Don't Want Me Yet, Have Another Beer - By Amanda DeVirgilio

Amanda, or as she's known on Youtube, twinessence, sent me a little one of a kind sculpture she created in a clay named Cernit. Her channel is at http://www.youtube.com/user/Twinessence?blend=2&ob=1 Where she shows how to make armatures, and sculptures. I met her a couple of years ago when she commented on one of my videos and I saw that she sculpted to.. We've become good friends. She got married a couple of months ago is is happy as a button in her new life. She sent me this little fellow and a sample of the clay she works in. So I'm going to play with it sometime this next month and will make a video of that. These one of a kind originals start at $125 dollars. I think she should ask more.. but that's me.
Thank you Amanda.. Her website is http://www.dollmakersdream.com

Spirit Wings - The Last Sculpting I Do in 2010

This is the last time I work on a clay in 2010. Not sure what next year will bring. I have high hopes. Having hopes is a good thing. All I can do in 2011 is work as hard as I can. Just think of the work that hasn't yet existed that will be born this next year.
I fine tuned SPIRIT WINGS face today. Trying to bring life to a lifeless face.
Happy New Year everyone.

Spirit Wings and Lights Out

We're experiencing probably the worst snow storm of the year today and while working on Spirit Wings, the power decided it wanted to go out.. and it stayed out for quit a while.. then it would come on.. then off. so I'm lucky to even get this entry up on my blog and on Youtube.

Horse Starts to get Fleshed in Today

I went through reference material till I found several photographs showing horse movement and likewise human movement on the horse. I'm doing a Native American piece. It's going to be a sketch for a larger one in the future. This small sketch will be cast into bronze, and will eventually be sold in galleries.



Final Photograph

Bing Crosby's Silver Bells and Montana Scenery

Making a very small Horse Armature

I want to make a sketch first before I do a larger version of this horse piece. Now I may make more than one horse. For now though, here's how I make an armature for the sketch of the horse.

Madison Valley Artist's Art Show In Ennis Montana

An art show was held in Ennis Montana on Saturday the 18th of December

Spirit Wings - Fine Tuning Her Face

Spent last night and this morning working on The Indian girls face. Trying to get it just right. I may have more work to do on it.. but it's getting there.



Final Photographs today..

Spirit Wings - To The Foundry For a Bid - 2 Day Diary

To set a retail price on a bronze, you need to know what the cost of producing the bronze. So I took Spirit Wings to the foundry to get a bid for mold and casting costs.
If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of this piece, just contact me. I'll give you the Pre-release price.

Spirit Wings - Lengthen the Robe and adding Hair

I decided the robe or blanket was just to short. I wanted this to be a large blanket. I then detached the front or her left foot, from the base, to make it look like it was leaving the ground. I then started working on her hair.

Spirit Wing's Face Starts to Appear

Spent what little time I had on the face and head of Spirit Wings.


Photographs taken today.

SPIRIT WINGS, A New Clay.. Not So New - Just Revisiting It

I talk about a clay I started, I believe, nearly 20 years ago. After I made the video I came up with a title for the piece, "SPIRIT WINGS". I can't tell you how many times I was going to just chuck this piece into the trash can. I'm so glad I never did.
I also received a clay sample to review.



Photographs of Spirit Wings

Photographing PEACE TALKER As Well as Delivering The Miniature Waxes to the Foundry

Sunday 12/12/2010
This is a two day entry. First entry, I discuss photographing artwork as I take pictures of PEACE TALKER. (Photographs below)



Monday 12/13/2010
Got up real early this morning to make sure that all three miniature waxes were spruced up and readied for the foundry where they will be cast into bronze. I then photographed the waxes (Photographs below)
I also took back PEACE TALKER to the foundry.



Final photographs...(click on photos to enlarge them)

Small Costs Add Up In Creating a Bronze Explained

Minute costs add up in the end price of all bronzes. A $6 charge will end up in the final price, about $30. When you have a collection of small extra charges for legs or tails that stick out on their own, your costs can add $200 to the retail price of the piece. So to treat my clients to a lower priced work of art, I have to compromise on some of the detail. It's a reality in the art of sculpture. It's just a very expensive way to create artwork.
For those of you who follow my blog or my Youtube channel, I have a special pre-cast price on 5 copies of each of the three pieces. Just contact me at my email mtlemon@gmail.com or make a comment to me on my Youtube Channel. I'll give you the price in reply.

