The Lady of Shalott - (Developmental Sculpture Study)

I often do tutorials for sculptures I am working on, especially if they involve new or experimental techniques. But sometimes a piece is just created spontaneously with no forethought other than the shape of a piece of wood or the desire to use a particular object in its creation. With those it is sometimes more difficult to create a tutorial around. But some of the insights involved in their development can still be of interest. In fact I find these pieces the most intriguing because I often stumble upon some things hidden to my conscious mind when I am creating them. 

So with that said, this begins the first a new series of blog entries I am calling "Developmentals".

The dictionary defines Development as: the act or process of developing; growth; progress

This suits fine for a series of photos and subnotes referring to a specific piece of art. These will not be tutorial pieces. And will mostly be shots of the work table. I will not go in depth into the design process but I will point out aspects that I think are important to the process. 

I hope you find interest in these and as always commentary is welcome. 

Slide #1
Starting Point

Here you see laid out some of the preliminary components that I think might suit this piece. I've chosen a piece of driftwood with character and interesting patterns but with no clear design as to where the piece is going. Many of these components will never be used, but I place them nearby to be played with later. 

Slide #2

The large tower you see to the rear was a piece built for a previous sculpture which was later removed. But a lot of work went into its construction, so I set it aside for possible future use. The female sculpture to the front is a statue of the Santeria goddess Yemaya that I purchased at our local voodoo store a few months ago. When I decided to use her in this piece I suddenly felt like the piece needed to be named The Lady of Shalott. It reflects her origins in Arthurian legend where she lives on an island castle in the midst of a river which flows to Camelot. 

Slide #3

I've decided that the base around the tower and wood needs to be water, so I've had to raise the tower up to the level of the wood. I've created a ramp that will be added later as a cross over. The tower is on raised blocks stamped into the natural clay.

Slide #4

The water is now in place using a mix of clay, glue and silicon to create some wave. Everything has been black based to ready it for actual color detailing

Slide #5

The first color has now been applied to the sculpture. I tried to go with a complimentary color scheme that matched the tower. I think I got it right. The water needs quite a bit of work still. I also added the columns leading up to the lady. 

Slide #6

Here you get a real good look at what is emerging. I was not happy with the water, so I went out and bought some silicon (thats what you see in the white). I redesigned the water to give it a choppier look. I also sanded along the driftwood and the tower to make it look like the waves are crashing against the sand. Over I'm very pleased so far with the results.

Slide #7,8,9

Here I am about 95% complete with the piece. The water finally came out the way I wanted it. There are several coats of polyurethane left to be added. After that the piece will be ready. We are considering using this piece in our next Art Garden event as a free raffle giveaway. We shall see. I will post the final photos here once its finished. 

FINAL IMAGES

Here are the final images for the piece. Its been placed on a 72 hour Pay What You Want pricing. After that if its not sold then it will go to the Art Garden as a free raffle prize. 

Comments and questions are welcomed on this piece! 

Faces of the Revenant Cycle (Sculpture Tutorial)

Explanation

If you've not followed one of my tutorials before, these are done to allow other artists some insight into the experimental techniques I use to create my sculpture work. This tutorial will take you step by step from concept to the final creation. They are usually done in real time, meaning that as I am creating it I am also taking time to photo document the process and post and write about it as each step is completed. Depending on the sculpture, the process may take a week to two weeks to complete. I appreciate feedback and commentary in the space provided below. I will answer any questions to the best of my ability both during the process and after it concludes. 

• SCULPTURE NAME: Face #1 (Temp Name)
• SCULPTURE SERIES: Faces of the Revenant Cycle
• SIZE: N/A
• PRICE POINT: Not yet decided

Concept

The concept of this piece was to design a sculptured face series that may eventually lead to doing a series of Mardi Gras masks later on using some newer experimental techniques that I work with. 

Image of the Day - The Gift Table

We are now seven days from the Darkness and the Light art show in New Orleans. Most of the detail work has now been completed and I am spending these last few days keeping my hands busy by creating a few last pieces as gifts to some of the people that have been so kind and helpful in the orchestration of this show. 

There is a lesson to be learned here about thanking people who help. Shows of this size cannot be put on without the assistance of others. The final countdown begins on Monday as the week will be filled with last minute details I am sure. 

The Darkness and the Light - An Extraordinary Art Event

Why I Don't Do Things Like Most Artists

I was recently asked why I did not participate in juried art competitions. It got me thinking about a whole range of things that I "Don't Do" that others artists most typically do.

The first juried competition I was ever in I placed in the top three with the photo you see on this page. I wasn't even interested in submitting a piece but the theme was "weddings" and I couldn't help but submit a photo of these two wonderful gentlemen dancing at their wedding reception. Mind you this was before gay marriage was legal and still controversial. But it wasn't controversy that made the jury choose it. It was the emotion held within.

