#447: In the studio: Live models and comparative anatomy

I use domestic animals and pets as live models.  Although we also have wild animals such as deer, pheasants, ducks, fox and more on the property, they cannot be called upon to pose when needed.  However, domestic animals can substitute for wild animals and give the artist needed information by using comparative anatomy.

Currently in residence at the Lander studio headquarters are horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, and domestic geese. A few weeks ago, in a "be careful what you wish for moment",  I expressed an interest in owning goats. Besides being an additional model,  goats are easy keepers, eat weeds, and horses like them as companions.

Last week was my birthday and I was presented with two baby goats as a gift.  I'm planning a trip to Africa this
fall and know that a quadruped, such as a goat, makes an excellent model because of the similarity to wildlife
such as antelope.

Below is a photo of my two new baby goats.

There are over 90 species of antelope in Africa . . .  owning a goat and employing comparative anatomy will offer a great alternative to the various species of antelope when I return from Africa with field drawings and photographs. Although proportion and form can be vastly different, goats have similar anatomical features as antelope and most other quadrupeds.

Below is a line drawing from my sketchbook . . . created several years ago from a live model.

Below is a sculpture completed several years ago from a live model.

Bill
8"H 10"W 3"D


All drawings and sculpture copyright 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

#445 . . . Addendum

Trish and I enjoyed our 23rd year at the Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Old West Museum Show last Thurs.
Saw great art, good friends, the best Wyoming steaks, sold a bronze, and met our new Governor . . .  Matt Mead . . . thank you for your hospitality at the Gov's mansion cocktail party!  Hope to see you at the Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt in Sept!

Below, Sandy and Gov Mead, and Trish with our good friend and fellow sculptor, George Lundeen.

#445 In the field and in the studio: Mule Deer

I was thirteen before I traveled beyond Oklahoma where I grew up.  My parents and younger sister, Nancy
and I spent a summer vacation below the wild peaks of the Grand Tetons and in the geyser basins of beautiful Yellowstone in Wyoming.

The event presented many "firsts" in my young life:  among them . . .  I saw my first Mule Deer.  Growing up in rural Oklahoma, Whitetail Deer are common;  but muleys are not there and they are different:  Enormous mule-like ears, black tail, forked and bifurcated antlers, and a chunky, stocky body are the most noticeable differences.

Little did I realize then, that many years later, I would live in Wyoming, only two hours from Yellowstone, live on a tributary of the Wind River where I caught my first trout so many years ago and have a resident herd of Mule Deer on my property to use as reference while pursuing a career as a wildlife artist!

Below is one of the muley bucks that hangs out around our property.  During hunting season he is not to be found!  

We don't allow hunting on the property, nor do we feed the deer . . . the bend in the river is natural seclusion for 

the herd.  This photo was taken outside my studio window.

Below is a quick block-in of a Mule Deer in progress . . . 

lots of work remains before going to mold and casting at the foundry.

Below are three original etchings depicting Mule Deer bucks . . .

Notice the antlers are bifurcated;  they "fork" as they grow, rather than 

branching from a single main beam, as is the case with Whitetail Deer.

Feels So Good

Mule Deer Buck

Trophy Muley

All sculpture and etchings - copyright Sandy Scott

#444 In the studio: "Pigmalion"

No aspect of animal sculpture seems as misunderstood than the artist's deliberate humanization of an animal.
How often one hears, "Isn't that animal cute?" or "Look at the adorable expression on that critter's face."  Yes,
an animal can seem cute and adorable, and certainly, the goal of the artist is to evoke an emotional response.
However, the artist who truly knows the animal will avoid sentimentalism and the purposeful exploitation of emotion
by refraining from humanizing the creatures's expression.

The artist's dilemma can be confusing because the chosen gesture may be dignified, clumsy, intelligent, humorous, powerful, and so on . . . all adjectives that are associated with humans and all subjective!  What artist is not flattered when the viewer says "that animal has personality!" . . .  I certainly am!  At the risk of contradicting myself,
I've decided that whimsy should override sentimentalism!

