There's always so much to do- so many action items left waiting and waiting. Most of the time I don't really feel bad at all. Now and then I look at the mountain of rocks that cover the platform originally intended for a model and wish that there was more open space instead of clutter as far as the eye can see. Actually it is like a healthy reef, almost every square centimeter of surface is covered with something- raw materials, rocks from the beach or mountains, driftwood, branches of trees, shells, various kinds of art explorations on paper, paint, brushes, chisels, and many other tools. Why is the car battery charger in the living room?

In the last Great Rearrangement (there have been two) the couch was moved into the dining room area off of the kitchen so that I could talk with guests or just comfortably hang there while cooking. If I am elsewhere and working, I sometimes tend to forget about and burn my edible creations. But even that space is closing in. We have to go the the recycling center. For three or fours days we have been saying that we would, tomorrow.

I have cut way back on collecting things. I still do it, but not nearly as much. I just have a lot from before Kia got married. I literally have thousands of small left over beach rocks left over. These were the ones which were good, but not good enough for that particular purpose or were great but didn't fit the parameters of that project. And there are some people who still bring me things and I feel obligated to keep and make use of them. It is part of the Alchemy Fine Art and Design philosophy. When something with potential crosses my path I need to try to make use of it. When that will happen is open, but it is added to the list.

I do have to say that I haven't made the most of my time. I have been vegging quite a bit. It is technically only the second day of my Summer vacation from school/work- my teaching job, but part of what has been building up is a desire to clean up and rearrange things here, so that I can use the space more effectively. The truth is I am drowning in my own treasures and there's not even enough room to work on most of the stuff.

Well, we will see. Perhaps I will report back.

Wood From A Pepper Tree

Some people consider pepper trees to be only a step or two above weeds. I have always liked them- since I was a child. I remember being fascinated by them. The leaves and seed pods are rather delicate while the bark is very rough. Early last summer my son cut two unneeded, tall trunk sections from my sister's back yard. It was to be part of the decorations for my daughter's wedding. It was a beautiful, fun and fulfilling series of events. The prep work and the ceremony itself. Everything took place in the back yard of my son-in-law's parents. Two families really were joined together in a way that they hadn't been. Working together, we got to know each other in a ways we never otherwise would have.

The day after the wedding I was back up there, helping to dismantle much of our handiwork.
When I came time to take down the decorative trees which had formed an arch, I couldn't make myself simply cut up the wood and throw it away. I saved it. I wasn't sure when or how I would use it, but I told myself that I'd like to use it to make some other piece of art or perhaps a decorative object for the kids.

The small trees which had been about twelve feet tall were cut down to a size that would fit in my car and brought home to my vast warehouse and studio complex. (That's an attempt at humor) The vast storage facilities were already full of the thousands of beach rocks and pieces of driftwood which were not used in the wedding, but I found places for the new resources.

Just yesterday I began working on the bark of one small section of the tree. It is about two inches in diameter and approximately five inches long. Earlier I described the bark as rough, but there are endless variations, with some places more smooth, other almost sharp. Some parts were raised, while some were deeply recessed.

I began to very selectively sand, slowly and carefully, "finding my way", in a manner similar to the method described in the Romancing The Stone entry. The piece is not yet finished, but the variations provide a wonderful array of possibilities to sand and smooth or leave untouched. I will send a picture when it is finished.
I promise.

until next time,
and I hope it's not so long
c

Romancing The Stone and The Subtle Touch

When you begin working with stone, and for some time after that, it can seem painfully slow and almost unyielding compared to other materials- especially if you have made the decision to try to use power tools as little as possible. That last detail may seem odd to some, working by hand when you don't need to, but working slowly, and watching for clues as to how to proceed will allow the rock to reveal things about itself to you. If you are attentive, it will let you know what it wants you to do, like a responsive partner. Artists are drawn to a particular medium to learn from it. Open yourself and you will be richly rewarded.

There really are potential sculptures hidden within and waiting for someone like you or me to uncover them. With time, you do develop a very light touch which removes just the right amount of unwanted surface material in an ever more efficient and fluid manner. You can, after cultivating this increased level of sensitivity, start to use your power tools more and more, but will probably still find the periods of work which are done entirely by hand to be the most satisfying.

