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I took time this weekend to photograph my studio- just for the memories. I never dreamed I would have an art studio.
One of the ppleasures of having a studio, Is it provides a space to meet with other artists, friends, and art lover acquaintances and get their reactions to my work? Everyone perceives art differently, and it is incredibly beneficial to get feedback from a variety of folks.
Wait! Don’t kill it. Most people I know kill any snakes they find at home. I found this tiny rough earth snake already deceased on my walkway.
They are not venomous and will not hurt you. They actually may help.
He was probably stepped on by my mailperson or dropped by one of the hawks that hangs out in our trees. They are food for the birds we love. When I see creatures that are new to me I always research their role in keeping the natural environment balanced. They normally live underground and probably came out because of our recent rains.
In Houston it is important to note that these creatures live underground creating cavities. When we have rains these cavities become miniature underground reservoirs, holding rain for for drier days.
and we all know that native 🐝 often occupy cavities vacated by other underground dwelling creatures. 🤜🏼🤛🏾 🐍
If you want to make small changes change how you do things if you want to make big changes change how you see.
I see the rough earth snake as a creature I want in my yard.
Osmia Illinoensis
30” X 44” watercolor monotype.
Day two, #2 the ghost
Day 3 caran d’ ache monotype
The ghost
Today I worked on the lower part of it's cheekbones and then I added a rear jawbone.
Looking up the mouth and nose of head minus the lower jaw.
The old guys face left side
Looking through the skull
The right profile.
January 19, 2020
The ranch Anatolian livestock guard dogs greet us at the ranch entrance.
The herd including the cow to be culled having a relaxing morning grazing on Texas prairie grasses. The cow in question will not be separated from the herd, she will not be stressed and will not feel any pain. This is how you humanely harvest an animal. This is not how industrial Agriculture harvests meat.
One wish- if you were selected to make a wish just one and you are the only living creature in the universe that gets this opportunity, what would you wish? I would wish that all humankind would protect and heal our soil.
Can one one wish ripple into social change? Can all of our social unrest and grievances be connected to the health of our soil?
The below tedtalk has me thinking.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630?i=1000405307942
A new Inspiration for work.
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Here is a collection of my reference material.
Bison grab a tuft of grass with their tongue, then they pinch it off by pressing it between their tongue and their front lower teeth. They do not have top front teeth. They then swallow it whole. That is the beginning of a 24-hour digestive process.
I love this image, I took it last January at Roam Ranch right before the roundup. I think this is the one they call Poppy. Poppy is very curious and friendly. She is checking me out as she catches rain drops on her tongue.
You can see the lower jaw through the upper jaw here. It is slightly off to the right of the bison. I want him chewing away and want to exaggerate the movement. I will probably bend it a little more askew this weekend.
Here the chewing lower jaw is more obvious.
View from the rear or top down.
Friday, I am committing to writing the Lawndale proposal- rewriting and rewriting and rewriting.
I am committed to walking 10,00-15,000 steps every day. During my walks, I listen to audiobooks or podcasts on subjects that interest me. A lot of them have to do with regenerative agriculture, the history of soil, native bees, and various Environmental issues. Often I switch it up and learn about something completely new to me. The information or music I absorb during my walks is a big influence on my work.
Below is a quicky Ted Talk that I was very excited to hear today. It supports my belief that environmental change has got to come from our people in our cities.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630?i=1000485487124
I sent the link to city councilwoman Sally Alcorn and her assistant Hannah. Who knows. Like the piet said- make sure your reach Exceeds your grasp.
I took a screenshot of the description. It feels good to hear other people who believe what I believe.
I needed to make some new concrete sculpting tools. I cut the bristles from a dog brush and glued them to the handle from a sponge 🤞
The small bronze root left a stain on the seat. Oops. I expect I can grind it out.
Work work work
If there is an interesting bee it is the orchid bee on many levels. I previously wrote a blog post regarding how orchids trick orchid bees with sex in order to get pollinated. There are endless articles about the interesting habits of orchid bees. They are also one of the most beautiful bees and come in a multitude of gorgeous colors. They are one of the jewels of the bee family.