Below is a closeup of a recent sculpture entitled Pigmalion.
It is a variation of an earlier, wildly popular work, entitled Eat More Beef.  

When the sculptor makes unbiased design decisions about what is considered important about the subject, 
when the artist is in touch with the reason or motive for sculpting the creature, 
when truths are understood about the animal, only then can the sculpture come to life.

Below are two images of Pigmalion in progress.

Below is Pigmalion cast in bronze.

Throughout the centuries, the pig has been defamed, insulted, and condemned as morally and physically unworthy, filthy, and stupid.  It's been my best selling subject.

All sculpture - copyright Sandy Scott

#443 In the field: "My Source"

The most important days of one's life are spent when one is young for
that is when the foundations of what comes later is laid.  My parents laid
that foundation by taking me to Lake of the Woods, in Ontario, Canada. Later in life I bought a cabin on the north end of an island across the bay from the lodge which we had stayed, many years earlier.

Typically, in the summer and again in the fall, I spend several weeks at the cabin and attached studio.
I'm very busy at the Wyoming studio headquarters this year and must be near the foundry . . . therefore,
I won't open the camp due to a commission for the Briscoe Museum and a fall trip to Africa.  I'm not complaining . . .
but O, how I miss the island, lake, and the wildlife!

My island on Lake of the Woods holds a special place in my heart.  It represents a place of solitude where loons call, eagles cry from high pine limbs, and moose thrive in bog and muskeg.  It is flooded with memories of spring portages, of summers fishing for walleyed pike and warm autumn days hunting ruffed grouse on lonely logging roads.

Above all, this place is "my source":  Ravens, jays, pelicans, partridge, ducks, geese, beaver, fox, squirrel, wolf, deer, kingfishers, otter, mink, mergansers, cormorants, osprey, herons, gulls, woodpeckers, black bear, and the ever-present loons and eagles are common in this rugged, watery wilderness.  I've experienced these creatures in their domain as the seasons change, for my island has given me a choice seat from which to observe them and the wonders of the great Northland.

Below, is an aerial view of the island . . . the light dot you see is my boathouse.

Below, is a group of watercolor-tinted mallard etchings inspired by "my source".
Note, the various hand-wiped ink plate tones.

 Mallards
Original etching

Mallards Coming In
Original etching

Gray's Sporting Journal 
backcover detail - 1979
Original etching

Three Mallards

Original etching

Mason Premier Decoy - Mallard Drake
Original etching

Pair of Mallards
Original etching


All etchings - copyright Sandy Scott

#442 In the studio: Roadrunner in progress

I have many sculptures in various stages of completion in the studio and I live with them as long as possible.
Over time, I continue to see the work with "fresh eyes" as I move around the models, making adjustments and "tweaking" until the inspiration and/or desire to finish or a deadline initiates the mold and foundry process.

Below is a clarified line drawing of a roadrunner.  

I begin most of my works with not only field work, but with drawings and photography.
Note the base design with the flowering cactus:
The bird's legs and tarsus are too thin to support the weight of the body when cast in bronze.
Therefore, a mass reinforcement for the figure is an important consideration but must present good design.

Below, I've blocked in the major shapes and established the essential feather groupings and concentrated on the large forms, correct proportions, and gesture.  Like all birds, the roadrunner's feathers grow in predicable sets and groups and I have arranged and organized the plumage patterns. 

Below, I am experimenting with a design alternative by putting a little snake in the bird's beak.  

The species typically feeds on snakes and lizards in the Southwest.  Although the snake works 

well in the composition, I'm not sure about using it . . . but will live with it.

Shown below, is a page from my sketch book.  Before I start a sculpture of a species new to me, I research, observe, photograph, and complete many drawings and studies of the subject.

Sculptors sculpt what they know while painters paint what they see.

