Let the Beauty of what you Love be what you Do...
~Rumi

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sketches & Sundays in the Studio

Go ahead... laugh at my drawing skills! Seriously, I won't be offended... I giggle at them too! Here's the thing- as I had mentioned in my previous post, I'm experiencing some difficulty in the inspiration department as far as assignments go in my Ceramics Class. For our current assignment, we had do something that was (somewhat loosely) based on architecture. It could be based on an actual structure or something from our imagination. I spent the better part of the week with a huge mental block & I just couldn't started. Aaaargh! After much thinking, frustration and wondering if I should just drop the class... inspiration came!


I know this doesn't look much like inspiration... but sometimes it's a good idea to get your thoughts on paper, so I figured I better sketch out a rough draft. My idea was basically to create a sculpture that had some architectural elements, but I wanted to make a piece that expressed how I feel about the destruction of the natural environment and our never ending quest for oil. On one side, I'd have the big city sky scrapers~ representing urban sprawl & "progress," and on the other, melting ice caps & the requisite polar bear clinging to the edge. The hole in the middle was originally going to be oil dripping out of the side of the ice cap, but I changed my mind & decided to make two islands as it were, floating in a sea of oil. So! Today, I had the day off & into the studio I went.


Here's how it went. Rolled out a slab & added the first island.


Added the second "island" of some very non-realistic (let's call them whimsical... or surreal if you will)icebergs.


Addition of the first sky scrapers. Initially, building them was a little tedious, but once I was drawing in the windows, distorting them & adding them to my island, they were quite fun!


The addition of the Polar Bear... close up view. (I have to admit at this point I was thinking of those old Godzilla movies, as it looks like my Polar Bearzilla is climbing over the ice, larger than life w/ his eye on the city!)


Aerial shot above. On the right side, you see part of the second bear I was going to add, but at this point, I was getting hungry & the studio was getting busier (I do better when there are no distractions) and I just couldn't get it right, so I figured it was time to quit for the day.


I've got a lot more work to do. While I'm fairly happy with how it's coming so far... I don't know if I like the separation of the ice cap & the island city. Somehow I've got to tie the two together... or maybe it'll flow together more once it is glazed to look like they are floating in a sea of oil. Hmmmm... it's hard to tell... but it's missing something. We have a "working critique" coming up soon, so perhaps I'll get some helpful input.

15 comments:

Randy said...

Wow this is amazing. I know how you feel though. I have been struggling big time with this class and at least once a week I toy with the thought of quitting. Then like you something raises me back up again and I am back at it. I think this piece is great and I can't wait to see it completed.
Oh and I didn't laugh, you should see my sketches. In fact I better get back to it.

marianne said...

a working sketch only has to work for you to know where you're going, so i think it's quite successful! (i can't draw either). i think you've done a nice job of translating your concept. look forward to seeing the finished piece- and to hearing how the critique goes-

John Brisson said...

Okay...your drawing is a little sketchy (pun intended)but it sure worked well for you. Your piece is starting to make the exact statement you described. Looks great!

Bernie said...

You mentioned that you need something to tie the two ideas together better. I went back and looked at your sketch and there you have them sort of flowing into each other rather than the city on one side and the icebergs and bear on the other. Also the placement of the bear I like better.

I am no critic. I know nothing about this. But this is just my gut reaction.

I find this fascinating. I have never tried scuplture. I would like to try it some day.

Tammie Lee said...

wow, your sketch came to life, that is wonderful to see!!

Anonymous said...

I am impressed. I love the way you chose to make the buildings. The curves fit so much better than straight lines would have.

You have me wanting to work with clay again.

clairz said...

It is so much fun for us to watch an artist at work!

Annie said...

Becky, This is so fun, I think you are right about something to tie both islands together. All I could think of was a bear coming off the iceburg onto the city island. Don't know if that works, but it came to me. I love the buildings :-). At least one of us got some art done. Sorry blogger ate your comment! I hate that. xoxo

Anonymous said...

BECK! this is awesome! wow! i never knew you did these types of things! i love how it is! and it has a meaning! :)

Barb said...

Becky, I enjoy seeing how your artistic mind works. In the sketch, you show the icecap more "melty," and I think that brings home the idea of sprawl and how the needs of people harm the ice and the bears. I'm loving the skyscrapers!

TrevorW�� said...

This is a really interesting post. Great to see the work in progress and coming to life.....

Carolynn Anctil said...

Wow, very creative!

Rick said...

Luv those skyscapers, Becky - very creative; reminds me of the book 'the death of metal' !

Good luck with the last bit of inspiration to complete it.

The pet goat said...

i like where you are heading with this...genesis of the polar bear.
I would humbly suggest more buildings and a lot more of them. cover the piece with them

Micheal Pinnick said...

When you were ruminating about the concept I thought mmmmm, but as you formed the the actual piece I really like it. Very interesting the way itties together