PEACE TALKER - The Process of Coloring the Bronze

The first three copies of PEACE TALKER are finished in bronze.. Now it's time to color them. Tomorrow I'll be photographing the one we colored today, to use them in advertising this piece.

The Unclothed Woman Worked on, and Buffalo Piece - Master of the Plains - Created

Final Photographs

Figure of Indian Woman Started This Evening

Final Photograph today.

Moved Into My House for a Few Days To Work On The Small Waxes

I decided to move into my room at my house to do some more small waxes. Just more economical and I can work on them anytime, instead of, warming up the car and heading 3 miles down the road to my studio.

Lone Wolf - Created out of Wax in an Hour

Got to the studio today, and decided I need to do another small piece. I was intending to do an Indian scout, but ended up doing a wolf.



Final Photographs.

TO THE FOUR WINDS - Finished Today

Finished up the wax of the buffalo. I was looking at it at the end of the day and realized I had only done 4 buffalo. Instantly, the words TO THE FOUR WINDS came to me. So now that's the title. I'll take this to the foundry on Thursday, when I go to color PEACE TALKER, and get a idea of what it will cast for. Then I can come up with a title. I sold the first copy of this in bronze before I got home.



Final Photos of the wax

Unfinished Trip - Sunset - Clouds - Discussing a Friends Painting Discussed, and Buffalo

Tried to get to Bozeman and Planet Bronze's Miniature Art Show.. but got discouraged by the amount of icing going on further towards that town.
I shared a video of the cloud movement in the Madison Valley, a time laps video, by fefdom who has a part one and two on his channel http://www.youtube.com/user/fefdom of the clouds and their amazing movements. Check them out.
I share some of my buffalo research.

What Kind of Clay I Use - Fast Steel, and then Wax Buffalo

I was asked in an email last night, what kind of clay I use. Well I hope I answer that in this video.

I then repaired a tool using Fast Steel. Then started the 4 inch long sculpture of buffalo stampeding.



Final Photograph

Cleaning and Prepairing Today

Spent today, basically cleaning my sculpting area. Over the past two months it's gotten out of hand, housekeeping wise... I didn't have the inspiration to get started on anything new.
Got to my studio, and found on my sculpting stand a book by a friend of mine. Todd Connor an artist friend of mine, purchased the book as an early Christmas Gift. He knew I was planning to buy one this month so he jumped the gun and gave it to me now.
This is a great book by Bad Hand. He's the gentleman who've you've seen in some of my modeling photos with Indian Gear on. He's also been the agent to hire Indian models to pose for me in his authentic clothing. He's come out with an amazing book, "Plains Indians, Regalia and Customs". You can purchase a copy from this website.
http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=9780764335365

Traveling To The Foundry - Peace Talker In Ceramic Shell

Drove to Bozeman Montana to Northwest Art Casting, the foundry I have the two clay busts of the Indian male and female at. While there I found out that Peace Talker is now in Ceramic Shell and will be cast into bronze tomorrow.



Photograph of Peace Talker

A New Piece Begun, Kinda....

Started the day out with bad news.. but I'm good. I ran off on my home printer reference materials for the piece I'm about to begin. Still no set idea. That's formulating right now. Did have two clays that I'd started then put aside to use someday in the future.. They seemed to go together. I'll decide over the next few days the direction I'm going to go with the next clay.

Time lapse Videos of the Cloud Movement Over My Valley

These were put together by a gentleman who I don't know anything about.. All I know is he made these two videos of the cloud movement in the Madison Valley looking at the Madison Mountain Range.. What an inspirational set of videos. You should check his channel out on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/user/fefdom

A View Of Southwest Montana From a Moving Window

Looking south and east along the road from Bozeman to Ennis Montana. First you view the snow covered wheat fields, then the frozen Madison River near the Bear Trap, finally the snow covered Madison Mountain Range looking east in the Madison Valley.

