Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum

I remember visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum as a young teen and being so impressed with their collection. It was probably my favorite museum for quite a number of years.

Well, Americans do not need to venture to London to see some of the collection--in fact, an exhibition of alabaster devotional sculptures is currently on display at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine through
June 26.

Alabaster production during the Middle Ages centered on the making and selling of finely decorated, gilded and colored sculpture to churches, nobles, and owners of private chapels. More common examples, however, were intended to brighten the homes and spiritual lives of people of modest means and are now treasured as the folk art of the ordinary medieval English man and woman. Due to this range in intended audience, this assemblage of English alabasters offers an unrivalled glimpse into the spiritual lives, hopes, fears and religious aspirations of both aristocratic and non-aristocratic society during the Middle Ages.

Whether you are interested in devotionals, stone carving or sculpture in general, this would be a good stop if you are in the northeastern part of the US this spring-early summer.

This exhibition is organized and circulated by Art Services International, Alexandria, Virginia. This exhibition is supported by a grant from The Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

Additional information on this display may be found here.

Mysterious Sculpture

Imagine waking up and looking out your window and seeing a sculpture. Cool, right? Well, what if it appeared overnight without your knowledge?

Turns out that's what happened to a woman in Boulder...for the 2nd time!

Read this article for more details...I was amazed.

Don't want to spoil the end, but it's too bad it won't stay there long.

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!

Back in the Studio

Having injured my shoulder (don't ask me how, because I don't know) I have not been able to be in the studio much for the past 6 months.

I've been busy with trips home to see my mother who was having some health issues...she seems to be pretty stable and accepting some help now, so that is good.

This week I have actually gotten in the studio twice! I am so happy.

Have a new little bird that I carved. Really I suppose it was more whittled since I'm not really up to hammer and chisel. Small piece of soft serpentine. Very easy to work.

I've done all the sanding, now I'm letting her dry. Then I'll see if I like what I've done or if I want to change any of the texture before I polish her and decide on her base.

Originally I had thought I would have a wall mounted piece as she is thin and really one sided. Now that she is done I'm thinking she would look great perched on a rock. I found a piece of igneous stone that would be a nice contrast. I'll have to think about that!

Art: More or Less

How do you gauge success at an art show? Is it more attendance? More participating artists? More pieces sold? More dollars in sales?

I was at two big sculpture shows this weekend. In my non-scientific observation I would say there were fewer artists participating and fewer patrons.

However I did see significant numbers of items being wrapped and carried out.

In today's paper there was a preliminary statement that said they believed more pieces sold this year than in years' past. More pieces, but the average price per piece was less. So a bigger number of pieces but less total dollar revenue.

This might be ideal for the show's organizers, but what about for everyone else?

I think this can be viewed as good news...more people got to appreciate and purchase more pieces from more artists. More pieces were shipped. The wealth was spread around.

In the past, many artists thought they had to go bigger and bigger in order to get the big sale. This year, those that did the best had smaller pieces that were affordable by more buyers.

Perhaps the successful artist was "reading" the market and bringing smaller works. Or perhaps he or she was just doing what felt right. Or perhaps it was different artists who sold.

You can decide that your work is best represented large...and know that you will have fewer sales but each will be a bigger dollar amount (and I know of several very large pieces that sold)...or you can decide that your work is best represented smaller...or perhaps you have a combination of both.

I believe that art is something that comes from our hearts and souls and speaks to the heart and soul of the buyer. Rather than changing your vision, think about how you can make your work be accessible to the buyer...maybe you have a smaller version available or maybe you can offer a payment plan for larger pieces.

The big lesson here is that you can sell art in any market. You have to believe that it is possible.

Bobbie Carlyle Classical Sculptor

Bobbie Carlyle is another one of the extremely talented sculptors who calls Loveland, Colorado home. Her work is classic in style...with powerful messages and exquisite detail that bring to mind the work of great masters.

A recent commission for Bobbie is to re-create a classic female figure that was a fountain adorning the old Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel has long since been razed and is now the site of a learning center for the LA school district.

Starting from historic photographs, Bobbie suggested a clothed version of the original nude...as a more appropriate choice for a school district. Her design won the competition. The piece is titled "Sea Swept" and is scheduled to be cast later this summer.

I remember first learning about Bobbie's work when I saw "Self Made Man" in Writers Square in Denver. That version was larger than life of a man carving himself out of rock. This piece is what launched Bobbie's career and she has sold copies in a variety of sizes which can be found around the world.

You can see more of Bobbie's work at her website or by visting her at the annual sculpture shows in Loveland (Sculpture in the Park and the Sculpture Invitational are both in August...don't miss them!) She also sells her work by commission and through selected galleries.

Photographing Your Sculpture

I have attended a couple of Sculptural Pursuit's BlogTalkRadio sessions and they have been really good.

This one sounds like it will also be exceptional. If you have seen the magazine, you know they know something about photographing art! Beautiful shots.