#441 Remarque: "The Red Fox in Art"

Every now and then a coffee table-type art book comes along that is a real showstopper . . . 

such is the case with John Orrelle's impressive publication, The Red Fox in Art.

In this masterful visual tribute to the Red Fox, Orrelle has presented a stunning array of images spanning centuries.  Included are Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Edwin Landseer, Bruno Liljefors, Winslow Homer, N.C. Wyeth, Carl Rungius, and many historically celebrated artists.  Twentieth century and contemporary art is represented by Bob Kuhn, Ken Carlson, Robert Bateman, Ken Bunn, yours truly, and many other wildlife artists.

With hundreds of images featured, this volume represents a unique 

achievement in the history of literature devoted to animal art.  

Skagit River Press

ISBN 978-0-9818005-1-6

Telephone: (360) 466-5953

312 Willapa Place

La Conner, WA 98257

http://www.skagitriverpress.com/

 An image of Fox Watch introduces the book's sculpture section

Included, is Fox Rock Mantlepiece

All sculpture - copyright Sandy Scott

Fox Watch 16"H 16"W 9"D

$3200

Fox Rock Mantlepiece 11"H 18"W 6"D

#440 North Fork Descent

The imprint of an artist's touch cast in bronze on the surface of a sculpture has a living presence,

as fingerprints and tool marks are a source of fascination for the viewer.

Run your hands over the surface of a beautifully modeled sculpture - 

feel the form, see with your hands.

Walk around the sculpture and use your hands and eyes to feel your way in and out of the shapes.

New forms appear at every angle -  smooth, curved shapes, vigorously modeled passages, hard edges . . .
a source of endless discovery as the sculptor leads you through space, 

giving you an experience inspire by nature.

North Fork Descent

4600

Sculpture - copyright Sandy Scott

#439 In the studio: Style

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 most act courageously in an effort to grow.

                                                                                                              - Mary Carroll Nelson

A person is the sum total of his or her interests, experience, knowledge and feelings.

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

Style, like feelings, cannot be forced.

Sculptors develop their individual way of seeing an animal's natural characteristics.

The imprint of the artist's personality, the manner in which the animal is presented is the artist's style.

Style manifests itself as artists discover that which interests them most about the subject.

Nearly all artists have been influenced by the work of preceding artists or their contemporaries.

Awareness of great art helps artists evaluate their own work with a clearer and more discerning eye.

When you are deeply involved with and understanding your subject, an original style develops automatically.

 Coyote Clipper

9"H 17"W 6"D

All sculpture - copyright Sandy Scott

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

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

I continue to be influenced by oriental art . . . many of my compositions 

demonstrate what the Japanese refer to as "formal sparseness of design".

Asymmetrical composition and negative space allows much to be imagined by the viewer.

Spring Pride

6"H 11"W 8"D

The artist controls the visual direction and provides both movement and repose.

Simplicity and understatement allows focus on the subject . . .

an area of profusion or detail may be balanced by a sweeping passage of quiet.

All sculpture and drawings - copyright Sandy Scott

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

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

Composition is the arrangement of visual elements in a work of art, composition means "putting together."  

A good composition gives the viewer's eye both movement and repose.  

There must be an area of interest contrasted by areas of rest.

There are three main principles of composition:

1.  Composition is a harmonious arrangement of two or more elements, one of which dominates all others in interest.  
     The dominant element becomes the focal point or center of interest.

2.  There should be as few secondary elements as possible and these should be arranged to support the main interest.

3.  The position of the center of interest depends upon the feeling of balance created by the distribution of the different
     elements in the composition.

In the first box the dot is centered, static and not interesting.  This is not good composition.





In the second box, the dots are symmetrical and not interesting, and therefore not a good composition.





In the third box we're getting there.  The space seems to balance the dot.  The Japanese call this "formal sparseness of design."






The fourth box has a composition.

Hummer and Rose
10"H 4"W 4"D

Composition combines clear spatial organization and harmony . . . a simple placement of the figure in nature.

All sculpture, drawings, 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