solo

Sculpting and drawing from life

Is there anything in the world more beautiful than the female form?  I don’t think so. For people that haven’t experienced it, there is a vast difference between the sensual appreciation of beauty and sexuality.  Sometimes they verge, but when I sculpt and draw, they do not.  I think it is a different part of your brain that is analyzing and sensing forms.  At the Oslo painting club, I drew from the model for a couple of hours and the next night I did a 3 hour sculpture study.  I noticed a chair when I came to the drawing, painting session, where I was going to go for a sculpture. I didn’t count on a chair, I assumed a 3 hours pose would be some sort of reclining pose.  So, I had to be creative and I ran outside and found a cobblestone that seemed to be about the right height for the size of sculpture I was going to do. It worked out fine. It is challenging, after 3 hours of non stop focus and concentration, my brain is fried. I stopped by the Sand Gallery on the way back, some nice guy let me in after hours. His name is Aune, nice paintings in the gallery, big canvases, figurative work in oil. 

Henriette flying up north

Mural from Finnsnes

Hard work worth doing

Making clay, making clay, start around 10 a.m. finish around midnight most days. I didn’t realize a life size sculpture was 10 times the work of a half-life size one. The first time around anyway, the next time, I’ll have the same clay to re-use, for years, it will last for many years! If Plasteline were cheaper, I would go that route, and wouldn’t have to cover my sculpture to keep it wet while not working on it. I love sculpting, how else could I be focused on it every waking moment? But clay has a nice feel. I like that it’s physical, bending metal, even the boring making clay part, carrying wood, sawing, etc… I love the mental challenge of figuring out the complexity of the human body and the aesthetic part of course of trying to capture the beauty I see. I’m determined to get some nuance in my work beyond the obvious pleasant shapes, symmetry, balance, rhythm and anatomy that comprise the incredible human body. There must be something that stays with you, something special that comes not even from me, but it appears while deeply immersed in the work. It keeps your interest. Since I was a kid, I feel the urge to re-create the amazing world I see in front of me, whether it’s a sunset or the structure of a face or body. It takes a leap of faith to pursue what you love and not go for the supposed “safe” route. I had that, making 3d animation, it was killing my soul to work with technical matters 95 percent of the time.

Today, now, I’m getting a propane heater for the studio, I don’t have a car, so I will take the bus, wheel it on a skateboard back to the bus stop and carry it up 6 flights of stairs. Then I will make more clay in preparation for continuing with the sculpture of Line. She is an excellent model, her first time modelling. She is on time, most of the time, which is the most important thing (showing up). Secondly, she has a beautiful body and a pleasant personality, easy to work with and I’m very appreciative of her time. It is taking longer than expected. Working with sculpture pretty much the same way as they did in the time of the renaissance is a slow process. The good thing is, when you create something decent, it will last forever, through whatever seasons of artistic fashion that come and go over the next year to whenever, 100 years. I’m in it for the long haul. I love the process, I like the challenges, though sometimes frustration levels run high till I have a mental breakthrough.
“The man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”
–Mark Twain
I hope to moderate my mood to be pleasant to be around, while pondering my work. I’ve learned a lot by doing on the present sculpture. It sure would help to have another sculptor around and we could move faster. At some point, I will have an assistant. Till then, I do it all myself, the idea, finding a model, preparing the metal armature, getting materials, creating molds (formspå Norsk), preparing the metal in forms, pouring and sanding, learning anatomy, studying, studying analyzing, finding a place for an exhibition, designing posters and invitations for the exhibtion , contacting people to come, finding clients etc… I love it, I’m my own boss and surely with this much energy, focus and determination, what else could be the result???????? One word, success. I’m already there. When you wake up in the morning, have compelling work that you love and feel that it has meaning, well, that to me is success. Today, small commissions , tomorrow, the sky is the limit. The Lincoln sculpture in Washington D.C. by Daniel French is a something that stays with me. Michelangelo’s amazing sculptures never leave my subconcious mind. I have big shoes to fill, and I’m going for it!
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt

There shall be wings!

