Update - Still Suffering With a Cold - See You All January 4, 2010

Canceled Due To Weather

Snow for the next three days and it's just to dangerous to drive two lane roads to Jackson Wyoming when there is snow is falling.
Also Had a question by a young artist, "How do you get your clays into bronze and into a gallery?" I answer that, using my own experience, in this video.
Below my video are some heart pumping boat racing videos.. just to entertain you.



This one should get you jumping.



Helmet camera on the rollbar of a race boat at Riggins Idaho. This onboard camera gives you a view of what the driver sees as their racing. This helmet cam view is of one entire leg down the race course at Riggins Idaho.



Ride with race boat team Bohhica upriver in a high speed rock infested river race hitting speeds over 100 mph upriver in the straights of this whitewater jet boat race. Grant's Pass Oregon.



Happy New year everyone.
Lemon

Tuesday December 29, 2009

Unscheduled journey tomorrow to Mountain Trails in Jackson Hole Wyoming.



This picture shows an old homestead that was settled by a family with the last name of Lemon back in the late 1800s or early 1900s.


This photograph shows the Old Bozeman Trail. Stagecoaches used to travel on this old road. The road is visible running up the hill and to the left on the hillside going over Norris Pass into the Madison Valley.

Monday 12/28/2009

Trip to Bozeman and then back in the Studio to work on the Eyes

Today was a mixed day. Had computer problems last night, after a Microsoft update.. grrrrr... So I had to take my lap top into Bozeman to have a computer guy work on it. Got home and into my studio late this afternoon. I only had time to work on the Warrior's eyes. I'll be gone till 28th of this month, or Monday of this next week.
Merry Christmas to all of you who come to my blog and my Youtube Videos. Without you all, I'd be doing this for myself. lol





Final Photographs.

Looking north at Norris Montana

Today The Warrior Starts to Take Shape

I started by showing you how I created a Stand Cam.. Then I start to work on the war club the warrior will be holding. Then I work from the legs up to his head. Got a lot done today.



Final Photographs....

Applying First Clay to the Indian

It was a short day today. I spent the first 2/3rds of the day shopping.. it is the season.. I got into the studio late and started adding clay to the armature. I adjusted the arm armatures, and made the stone head for the war club out of Epoxy Putty, or Fast Steel.

the Pose and Foaming It - Thursday and Friday Entries

I came to a decision on the pose today, and then set about to create the armatures position. I then added foam to the armature to give it not only strength, but to make it lighter. Using foam, I saved at least 10 pounds of clay, about $25 dollars worth.





Today, Friday December 18th, I added foam to the legs. This is a continuation of the making of the armature for this new Indian piece.

Fridays final Photographs

Reference Work

This morning and most of this afternoon I have been doing reference work for the clay that I'm about to start. I didn't make it to my studio today, but I did make a video of my thoughts of the pictures I picked out of literally a couple thousand photographs I've taken over the year of various Indian models.

Camera Troubles Today

I have major camera troubles today. So no video or photographs. I'm going to Bozeman tomorrow to get a re-supply of clay so won't be in the studio. I'll stop by my studio and make a short video to explain what happened today. I apologize for this.

A Sunday Drive In God's Country, Montana

I took a drive to West Yellowstone from Ennis Montana, where I live... only didn't make it to West, snow turned me around at Earthquake Lake, and had to head back home. It was in the teens outside. (Click on the video to be re-directed to Youtube.)

Another Detailing Day on "A New Begining"

Today was another one spent, trying to keep warm, and making cold fingers feel the clay. Detailing is what takes massive amounts of time. Half of today's work wasn't videoed because I didn't want to put people to sleep as they watch. I'll tell you one thing though, that clay hot box I made last week, keeps that clay perfectly soft. Not to soft, and not to hard.



Final Photographs of the clay at the end of today.

Leather Coat and Fringe Makin Today

Today, I show how to make fringe using a kitchen tool.. Then I finished the Buckskin Coat for the Mountain Man. From this point on the changes will be slow coming because detail work is time consuming and a bit like watching grass growing.. haha.



Here are final photos.

Sacajawea or more correctly called Sacagawea Comes To Life Today

Started in February 2008. Finished in September 2009. The clay has become bronze of the young Shoshone Indian Girl, famous for her association with the Lewis and Clark Expedition from a Mandan Village on the Missouri River to the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. Her husband, 40 years her senior, a French-Indian trader amongst the tribes out west, became part of one of the greatest explorations in American History. Today a bronze bust of her was colored at Northwest Artcastings in Bozeman Montana. Isaac is the Patina Artist.


Final Photographs of the bronze

Warmed Up To A Balmy 12 degrees

I'm heading over to the foundry to color the first bronze copy of Sacajawea. Will have video on tonight. In case you forgot which piece that is.. here is the last video I did on this piece. Date of this video is September 25, 2009



Here are the last pictures I took of the clay of Sacajawea.

