Snow Sculpture Competition in Loveland

Loveland had a snow sculpture competition this year for the first time in...well, I don't know how long. So of course, we probably had the warmest December to date on record! Snow had to be made from local ponds (one of the sculptors told me the snow smelled fishy) and trucked in.




Concrete forms were set up to hold the snow, which was loaded in and then packed down by volunteers. After a day to set, the forms were removed and the blocks of dirty snow were revealed. I noticed large air pockets, which the sculptors called "cancer"...fortunately for this competition they were allowed to help the blocks a little and use "slurry" to fill in voids if necessary.



The snow was rapidly melting in our 50+ degree weather...but the sculptors, using a variety of tools came out with their maquettes and drawings and started to carve.




The works gradually began to take shape over a couple of days as the sculptors worked...








Things were looking pretty grim on Friday...the wind was strong which can erode the sculpture and the temperatures were so warm it was not possible to get to work on the detail.


But, sculptors are intrepid and many stayed up all night or came early on the (thankfully for them) cold Saturday morning...



...and by Saturday evening masterpieces were revealed!



all in all, the event was a big success!

Seiferts Sculpt Steel and Land

Ed and Barb Seifert are former neighbors of mine...they also happen to be landscape designers and sculptors residing in northern Colorado.

Funny thing is when we were neighbors neither of us was actively working in sculpture.

I run into them at the Loveland Sculpture Invitational...and it is always great to see their work and catch up on what they are doing and how much their kids have grown. It just doesn't seem possible that it has been that many years, but when I learn where the kids are these days it makes me realize that my gray hairs are not premature!

Each of the pieces the artistic duo creates is unique. They often combine steel construction with water, whether free standing or a pond, and glass or stone...the natural and the man-made coexisting in harmony.

One of their pieces, "River Chimes" is an example of this harmony. The work is installed here in Loveland, at the Medical Center of the Rockies and features stone and steel in the form of posts and pipes.

Ed and Barb are extremely talented, as well as wonderful folks. Visit their site to see their landscape design, the nursery and of course, their sculpture. You can even arrange an appointment to see their private sculpture garden...but do call ahead! 303 772-1888

Exceptional Day at Sculpture Invitational

Yesterday I spent an incredible day at the Sculpture Invitational here in Loveland, Colorado. We are so fortunate to live in a community that is so supportive of the arts...and to have not just one, but TWO huge sculpture shows every summer.

I noticed a lot of new exhibitors this year. It was fun to see the quality of the new work and to also catch up with some returning favorites...talk about what they have been up to, new works they have created, shows they are participating in, successes they've been having, and new grandkids arriving!

Met one lady who is 90 years old. She says this is her last show. She'll keep sculpting, but says she is "tired" of the shows...I asked when she started sculpting and she said when she was a little girl. She used to carve corn cobs!

Ran into several past favorites with really wonderful additions. Ann Fleming has added some bas reliefs to her collection. Very nice. Phillip Feaster finished a piece he was working on last year and added another called "Kelp Dance"...I swear I was in the kelp forest off Monterey when I looked at that one. Victor Issa finished "The Power of Thought" and it is magnificent.

Had some great conversations about stones, carving and special techniques...John Christensen, Marv Poulson, Jeff Schaezle and so many more!

Met some cool woodworkers...making me think about giving that a try! Thanks for all the info William Ooms, Lew Hammer (don't you just love that name for a sculptor!), Michael Bauermeister (another great name for a guy working in wood!)

One 1st timer that I was especially impressed with is Lisa Arquette. She combines wood, metal (bronze, polished pewter), and glass. She does it all herself. Lots of symbolism behind her work. Very powerful.

Another 1st time exhibitor was David Mallin...very sensual work...love the play of the shadows.

Saw old friends with wonderful new pieces...Greg Todd, Lori Acott-Fowler, Jeff Schaezle, Sam Terakedis, Monty Taylor...

Also ran into friends not exhibiting...Stalin Tafura (congrats on your recent sale & award in the Sculptural Pursuit competition!), Collen Nyanhongo (very interesting conversation on the challenges in moving a permanent installation in Ft Collins), Kathryn Schroeder (Chapungu Gallery) ...

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic show. It was great to see you all and to hear how well you are doing!

