Some new drawings

It has been a while since I posted any drawings or sketches. Pre-College craziness followed by a quick start on a new sculpture (and watching the Wire on DVD for the first time - Oh man...) has kept me from scanning and posting. Eleanor and I have taken a few trips down to the water to draw the Providence Power Plant (better known among our friends as "The Sentinels") and a few drawings came out of it. An early summer trip to Chris McInerney's parent's in Maine also produced a nice one.

New Sculpture!

August brought the end to another Pre-college summer an I can say again, with the same enthusiasm I do each year - Pre-Colleges is one of my favorite teaching experiences. I taught Illustration and two sections of Drawing and all my classes were filled with impressive and ambitious students.

So now that work work is done, its time to get back to work in the studio. Earlier this week I was lucky enough to get the help of former classmate, colleague and friend Matt Clowney in order to photograph my newly completed sculpture. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. Matt's expertise made the process easy and enjoyable. Check out his work at www.matthewclowney.com

Some of the results are below. Visit my webpage for more images and details.

This sculpture is the first in a series of small scale figures I am making. They all will ultimately be exhibited as a single installation. The common theme is borrowed from my sculpture "Hung Out to Dry in Vietnam", which features a young boy sized figure - about age 10 - hauling miniature fish folk on a water yolk. The boy is wearing a mask of an adult's face and shoes that resemble the foot in the sculpture above - life cast and Frankenstonian (Frankenstieny? is there a word for this?) The armature for the second sculpture already has clay on it and is progressing nicely. Ill have process pictures posted soon.

Among Twenty Snowy Mountains earns First Place Edward Bannister Award in the Providence Art Club's Open Painting Exhibition 2011

I had the good fortune to be included in the Providence Art Club's Open Call for Painters Show that just opened today July 10th. To my surprise and delight, Among Twenty Snowey mountains, pictured above, earned The Edward Bannister Award for first prize. The award was extremely humbling especially among so many excellent paintings. You can find out more about the show here:

http://www.providenceartclub.org/media/gallery_dodge_cu.phpreturn_URL=%2Fexhibitions.php&SID=&G_ID=dodge&GI_ID=gqBV5Vhseh27xMD&GI_I=1

Pre-College Faculty show

At the Woods Gerry Gallery Summer Faculty Show

July 8-27; opening reception Thursday July 7, 6-7:30 pm

Providence, RI Oil on canvas

Pre-College started again last week and already a week of it is over. It goes so fast every time! I am teaching two sections of Foundations Drawing and one section of Illustration. Every year a faculty exhibition is held at the Woods Gerry Gallery on prospect street. I've included a recent oil painting from 2010 in the show. Its the first time its been exhibited. Come to the opening to meet the artists and educators or stop by the show to see the work from Pre-College, Summer studies and Extention Instructors.

Find out more here http://www.risd.edu/About/Galleries_Exhibitions/Woods_Gerry/

Providence Art Club - Open Painting 2011

"Among Twenty Snowy Mountains" and "Dog Park, Trenton, NJ" have been included in the Providence Art Club's "Open Painting" show this summer. My friends Rob Rey (www.robreyart.com) and Amy Wynne-Derry (www.wynnederry.com) also have paintings in the show! The show runs from July 5th- July 22nd and the opening is on Sunday, July 10, from 2-4pm.

Dog Park, Trenton NJ

Among Twenty Snowy Mountains

Rubber rubber rubber rubber.....

I've Just finished sculpting my latest piece and am in the process of making a mold.

It was so hot during the final stages of sculpting that the clay was like butter - impossible to work with. I had to keep the sculpture in the refrigerator overnight and for long periods in between working. It didn't leave much room for food, but who needs food when you are sculpting?

And...Finished!

Next I started the rubber mold. Because of all the undercuts and internal spaces this is easily the most complicated mold I've ever made.

The blue tint is the first layer of rubber thinned out to pick up detail

Next I changed the color and thickened the rubber for quicker application and started to apply the shim lines

relics

During recent construction Providence has completely re-organized its downtown to 95 interface. If the change is for better or for worse remains to be seen. In the mean time, while construction wraps up, the town is left in the awkward phase of demolishing the leftovers and cleaning up the mess, resulting in some interesting structures left hanging around. This sight made me think of Rome and all it's endless ruins around every corner.

This is take 2 of the same torn down overpass, from the opposite side.