Warriors - Working on the Wax Sketch

Today, I started the figures of the horses, in an abbreviated form. I'm creating a Marquette for the larger version.

HERE IS TODAY'S VIDEO

Tomorrow I sketch and research..... Video to come..

Snow Day Today

Couldn't get to my studio till late this afternoon because of two 4 foot drifts of snow right across the entry into my studios parking lot. So spent the day helping others shovel out. We don't get a lot of snow here, but when we get 6 inches of snow and it's blowing outside, we get high drifts. They closed down all the roads north and south of Ennis, where I live yesterday and closed schools today.

Big Horn Sheep at Big Sky Montana

As I said yesterday, I drove to Big Sky Ski Resort to pick up 5 bronzes from a gallery that was closing up for summer.

TODAY'S VIDEO

On the way back down from the ski resort, I came across these Big Horn Sheep. They live in the high mountains there and every once in a while they come down to the road. I took these photographs.

WARRIORS - Nagging Gut Feeling

For the past week or so, working on Warriors, I've had a feeling that the design wasn't singing to me. That's how I describe a piece that is working out, It sings to me. Well this one hasn't. I explain everything in

TODAY'S VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

I'll be back in my studio on Monday....

War Stories - Final Day on this Clay

Finally finished up the clay. What you see now is the way the bronze will appear...

TODAY'S VIDEO

Photographs of this clay at the end of this day.

When this clay is taken to the foundry, there will be a follow up set of videos and entries. At this moment, the clay isn't set for the a foundry date. Keep coming back, and see how this War Story ends.

Tomorrow, I'm back on the Warriors piece.

Fine Tuning War Stories Day Two

Today I spent researching the style of moccasin I'd be putting on this warrior. They have to have the shape of the tribe's moccasin style. Cheyenne moccasins have a sharp triangular shape to the toe. The Blackfeet, which is this warrior's tribe, has a more rounded toe.

Here is TODAY'S VIDEO

Here is a photograph of my choice for the style of moccasin.

Warriors Stories - Fine Tuning The Warrior's Face

I put aside the wax of WARRIORS to finalize the clay of WAR STORIES. I'll be spending the next few days working on this clay.
Here is today's video

Here are photographs of WARRIORS put back together.



I may be in a movie next week for a couple of days. I'm reading for a part tomorrow. I'll let you all know when. If I get the part, I'll be taking video and photos from the set and putting together a very interesting blog entry. I'll let you know if I get the part. Not sure what the part will be yet.

A Trip The Planet Bronze Art Gallery, Bozeman Montana

Spent about an hour and a half in my studio today, then ran to the post office. While on the way there I got a call from a gallery, that they needed to see new photographs of "WAR STORIES" in it's final stage.
So I decided to run to Bozeman to pick up the clay so I can fine tune it and get it ready for the foundry.
Here is today's Video

I'll be back in the studio in the morning.. and will put aside the wax horse for a couple of days and work on WAR STORIES.

Warriors - Working on the Right Side of the Horse

Today, I fleshed in the right side of the horse. The head fell off and had to be re-attached. (Not shown in video... had to edit to under 10 minutes)
Here is the VIDEO for today..
The second and third tunes in this video come from an album called "Most Perfect Harmony" by the Discovery String Band. It's an album of songs that would have been played on the Journey of Discovery, The Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Second tune is called "Bonaparte's Retreat". The third song is titled "Meriwether Lewis/The Way Home".
One more horse to flesh in before I can start on the Indian and then the Calvary horse's saddle and gear...
Will be back in studio in the morning.

Not in the Studio Today

Went to Bozeman Montana this morning to photograph one of my clays, now showing in Planet Bronze

I passed through the downtown area and saw for the first time the destruction of Montana Trails Gallery and several other building, from a gas explosion, 11 days ago. In that explosion, the co-owner of Montana Trails Gallery, Tara Reistad Bowman, was killed. Here is a video I made as I passed by the scene. YOUTUBE VIDEO

I'll be back in the studio on Wednesday.

Warriors - Correction and Application

Today there was a lot done and it took two videos to record it all. So

VIDEO NUMBER ONE Correcting the horses proportions

VIDEO NUMBER TWO Adding wax

See you all next week

Warriors - 3rd Horse, A mistake found

I had one interruption today, to help a friend connect up her DSL connection. Terri Freeman, a local artist, owns the Rusty Cowboy Antiques. Her websites are web 1, and web 2.
Ok, once focused I got the skull of the horse close to being finished, and started to work on the muscles of the neck and shoulder, then... ooops...

