Luck's Dancer

I'm going to be putting up a page of special pieces for holiday gifts.
The first of these is "Luck's Dancer"

Does he look familiar to you? He should, as he is cast from a mold taken directly from "Luck Be Nimble, Fate Be Quick" SlaughterHouse Studios: Luck Be Nimble

Everyone seemed enamoured of the little dancing jester the frog was trying to snare, so I thought it would be nice to make him available. I painted the original one yellow, in balance with the rest of the sculpture it's a part of. But now the little fellow is on his own, possiblities abound.

I'm really attracted to the idea of painting each one uniquely. This would allow me to be creative and will make the jesters ever so much cooler.

But, I can't show fifty different designs on the website. SO. What I will do is eventually settle on one design, and give collectors the option to say "Surprise me!"

The jesters are 9 1/2 inches from elbow to toe.

Luck's Dancer

Blues and greens. The polka dots were an afterthought. They will be nicely packaged with a card that shows the original sculpture and the story behind it.
Somewhere around the first week of November, I'll put up a page with holiday gifts between $10 and $150. If you just can't stand it and want a Luck's Dancer sooner than later, you can always email the harlikn7@aol.com address. The sale price will be $60. Cool, eh?

Luck's Dancer detail

Closer detail, so you can see some of the paint textures. I'll be doing some experimenting.

Luck's Dancer, back, and that thing in the Studio

Back view. Hope you see what I mean about painting. How could I possibly choose just one?

Now for food and rest, for tomorrow I will rejoin the rather large creature in the studio for some real communicating.
As for RRNN, and others who cannot stand the wait and are prone to name calling his name is below.
For those of you who don't rattle their holiday gift packages or snoop under beds and in closets, don't scroll down, or highlight the text below.
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The title of the sculpture will be: The Children's Hour

TEN

As I twisted and taped newspaper on, snippets of text began to catch my attention, strips of tragedy and superficiality one over the other, one over the other. I finally felt myself falling into the rhythm of the sculpture.
I was hearing the incredible voice of Lisa Gerard, and wrapping long, wet strips of heavy paper around and around the frame and everything about this figure became strikingly clear.

This kind of visualization is the pinnacle of the creative process for me. These moments can be very intense. I’ve considered several times creating a sculpture on site as an art exhibit. It occurs to me tonight, as I write about it just after, how personal the experience can be. I have to wonder if I were doing this as a performance piece, if that moment of clarity would be recognizable to those watching-- would it show on my face? or even if I’d be able to get to this level of creativity in that environment. Pete suggests working in an isolated room with a monitor in the art show. Then I could have the impression that I was alone.
Interesting to consider. Another day.

But tonight, in the studio I was alone, then I wasn’t. I recognized exactly who I was conjuring here. I know his texture, his shape, his weight, his posture, his energy, his history and most of all, his name. I can imagine his scent, follow the turn of his head, hear the scraping of his feet and the whisper of his voice.

I’ve known this fellow for a long time, I think.

I’m going to leave this here, for now. Tomorrow I’ll show you something entirely different, while I work uninterrupted. I’ll keep taking photos, and will post them all at once….maybe on Monday.

Oh, and I’ll tell you his name too…

G’night




TEN

TEN in lesser Light

Work in Progress Step 09

Finally, back to it this evening, after a long day of ratty and other business, including making a meatloaf.
The outer layers are mostly dry, so I can use rolled up newspaper to add some bulk to the torso. This is a good way to accomplish bulk without adding weight up here that would make the piece top-heavy. You might be surprised to find out how heavy a paper mache sculpture can be. (Think of a thick pack of printer paper). In thick layers, paper is very heavy. Pete, who ran out to get flour for me last night, has the tornado that is Orion so I can go make some progress.
This is real motivation at work. I'm actually walking right past The Daily Show to go work...

