unlike the Cheetah and Lion, Leopards are known for their ability to climb trees and are routinely seen dragging 

their kill up trees, hanging and securing them on branches, and returning to feed, again and again.      

Below, is a photo of a magnificent Leopard surveying its territory in the Serengeti.

The LEOPARD is smaller than the Cheetah and Lion but due to their massive skull and jaw muscles, 

they are able to take large prey such as impala, Thomsons gazelle, bushbuck,  warthogs, primates, 

and even young giraffe as well as smaller prey such as rodents, birds, and reptiles.  

They silently stalk their prey, pounce, and strangle the throat with strong teeth and jaws or bites 

on the back of their neck and typically, drag them up a tree, safe from other predators, to feed.

Below, are studies of the Leopard from my sketchbook.

Below, while in the Serengeti, we saw this Leopard with a kill in a fig tree.  We watched the cat move the kill to a different branch and after it had eaten its fill, descend and - according to our guide -  probably went to a nearby waterhole.  I'll never forget the profound drama of this encounter with hyenas circling the tree!  We spotted this incident  at a kopjes, which is a rock outcropping on the savannah plains.  Kopjes is the Dutch work for "head." 

Several hyenas were under the tree, waiting for dropped morsels of meat.  Although Lions are occasionally successful in climbing trees and stealing Leopard kills, hyenas can only take a kill away from a Leopard on the ground . . . 

if the cat is unable to move the kill to a tree.

Below, a hyena waits under the fig tree for the leopard to drop morsels of meat. 

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