Photographing Your Sculpture
Sculptural Pursuit
Date / Time: 6/3/2009 4:00 PM (MDT)
Category: Art
Call-in Number: (347) 215-8795


You only have one chance to grab a juror's, gallerist's or editor's attention, so make your digital images the best they can be. Join professional photographer David Hawkinson and SP founder and publisher Nancy DeCamillis as they discuss megapixels, white balance, composition, and more in this interactive half hour. Whether you work with a pro or do it yourself, you'll learn what you need to know to make your images a compelling representation of your artwork. Bring your questions and join us online or on the phone. (Wednesday, June 3. 6PM EDT, 5PM CDT, 4PM MDT, 3PM PDT. 30 minutes.)

I suspect this will be an awesome event for sculptors and other artists!

"See ya" on the call!

National Sculpture Society Meets in Loveland, Colorado

Approximately 140 sculptors from around the USA are in Loveland, Colorado beginning today through Sunday for the National Sculpture Society meeting.

NSS is a nonprofit organization of professional sculptors, and they are holding their annual meeting in Loveland--a town well known for it's sculpture parks, foundries, large outdoor shows every summer, and the numerous sculptors who reside her.

One of the topics of discussion at this year's meeting will be submitting proposals for commission and some of the challenges that may arise during the commission process.

In addition to the discussions, there will be tours of studios of several of the Loveland area sculptors, including Jane DeDecker, Kristen Kokkin, the Lundeen family, Herb Mignery, Rosetta, Mel Schockner and kent Ullberg.

Saturday night they will have an honors and award dinner.

Sculpture conservation will be the topic for the panel discussion on Sunday. Included in this discussion will be conserving the integrity of your work, selecting materials etc to maintain the quality of the sculpture over a long period of time.

Oldest Sculpture Ever Found in Germany

Read a cool bit about potentially the worlds oldest carving being found in Germany.

World's oldest carving of a human found in German cave

A carving of a human figure has been found in Germany that is said to be 35,000 years old - which would make it the oldest such sculpture ever discovered.Scientists unearthed the piece - in the shape of a woman with XXL breasts and mega-hips - in the town of Alb-Donau-Kreis in Baden Württemberg.

The woman is carved out of ivory and is at least 35,000 years old, according to archaeologist Nicholas Conrad who writes for ‘Nature’ magazine.

It is a potentially crucial find which gives an entirely new look at the development of art in Europe and the whole world.

The six cm-tall statue has a large bust and enlarged vulva and was found in September 2008 during a dig at a cave in Schelklingen.

It has been described as extremely detailed but bizarre - the sexual organs are exaggerated and the legs and arms are shortened. It is thought to be an artistic impression of fertility.

Perhaps the cave was a sexual hiding place. In 2005, researches found a 20cm-long 28,000-year-old piece of stone shaped like a penis in the same cave.

The new discovery - dubbed Venus - will be on display in Stuttgart from September 18 2008 until January 2010.

Source for this news is Bild.com a German news agency...click here to see original article or to find related items on Bild

Artists Websites and Art Resources Links Growing

Be sure to check out the growing list of artists' website and art resources.

I will growing these lists as a service to my fellow artists...

I am a sculptor, however I started as a printmaker and my mother is a painter, so I'm not limiting my links to sculptors...

Let me know if you would like a link to this site, or if you can recommend someone that would be a good fit.

I'm excited at the possibilities here to help spread the word about great art and helping artists find the resources they need for creating and promoting their work...tools, marketing tips, etc.

Looking forward to hearing from YOU!

2009 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships

The quaint village of Breckenridge, Colorado hosts a fantastic sculptural event every year, the International Snow Sculpture Championships--hosted by Budweiser, the event is fun for the entire family with fantastic art created by masters from around the world.

Pieces range from whimsical and interactive, fantasy, traditional and contemporary.

The even began on Jan 20 this year and runs through February 1. The artists began carving the ice blocks on Tuesday the 20th at 11am and the carving ended today at 10 am when the judging commences. Awards are presented on Sunday at 3pm

Weather permitting, the sculptures remain standing through Feb. 1. Some years the sun is so strong (one of the great things about skiing in Colorado is our beautiful clear skies!) that the sculptures don't make it through to the end of the celebration, so go early if you can!

Leonardo Portrait Made From Nails

Check this out! This guy is building this fabulous portrait of Leonardo --out of nails!

He first sketches the image out on the board and then using diameter heads and putting the nails in at different heights he achieves a stunning affect.

Katagami Sculpture

An upcoming exhibition at the Longmont Museum, Longmont, Colorado sounds very intriguing! Combining stencil making and sculpture, Jennifer Falck Linssen makes paper sculptures from intricately carved stencils that she carves by hand. Her work is described as a marriage of traditional basket forms and pictorial katagami-style paper stencils.

