I consider myself a creative person, many folks I talk to say they don’t have a creative bone in their body. I find that interesting and love to hear what people think of when they use the word creativity and how they describe creativity.
For me, creativity is using imagination to solve problems. In my opinion, it is not exclusive to art, although it is critical for the artistic process.
What are your thoughts? How do you answer the question “What is Creativity?”
Here is a short video of some of the finishing work on one of my 12 Indiana Limestone horse heads that are going to Long Island, New York.
This video shows the carving of the “Resurrection Burial Bench” for St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church in New Albany, IN. It shows from the beginning as a raw block of Indiana Limestone to the final placement of the completed sculpture in St. Mary’s sanctuary as part of their Rosary walk.
You know you have been good when your wife gets you rocks for Christmas! The best wife ever got me a piece of cream soapstone, black soapstone and one of my favorites, translucent white alabaster.it’s always good to open these types of packages!
“My Heart” - Part of the “Hotel Series” - Alabaster
So what do you do when you are stuck out of town for work? More importantly, when you are there for several weeks at a time? Do you watch a lot of movies, go for walks, workout at the hotel pool or gym? All of those are fine ideas. But what I think is a better one is to bring along a piece of stone and do a little carving! That’s right, I said bring along a piece of stone and carve away.
“From the Beginning to the End” - Part of the “Hotel Series” - Indiana Limestone
“Masquerade” - Part of the “Hotel Series” - Soapstone
This does take a little planning and thought. For instance, stone is heavy. So, the piece you choose to bring along has to be a small enough piece that it will fit in your luggage and not make it weigh too much. You also need tools. The only tools I think travel well, don’t make a mess, and don’t make too much noise are rasps. However, rasps can not be carried on a plane, so you have to check a bag. Be prepared to have your luggage checked by the TSA. I typically get one of their love notes in my luggage saying they have inspected the contents. Finally, you have to prepare the room you are going to work so you don’t create a mess for the cleaning staff. I typically use a towel laid out that I can then shake into a garbage bag or can.
Thought it all through? Good, you are all set. Think of the great dedicated carving time you could have when you are stuck in a town where you don’t really want to be. Bring along a stone and some tools and create some beautiful art!
The three photos in this article are all pieces I worked on over the last month while out of town for an installation. I only did the rough out then brought them back for the final sanding, polishing and basing. Bringing along some stone is a great way for me to not hate having to travel for work.
I am asked sometimes, "What is your favorite piece you have done?" I typically answer that I really don't have a favorite piece. Partly, it is hard to remember all of the pieces I have done. I have been carving stone seriously for about six or seven years and I can be prolific. My former college professor used to answer that question; "The next one." I would have to agree. I think most artists are not satisfied with their work. We tend to see all of the problems and focus on them. It is always best if I have a deadline so that I know when I am done. It is also best if my work goes away. I don't like seeing it around because again, I focus on those little details that are not working. All that said, I do have a few pieces that I have done recently that if I had to pick which is my favorite, it would be one of these shown in this article.
“Into The Wind” Indiana Limestone Sculpture
“Wisdom” Indiana Limestone
This contemporary sculpture titled “Life Balance” is the first time I have carved a piece in African wonderstone. It is a bit of a deceptive stone in that it is easy to shape, but difficult to polish. The other difficulty I had with this piece was basing it. I had the piece completed for over 3 months ago but couldn’t figure out the size and shape of the base. I think I finally got it. I like the way the small base emphasizes the balancing of the piece. It has a very small point of connection that gives it that precarious feel and further emphasizes the balance aspect. I am forever trying to get tiny connection points on my sculptures! Sometimes, I drive myself nuts!!
A new opportunity has presented itself for my art career. In December, I joined a new gallery. I have not been represented by a gallery since April of 2017. At that point, I left Pyro gallery to complete a large commissioned work for Norton Audubon Hospital. While I still had work on display at Kore Gallery, Revelry Boutique and the Kentucky Artisan Center, I was not represented as one of their core artists.
The Kentucky Fine Art Gallery is a smaller gallery than I have previously been associated with. There are only five other artists besides me in the gallery. While only with the gallery less than a month, it already has a different, more intimate feel. The other thing that is different is that the other five artists are 2D artists. I am the only sculptor of the bunch. In other galleries I have been with, there have been a lot more artists and other 3D artists. It will be interesting to see how these differences play out as far as my sales. Check out the web page for Kentucky Fine Art Gallery at http://www.kentuckyfineartgallery.com