Wild Life & Times: February 2012 Edition

Sculptathon 2011

It was my turn to host our 5th annual Sculptathon. Due to schedule conflicts, only Paul Rhymer of MD and I were this year’s attendees. Thanks to the sufficient quantities of chocolate and humor, we made it a pretty productive time.

Just like school, we even took a field trip. For us sculpture junkies a pilgrimage to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is almost mandatory. Where else are you going to see a 24 foot tall bronze horse?

Paul did a Gambel’s Quail family and I sculpted a moose study model.

New Work: Brook Trout

My latest sculpture, “Brook Trout,” is a piece commissioned by a connoisseur of both trout and art.

This style of sculpture really appeals to the perfectionist side of me that likes to get the surface absolutely smooth.

The texture-free surface is perfect for the contemporary patina that I apply with a big torch, chemicals and spray bottles.

Creature Feature Fast Fact:
The Moose

When European settlers came to North America, they called it an “Elk”. Why not? It was the same animal they called “Elk” back home. That name comes from the scientific name Alces alces, which translated as elk in British English. In North America the Algonquin Indians called it monzs or moz, which means “twig eater”. We then adopted it into the English language as moose.

Here in North America we gave the name “Elk” to another member of the deer family; The “Wapiti”. That Shawnee Indian word for “white (or pale) deer” never really caught on, so it’s been elk ever since.

Upcoming Shows

The first show of the season for us is Sculpture in the South, May 19th and 20th in Summerville, SC. Boy does time fly. This was the very first show we did in 2005, so this is our 8th year.  We always look forward to old friends, great food, and southern hospitality.

A few of us Society of Animal Artists members here in MI have joined up to form the Great Lakes Nature Artists. Our first group show opens in June at Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids, MI. I’ll update you more on the show in the next newsletter.

I’ve also recently received an invitation to be part of a group show, Sculpture Exhibit, presented by The Gateway Arts Council in Sidney, OH. The exhibit will be open weekdays, February 3rd through the 24th.