A fellow Houston artist Jo Ann Fleishhauer recently opened Disquieted Beauty in the Old Jail Art Center this past spring. I was not able to see the exhibit due to Covid. However, the exhibit will open in Houston at Rudolph Blume this fall. In brief the exhibit looks at modes of communication used by the natural world, primarily the orchid bee. The orchid bee uses perfumes from orchids and other living organisms to attract females. Jo Ann’s artistic, complex, layered interpretation of communication is preeminent. You will not want to miss Jo Ann’s Disquieted Beauty when it comes to Houston.
One of the distinguishing characteristic of an orchid bee is their tongue. They have evolved to have a tongue that is twice as long as their body. I stiched a blue and green with beige and brown wings orchid bee in flight with it's tongue physically extended to an abstract orchid.
In the natural world, you have to study a habitat to find the minuscule creatures; the same is true with my stitching.
The orchid bee is top left with the super long, whitish tongue.
I was looking forward to making a large watercolor Monoprint of the orchid bee, to add to my Rumblings body of work. Unfortunately, due to COVID 19 I no longer have access to a press. For now Rumbling monoprints are temporarily on hold but I can still stitch as many bees as I like. I am working on some other pieces that are very important to me and I love getting in my pond and photographing its life.
I am getting close to finishing the head and upper jaw. The next step will be to create the lower jaw, then I will put the head aside and start building up the piece from the hooves.
More work on the cheekbones and connecting the horns to the eyes.
Side view of armature
Bottom side view
Bison's left side view
Back of head looking down
For the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus #1a
for the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
for the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
View l from the mouth
The cheekbones are added.
For the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
My favorite measuring tool when building the armature is a sewing tape measure.
For the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
The head is a lot of detail work. Bending small pieces of steel takes time and strength. It is easy to bend large pieces of steel because I can use leverage to bend it. Small parts are too short To get much lecerage. This is the first time in my life strength is an issue., I have not been doing my regular weight lifting due to COVID 19 quarantine. So I have to think of creative ways to make the shapes I need. It takes longer to figure out.
Examining this work I have decided I need to raise the left horn.
I have only welded the horn in one location. This will make it easier to correctly position the horn once the head is connected to the body. I can find them if I want, or I can cut the one weld and resend them in the correct position.
I moved the horn and added the front of the upper jaw.
I added the back of the upper jaw and two pieces to stabilize the head. The stabilizing pieces run through the center of the head, the length of the face to the back If the skull. I used the angle grinder to separate the front and left sides of the front jaw separating the two stabilizing pieces. This will make it easier to make any adjustments in the head structure when it is finished and attached to the body.
The skin and coat of the finished piece is the most crucial part if this piece. This steel armature is purely structural.
For the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
I have cut the steel for two sets of horns, the center of the face, top of the scull and part of the nisee. .
Working on the horns
This bison skull was a Christmas present. From Griffin and Alex my son and daughter in law. They have been unbelievably supportive of my environmental works. They are the best. The skull is proving extremely helpful in figuring out how to build the head armature.
For the Full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
When I start to build a new piece the first thing I do is gather and organize all the reference images and information I am going to need.
I staple all the images to a piece of cardboard. This way it us easy to see as I work. This secti n focuses on the hoofs. I am starting with the hoofs.
For the full story see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
One of the most critical problems to solve is the placement of the hooves. They will be welded to Steel plates that act as the base. The base serves several purposes; it will make it easier to transport the piece without damaging it, it will make working on a large piece safer and less likely to fall on me. I am going to use 4 - 14” X 14” 1/4” steele plates. One for each hoove. This will give me the flexibility to adjust the placement of the hooves as the piece develops.
I am sending the hooves to Blumenthal metal and having them weld the hooves to the plates. It is tricky welding to a thin plate and not warping the plate.
Why is this important to me? Please see Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
It does not stand to reason that gardens or yards in Texas, Maryland, California, Iowa, and Illinois should all be landscaped with the same selection of plants. The below image from Native Texas Gardens says it all. In a country with great diversity from coast to coast, shouldn’t the sculpture garden landscapes be embedded in plants that define the place?
It will be more interesting to see sculptures in gardens of indigenous plants, plants that define the place, terrains that have attracted its people and impacted its economy. A sculpture of a boat marooned in a desert landscape might imply global warming and the same wooden vessel docked in a sea of woody pines congers up thoughts of concervation. one thing the same boat Sculpture changes across geography. What does sculpture look like in a coastal prairie sculpture garden?
Page xviv of Native Texas Gardens, maximum beauty, minimum upkeep by Sally and Andy Wasowski.
