Show schedules of member artists. Currently listed: PNWS Group Show, Carole Murphy, Jan Shield, Sara Swink,
Pacific Northwest Sculptor Artists Shows
May 13th, 2010 by ModeratorJT
A Learning Experience At Maiden Foundry Portland
Aug 11th, 2010 by ModeratorJT
The Maiden Foundry had quite a challenge last year fabricating 4 huge umbrellas for Providence Hospital in Portland
Providence Hospital in Portland
Oregon. The proposed Umbrellas were to be 10 feet in diameter and over 12 feet high. The idea was to be simple, just weld together the eight pedals and form an Umbrella canopy from sheet bronze. Then ad a bronze pole and all the bronze mechanism underneath that makes an umbrella. The Foundry worked over the year to discover just how to create the complex form of an Umbrella from flat sheet bronze.
The first failed attempt was the brilliant idea of scanning a real umbrella and trusting that CAD software could flatten out the scan revealing what shape to be cut out of sheet bronze. After all it was 2009, and with all the high tech computer gear available, this would be easy. It turned out that this was so complex that the computer froze up trying to describe the shape of one umbrella pedal. At best it looked like a section of an orange peel that was mashed flat. Cutting that shape out of bronze sheet would waste a huge amounts of very expensive material. Then it really wasn’t that clear to see how we could bend that abstract shape back in to an Umbrella pedal.
The next idea was to send our project to San Francisco where the big computers are and really commit to this. They did it! The computer created 16 unique shapes that when welded together created one perfect umbrella pedal. Then reality hit. 16 pieces to make one pedal, 8 pedals per umbrella, that is 128 pieces to weld together without warping from the heat. That would be 512 for all four umbrellas. Welding top and bottom and chasing out all those welds which was over a mile of welding and chasing on 4 umbrellas. This was not practical in any way, from a quality and budget view.
The next brilliant idea, which was sure to be correct and easy, was to use a three-D printer and print out 4 inch umbrella pedal from our scan. The material used from the printer was somewhat flexible, so we just mashed it flat and traced around the outside with a pencil. We committed this drawing to a full scale test to make one pedal in 1/8th inch bronze. Although our full scale pedal looked like the correct shape, there was something very wrong with it. We believed that welding 8 of these shapes together would not produce an umbrella canopy. We proved that by printing 8 of the shapes in paper and taping them together. We got something similar to a donut, and a waste of a $1,000.00 of bronze plate.
Finally, We decided to review the data from the San Francisco computer, but this time we were going to be artists, not
Paper mock-up approx. 18" in diameter
techies. We pasted the shapes into Adobe Illustrator and began to experiment. With hours of time printing shapes, cutting them out and taping them together we reasoned our way toward a shape that had promise. Then we nailed it and created a 18 inch paper umbrella canopy that was convincing and the client liked what he saw.
We were still stinging from the wasted $1,000.00 wrong way experiment. We decided to build a full scale mock up.
Masonite mock-up
We had 8 pedals lazer cut from masonite, which we duct taped together. Voila, a 10 foot Umbrella!; Everyone was now comfortable with cutting $45,000.00 worth of 1/8 inch Everdur plate.
Assembly of the Umbrellas went very well as all the thinking had been done, we just welded and chased out our work. The Umbrellas did require some fixtures to store them while we did patinas and final assembly. Delivery was accomplished with an oversize permit from ODOT and 4 very slow trips down I-84 to final placement.
Visit the foundry’s website at: http://www.maidenfoundry.com/
Aerial view of completed installation Providence Hospital Portland
Carole Murphy And Students At Onda Gallery
Jul 31st, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Sculpture by Carole Murphy
This show highlights some of Carole’s newest works along with the sculptures of 12 of her students! The show runs through the month of August with the opening reception on the ‘Last Thursday’, July 29th, 6pm, 2215 NE Alberta St. 503 493 1909
All sculptures are created from a “green” building material that is even better put to work as a sculpture medium, aerated cement.
This is a unique opportunity to view a teachers art juxaposed with her students works and to see the diversity of form available in aerated cement.
Visit Carole’s web site to see more of her art at: http://carolemurphy.com/
Artist’s Showing will be (in no particular order):Denice Miller, Carol Baker, Jamie Rogers, Willy Paul, Kris Paul, Eileen Holzman, Janice L. Leader, Mark McGrath, Melissa Burke, Kevin Poe, Jenny Stoffel and Judy Ilg.