TODAY'S VIDEO HERE

Back tomorrow. You can email me questions on my email link in the right column.

Lunch and Dinner and Not Much Else

Did nothing today but eat and visit with friends from out of town. Here is a short video of today's activities or the lack there of.. YouTube.com Video

Just a P.S. I received this yesterday as a comment on my blog entry for March 10th from Deb Schmit . She's a Montana artist. She wrote the following about the tribute to Tara Reistad Bowman

"Hi David,What a wonderful tribute by Todd.I am Montana Trails Galleries newest artist and ironically was working on a painting that would have been delivered to them this week. The piece was spared, but with the loss of such an amazing person, none of it matters. I didn't know Tara very well, but I was struck by her kindness and optimism. Something so rare in people these days.Prayers go out to all who knew and loved her!"

This is Deb's blog link

Thank you Deb for your kind words. I just wish I'd of know Tara better.

Warriors - Working on The Third Horse

Today I roughed in the third horses skeletal structure. Today's video - YouTube.com video.

Today's entry is dedicated to
Tara Reistad Bowman

I want to take this opportunity to dedicate this entry to the memory of someone who had an incredible influence on the art community in Bozeman, Montana, and probably through out the world. She was Co-Owner of Montana Trails Gallery here in Bozeman.

Last week that gallery and several other buildings were flattened by a terrible gas explosion. My prayers for strength and comfort are with her husband Chris and everyone who knew and loved Tara.

One of the artists who she represented wanted to add his thoughts on her influence on his life. Todd Connor is a well known Western Artist. The following are his words.

"It's hard to put into words the pain I feel in regards to Tara's loss. She was a woman with a depth of soul and a spirit that was contagious.

She was my main art dealer and we had the best working relationship any artist could hope to have. Her enthusiasm, whenever I would bring her one of my new paintings, would inspire me to keep pushing forward even when things were lean. Tara believed in me when I was struggling, and never hesitated to offer a word of encouragement. She inspired the art buyers as well. One of her clients said she was the best dealer he'd ever worked with. That's a tribute to her positive effect on people.

Losing Tara is not only a loss to the Montana art community, but to anyone who ever had the honor of knowing her. I will miss her forever, and I don't say this lightly. She was a rock. She will forever be on my mind when I paint now and I will feed off her encouraging words from this day forward.

She will never really be gone. My thoughts and prayers are with her husband Chris and her family."

Todd Connor

Here's a link to another blog by Artist Laurie Stevens Gilleon.. She honors Tara as well. http://lauriestevens.blogspot.com/

Thank you and see you all tomorrow.

Warriors - Facing and Mounting

Today's goal was to get the face of the warrior started and then to mount the Indian on his horse. TODAY'S VIDEO
Final photographs of the wax today.




See you next week.

Warriors - I Remove the Indian and Start Working on Him

Removed the warrior from the horse today and started fleshing him in. My 8 gig sd card filled up so the end of video is the end... TODAY'S VIDEO

Well today everyone has come to the sad realization that the young lady who was missing yesterday in the explosion (see yesterdays entry), well we've had to face the fact that she's, I hate to say the words, she was killed in that terrible explosion. They still haven't found her. Last I read, they were sending dogs in to find her, as soon as they can.
Also found out today that Whitehall, about 40 miles from here, is on fire. There was a 4.7 earthquake just south of that town and it caused a gas leak and 3 buildings were on fire earlier today. There was also an explosion just south of Tulsa Oklahoma and 6 buildings were destroy. Not sure what the heck is happening..
Well not sure if I'll be in my studio tomorrow.. if not I will be there Monday. Just come back and check.

Warriors - Muscle Figure - Worked on Indian

I took the above photograph at Todd Connor's studio today. Love the composition.
Well here's today's VIDEO

These Here are the photographs of that figure I picked up today.

Photo of my Computer monitor. I upload videos, edit videos and play Free Cell at the same time.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Hope you are to.

Warriors - Foam Ready, No Soft Wax

Ran to Bozeman first thing this morning - VIDEO

Then I arrived back at my studio at 1 pm and started to carve the foam on the new horse armature. VIDEO

I've had one friend suggest that I have the horses going down, into a dry wash instead of going up. I'll take a longer look at the piece tomorrow and evaluate this possibility. I'm always open to suggestions.