Making Time for What Feeds My Soul

Yesterday was an awesome day...the first day in a long time that I actually went into the studio.

Don't ask why. There are lots of "reasons"...but no good justification for it.

I kept telling myself that I was too busy. It takes a long time to carve a stone and I "didn't have time"... I had to focus on other tasks that were "more important"...what I was forgetting was that keeping myself happy is one of the most important things I can do in this life.

Lesson to self: remember to feed your soul and you will be fed for the rest of your life.

Do You Maquette?

As a sculptor, do you make a maquette before moving to your final piece?

I know many sculptors who do...and just as many who do not.

For art lovers who may not know what I'm talking about, a maquette is a miniature version of what the piece will ultimately turn out to be. This miniature gives the artist an opportunity to work out in 3 dimensions poses, the flow of the piece...basically the composition of the work. Maquettes are frequently made from clay, even if the final piece is to be carved from stone.

Some sculptors will even have a maquette bronzed...to be clear, a maquette is not the same as having a small sculpture that the artist then chooses to enlarge.

Some sculptors make their maquette in full detail. Others make only a rough model, enough to give them the composition details.

Personally, when carving stone I rarely create a maquette. I was taught a drawing method...I will actually draw on paper and directly on the stone. For me this allow a more direct relationship with the stone and the flexibility to work with the stone as it is rather than forcing my maquette vision upon it.

That being said, there are times when I grab some clay in order to work out a particular flow or shape...but my maquettes are not things of beauty! They are more like gesture drawings...just enough for me to get the feel of where I want to go with a piece.

I'd love to hear from other sculptors if they do or do not create maquettes, why, and to what level of finish do they take their maquettes!

At Phipps Garden Center, a sculptor teaches working with marble ...

At Phipps Garden Center, a sculptor teaches working with marble ...

There are other places to learn to work with marble, but it is always good to learn of places that teach and encourage working with this beautiful stone.

One beautiful place to learn about carving Marble is in the town of Marble, here in Colorado. The Marble Marble Symposium takes place every summer in this small town not far from Aspen.


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Salzburg Stone Sculpture Symposium

I just read about a sculpture symposium in Salzburg...

This blog by one of the sculptor participants, Martin Lyttle, has some great photos. Check them out and see what a quarry looks like...and what sculptors look like (!)

A nice album of the experience including what people created as a result.

Think it would be nice to jet from one symposium to another, don't you?

New Sites to View

I ran across some sculptor friends on Facebook (I'm new to this whole part of the internet)--I've added them to my recommended sites list but check out their work.

Stalin Tafura is a native of Zimbabwe. He comes from a family of stone sculptors. I have had the privilege of working with both he and his mother, Agnes Nyanhongo. Strong, elegant lines that at once reflect and break away from the family style. This young man is proving himself an excellent craftsman as well as unique artist.

Lorri Acott-Fowler works in clay and in bronze. Long legged images that provoke feelings of exploration, peace & harmony. Lorri brings a thoughtfulness to her work which is often filled with joy and light--not to be confused with being unsubstantial!

Athletic Inspiration

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympics. Being a former swimmer and diver, some of my favorite events were in "The Cube." Although I was never at the level of these athletes, it is a pleasure to watch them and I can better appreciate their efforts having been in the water myself a time or two!

The divers were inspiring for their athleticism and their strength and I am finding myself wondering just how can I capture some of that sport's unique qualities in stone.

At first, it seems like such an unlikely pairing--stone to represent diving. I have made sketches for sculptures inspired from Ice Skaters and other athletes, but have never attempted a diver before. It definitely deserves some exploration.

Exploration and risk taking is part of the artist's life. If we only did what was done before I think it would not be fulfilling for the artist. Sometimes the viewer likes to see that however. It can be uncomfortable for the viewer if the artist takes risks and goes beyond what is expected of them.

I like to work out my ideas in sketch format. Then I typically go directly to the stone. I know some sculptors like to make maquettes and while they can be useful for working out some details, I prefer whenever possible to have the stone communicate to me what is the best way to resolve the challenge.

So I will draw some and sit some with some stones and we'll see what I come up with! Will it be a 10? Or will it be a miss? Like diving, we won't know until it is all done.