But this photo also represented the last juried competition I was to place work. I get asked often why I never enter work in these things. In fact I had one artist ask me if I felt I was too good for them. 

I can honestly say no. I do not feel too good for them and no I definitely do not feel they are a waste of time for some artists. It is a good way to gain the recognition of peers (the jurors) and to be seen in a public space.

But I do not believe in popularity contests. If a juried competition is truly about the art not the popularity of the artist then it is a wise investment of the artists time. If the judges are chosen wisely, and they take the responsibility seriously their advice can be of great value.

So why don't I submit? I am not sure there is one answer to this question.  Part of it is a true desire to never compete with other artists. My personal opinion is that my work is no better than any other artist. Another is that I honestly did not like the way it made me feel when I did well in that first and only competition. I was smug for a few minutes until I saw the other pieces submitted and really felt mine was not the best. There were others that were equal in skill or surpassing my own.

My whole life as an experimental artist has been to learn something new and in turn share it back to others. For me to compete against others just doesn't feel right.

With that said I can't stress enough that it is important for an artists work to be seen. Art that stays in a closet and is never seen is not art, its clutter.

But when I made the transition from professional photographer to visual artist my own personal game rules included not trying to be an overnight success. I knew it would take a slow methodical build up of name, reputation and art to get where I wanted to go. But those rules did not include some of the classic things that other artists did. The list included but was not limited to:

Image of the Day - The Hanging Tree

This is an example of an art technique I am often asked about. This piece is a driftwood sculpture. It started by attaching the driftwood to a tile base Its then hung in an adjustable wire cradle with a drip plate beneath it. Foaming glue is then applied to create a drip pattern on the wood. The piece will be adjusted approximately 30 times in the cradle to cause the foaming glue to dry in different striated patterns and to build up and expand slowly. Each adjustment takes about an hour to place the glue and allow it to dry and expand. The piece seen here has had 11 turns so far. Its a slow process but the patterns that come from it are sometimes amazing. This would not be possible with normal glue as the dry time would make it a hopelessly long process. Foaming glue dries within an hour and because it expands it increases the pattern. 

Orchestrating a Unique Art Event (Show Prep 101)

Today's art market is in flux. The old model of buying and selling art is a senior citizen, still alive but slowly moving towards the end of its life. The new model is still an infant only starting to grow and take shape. There are things the infant can learn from the elder.

As I near the planning for my first major showing, I've set aside my preconceived notions of what an art event should be and tried to create something new and different.

What is resulting is something new and extraordinary in the New Orleans art market. I've had a lot of people come to me in the past weeks saying one thing about the show. "This is different". That is exactly what I want to hear.

But what makes it different from other shows and what can artists learn from it?

The Faces of the Darkness and the Light - The Artists

March 18, 2016

YaYa Art Center

3322 LaSalle Street

New Orleans

The Darkness & Light show in New Orleans is about more than one artist. A special group of creatives have come together for one extraordinary evening. Each of these artists have very special qualities that make them who they are. While this page is merely an introduction to each of them we encourage you to come and meet them at the show and find out more about their special talents and gifts!

For more information on the show click here:

THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT - AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT

The Junkman Cometh - Creating a New Art Technique From Unlikely Items

I have a number of people that often drop off items at the studio that I can use for both my own work and to use with my artist interns. One elderly fellow is a trash picker. Every few weeks he stops late in the night with a ramshackle pickup truck filled to overflowing and leaves me a care package of stuff he's found during his wanderings.

Often the items are in poor enough shape that I discard them. But there are some amazing gems every so often also. Anything in a can that isn't too rusted I put on a shelf. Spray paint, half used cans of varnish and the occasional "mystery" container get saved.

Now I've had this piece of driftwood I pulled out of the river a few weeks ago and let dry. Usually I would discard a piece like this because it was badly rotting and some of the parts of it were weak to the point of really not having much value as a piece of art. But this one had caught my eye because of its swirling patterns. It reminded me of a candle flame in its shape and pattern. So I brought it home and dried it out and tested it for strength. The results weren't good. The wood was quite fragile. So I set it aside on a work table and would glance at several times a day wondering how it could be saved and used. 

So last night I sat down with it again, my finger slowly tracing the patterns within it and I decided to try an experiment. What could I do that would keep the pattern of the wood yet create a solid bond around it? What if I gently polyurethaned the wood? Would that give it enough strength that it could be used? 

Sadly after several hours I gave up, realizing it was probably hopeless. The polyurethane was strong, but not that strong. I could go buy something stronger but that would take money and energy that were better used elsewhere at the moment. Then I decided to go look at the old junkmans shelf of bottles and cans and just see what was there. What did I have to lose? I was just going to end up tossing the fragile piece of wood otherwise. 

