The Princess of the Galapogos - she's finished!

(This photo copyright of Lane Community College)

20x16.5x10"

Stoneware, oil paints

Lady Birds

These are my Lady Bird plaques. These were created in an attempt to represent aspects of human/albeit female nature of one vein or another. The Cassowary (on the right) has been sculpted on a pregnant torso and this fits as the Cassowary is renown for leaving her egg with the male and promptly heading out to find a new mate, with whom she will leave that egg with as well. The budgerigar (on the left) is a comment about the perfect little "pet" of a girl. This budgie resides, a bit ackwardly, on the body of a very lean female torso and she is a pretty little thing.
I am curious what others see in these figures. I have had people love them, feel moved by them, positively and even be disturbed by them. How do they make you feel?

The Budgerigar Lady Bird plaque handpainted in vibrant colors:

What is your story?

What are your fears?

What are your secrets?

With the Lady Birds I hope to reveal women from every angle.

Cute, innocent, angry, abused, motherly, abandoned, friend, respected, forgotten.

Which bird tells your story?

The Princess of the Galapagos - Figure Sculpture

I have been taking my sweet time in finishing this piece. I am casually calling her the "Iguana". The torso for this piece was made in class last term, but that wasn't enough, I had to get in there and do crazy things to her! The question of "what head should I use" seemed a simple one to answer, but as I rifled through my numerous animal books, it was anything but. I began sculpting a deer but didn't feel it, and then shifted to a rabbit, but that idea did not get very far either. Out of the corner of my eye a strange and intriguing face stared up at me. I have a book on the animals of the Galapagos Islands and on the cover sits a pair of marine iguanas. The scales, the spikes, even the curve of their lizard lips seemed to call out to me. Marine iguana then, done.

This piece is in-progress but I thought you might enjoy being kept up-to-date on her progress. I know I do! *grin*

Stay-tuned for more nuggets of goodness!

Pretty Bird

I love taking before and after pictures of my work, although I don't do it nearly as much as I should. The images on the left have one day of classwork left on them. The images on the right show what the piece looked like after I spent several days on it at home. I took pictures of the fabric that was underneath the model so I could work on that detail at home. Being my third figure sculpture class with Ellen Tykeson I decided that I needed to really push myself this term. Prior to this I had never sculpted fabric and was determined to make it read. There is always room for improvements but I have to say that I am pleased with the results on this first attempt.

I have also been working on opening up to conceptual and contemporary work. I still have my beef with much of what is produced with the excuse of being "modern" art but I am beginning to have fun with the conceptual side. I am absolutely in love with birds and I do what I can to work them into my art. I took this opportunity to do just that here. The woman's head is a mourning dove. A bird I love. For years I thought they were actually called "morning" doves. So this puts a slightly different twist on this feathered friend. The wings on this piece are less accurate. I did use reference images however, they are shorter than a wing should be. Nearly half the wing is missing. Only the primary feathers are really represented here. But then that leaves open several different interpretations. Is the wing sprouting from the body or is it in fact receding?

After deliberation over several titles I ended on "Pretty Bird" for this piece. Is this a woman past her prime who is no longer "pretty" or does her beauty exist even now as she ages. Is she like a caged bird trapped in this body or does she sing with joy as she seemed to sit comfortably nestled in her own "nest".

The meaning is in your hands.

What do you see?