Meanwhile I am getting ready for the upcoming show at Talking Stick Resort and Casino, a Thunderbird Artists Fine Art & Wine Festival. I intend to be working on a sculpture at the EXPO booth during the show, so if you want to see me starting my next masterpiece, drop by. I’ll also have a painting and some sculptures on display. There are many other extremely talented artists there, so it will be well worth the trip to see them all.

After Talking Stick, my next show will be the Arizona Fine Art Expo at Scottsdale and Jomax Roads in Scottsdale, AZ. That starts in mid-January and runs ’til the end of March. It’s a ten week show featuring about 100 artists. We have a lot of fun there and and so will you as there’s lots to see. You purchase your admission ticket once and can come back as often as you like. Keep a watch out for one of our several “Garden Parties” where you can enjoy snacks and wine while viewing Fine Art.

But wait! January 20th is just around the corner and that means the start of The Arizona Fine Art EXPO. Relaxing will have to wait until EXPO ends on April 3rd. There are trips to Home Depot to be made and many details to be attended to before the big show begins.

The most important element, my artwork, is almost ready. My newest sculpture, “Horseplay” is fresh from the foundry and I just finished mounting it on a beautiful custom-made mesquite base. Can’t wait to hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. Must quick order nameplate though.

My new oil paintings are ready to hang – yes I’ll be showing some original Western Oil Paintings along with my Western Bronze Sculptures. Just had them professionally photographed and digital images made so I have the option of offering giclees as well as the originals.

Made my first trip to Home Depot and picked up all of the 2×3′s and brackets to build new light bars. Oops, forgot to get the paneling I want to hang to lighten up my studio – back to HD again. While there, looked at black paint – $28 per gallon – yikes! Went to Walmart and got if for one-fourth the price. Got back home and painted everything black that needed painting. Wow! The hard stuff is almost done, except for set-up day of course. Still need to go on-line and order some spare light bulbs – be prepared is my motto! Also must print name cards for all of the artwork, some business cards, and maybe a few brochures. Need to compose and send out a newsletter to my clients announcing the show and perhaps write a blog for my website. Oh! Looks like that last one is done!

Now if only Home Depot doesn’t summon me again, maybe I can get a few days rest.

The other day I happened to catch a photo of a breath-taking sunset, a phenomenon that is so prevalent in Arizona we often take it for granted instead of reveling in its beauty. I had forgotten I had taken the photo but it reminded me of the many times my wife Flo and I have stood on our back patio in awe of nature’s wonders. The color of the mountains in the distance are ever-changing, depending on the time of day, the amount of sunlight, the cloud cover and even the air quality. The sunsets are almost beyond description glowing orange and gold or resplendent in soft purples and pinks. Threatening storm clouds sometimes obliterate our view but then a rainbow appears that may range from faint to brilliant spectrums of color, sometimes single, many times a double, and now and then a triple arch. And although I am by no means a professional photographer, I have taken photos of the mountains, the sunsets, and the rainbows for Flo’s and my own personal enjoyment.

Make My Day superimposed on Arizona Sunset

If you’d prefer not to wait, you can see them all right now by going to hughblanding on Flickr

Pictured here with its armature and still in clay, is my newest sculpture, Horseplay.

Now available at precast price of $5,800.

Price will be $7,200 after casting.

– Order now and  save $1,400 –

Horseplay is currently being cast at the foundry and will be unveiled in bronze at the Arizona Fine Art EXPO in January, 2011.

Horses live in a harem-based social systems. Each band or “harem” is made up of a harem stallion, his mares, and their offspring. The size of each individual harem is determined by the stallion’s ability to hold his mares together, about four or five when he is young, a peak of ten in his prime, and fewer and fewer as he advances in age.

When the mare offspring are old enough to reproduce, they leave the harem group to join another. When stallion offspring are old enough to compete with the lead stallion, they are driven out of the group and join small bachelor groups until they are mature enough to successfully compete for a harem group of their own. This helps to maintain a healthy population and prevents inbreeding.

The stallion owns the herd and sires all of the herd’s offspring. His role is to keep intruders and predators away from his mares. The stallion normally runs behind the herd, keeping the slower horses moving and protecting the group from attack. He controls his harem with a variety of body postures and verbal signals.

The stallion also needs to defend his harem against other stallions trying to raid it. Spectacular displays of rearing, biting, and kicking occur when stallions “battle” over mares. In a typical confrontation, they stare at each other; then they each defecate, smell the feces, and again stare. Either combatant may leave; if one does not, the two move toward each other, necks arched and tails high. They sniff each other, emit screams, and then fight, standing side by side, kicking, and attempting to knock the other off balance, until one or the other leaves or is beaten.

Is this a stallion fighting for dominance or is this just a little ‘horseplay’?

Sculpture measures 24?H x22?W x 12?D without base and is an edition of only 10.  
Precast price is $5,800 ($US).  
After casting price will start at $7,200 ($US)

I, the artist (sculptor) perform the first steps in the process and end up with a clay original of the sculpture when I’m done.  I then take this clay original to a casting foundry where the artisans at the foundry complete the process, reproducing the sculpture using the ‘lost wax process’ to create the finished bronze.  This posting describes my part in the process and a future posting will deal with the foundry’s job.

