The past months have been filled with walking in circles. The circle, with perfect symmetry and with no beginning or end, is an apt metaphor for the past two years. In my search for my next artistic idea, I’ve taken a “walkabout” seeking what to create now.
I’ve taken many paths, experimented with new ideas, tripped over proverbial rocks. It’s been a bit of a soul journey. I realized that my sculpture, over the past 35 or so years, has grown through a continual process of learning, growing and changing direction. After all, that's what art requires--if it's been done before (even by you) don't do it again!
I love to sculpt and I love to sculpt joy. OK, now, how to be different. I’ve been "differenting" hard most every day the past two and a half years. My shop looks disheveled—equipment everywhere, materials laying askance and unfinished, several experiments gone not-quite right, several disasters. Trying new techniques and methods, the path is full of dead ends, rabbit holes, bumps in the road, and detours…a journey not for the faint of heart.
I’ve created steel-rod structures with stretch-over skins to further refine my Swoopie concept. I’ve tried detailed faces and no faces at all. I’ve tried sculptures that can be suspended and those that fly. There have been simpler sculptures, different finishes and textures…my studio looks like a mad chemist’s laboratory. Took a shot at sculptures that could be disassembled for shipping and reassembled on site. I could go on, but you get the gist. SO this is the part where I share with you my next BIG idea. But, I got nothing. Nada. Parts only. No kabooms.
One of my sculpture criteria is "Wow!” All of these side trips were enjoyable and broadened my knowledge of materials, techniques, and creative problem solving, but looking at the resulting sculptures, Hmmm, no wow.
As it turns out, I walked completely around my creative circle to find I still really love my Swoopies and their “Wow!” Since each sculpture is hand created by me, my new focus is on streamlining their production: Cores are faster, layup is faster and finishes--I've found a couple that really look beautiful and deeply textured. I’m thinking of exciting new swoopie figures full of joy…something sorely needed these days. So there it is, back where I started after running all those laps.
I’ve taken many paths, experimented with new ideas, tripped over proverbial rocks. It’s been a bit of a soul journey. I realized that my sculpture, over the past 35 or so years, has grown through a continual process of learning, growing and changing direction. After all, that's what art requires--if it's been done before (even by you) don't do it again!
I love to sculpt and I love to sculpt joy. OK, now, how to be different. I’ve been "differenting" hard most every day the past two and a half years. My shop looks disheveled—equipment everywhere, materials laying askance and unfinished, several experiments gone not-quite right, several disasters. Trying new techniques and methods, the path is full of dead ends, rabbit holes, bumps in the road, and detours…a journey not for the faint of heart.
I’ve created steel-rod structures with stretch-over skins to further refine my Swoopie concept. I’ve tried detailed faces and no faces at all. I’ve tried sculptures that can be suspended and those that fly. There have been simpler sculptures, different finishes and textures…my studio looks like a mad chemist’s laboratory. Took a shot at sculptures that could be disassembled for shipping and reassembled on site. I could go on, but you get the gist. SO this is the part where I share with you my next BIG idea. But, I got nothing. Nada. Parts only. No kabooms.
One of my sculpture criteria is "Wow!” All of these side trips were enjoyable and broadened my knowledge of materials, techniques, and creative problem solving, but looking at the resulting sculptures, Hmmm, no wow.
As it turns out, I walked completely around my creative circle to find I still really love my Swoopies and their “Wow!” Since each sculpture is hand created by me, my new focus is on streamlining their production: Cores are faster, layup is faster and finishes--I've found a couple that really look beautiful and deeply textured. I’m thinking of exciting new swoopie figures full of joy…something sorely needed these days. So there it is, back where I started after running all those laps.
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