Jennifer Falck Linssen: Beyond Katagami opens at the Longmont Museum on January 24 and runs through March 22. Linssen will present a lecture, "Under the Knife: Carved Paper Sculpture," on Wednesday, January 28 at 7 pm. Cost is $5. Members of Friends of the Longmont Museum are admitted free.

Sculpture From Zimbabwe

There was another nice article in the Loveland Reporter-Herald today on our local Zimbabwe sculpture park and gallery, and the curator Roy Guthrie.

Unfortunately, the section of the paper (The Valley Window) where the article ran is not available online.

If you have not yet checked out the Chapungu Gallery or the sculpture park, be sure to go to some past blog posts--Roy is a wonderfully knowledgeable and giving man and the art work his gallery carries is of the highest quality. You could become a collector--Prince Phillip of England is, so you would be in fine company!!!

Here is a link to a post about the Sculpture Park
And click here to read about the Gallery and Warehouse!

You can also go right to the Chapungu website by clicking the link in the sidebar to the right, in Sculpture Sites I recommend!

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!

Stone Sculptor Ellen Woodbury

I met Ellen Woodbury almost 3 years ago at a workshop taught by Collen Nyanhongo, a master stone sculptor from Zimbabwe. It was fun to get to know her and to see her work on her first stone.

Ellen is a fascinating, energetic, expressive person and her work reflects that. It also reveals her background as an animator for Disney, a position she held for 20 years! Ellen started her sculpting while still employed as an animator...like many sculptors she worked in clay.

So, while Jan. 2006 may have seen Ellen's first stone sculpture, she was no "newbie" in the art world. And it shows!

Ellen's work is simple and complex at the same time. Her pieces tell stories and engage the viewer.

We are fortunate to have Ellen call Loveland, Colorado home...come see her at the Sculpture in the Park show. She has exhibited there for the last two years--showing her stones--quite an accomplishment for a new medium!

Sculpture In the Community

More and more developers are discovering the value of including sculptures in their projects.

Recently I mentioned a local artist who has been commissioned to create sculptures for a project in Kansas.

Closer to home, Thompson Crossing, here in Loveland has created their own scupture walk. The area encompasses 40 acres of open space. The walk itself is 1-1/2 miles and runs through the neighborhood and down along the natural area, including the Big Thompson River.

The sculpture walk features 25 pieces of stone and bronze. Rather than sculptures of wildlife, Gary Hoover, president of Hartford Development Corporation, chose pieces that evoke thoughts and emotions. He combined the art with quotes which are engraved in stone with the goal of further provoking thoughts or touching the viewer.

In addition to the sculpture area, the walk has its nature area where the artwork is the flesh and blood wildlife that frequents it, such as fox, coyotes, ducks, geese and wild turkeys. Additionally there have been placed large boulders for seating so one can contemplate the river and enjoy the scene and sounds of nature.

Bruce Campbell, Creating Art from Discards

Bruce Campbell is one of my favorite local artists. He never fails to impress, amaze and inspire me with this talent, creativity and unique approach to life and art.

Not only is Bruce a talented sculptor and painter, he combines these skills with a unique way to reuse old items.

My art is created using various combinations of welding, carving, painting and engraving on salvaged industrial forms. I've diverted countless tons of material from the waste stream, and hopefully I'm helping people see the beauty and value in so-called "junk". As an artist, I benefit from the unique shapes and odd details produced for functionality (my process is a collaboration with unknown people who were unaware they were creating sculpture) which are often improved by being dented, gouged or partially crushed. I also love the gorgeous surface patinas and textures created by the forces of time, the gradual reclamation of nature.

Walking around Bruce's studio is an eye-opening experience. Old fashioned washing machines sport new faces, huge tanks become kings and queens with curls fashioned from parts of water heaters.

Old wooden gates become mystical wall sculptures.

Figures seem to appear and disappear, morphing from one image to another.

Much of Bruce's art is conducive to outdoor display. Whether due in part to scale or because of the materials, exposure to the elements can further add to the works.

By combining "found steel" and other found objects with welding, engraving and painting, Bruce brings new life to items that otherwise would find themselves either in the landfill or recycled into some new gadget.

Bruce does more than keep thing out of the landfill and save our resources...Bruce catapults everyday items into fantastic sculptures that are sold and exhibited around the west.

Photograph "Envision", Sculpture and Photograph copyright Bruce Campbell

I Love Horses

And sculptures of horses!

I recently read about Pat Kennedy, another one of our talented Loveland, Colorado sculptors. He created a sculpture of 6 horses galloping through the landscape at the entrance to a development in Kansas City, Kansas.

Matt Adam is the developer of the project and he is convinced that the sculptures have enhanced the project greatly--even during this economy the lots are selling ahead of schedule.

Because of this, Matt has commissioned Pat to create another piece featuring horses. This piece represents a mare and twin foals.

The pieces are gorgeous and reflect the love between animals and the freedom and joy that we feel when we see horses--and we at least imagine that they feel!