About this passion, Leonardo wrote: “There shall be wings! If the accomplishment be not for me, ’tis for some other. The Spirit cannot die; and man, who shall know all and shall have wings … “

Focus and wonderful things occur, the opposite is much pain

Rock climbing outsdie in perfect weather with Bjørn and Morten.  Challenging and requiring focus, flexibility and a relaxed mind.  If you move gracefully it’s not that difficult, if you tense up, you may be stuck or worse.  All of this applies to most things in life which makes it fascinating to me.  I really appreciate those guys taking the rookie along. I always dreamed of scaling a wall like the one we did.  I’d love to do more of it, get stronger mentally and physically and you walk away clear headed from the complete focus and concentration.  One secton was beautiful as Morten said, you climb up into the sun drenched wall and life is just perfect.

Continueing with winterizing the studio and collecting lots of materials for the life size sculpture of Line.  I’m going with the pose lieing down because after asking peoples reactions to the sketches, I agreed that the pose with her daydreaming lieing down communicated more of the theme I’m going for.   The standing one will be after completing this one.   I’m a fortunate guy, great model,  I have all the materials I need, food to eat and roof over my head.  What more could I ask for? I’m a lucky bastard!

Jenny from Boston came to visit, she got a taste of Bergen and Oslo. We watched Bjørn’s documentary that he shot in Iran. It’s called “forbidden futures”.  He’s got the right approach, get it done and don’t let anything stop you.   It’s a story of 3 people, a girl that ski’s and plays cello, a death metal guitarist, songwriter, video creator, and a painter.  There are some great scenes, my favorite is when the painter gets the death sentence and he is talking to the camera saying “this is real life, this is not a movie”.  He was in jail and eventually paid his way out with cash.   Any serious artist should see this. Today, more materials, the armature for the pose and lots of work with Line.  A great model, on time, pleasant, relaxed and a basic decent person. And she has beautiful curves, as I said, I’m a fortunate fella.

Attitude!!

Preparation.  Made lots of clay anticipating the larger sculptures ahead. Line came by and after sketching a bunch of poses, we found a very natural one with lots of attitude with her leaning against the wall, hand on hip chin up.   So important to get a good pose before investing lots of hours in sculpting, making forms etc… I’ll post the process as I go.  It was her first time modelling and she seemed to enjoy the idea of seeing a sculpture develop. Very good at keeping a pose and had a great attitude, not shy at all. We finally found a pose that was hers and not something I had in mind, it seems to go much better like that in the end result. I learned that from my last exhibition, the more natural, the better.  I haven’t decided if it will be half life size or life size. I think I should be bold and go for it!

W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951. There the text apparently goes:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.  I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

                                                Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
                                                    Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’

Go jump off a bridge!

About finished with the Margrethe bust. She modelled for about 4 hours today. Ate some tasty salmon and garlic. This week she will be in plaster. Today, up at 7:30, I had the window open a bit and I could hear that it was raining hard, so I thought it was a great opportunity to get up and out. I went downstairs and washed the large plastic tarp which I will use in the studio when it gets cold. I scrubbed it with a stiff brush in the rain with soap. I must enclose the studio, so that when the heater is on the model will be comfy and warm. A happy model is a good model. Will put that up today, work on the finishing touches of Margrethe’s face, hair, ears etc…

Next pose, have to find a good model and pose. I have to find out about how to weld, get equipment etc.. preparing the armiture for a life size sculpture.