After some searching I found a can of something called Appliance Epoxy. What caught my eye was the can said "Smooth Factory-like Appearance. Ultra Hard Enamel". So I took it out on the porch and I tested it out to see if the cane even worked and got a nice smooth flow of this tar colored epoxy. Okay, so what the heck. Nothing lost nothing gained. I'm an experimental artist, so lets experiment. 

I laid the driftwood down and thoroughly coated the driftwood on both sides. I left it alone after that until this morning where to my delight the epoxy had coated the driftwood in a hard shell that left the grain of the wood in tact but had hardened the wood to a point where it was again solid and no longer fragile.

Since then I've resprayed it several times to make sure it had a solid coat on all sides. My intention will be to paint it using metallic orange and reds to create an eternal flame sculpture out of. 

So here is a new technique born totally out of a taking a chance on something different. I've often been frustrated at seeing beautiful patterns of wood that were too fragile to be usable. I may have just found a way to take advantage of that and create some amazing new art from it.

Thanks Faerie Junkfather. I shall ever be in your debt! 

Creatively,
~Grey~ 

UPDATE: Here is the final sculpture

The Darkness and the Light - An Extraordinary Art Event

Click to Enlarge

March 18, 2016

YaYa Art Center

3322 LaSalle Street

New Orleans

Join us for one extraordinary night of art and the artistic experience with Sculpture artist Grey Cross of New Orleans, photographer John Sevigny of El Salvador and mixed media artist Rosie Hartmann of Milwaukee, WI as we put together a show that delves into what lies in between the light and the dark. 

Actor/Singer Marshall Harris will be the host for the event and Poppy Z. Brite well known author and artist will be our special guest artist showing his shadow box art! 

There will also be amazing hors d' ouevres provided by the Refuel Cafe and everages provided by the amazing charity The Friday Night Before Mardi Gras! All of which you can enjoy while engaging the art or watching some live painting.

This event does NOT require an RSVP and is free of charge to all visitors! Contact us at 231-736-3000 for questions.

Follow the show preparation in its final weeks here!

#AiBelieve - Artists Taking up the Chant for HUMAN Rights

In dedication to Artist Ai Weiwei for challenging us all to be better people

Add what you believe and pass the chant along

AI BELIEVE

Ai believe in a world where we all count for something!

Ai believe in the rights of all people even the poorest!

Ai believe there are no borders to caring for others!

Ai believe that freezing on the street homeless should never happen!

What do YOU believe?

The Experimental Artist Discovers a New Technique

One of the reasons I became an artist was for the sheer exhilaration of exploring techniques. I must admit that I was bored at first. Painting on a one dimensional surface was fun for the first month and then after I'd done it several times I wanted more. I began working with three dimensions almost from the start. Dimensionality in  art fascinated me. Seeing something take form from different angles lent an endless fascination to everything I created. Suddenly the skills gained as a one dimensional painter exploded onto the 3D surfaces. 

Image of the Day - Alien Autopsy

This fellow is not in actuality a devil. He is a faerie creature and one of the upcoming sculptures for the show in March. At the moment he has been painted stark black. He is laid out this way with the stark lighting to prepare him for a class tomorrow where he will be the center of attention. When completed he will completed covered in metallic swirling wax. The class will be an instructional class on how to work with wax, using him as the example of the technique. But I could not resist snapping this photo tonight while I was prepping the studio for the class. Hopefully he won't shock the students! 

If you would like to see the tutorial for this piece and how its been built, click here:

A CHILD OF GOD

Night Terrors of the Struggling Artist

I talk a lot in my blog about the various aspects of being an artist. The successes, the challenges and yes occasionally the struggles.

Some know that I am just a month off from my first major show. A show that I am putting together with my own resources and wiles. The details and planning so far have gone stunningly well. I will be showing with two other international artists who are both friends and associates and some of the best artists I've had the fortune to know.

But late at night, once I've completed the days works, the night terrors set in.

Donating Art to Charities & Causes

Recently my partner and I attended an "art auction" in which I had a piece of sculpture. I am not going to state the organizations name out of respect to their cause. I will say for the record that its a cause that I feel very deeply about. This post is in no way a slur to their dedication to fund raise for this cause, nor did I look at it personally. I was glad to have been able to donate to it.

Because this blog is dedicated to telling the story of an artists journey, I feel that saying a few things about this event are in order.

I Believe That Art Can Redeem

A recent spate of news articles tells how the now infamous Casey Anthony who was suspected of killing her two year old daughter, was beginning a new life as a photographer. As expected the responses to this were pretty negative. Many felt at the time and still do that Casey should have been convicted for the death of her daughter and should not be out on the streets now.

Another infamous case of last year was that of George Zimmerman who shot and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin. He was also found not guilty. He turned to art for a short time, selling some rather pitiful looking paintings to cover his debt due to his trial. Again many think he should still be behind bars.