After I have an idea or “vision” of what I want to sculpt I often have to do a lot of research.  I may need to study anatomy and muscle structure so my figures are anatomically correct.  I may need to learn about the clothes and accoutrements from a particular time period so my figures are historically authentic.  Being an artist, I am allowed some “poetic license” but when sculpting real life figures I want to be as accurate as possible.

When my research is complete, I gather together the materials I will need – usually a wooden platform on which to build the sculpture, hardware components for the armature, and clay to begin the sculpting.  The clay is a non-drying, oil/wax based clay such as that made by Chavant and Classic.  It comes in a  medium and hard version.  I usually use the Classic firm but like the extra hardness of the Chavant for zeroing in on some detail such as the mermaid’s hand.  Very often the clay comes in large chunks so I will spend some time now to cut it up into smaller pieces so it is easier to work with. 

Next I build the armature, the underlying   support to the clay sculpture.  The armature will be different for every sculpture, sometimes very complicated if there are a lot of appendages (arms, legs) and sometimes very simple if it is for a bust or other large object.  I use plumbing pipe and flanges where the weightier portions of the sculpture will be and to connect the armature to the wooden platform so the sculpture will not move while I am working on it.  I use armature wire (from an art store or stripped electrical wire) for those parts that do not need quite as much support.   The wires go through a tee fitting and are secured in place with epoxy.           

With the armature complete, I begin adding clay.  I initially pinch it onto a segment of the armature and do not worry too much about form or appearance.  When I feel that the segment has enough clay, I begin to smooth it out and create the proper form.  I then add clay to another segment of the armature and keep repeating the process until the basic figure has taken shape.  After this, I spend many hours perfecting the shape.   I scrape  off clay, add clay, smooth and add any detail required.   I use Weber Turpenoid for smoothing as it is one of the stronger solvents and helps break down the clay. 

In some instances, in addition to the main armature, an off-line piece is needed.  This piece will be added to the sculpture by the foundry when it is in metal.  You can see an example of such an off-line piece in the background of the last photo – a baby dolphin on its own armature.  It will be attached under the mermaid’s outstretched hand by the foundry.

As I envisioned the bronze for this sculpture as having a very smooth surface,  I spent a considerable amount of time smoothing and re-smoothing the clay.  Other sculptures may have a lot of detail work in the clothing, saddles, facial features, feathers, etc. and require a similar amount of time or even more for that work.   When I decide I  can do no more to improve the sculpture, my part of the process is complete and I take the finished clay original to the foundry where the artisans at the foundry reproduce the sculpture in bronze using the ‘lost wax process’.  They then add the patina (using acids and heat) to create the colors I specified for the finished bronze.  The process at the foundry can take 8 to 16 weeks.

Petalesharo, a new addition to my Native American collection is different.  Petalesharo (Man Chief) is an actual historical figure, a Pawnee warrior of the Skidi tribe, who was born in 1797 in what is now known as Nebraska.  He is most famous for his protests against the sacred and religious spring solstice traditions of the Skidi Pawnee.  He vehemently opposed the ritual in which they captured a young child from an enemy tribe and offered her in sacrifice to the Morning Star, one of their tutelary gods. 

He was about 20 years old when he is said to have rescued a Comanche maiden from the sacrificial pyre, cutting the bonds that held her, carrying her to a horse to escape, then feeding and protecting her as he led her back to the safety of her tribe.   Missionaries in the area heard of Petalesharo’s bravery and soon the story of his heroic deeds was printed in newspapers around the United States, even as far east as Washington D. C.  

In the winter of 1821-1822, Petalesharo was one of the 16 member delagation of Native American chiefs that went to Washington on a trip organinzed by the superintendent of Indian Affairs.  The intent of the trip was to impress the Natives with the power and wealth of the white man and ideally persuade them to end their warfare against American settlers.  He was greeted by President Monroe, his cabinet, most of Congress, and the entire Supreme Court. 

He was also invited to the home of  young Mary Rapine, a student in Miss White’s Seminary for Select Young Ladies, where he was presented with an award in honor and commemoration of his brave act.  The little Washington schoolgirl dressed in crisp crinoline, her pretty face ringed with curls and her young heart thumping in her chest like an imprisoned bird, held up a velvet ribbon from which hung a silver medal.  The handsome Indian, his face streaked with red and black paint, bent down.  The girl carefully placed the ribbon about his neck.  Petalesharo with great dignity thanked the schoolgirl for her kindness.  The medal was inscribed  “To the Bravest of the Brave”.

“Petalesharo”            29″h x 17″w x 19″d           $6500          Limited Edition of 12

Two years later, on another visit, he walked into our foyer area and was captivated by “Spirit Guides”, the most recent addition to my Native American collection. As he was admiring it, I explained to him the meaning behind each of the three figures (Sage Woman, Shaman, and Medicine Man) and how the meaning influenced the positioning of the figures in the sculpture. We then sat down and turned our attention to the business of finances.

An hour or so later, as we finished our discussion, Ken stood up and said “I think I have to have that sculpture for my office. What was the price?” Imagine my surprise and delight at these words. The sculpture basically sold itself. Thank you Ken for being such a generous patron and for taking another piece of Arizona to Wisconsin.

“Running Late” 16″h x 19″w x 7″d $3500 Limited Edition of 45

Today my wife is still thrilled with the arrival of each new bronze.  However, as my collections expand, she is slowly running out of places to display them.  In fact, she now alternates several of the sculptures every few months, keeping the décor fresh and always interesting for us and any visitors.