The weekend. Saturday started with skateboarding with Bjørn, otherwise known as “Johnny indecision”. Saturday morning, he changed his mind literally 12 times before deciding upon a roadtrip. It was pouring rain, so skateboarding was out. We were charging North all packed and ready for a hike in the mountains, then it became stopping in Sjoa, Jotenheimen. Bjørn had brought a hut tub thingy there for the propreitor. Friendly people, rafting possibilities, and beatiful nature. Bjørn had too many options in his cranium. Rafting, climbing, running up a mountain, riverboarding, etc… His mind racing with possiblilities. I never met someone that had more energy than me, what a SPAZ!!! We ended up jumping off a bridge with the Tiger karate club. Bunjee madness. I went first, decide and go, 1, 2, 3 and hurl yourself off a bridge over a shallow river with threatening rocks. A second or two of falling and adrenalin and then yanked sideways and down. Quick yank and acceleration and thankfully the Grar tied the knots right and measured it accurately enough for me to survive for more important things in life. Fun. Did some back flips on a trampoline in someones backyard. It helps having a trampoline in the studio It strikes me that a trampoline can be more dangerous than bungee jumping off a bridge. Could tweak your back, neck, ankle, go through the springs or use your imagination of ways to go haywire. Survived the trampoline, Bjørn debated some downhill go-carting option, hot tub relaxation, and some other options that I didn’t care about. I felt like relaxing before getting back to full time sculpting, drawing, lining up models and a myriad of other things pressing on my mind. We were staying in a renovated old school house, Grar did a great job with it, just perfect. It was his birthday, so we went to the country hootenanee, fair thing and bought hime some red wine reindeer salami, some homemade chocolate and a card. Said our goodbyes, on the road back through nice autumn scenery, we stopped, made a fire and cooked some dogs, Bjørn finally wound down for about 15 minutes before making some more business calls. I drove back to Oslo, it seemed to take forever. I learned that if you hang with Bjørn, it is impossible to predict what will happen, where, when or how. The last time it was walking aorund an outside party standing on top of his shoulders like they do in the circus, this time it was hurling myself off a bridge, next time? It’s anyones guess. Johnny indecision, spaztic action man. Sorry, no photo’s of the weekend’s insanity. Time to get a camera!!

Realization

I was flying in Seattle with a few friends, Lars, Geir and Amy, this is Mt. Rainier, the inactive volcano. We watch it create it’s own weather. I miss flying, must get back in the air SOON!!! I’m amazed that people can think of planes, it’s an idea, then go and invent one, and then anyone with enough enthusiasm can get the resources to just go and fly. How many years have people been on the planet and only right here and right now can you decide to take off and fly and you can go for it, the wild blue yonder.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,–and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless falls of air…
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew–
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

- John Gillespie Magee, a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War

Drawing inspiration

I’m constantly pleasantly surprised, most everytime I start to draw, I find something beautiful that I didn’t notice before. For example, some girls look great from a distance, but up close, they get worse, other times, like the night before last I was drawing a gorgeous girl from Lithuania, when I drew her up close I notice how soft and round her features were with strong round high cheek bones. And the most seductive eyes, with sharp angles and the way her dark hair hung over the other eye, wonderful!! I went to life drawing last night and didn’t think much of the model at first glance, I’ve drawn her so many times before, sometimes with good results (some framed and sold) other times with miserable reults. Probably down to my mood while drawing. Last night my drawings weren’t so good, but I noticed so many incredible shapes and details in front of me, that I left feeling tired but in a blissful state of mind. I can’t remember ever being so happy. The way the female body flows, the light was just right and I could see the box like shape of the pelvis trasitioning into the egg like shape of the rib cage etc… So many complex shapes that all blend together like water. I will spend the rest of my days trying to capture the beauty and complexity of the human body. I left drawing, hopped on my bike and zipped home. I had every intention of finishing making clay, complex recipe, add water and work it with your hands. At my door, with key in hand, I hear, “hey Shawn” and it’s Drew and his girl Michelle. He’s a Brit. who works as a guard at the U.S. embassy down the street. I have a coffee with them and it’s a pub that doesn’t discriminate against dogs, and they had their English setter there, who is a perpetual puppy. I forgot his name, I call him Magnet, because if a girl has any heart at all, he is irresistable. If anyone doesn’t smile looking at this dog, they have something seriously wrong with them. Anyway, sitting there having a nice chat and Bjørn and Therese come by and she says there is some event around the corner and we go over there. She created a party-happening, whatever you want to call it for her teacher. It was fun, balloons, big poster of “Jimmy” the teacher, everyone had Jimmy buttons and he had no idea, he came in and was blown away. It was fun, met a girl who volunteered to model, she is an artist and will see how realiable she is or if she is all talk. I am working constantly, every moment while my eyes are open and probably while dreaming. Unfortunatley I’ve met too many that are all talk and then wimp out. Some people like to talk, others like to do. The ones that talk should not waste the time of the men of action It’s simply not nice or some could consider it rude. She helped me finish making clay, smalll job 5 minutes to finish, and a promising sign, shall see. That was kind. Today, back to making clay preparing for half life size sculpture and life size sculpture and 2 models, Margrethe and Julia. Finish the bust and find a good pose for a figure with Julia.