#86, Confidence relief

Confidence, 24"x 11.25" x 3", resin

For the last 4 weeks I have not been at the studio due to what started as panic attacks and after getting this under control the dr. found a large 1.1cm kidney stone. NO FUN!!! SO, I haven't created much art for the last few weeks, but I did manage to mold and cast this mid-relief. Although I usually focus my efforts on the clothed figure I decided to create a nude to change it up a bit. What I like about the clothed figure is the contrast the drapery has against the usually smoother skin. With the nude sculpture, there is no option to play with this contrast. 

#85, Warmup

This sculpture was initially blocked out in 2011 and finally completed and cast in bronze in 2013. One of the few pieces that had been put on the back burner while I was busy with commission work. The sculpture was originally going to be called Rosin box and I put a video with the same title on youtube. However, as I neared completion, I decided that I didn't like the rosin box where her left foot was placed in. The sculpture had life and energy without this ackward looking box so I took it out and called her Warmup.

#84, Golfer

This is the third golfer I've sculpted and although I'm happy with this one much more than the previous golfers, I still have a lot to learn.

#83, Confidence relief

Confidence, 23"x10", clay for resin

One of my first nude reliefs that I've sculpted in quite a while. This was made from my model Corinne who could have been a model from 20th century France. Her body proportions and facial structure are classical in nature and she reminded me of some of the Italian and French statues. 

Creating this relief was quite fun as I didn't have any drapery to struggle with. The pose is a simple controposto and from start to finish this took me about 6-7 hours. As is usual with my sculptures and reliefs, the face is the focal point. I have been trying to focus on the nuances and subtleties of the face while keeping the remainder of the relief with something of the original feeling. That is, I'm trying to leave my original tool marks from the blockout and not go back in too much for refinement. Lately the last few pieces I've done have a looser feel and for me this seems to work better. Plus, I'm not agonizing over every little detail which can sometimes drive me nuts.

#82, portrait of Ashleigh, relief

Ashleigh, clay for resin, 17.5"x12.5"

I have been conscious lately of the forms and subtle nuances of the face as I have looked back on some of my life size monuments thinking "I could do better than that!!". The face has so many soft forms and as I am mostly working from photos or myself in the mirror things can get flattened out and simplified. On this portrait of Ashleigh I was conscious of these soft forms although I didn't want to take them too far which would age her very quickly if I got carried away. The forms are subtle and soft, but there. 

#81, Moment of Reflection relief

Moment of Reflection, 18 1/2"x 13 1/2" x 2 1/2", resin

Moment of Reflection, 17"x12"x1 1/2", clay for fiberglass resin

I'm pretty happy with the way this 17"x12" bas relief came out. The likeness isn't one of my best, but I think the composition makes up for it. I had struggled with how to do the arms since they are cropped (this is a constant battle I have). After looking up one of my favorite painters to see how he addressed this, I seem to have solved the issue. The highest point is 1 1/4" raised from the background which is about 5/16" higher than most of my previous bas-reliefs. I've decided that I like working slightly higher as the piece gets larger in dimensions.

#80, untitled dancer, fiberglas resin