Complicated

This is a bit of a brain teaser. The almond shapes twist round and fan out like a deck of cards. I have begun to uncover the forms carrying out one cut on each form and then repeating it until all the forms have received the same treatment. Reaching inside the hole will be most awkward but can be left until most of the outer more accessible forms are well advanced. This sculpture is more figurative than most of the sculptures in this series. By this I mean it is closer to a natural form rather than actually looking like a figure. I generally do not like to come too close to representing something in the natural world. I prefer the sculptures to stand a little more apart.

New tack

I am all excited as a new block is underway and feeling as if it should work really well. After a couple of hours this morning cleaning up the last traces of yesterdays mistake I moved straight on to a new smaller block. I had to drive the Matbro up into the field to get it making a colossal muddy mess in the process. Putting a new block on the work table can bring on terrible jitters, indecision, and; on the edge of a cold pool nerves. It has done so to me before a hundred times. I have noticed that things tend to work out better when I am less fearful but it is far easier to say than do. Like telling yourself not to be nervous on a blind date. Today however a new idea emerged and has evolved into what you see today. A couple of months back I carved a circular sculpture divided into segments that radiated outwards but at an angle. I am going to try a wobbling vertical version that bends round on itself.

Mixed fortunes

A wild day today with the wind whirling around the yard making it hard to get out of the way of the dust. I made excellent progress on the fourth side until disaster struck half way through the afternoon with the sander snatching at a corner and breaking of a chip. My heart sank as at first sight it looked pretty disastrous, but after consideration I was able to re-work one section and carve the break out. You have to be very careful when working close to an edge as it is easy to come a little too close to that edge and for the sander to ‘grab’ as it did today. You can just about make out the remains of my mistake at the left hand end of the fourth row from the bottom. Tomorrow I shall sand out the error completely. No one will ever know ( except you and me).

Third side

Mmm, turning this piece around is very challenging. Why do I do this to myself? The problem is that when I roll the marble over all the weight is in a couple of little points for a moment. Once the sculpture is complete however I will no longer have to roll it. How the nights are drawing in. I have to get my light into action at about three o’clock as the gloom is getting too much. Although it was a wonderful sunny day today, the temperature plummeted as soon as the sun disappeared.

 

Cutting the teeth

This larger sculpture is beginning to take shape as I cut out the forms on the first face. I am using the sanding and polishing sandpaper at this stage in order to avoid turning the sculpture too many times. Turning a sculpture this heavy and delicate will be tricky and run the risk of damaging it. I will probably have to make a special frame in order to transport this piece safely. It will be fine once it is standing, the risk is in the moving.

A bigger version with no twist

I am on a bigger version now with the diminishing column wobbling upwards from both side to side and front to back. I toyed with the idea of round forms like mushrooms, or almond shapes but am a little nervous of losing too much strength when working on this larger scale. This carving is quite large at about seven feet. I am not sure this one will fit in the gallery… I am enjoying these forms built of units however and will continue whilst there is room to explore the idea further.

Fine tuning

I have spent the day working over the surface of the carving with sandpapers. I start with a really rough ‘Tarmac’ grade which removes lots of material enabling one to make small alterations to the forms. Once I have worked the whole surface over with this I progress through ever finer papers. Each step up in grade removes less material but improves the quality of the finish. I did not quite have time to stand it up today. Moving this sculpture is going to be tricky as there are lots of delicate points everywhere. I might have to build a special frame to transport it.