Sculpture by Willy Paul
Sculpture by Mark Mcgrath
Sculpture by Eileen Holzman
Sculpture by Judy Ilg
Scultpure by Jenny Stoffel
Sculpting On A Sunny Day At Evergreen Aviation
Jul 12th, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Sculpting on a sunny day at Evergreen Aviation
Contributed by Susan Gallacher-Turner
Torches were lit. Cement dust was flying. Wax was melting on the pancake griddle. Glue was drying and screening was bent into shape as seven members of the guild demonstrated their work at Evergreen Aviation on Saturday, July 10th.
Carole Murphy worked on her cement sculpture and encouraged visitors to try their hand at sculpting this unique material.
Carole Murphy at Evergreen Aviation
Rick Gregg and Lyn Simon shared torches under one tent. Rick Gregg demonstrated his sculptural metal welding while Lyn Simon showed all the different patina colorations on steel and copper.
Rick Gregg at Evergreen Aviation
Lyn Simon at Evergreen Aviation
In another tent, Renee Oberdorf melted different colors of wax on a pancake griddle, and then painted in layers on a wood background demonstrating the sculptural qualities of encaustic.
Renee Oberdorf at Evergreen Aviation
Fortunato Ramirez dipped paper in glue and placed it in layers on large glass circles which he uses as molds for his paper mache’ sculptures.
Fortunato Ramirez and Carole Murhpy
Susan Gallacher-Turner bent screening and pushed into copper sheeting to demonstrate her sculptural mask making and copper repousse’ work. Inside the IMAX building, Stephan Seable set up a children’s clay area, where he worked with young visitors introducing them to his favorite sculpture medium.
Susan Gallacher-Turner at Evergreen Aviation
It was a sunny Saturday, a little windy, a little warm, but still good weather for demonstrating. If you’ve never done a demonstration before, give it a try next time the chance comes up. It’s a great way to show and tell people about your work, get to know other artists in the guild and learn some new techniques, too. The demos were done in conjunction with the PNWS group show at Evergreen Aviation IMAX building. The show runs through July 19th on the second floor and is open during IMAX hours. And it’s free.
International Stone Carving Symposium
Jul 2nd, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Carole Turner will be a guest artist and instructor at the 23rd Northwest Stone Sculptors Association’s International Stone Carving Symposium in Arlington, Washington, taking place July 10-18, 2010.
Carole Turner sculpting in Egypt
If you are a stone carver – or are interested in becoming one – you won’t want to miss this annual event. About 100 sculptors, many very experienced carvers and some absolute beginners, will take over the field at beautiful Camp Brotherhood, filling it with art and chips of stone and laughter. You can come for a day or stay for the whole session.
Bring your canopy, tools, stone, and equipment or buy what you need from the great vendors there. You’ll be inspired by the interesting workshop classes that take place every day, and there is a lot more to learn just by watching your fellow sculptors.
Various lodging options are available or you can bring a tent and camp. There’s always a campfire late into the night with people around it. All meals are provided and dining is a social event in itself.
Sculptor's Camp
The days start with a hearty breakfast in the lodge, then at 9 a.m. the power is turned on in the field and carving begins for some as others attend classes, as they wish. At noon a catered lunch is served at the pavilion on the field. At 1 p.m. everyone heads back to work until time to get ready for dinner, which is served at Warren Hall. After dinner there are various events, usually followed by conversations around the fire pits or on the deck of the lodge. Many like to get up early for morning walks along the creek to find stones.
A highpoint of the week is the Scholarship Auction Thursday, July 16. It’s always a lot of fun and it helps to fund work study and scholarship positions for new and emerging artists. You’ll be amazed and amused at what you can find there. And a little liquid encouragement adds entertaining fuel to the bidding fire.
On Saturday, July 17th, we set up our out- door art gallery, Sculpture on the Meadow. It is an opportunity to show your work. Everyone is encouraged to bring a piece to display.
See www.nwssa.org for description of classes, more information, and registration.
Brochure
http://nwssa.org/images/stories/announcements/nwssa_brox.pdf
Wine Taste Your Way To The PNWS Group Show
Jun 17th, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Ok, so the show has ended but the wineries are still there so I’m leaving this post for those of you that might want a easy quick trip to the wine country:
Traveling from Portland to the PNWS Aviation Museum sculpture show brings you within 5 miles of 100 wineries tucked into the hills and back country of Yamhill county. Here are 3 excellent wineries directly on the route that will leave you with a sense of having visited the wine country with little detour from your true destination. Each winery Continue Reading »
Todji Sculpts In Brazil At Nova Terra Festival
May 16th, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Todji on GLOBO News Brazil
Todji recently participated in the Nova Terra Festival in Brazil. His 7-foot tall sculpture “MINOTAURA”, and the festival were featured on Brazilian Globo Morning News.
The festival’s mission is to grow community, and exchange learning between indigenous Americans and the public. The intent of the festival is to expand ecological consciousness, inspired by the teachings of nature centered spiritual traditions.