G'night 

Work in Progress 08 c

Up to now, I've used heavy paper used for roofing jobs. Tomorrow I'll switch to a much lighter masking paper to give me the fine testures I'll want. He's holding a lot of water right now, so is pretty heavy. I'll let him dry in front of a fan overnight.

Work in Progress 8 b

The face becomes more detailed, This is the moment he becomes real. I suspend my disbelief here, nearly as when watching a film. It's the moment you can forget the medium and enter into the story. Here is where I see him, and he looks back.

Work in Progress 08 a

Framed up the hood with bailing wire and masking tape. Just the general shape--the wire is flexible so I can make changes.

Art, Interrupted

This is where real life kicks in. Here the artist, no matter how inspired, must switch gears to accomodate last minute schedule changes and pick up Orion, take a dozen packages to the Post Office and stop by the market, same three-year-old dynamo in tow. Didn't I mention something earlier about food?
This stuff happens. It's not glamourous, but who ever said being an artist is? The shows are nice, but the creative hours are peppered with down-to-earth everyday have-tos. Then, if the everyday wasn't there, it's likely the art would be lacking some of its punch.
Food, finishing up the rat orders that came in today, tearing up lots of paper, then a rest and coffee and back to it. It's poised, I think, for a good session, waiting for me to come back and find out who, what he is. I do know this already--he's evil.


--later

Work in Progress 07

I'm going to stop here for a bit. It's a good place. He's starting to shape up and I have a good idea where I'm going but I haven't quite hit the zone yet. It's coming, That's an interesting place and I dare not go there without food.

Work in Progress 06

This is the messy part. It's a good part too. It's the part where it starts to come together in my head. This is a sleeve. I'm liking the sort of organic curve and decide to repeat it.

Work in Progress 04

It's a Boy!! Yes, his gender has been determined. In the tub is a mixture of flour, water and wood glue (about a pint). You don't have to have the wood glue, but it gets rid of the chalky texture and makes it more plastic and, it seems, stronger.

Work in progress 03

Ok. We've moved inside to begin in earnest. The downside of doing a sculpture off the cuff like this, so to speak, is that you run the risk of utter and complete failure. And that you can easily paint yourself into a corner, put the cart before the horse, throw the baby out with the bath water and whatever other cliche you can think up to describe mistakes caused by lack of planning. On the other hand, you can learn a lot, it's fast, and really, it's fun to let the thing make itself. I'll be tearing up lots of paper next, mixing glue, and putting on some music. Funny to think that whatever I choose to listen to will decide in some part what this thing becomes.

Work in progress 02

So I decided to make use of the working light. This helps me choose a position. Nothing has really hit me, so I just picked one. A figure holding a light in one hand, looking and gesturing with the other. What gesture, I haven't decided. Or any other details, but I have to start somewhere. I removed the globe, pulled the cord and socket out a bit. fitted a strip of wood for the shoulders, and attached the socket to the end. Now, a little framing, and more thinking. Music will be good here.

Work in progress 01

One unsightly old lamp, in working condition. Now for more coffee. Ok. So I'm moving a little slowly. Nobody jumps out of bed and vacuums. I'm looking...I'm thinking... I'll be back in an hour or so.

A Good Day for...Bugs

It begins.
I'm sure I'll see this sight a few more times. I'm posting before ACME hour begins. No kid's education is complete without Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. To me, a truly rounded person can tell Berlioz from Dvorak and Chuck Jones from Fritz Freleng. Ok, that's a ridiculous standard, but I can dream. While I'm at it, I'm teaching Orion to operate Pez. One day, when he's ready, I'll introduce him to Ready Whip in a can. But then, that's really Dad's job, I think.

A Good Day for...Grace

To Deren, and others who've asked: Please forgive the delay. This is a photo of the sculpture Neil writes about in Smoke and Mirrors. It's called "A Measure of Grace." He's had it for a number of years and says he suspects there is a book in there somewhere. I know there's a painting in there, or perhaps a sculpture in a different medium. I'm not so certain I'm finished with the idea.