Down The Ridge Line - Hair Detailing Tools from SkulpTools

Just experimenting with two Tools that Shirley Johnson of SKulpTools, who designed them, suggested that they'd be good for.. the detailing of the hair texture and design.

Down the Ridge Line - Tools from SkulpTools and Detailing

Just got some tools from SkulpTools I talk about their uses at the beginning of the video and then give a review of the tools as I work with them today, detailing the clay. I will be taking the clay to the foundry on Tuesday. Monday I'll photograph it from every angle for promotion.

Driving to Todd's Studio

I'll be back in the studio tomorrow. Yesterday and today has been a lot of busy work. Went to Todd's Connor's Studio late in the afternoon. This video is the drive from my house to his studio.
See you all tomorrow.

Down the Ridge Line - A New Book - a New TruForm Armature - More Clean up

Just more finishing. Talked about a couple of books I got on TruFormArmatures.com on adult and child proportions. If you want to purchase any of these books.. you can go to their website which is linked in the video description on Youtube.

Down the Ridge Line - Short Ride to Bozeman then Lighter Fluid and Clay

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to Bozeman and just thought I'd take a couple of views of the trip at the beginning of today's video. Just spent the day cleaning the clay. Smoothing it and getting it ready for the foundry. Not much to video so I made it just a short video today. I'll be doing this for the next couple of days. so no video till I get to the hand that's holding the spear and the spear. So for the next day or two, I'll be not putting up a video. Nothing to really show.

Down the Ridge Line - Working On Base and Adding Rocks

Working on the base today. The base is very important to the finished look of the bronze. It will ether compliment the subject or detract. Making the base to busy, will make people look at the base and miss the sculpture.

Down the Ridge Line - Shield and Wolf Skin

I started the day working on the shield. Creating the design on the shield and then adding the feathers. I eliminated the cloth on the shield, because I just didn't think it was needed.. just made the shield look to busy. I then finished off the bottom part of the wolf skin with the two hind legs and the tail.

Down the Ridge Line - Finishing up Feathers in the Hair

Continued working on the horses feathers today and back filling them so that the mold maker won't pull out his hair as he makes the mold of this piece.

Down the Ridge Line - Just Feathers

Just creating the feathers for the horses main and tail today. I have 11 to 14 feathers to make. I just showed me working on two of them to give you an idea of how I'm going to do each feather.

Down the Ridge Line - Last Bit of Work Before Final Detailing

Today was near the final bit of work before I do final clean up and detailing. I worked on the right front foot.. it needed to be corrected, then I started work on the tail. I then added feathers to the tail, as seen in the photograph I took of Bad Hand on horseback, some years ago. I also added a few feathers to his front mane. This is the last day this week on this piece. Next week I'll finish the clay up

Down the Ridge Line - A New Pope - and Creating the hair on the horses neck

Today, just before I started working on my clay, the Catholic world got a new Pope. Pope Francis. So I open my video with a little Italian and a little Spanish..to honor him. I'm not Catholic.. but he's a man who, I understand is very humble, and a man of the people.. so I pray he will be a good leader. I started the rest of the main today, and showed how I make the hair.

