Open Studio Visit with Ellen Tykeson

If you haven't seen Ellen Tykeson's work, go check out her site now. Don't look later, look now. She is absolutely amazing. I have taken a year's worth of figure sculpting classes with Ellen and have learned so much. I will be forever grateful. At the end of this last term she opened up her home studio to her students for the first time. We were a very lucky bunch. Here are some pictures from that evening.

This is a piece-in-progress that is due to be finished and installed by summer of 2010. I can't wait!

The full-sized version of this pair is a kinetic sculpture that is in the lobby of the new River Bend hospital in Springfield.

This winged-women will be beating her hands on a beautiful piece of glasswork. Much as a bird caught indoors will flutter against a window.

For this piece Ellen was inspired by a photo of her, her sister and a cousin clothed in similar ruffled suits on the beach as very young children.

Ellen's favorite figure of the four that make up her newest piece. Being a bird person myself I am partial to this individual as well. I love her surfaces. Extremely well crafted and amazingly fluid and organic.

Me and Ellen at the end of the visit. Thank you for opening up your creative space!

Wolf In Progress

This summer has been so busy for us that more than a few wonderful projects have been put aside. For a bit too long in some instances. This is a beautiful piece that I began, quite a while ago, and I have recently picked it up again. This laughing wolf head has grown from my original idea. It is larger than I normally make jesters and with all his teeth has taken more time than I had allotted myself! But alas, he beckons to be finished. So, it is his turn again. He is currently in mid-paint, but you can already see the incredible direction he is heading.

Goddesses and Kittens...

I have been sculpting goddesses in one form or another for nearly twenty years now. I began when I was in grade school and my aunt requested some for her shop. I was thrilled! My first wholesale order! Needless to say, they're back! I am adding them slowly to my Etsy shop but here are the few added already for your enjoyment:




There are perhaps a dozen or so more already made that I will be adding over the next few weeks. I love the female form. I love the plump, voluptuous curves of the feminine figure. They are empowering somehow. Holding these little goddesses (who measure no more than perhaps three inches long) in your hand you can feel a feminine energy and it is wonderful! Even if there really isn't any energy there, the reminding they help us with is powerful enough.

On a different note...

last Thursday our cat Sweet Pea graced our home with a litter of kittens. She was originally an outdoor cat but having had them in a box on the porch we promptly pulled the new family inside. This photo was taken when the kittnes were about an hour and a half old. At four days now their color is showing through better and they are just adorable! I have never cared for new kittens before so being the crazy animal lover that I am this is a fabulous experience for me. There are six little kittens. One orange, one cream, one black with rusty patches and striped legs, one black with striped legs, and two grey kitties, one a little lighter and both with striped legs. Sweet Pea is a doll too. She is surprisingly tame for an outdoor cat and this gives me high hopes that I won't have too much trouble finding her a home when the kittens are old enough. So... in roughly six to eight weeks, if you want a kitten! Hahaha! No, seriously... let me know!