the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Catching up Day 8-9-10-11

Catching on uploading the progresses! ( 31st August - 3rd September).

Day 8 - trying out carving a brise-block has been a disaster! I dont think carving is for me but the main problem was planning what I was actually going to carve and carving out with a screwdriver and a hammer wasn't the best way:):)
I will have a go again but plan a bit more and also get some carving tools!

NOTHING!:):)

Day 9- Still looking for new mediums: clay, metals, stone, paper, wood? One of the material that intrigue me at the moment, and I will definitely do some of my more modern design using it is this:

The beers are not mine:) this is quite an interesting medium if I manage to use it

More sketching ( not in the way that most people would actually understand sketching!, this is my work  around the horse, a new vision)

This one was inspired by the oxford architecture and might give it a go in clay at some point. 

More work done

day 10 -day 11 - I started the little one on the bottom left in brown wax and in the mean time, I have redone this drawing in a very quick way and ended up with this one

funny little thing!

I didn't pay any attention at first to this  drawing and then I kept looking at it as I really found those shape very interesting. The more I was looking at it the more I had to try this one !

so here is it, still work in progress!

the head is falling a bit too much on the outside but will sort that out then the clay is a bit stronger.

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 7

Yesterday, I have been thinking about new mediums. I love bronze but it is expensive, very expensive and a big investment. I am really looking at new mediums to work with.  I have fews in the pipeline that I will experiment with: brise blocks, recycled materials and recycled metals, May be a bit of stove carving...keep watching!

Another point that I have been looking at is architecture. One of my latest clay sculpture ( some part of it I like and some part I dont like! :) ) reminded me a cathedral!

I  will be looking at architecture related with sculpture and see if I can move those ideas further.

I went to Oxford to take some fantastic pictures of the architecture, very inspiring!

So currently working a a new one in plaster, also looking into new materials to use....

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 5 and 6

We were invited to dinner to friends and while I was sipping on my glass of Champagne:),  something caught my eye. They had a reproduction of one of Modigliani sculpture in the corner of the room and It was fantastic. This one:

I did find it so inspiring and I could see in my head a horse head in the same style.



I couldn't resist to do my Modigliani style horse head!

Lots of things and old masters whether in traditional or contemporary art inspire me and this is an experiment following my inspiration... This as a 100 days of studying! lets see then what piece of art I will then be able to produce after that reasearch? could be interesting or could be the same as before? May be what I am learning there wont be translated into my art until much much later in my career? who knows?

but so far it is an interesting research and insight into my own art, looking at different perspectives.....

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 4

Continuation of the "horse and Amazon", this is only a simplification ( no rider)

Took some of the lines that I liked in the "horse and amazon" piece below, and made a new one without the rider and simplified of the geometric lines keeping the shape simple and elegant. Also the horse is much taller ...

here are 2 different versions of "horse and Amazon"

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 3

Splitted in 2 triangular forms. 

last sketch - extended trot - simplified with geometric forms.  would probably look nice in metal...more to experiement

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 2

I have done a clay version using the sketch of the simplification for the extended trot.

Clay has its limitations and the clay result is a bit different from this sketch. I will try to do it with different materials as well.
I will update the picture a bit later ( too much rain at the moment to take it out of the studio to photograph it!)
Sometimes, a sketch seems to work well but when you try to sculpt it, something doesnt work anymore and thats the case with this work. I Think this particular sketch might work well in metal ( stainless steel for example).

I have done also a sketch in wax

extended trot study III

Ok, I think for the moment I will live a bit that extended trot and look at something else! I will come back on that another time , may be with other materials! 

Some of horse with a difference: From Ancien greeks to modern masters. here are few that I find really inspiring. The simple shape of a geometric horse to the construction using recycled materials....

Ancien geometric horse

Ancien Horse

In 1928 he traveled to Paris where he made his début as a sculptor, studied with Picasso and other leading modern artists. He also was a close associate of Henry Moore.

One of Deborah Butterfield Horse - She uses recycled material to construct her horses.
Another artist in the same style is Heather Jansch who uses driftwood to construct her horses.

Construction and uses of recycled material is a method that has been used  by Picasso in 1914 in his "Glass of Absinthe" work.

Also a great Master is Marino Marini,  Extract from Artnet about him"Marini worked intensively, experimenting with different materials, from terracotta to wood and plaster combined with paint, which he also sometimes used with bronze in order to accentuate forms and express movement.

In 1928 he traveled to Paris where he made his début as a sculptor, studied with Picasso and other leading modern artists. He also was a close associate of Henry Moore."

the new challenge: 100 days in the unknown! Day 1

The new challenge.
In contrary to last challenge I attempted to do, this one is in a  totally differente nature.  for me a challenge is an opportunity to move out of the box and to try out something different, to try out some new material and to learn a new way.  Is this going to benefit my current work? may be , may be not or probably yes? I can not tell at that stage but I will hopefully have a new eye on it and will then be able to take it to new directions.

I have started my daily blog to describe the journey into this new venture, a journey into the unknown. This  daily challenge doesn't have the purpose to produce a new piece of art per day and sell it a low cost but it is a journey that will show you how those new works are made and why, the steps that I did follow to make the work.


Day1

As part of my previous studies on the extended trot, I have pushed the simplification of the movement even further.

The first sketch that led to extended trot study II, some movement lines just at the top and some thoughts. around modern art, abstract, geometric art and architectures. One of my latest clay work ( horse and amazon) made me think of gothic cathedrals so I will be also looking at architecture.

more simplification of the movement. Will sculpt it and see how it works or not.
Tempted to also try to use other materials as the front leg needs to be elevated but will try a clay study first.

My current reading books: 
The Modern Sculpture - a concise history - A fantastic book to try to understand the different mouvement in modern sculptures, from Rodin, Degas, Brancusi, Rodchenko, Picasso, Moore, Matisse, Giacometti, etc

Gaudi: architecture

Deborah Butterfield: equestrian sculpture , modern made with recycled materials, some very interresting things in that book.