Cowboy's Life on a Really Cold Sunday

-14 degrees outside, and what does a friend who lives on main street, close to my house, sees? A cattle drive. Can you say ... Cowboys life is not fun. Can you say, cold feet.
Photographs by Terry Freeman, owner of The Rusty Cowboy Store.

A Hot Box and A Rifle Today

I made a box in which to soften my clay today.

Then I made a rifle sheathed in a leather scabbard. I then decided upon it's position in the piece.

Final photographs today. I'll be back in my studio on Tuesday. Monday I'll be going to the foundry in Bozeman to color my bronze Sacajawea. I'll be recording that. So look for the video and pictures that night.

Finaly I have a Title For This Clay.. At Least For Now

"The New Beginning"
Today, not only did I come up with a new title for the clay, but the man finally got hair. Or at least most of his head got hair. Also I added Fringe to the leather Shirt.



I named it, "The New Beginning", because (and this story is coming to me now as I write) This mountain man hadn't always been a trapper. He'd spent many years on Whaling, and Merchant Ships. From when he was just a cabin boy, of 12 years, to when he saw his friend of many years killed while harpooning a Sperm Whale.
He'd lost the fire in his belly for the hunt for these great beasts. The years of being at sea had worn away on him.
He heard that riches were found in an animal's fur, Beaver. So when he put in port at San Francisco, he left the ocean forever.
He spent the first few years as a part of the Hudson Bay Company and learned the art of trapping. He eventually set out on his own. A more dangerous path, but danger never coward him, and death was a constant companion at sea. So it had no purchase in him.
He befriended a warrior whom he saved from a rampaging bull elk. The warrior, was trapped and had nowhere to go and the elks huge antlers were tearing at the tree trunks he'd taken refuge between.
This mountain man, Joshua, heard the commotion and the heated snorting of the Elk, and the sound of sticks and dirt being thrown. He investigated and found this warrior, who's future was looking in doubt.
The warrior's bravery in the face of this angry, bull elk, tearing up the ground and slaming his huge rack of heavy horns into the quivering pines, just inches from his sweating body, impressed him.
He took aim with his rifle, and later, after some caution on both their parts, the young Blackfeet and mountain man shared steaks and smiles, that night around a warm fire.
Joshua was eventually taken in as part of the warrior's family for the winter. He was treated by most of the tribe as one of them.
He learned so much from the Blackfeet, and during that winter, he fell in love with the warrior's sister.
Jeremiah had to purchase her, like any brave would have to. She also had to give her consent, which she gladly did.
Now several months later, she's at the beginning stages of her pregnancy, and they pause, sharing smiles, he realizes, this is "The New Beginning" he had been searching for.

Minus 3 Degrees Fahrenheit This Morning

Full moon by Sharon Edwards Ennis Mt.

The video below shows where I live beautifully
Ennis Montana Slideshow by Michael P. Flaherty

The thermometer has been stuck at minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit since midnight last night. No global warming here.

Answering a question.

Over the last couple of entries, I've gotten complements and a question from a couple of my blog followers.. Part of the sunkissed crowed.. (a joke.. you see lemons have Sunkist stamped on them... get it... sunkissed... Never mind... lol)

Gary Dombrowski , Just wanted to say thanks for your comments... Great to have you along

Darkstrider said...
Hey David... another faithful follower (newish one). I don't want to overload you with questions, but I figure it cant hurt to ask - I'm curious about the process of sculpting the skeleton in clay. I learned to use the bony landmarks in drawing anatomy, but what I:m wondering is - what are you paying attention to when you're sculpting the bones? If you know of any videos or books that cover it, I'd love to know what they are, or if you've talked about it in a previous video. My guess... since you've already laid out the armature proportionally from the scale drawing, the main concern in sculpting the bones would be the relative thickness of the joints?

ANSWER: There are a couple of great books by Bruno Lucchesi.. That show how to do what you asked. Here's a link to where you can buy his books. http://www.brunolucchesi.com/BRUNO_LUCCHESI/BOOKS.html
Bruno works in pottery clay. I don't, but you can use my kind of clay and still follow his examples, in his books. I took a workshop with him at the Artist's School in Scottsdale Arizona for a week. Amazing artist.

Clothing the Mountain Man

Today, I got started by putting on the loin cloth on his front, then quickly fleshed in the wool shirt with a leather belt around his waist.
Then I decided to not just have him in his shirt and leggings. I thought it might add something to the piece if I added a knee length leather coat. Got that sketched in and then added his shot pouch, and powder horn, hanging on his right side.
I won't be in my studio tomorrow, but will be back on Wednesday.



Final Photographs. (Remember you can click on the photographs to expand them)

Answering Questions Today For Diane in Auburn California

I had to answer Diane's questions in two Videos. In yesterday's blog entry, I showed some questions Diane asked me. Here are some of those answers in two videos





This is Diane in Auburn. A real Cowgirl.


These are some of her Pastels. She, like myself, is self taught.

And this is one of her hand made horse headstall and Bosal. Very talented lady.

Photographs from today's video.. remember to click on them to expand them.