The frog sculpt’s destiny as a gargoyle was thwarted by everyone at the studio who bemoaned that it was too much a frog to be a gargoyle and that I should make a different gargoyle frog. I proved too weak to fight and succumbed to artsy pressure. So now, the frog who could have been a gargoyle is just a frog drying and waiting to be fired. *sigh*
they are just frogs.
Made reasonable progress on the little frog gargoyle today. Next week I’ll hollow him out (which consists of slicing him in two, scooping out the innards and then smooshing him back together. Sculpture is not a gentle art form. After that he’ll get his gargoyle wings, maybe fangs or a horn and some details on his skin.
but…
Everybody at the studio wants me to leave him as an ordinary frog. They said, make a different frog into a gargoyle.
argh.
Doing a series of unlikely gargoyles is going to be more difficult than I thought.
Here’s froggy so far…
So things get away from me sometimes and tend to bunch up. Which means I now have a rather large group of sculptures waiting to be finished. They’re all fired, some have the start of patinas, others are bare and probably embarrassed to be photographed.
The poor gnome on the left has been waiting for almost two years for attention, and the abstract forms may be plotting rebellion. But the lion, even though youngest of the group, is just about done. The other gargoyle will be next in line as there is a show being planned featuring gargoyles, so he must be ready.
Sorry, gnome.
I’ve decided to do more gargoyles. I’ve been making animal gargoyles for a while now but without any real direction or thought to a cohesive style or theme — basically, I’ve just been having fun turning animals into gargoyles.
Last month I started doing a squirrel gargoyle, which is now waiting to be fired. At the same time I was working on the squirrel, I was also working on issue 8 of Unlikely Story as well as thinking about how to update my website to a more active way of showcasing my art and maybe getting a little business (art is expensive to make and I’m running out of surfaces to place all the sculpts, so um — I need to make some sales so my house doesn’t look like a hoarder lives in it).
So today I started a new critter — a frog gargoyle. Here’s the progress in pictures thus far.
It’s a bit hard to see, but the frog has a fly in his grasp.
The vultures came through the fire intact. I was concerned about them cracking around the wings or necks, but apparently, the fire gods were smiling. I decided on a bronze-like patina for them, which I think came out okay. I see all the flaws, but I hope you don’t — or can at least forgive me for them.
Now, I need to find a base to attach them to. I’m thinking simple but on the tall side.
anyway…here they are.
so…
Having finished planting some tomatoes and peppers in the deck boxes, I was leaning on the railing, contemplating nature and stuff, when a young blue jay swooped up from the gully and landed on the railing about 4″ from my elbow. He looked at me, I looked at him, and then a big male robin bombed him and a lightning quick scuffle ensued.
Blue jay beat wings to the other side of the deck with a broken tail feather and the robin, beak full of feathers, perched on the telephone wire and pooped his displeasure.
Croneswood Art 