Virginia City Montana Thanksgiving Dinner

Met with friends from around Ennis, Virginia City, and Sheridan Montana at an old restraunt in historic Virginia City.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Happy Thanksgiving from my daughter Heidi, my son Jason and my grandson Vincent, as well as from me... =:)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Four Bears and Worth Many Horses Start Their Journy to Production

A winter like we haven't had in years here in southwest Montana hit us today. Wind chills down to 40 below zero. At the time of uploading this video to Youtube the temperature is -7 degrees with a 16 mile an hour wind.
Finished up the two clays today and got them boxed up and ready for their trip to Las Vegas tomorrow. They will be molded and produced in southern California. I'll keep you all informed about them when know something about them.

Worth Many Horses - Again Another Day of Detail and Signature Today

Next to the final day of working on this clay. Not much to say but detail, detail, and more, detail.

Worth Many Horses - Filling and Fine Tuning

Basically, filling in areas that have holes and were not seen when she was standing up. While she is laying down, I can see areas that need my attention.

Worth Many Horses - Doing Errands Today - Worth Many Horses Detailing Yet to come

Left for the studio today and got a call from a friend on my cell. They needed my help. That was the beginning of what turned out to be, nine different things I ended up doing today, including returning a coat to Todd Connor, my artist friend up north of Ennis. We're expecting over a foot of snow tonight so he was trying to get his ancient snow mobile started and was freezing without his coat..
Got to my studio to late to do anything tonight, so I showed what I'll be doing tomorrow and Monday.

Worth Many Horses - Worth Many Horses, Major Rework of the Eyes and Hand

Spent the day working on changing a couple of areas on this clay. The eye area bothered me.. for sometime.. so last night I photographed a young lady's eyes to help me today, to make them come alive more. Always worth having a model, when needed.
Then I moved my attention to her hand. After I finished that, I started the long and laborious labor of fine tuning her hair. It will take a lot of time and clay. I didn't show today's work on the hair, because I felt the video of the eyes and hand were more interesting.

Worth Many Horses - Worth Many Horses, Major Rework of the Eyes and Hand

Spent the day working on changing a couple of areas on this clay. The eye area bothered me.. for sometime.. so last night I photographed a young lady's eyes to help me today, to make them come alive more. Always worth having a model, when needed.
Then I moved my attention to her hand. After I finished that, I started the long and laborious labor of fine tuning her hair. It will take a lot of time and clay. I didn't show today's work on the hair, because I felt the video of the eyes and hand were more interesting.

Leather Fringe Made Out of Clay and Run Through a Pasta Machine

Basically doing final detailing today. I started by adding leather fringe to the warrior's leather shirt using a pasta machine. Running the clay through the spaghetti part of the machine, helps to keep the fringe evenly sized, thus adding to the believability of the piece.



Final Photograph

A Change in Head and Eye Direction and Winter's 1st snow

Got up to a very windy morning. I knew that was an indication we were in for a major snow storm.. and I was right. This is the first snow this winter.
Yesterday, I observed that the composition was working, it was just the head and eye direction on Four Bears that needed changing. So that's what I did today.. change those two things.
A fellow artist and friend stopped in to see what I was up to and to visit.



Final Photographs today.

Four Bears - Creating the Feathers Today - Change of Design

First thing today, I sculpted the Eagle Feathers that will be attached to Four Bear's head. Worked on his hair, and neck as well.
I put the two clays together, didn't like the original composition, so I changed it, which means I'll also have to re-evaluate the direction their eyes are looking tomorrow.



Final photographs.

Four Bears - Creating the Feathers Today - Change of Design

First thing today, I sculpted the Eagle Feathers that will be attached to Four Bear's head. Worked on his hair, and neck as well.
I put the two clays together, didn't like the original composition, so I changed it, which means I'll also have to re-evaluate the direction their eyes are looking tomorrow.

Video uploading and will be on in a couple of hours.. please come back.

Final photographs.

How to Make Something Like Feathers to the Scale of Your Clay

This was a little trick I came up with back in the early 90's after I got my one gig windows computer. I was using one of the first versions of Print Master Gold, a publishing program, and using a scanner back then, I scanned a drawing of feathers into the computer, then scanned a ruler as well. I combined these two scans into Print Master and figured out a simple method of scaling anything from pistols, to feathers for my sculptures. Hope you can make sense of what I'm passing on.



Pictures I scaled in the video.