Road Trip to Virginia City Montana

I noticed the other day, my license plates on my van were two months expired. To get them renewed I drove 14 miles from Ennis, where I live, up over the Gravely Range into the Ruby Valley, into Virginia City, and the Courthouse where I get my new plate tags.
Virginia City where Calamity Jane lived for some time. In 1863, the area was part of the Dakota Territory until March, when it became part of the newly formed Idaho Territory. On May 26, 1864, the Territory of Montana was formed, with Bannack briefly becoming the territorial capital, Virginia City would quickly take that title from Bannack.
In May 1863, a group of prospectors were headed towards the Yellowstone River and instead came upon a party of the Crow tribe and were forced to return to Bannack. Gold was discovered on the retreat trip when Bill Fairweather stuck a pick near Alder Creek joking he might find something to fund some tobacco.
The prospectors could not keep the site a secret. They were followed on their return to the gold bearing site and set up the town in order to formulate rules about individual gold claims. On June 16, 1863 under the name of "Verina" the township was formed a mile south of the gold fields. The name was meant to honor Varina Howell Davis, first and only First Lady of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Verina, although in Union territory, was founded by men whose loyalties were thoroughly Confederate. Upon registration of the name, a Connecticut judge, G. G. Bissell, objected to their choice and recorded it as Virginia City. (In full irony, since Virginia itself had seceded, only to have West Virginia secede from the state and stay in the Union, it seemed an appropriate name for aDixie city in Yankee territory.)
Within weeks Virginia City was a veritable boomtown of thousands in the midst of a gold rush with no law enforcement whatsoever, except for vigilantism. Most of Montana became under the rule of aVigilance committee, the infamous Montana Vigilantes, which operated on both sides of the law. Their secret motto, 3-7-77 is still on the badges, patches, and car door insignia of the Montana Highway Patrol.
In 1864, the Montana Territory was carved out of Idaho Territory. Virginia City, claiming 10,000 citizens, was made the capital of the new territory in 1865. The first public school was built in 1866, but already the most easily accessible gold from placer mining had been exploited and development and population in the territory was moving towards Helena.
Ghost town
In the 1940s, Charles and Sue Bovey began buying the town, putting much needed maintenance into failing structures. The ghost town of Virginia City began to be restored for tourism in the 1950s. Most of the city is now owned by the state government and is a National Historic Landmark operated as an open air museum. Of the nearly three hundred structures in town, almost half were built prior to 1900. Buildings in their original condition with Old West period displays and information plaques stand next to thoroughly modern diners and other amenities.
Virginia City also has a Boothill Cemetery.

Down the Ridge Line - First of the Horses Mane Started

I started the day warming and then cutting up clay for the next couple of weeks worth of work. Today I was interrupted by phone calls and people stopping by. I did manage to get the face pretty well sculpted in though and had the eyes blocked in well enough that I decided to add the first of the horses mane.

Down the Ridge Line - Old head back On - Ping Pong Sculpting

I lived with the clay overnight. It's a mustang.. not a modern well bred Stallion. The old head fits. So I reattached it. I got one side done. Had to quit for the weekend.. It's just been stressful. I need to relax for a couple of days. It's all going to be just fine.

Down the Ridge Line - Horses New Head Replaces Old

Today, back on the horses head. After thinking about yesterday, I think the heat of the clay, making it to soft, I struggled to create the head. I also just wasn't all there yesterday. Today, I didn't heat my clay first, just letting my fingers soften it. I detached the old horses head, and replaced it with the new one. To me, because the old head was so big, this one looked a bit small. Even though it's spot on to scale. I decided to get off it over night and come back tomorrow with fresh eyes.

Down the Ridge Line - The Horses Face - Once again

Started the horses head all over again, after scaling drawings of the head anatomy to match that of the clay I'm doing. I just was off today.. my mind wasn't wrapped around what I was doing so, decided best to just set it aside and tackle it tomorrow.. Guess I won't be finishing this week after all.

 Today I focused on the head of the horse. First I had to widen one side of his face to make it symmetrical. Once I finished I took a lunch break and when I came back, I could see the horses head was now to wide.. so I decided to trim again.. Tomorrow.. after living with it overnight, I'll decide if it's working.

Down the Ridge Line - How to make a leg float

 Today, put a clay post under the front left horse's hove. This will act as support for the horse once the bronze is cast. The trick is to do this and make it look like you didn't do this. The shadow of the hove will hide the post. Bronze is very soft. If it's only supported on two legs, then it will bend over time in bronze. By having three legs touching the base it is more stable.

Down the Ridge Line - Right leg and Lighter Fluid

Worked on the right leg.. and told a story about a time I rode a horse back in the 50s along with 4 of my cousins on their farm, in Coalville Utah.. Way to many kids on an old farm horse and when it decided to go up the mountain side we all went tumbling off his back.. I broke my arm..