Indigenous Americans from North, Central and South America were featured guests, speakers, and demonstrators of their cultural heritages. Traditional music, dance, art, habitat, and lifestyle, were blended with contemporary topics providing a rich mixture of the joys of life.
Musicians, artists, healers, diverse spiritual practitioners and the public participated including Brazilian pop superstar, Jorge Ben Jor, as the headlining act. “I have immensely enjoyed the music of Jorge Ben Jor for years. It was an honor to exhibit my sculpture in the same venue” says Todji.
Cutting and assembling fallen hardwoods on locations for "MINOTAURA"
Sculpture was used at the festival to represent the four elements. Todji’s sculpture represented the Earth element. Appropriately, the sculpture was built from a fallen tree, earth clay, copper, and with seeds to grow a new vision.
Todji working with Eugenio on legs and sculpting with local clay
| Brazilian hardwoods found on the ground were used to form the legs and foot pads. Todji built the legs with the help of his festival neighbor Eugenio; also a professional sculptor. The leg pieces were joined using ancient mortise and tenon techniques and pinned with carved dowels. Curvaceous body, feet, and other elements were formed using earth clay with fiber and seeds.
 Todji sculpture "MINOTAURA" at Nova Terra Festival |
Maryhill Museum of Art Sculpture Garden 2010
May 3rd, 2010 by ModeratorJT
The 2010 season is officially open at Maryhill Museum of Art. Beginning in May it again hosts the Outdoor Sculpture Invitational. The garden features works by several Pacific Northwest Sculptors and makes for a fabulous stroll on a sunny day. Bring a picnic lunch and soak up the serenity of the sculpture garden punctuated by the wandering free-range peacocks. Admission to the garden is free.
Sculpture garden at Maryhill Museum of Art is much larger than seen here
While there, don’t miss one of the largest collections of art by Auguste Rodin on the West coast. This is a world-class
Maryhill Museum of Art has 87 pieces by Auguste Rodin
collection of sculpture and drawings made by the great French master, considered the father of modern sculpture. The museum’s 87 works by Rodin include bronzes, terra cottas, plaster studies and watercolor sketches. The collection includes such well-known works as The Thinker, The Hand of God, The Age of Bronze and the life-size plaster of Eve from his masterwork, The Gates of Hell.
The museum is open 7 days a week, including all holidays from 9am to 5pm, March 15 through November 15. General admission is $7, seniors $6, children (ages 6 – 16) $2.
Getting there is a scenic 2-hour drive from downtown Portland up the Columbia River Gorge. Leave the cement and asphalt cocoon of Pdx and renew your memory of river, rock, air, and root. Stop at Multnomah Falls along the way (or back), and buy an ice cream. Waterfalls, art, and ice cream; what could be better?
These peacocks roam the shady Marhill gardens
Visit the Maryhill web site for info: http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/outdoorSculpture.html
Pushing Metal by Jim Talt
Mar 31st, 2010 by ModeratorJT
Just before it runs like water, white hot steel has the consistency of jello. Rick Gregg uses this transition stage to ‘push’ metal where he wants it.
Class at work. Rick gives Jim's piece some 'help'
Myself and several others spent this past Saturday and Sunday learning from Gregg to ‘move’ metal using his oxygen-acetylene art welding techniques. This was a beginners class though one of the attendees, Ken, had quite a bit of related experience. Rick gave us the basic tank and torch orientation and we were welding within 30 minutes. We started with tack welding and heat assisted forming of metal rods in space to create 3D grid patterns. Once the basic grid form was defined Rick led us through fill-in welds and incorporating formed sheet metal elements.
Rick Gregg talks about fill techniques with Ken
Surface texturing techniques included smoothing using the pushing action of the weld flame against the fluid metal, adding holes or bumps, burn/quench, and burnishing. Use of a cutting torch (impressive) was demonstrated and tried by each. Safety precautions were discussed throughout the sessions with an emphasis on knowing where your torch flame is at all times and don’t burn your neighbors butt off .
Most recently I have been working with wood, encaustic wax, and cement sculpture. None of these require welding but learning feeds creativity! This weekends welding definately sparked (pun=yes) some ideas for incorporated metal elements in cement sculpture; particularily torch cut pieces with their ragged globule edges (globule, is that a word?).
To view Ricks sculpture or contact Rick , visit his web site:
http://www.rickgreggstudio.com/
Brian, Rick (instructor), Jim, and Ken. The Weldinators or Blues Brothers?
Protesting the Destruction of Yiddish Culture Featured On Four Metro Bus Shelters In Seattle
Mar 22nd, 2010 by ModeratorJT
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