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

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

Sculpture is the study of a thousand silhouettes.
                                                               - Rodin   


In sculpture, the subject represented is the positive shape.  The empty space around the subject is the negative shape.

The viewer usually does not think about or consider the shape around the sculpture.  
The sculptor, however is constantly aware of both the positive and negative shapes 
as they are a device for designing and organizing the sculpture.

The sculptor should practice designing and seeing in this way, and here's how to do it:  
Select a sculpture of an animal and direct your gaze intently on the figure itself.  
Choose a sculpture with a quiet and simple pose.  
Then, concentrate on the negative shapes or the space surrounding the sculpture.  
You must wait until your vision accepts the negative shape and think of it as a totally separate form.

Now, imagine that the sculpture vanishes.  What is left?  You will find that the negative shapes have 
become distinctive shapes in their own right, and if you focus on these shapes, they become forms.

The sculpture that you are looking at has drawn you into it visually and almost physically.  
The realization of negative shapes adds a new dimension to the image before you, adding to 
your appreciation of its beauty and content. 


Below, look at the lighted sculpture and practice seeing the negative shapes around the subject. 

Height of Land

 Shade of Paradise

 Cochin China

Gamble's Sunset

For more information about negative space see previous post, #434.

All drawings and sculpture copyright Sandy Scott.

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

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

While most birds, like the magpie shown at right, have predictable tail flight feather and covert sets, there are a few with unique tails.  

The peacock's (related to pheasants) tail or "train" is not the 

tail flight feathers but the upper tail covert feathers . . . they sport an eye-like pattern.

Roosters have a profusion of structured, decorative tail feathers that do not fall under any specific tail-shape category.
   

Why is this important to the bird artist?  The bird artist must not only know how the skeleton is arranged and how it articulates, but where the feather groups and sets originate . . . their size, shape. proportion, and function. 

Shade of Paradise 
13"H 23"W 11"D

Crowing Rooster II - wall hanging
22"H 14"W 8"D

Above is a picture of our bantam-cross rooster . . . beautiful, tiny, and mean!
Photo, copyright Sandy Scott

#315 At the museum: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, located in Wausau, Wisconsin offers artworks from every corner of the world. The grounds cover four acres highlighted by the Margaret Fisher Sculpture Garden, a formal English garden.  

Best known is the internationally acclaimed Birds in Art, an annual juried exhibition that showcases a variety of artistic styles: created by artists the world over and documented in a 
full-color catalogue.  Since 1976, the museum has organized Birds in Art annually, seeking to present the very best contemporary artistic interpretations of birds.  

Approximately 100 works are selected by a jury, and   
this year, one of my favorite sculptures was chosen to be in the show:  Shade of Paradise is a study of the elegant peafowl. Although I was in the field and could not attend, I am always honored to be juried into the prestigious event.

For more information, go to Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art museum at: lywam.org

Shade of Paradise
13"H 23"W 11"D

#266 In the studio: Style

By stripping the figure of the unessential, can a fresh discovery be made?

Every artist who evolves a style does so from illusive elements 

that inhabit his or her visual storehouse; 

but the actual breakthrough in the privacy of the studio, 

when one dares to [sculpt] in a new manner, 

is a solitary thrill, dependent upon no one else.  

It is the individual artist who must act courageously in an effort to grow.

                                                                         - Mary Carroll Nelson

Peacock Fragment I
18"H 20"W 7"D

#10 Remarque: "Shade of Paradise"

Peafowl are domesticated ornamental pheasants.  Their feathers are vividly colored -  particularly the peacock - and boast a shimmering play of colors known as iridescence.  Their spectacular markings and elaborate plumage display attracts the prospective hens.


This quiet study ranks as one of my personal favorites and one day I hope to model the piece life size which would result in a sculpture over 7 feet long.

Shade of Paradise
13"H 23"W 11"D

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