The rock will give itself to you completely, if you do not attempt to overpower it.
It is a lot like approaching a lover. Ask yourself what you really want- to be done or to savor the experience and make it all that it can be. Just doing it, without really being conscious can cause you to overlook and completely miss all but the most obvious and conventional. Take your time, and watch for a response every step of the way. Ironically, you may find that learning to slow down will result in rocks opening to you more and more quickly each and every time.

Doing Your Thing and Healing

Sometimes doing what you love, even when you are not particularly motivated to do it can not only keep you from sinking deeper into your downward spiral, it can actually pull you up and get you high. This change can come about through writing (even something like a blog) by doing your art, by singing, dancing, or anything else which engages your creative juices.

Just doing it can make a difference. Don't fight the impulse, even if there are logical reasons for not doing it. Sometimes though, you may be too far down, and not feel like it at all, but that is the time you have to force yourself to just pick up that pencil, brush, chisel or hold that piece of clay in your hands. As soon as you do that, you WILL feel something happen. Each implement, is a sacred, healing and transformational tool. Whenever I have slipped down into a dark place, and then somehow managed to get myself working, it has always, Always, ALWAYS helped. When I do MY work, I begin to feel better and the things which pulled me down earlier no longer effect me. A conscious awareness of whatever it was that troubled me may remain, but it no longer has a hold on me. The same will be true for you. And so it is.

So try to remember and I will too, Your Art Can Almost Always Save You. It really can.
c

Making Mistakes and Pointing Out Those of Others

I often make mistakes, in this and other forums, but don't really stress much about it. I do tend to go back and reread things before posting something new. Often I will find something that I missed while rushing to get something out. At this point in my life, I now believe that putting something out there and inviting feedback is better than endlessly trying to perfect something and never sharing it with the world.

And if I should miss something significant, one of my closest friends will tactfully suggest that I go back and take a closer look. Knowing that she feels confident enough to say that is important. I know I can count on her to speak the truth. Trusting that she's not afraid to tell me that I've made a mistake is valuable to me. But that's very different than the person who automatically seems compelled to point out your shortcomings. That's just annoying and after a while alienating. This is different. Being Critical Friends with another is valuable to both parties. But the role requires having an implied invitation as well as a high level of mutual trust and respect.

In Praise of Mindless Work and Drifting Off

Doing sculpture is for the most part an intuitive process. We think and problem solve of course as part of that, but most of the time, we are following our instincts and finding our way as we go. There are some notable exceptions to this, but for the most part it is true.

Often while lost in the process of forming or finishing a piece, streams and sometimes great rivers of thought begin to flow. Sometimes it happens and that's the extent of it. We may remember, we may not. More and more often I find myself writing it down. Some of these things are really good ideas, or the return of earlier great ideas. What some of the more forward thinking business types now refer to as a Flow State is what artists, writers, composers and others of our kind have have always experienced when we immerse ourselves in work and enter the zone of creation.

What isn't well understood, especially in today's overly prescribed and micro-managed work environments is that when you set some people free, they often produce many times more than when harnessed and monitored every step of the way. Some can't handle freedom, because they have no experience with it, but for those who are capable of some measure of self regulation, playing or going off on a tangent, may well lead to something far more valuable than what would be yielded if one dutifully remains on task hour after hour, day after day. It is the fear of people not doing what is expected or getting into trouble which causes the self appointed regulators to tighten the screws. They really have very little faith in humanity. They might trust themselves, but perhaps not that much and a few close close colleagues who are superior in some way, but no one else. It is a little sad, more for them than anyone else. We sometimes have to work under them, and at least outwardly play by their rules, but inside, we can never allow ourselves to be constrained by their limited thinking.
c

Welcome

Welcome to Patina, my newest blog.
This is a site which will specialize in sculpture related topics which may at times have wider applications, in art and in life.

Future topics will include, Standing In Just The Right Light. Romancing the Stone, and The Subtle Touch.