“The Stories Within

In her measured creation of colorful figures and forms, sculptor Sara Swink coaxes deeper meaning out of clay.

BY Carolyn Hazel Drake
It’s a brisk Sunday morning in sculptor Sara Swink’s West Linn, Oregon, studio, and the sun streams through a set of

Artwork by Sara Swink

glass-paneled doors. Eight students gather around a table, quietly laughing and chatting. Swink approaches them, tea in hand, and they all turn to look at a group of collages and doodles posted on the wall: the fruit of yesterday’s labors.” 

Read the rest of this excellent article with images of Sara’s art on the American Craft Magazine website at:

http://americancraftmag.org/article.php?id=12762

Cover of current issue American Craft Magazine

John transformed 1400 lbs of raw stone into a life size figurative work during 4 days at the Silver Falls symposium.  He worked non stop, resting only occasionally.  Once a day all symposium attendees would gather  and John would share his experiences and reflections on stone sculpting.  This 11 minute video captures the essence of John Fisher and his art and offers valuable lessons for both the seasoned and beginning sculptor regardless of medium.

I spent several days last week at the Silver Falls Stone Sculptors Symposium. I’d never been to a stone symposium and wasn’t sure what to expect.  My personal goal was to learn. To learn; stone, tools, techniques, and attitude. 

The following is a distillation of those days into 4 minutes of video.    

What the video doesn’t show are the dinning hall meals (quite good), tool talks on safety and the various tools in common use, special life drawing class by John Fisher, after dinner presentations and discussions, and the fire-pit comaraderie. 

I had an outstanding experience and expect that I will return in future years.  The symposium is sponsored by Northwest Stone Sculptors Association www.nwssa.org and I thank them here for the excellent experience; I learned a lot.

‘Contemporary Northwest Art Awards” exhibition showcases seven artists (four of which are sculptors!); Chris Antemann, John Buck, John Grade, Jerry Iverson, Susie Lee, Megan Murphy, and Michelle Ross.  

Sculpture by John Grade in special exhibit of Northwest artists

Sculpture by John Buck in special exhibit of Northwest artist. (About 10ft tall)

Allure of the Automobile featuring 16 of the worlds most luxurious, rare, and brilliantly conceived autos.   Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, Tucker, Duesenberg,  etc.  Every one is a work of art.

Pierce Arrow Auto. Hand crafted. Birdseye maple interior. Artful for sure

And of course the muesum’s normal collection is a feast worth revisiting at regular intervals. Noguchi, Moore, Hepworth, Picasso, Kineholz, and many others are on display.

Beautiful quartz sculpture by Ossip Zadkine 1890-1967

FYI: The museum does not have a restaurant, only coffee and pastry, but there are plenty of eats nearby and you can re-enter with your ticket stub. Or bring a bag lunch, check it at the door and picnic in the park when you please.

Joni Mitchell's back yard adjacent her studio on a warm summer evening

Rick Gregg discussing his new forming technique

New sculpture in marble by Joni Mitchell

And now to try something new: Following (if it works) is a 3 minute recap of our gathering that gives you a flavor of the meeting. (Some MAC users have reported difficulty while PC users say everything works. UPDATE: I think the problem is now fixed. Please let me know if you find otherwise.   Tnx, jt)

Sculpture by our host Nicky Falkenhayn. Cor-ten steel and recycled glass

 mention food and …. glorious sun. Our host Nicky Falkenhayn has a newly constructed studio attached to her home that includes a high roll-up glass door for sunny days like today.  Nicky gave us an interesting talk on her sculpture that most frequently incorporates recycled plate glass. She scours craigslist and demolitions for glass pieces large enough to be cut and ground into 6″- 12″ shapes.  She favors this size because it results in the shades of green that she prizes.

Carole and other board members discussed outgoing endevors to keep PNWS vigorous and growing (membership is approximately 150).  Plans are developing that may result in a monthly gallery opportunity for our membership.  The shows committee is seeking to increase membership particaption in outreach activites to venues that could result in more show opportunities.  

It was a great sunny day outside Nicky's NW studio. She has roll-up doors to the outside!!

Members should remember that the Lake Oswego Show June 24-26th offers a non-juried low cost opportunity to show and sell your work in an excellent outdoor setting under their large, large tent.  Virtually everyone that attends the show will visit this well displayed outdoor venue.  There have been many sales made in this tent.

Speaking of the Lake O Show, Marlena Nielsen is asking for docent volunteers to help visitors with their questions on sculpture and processes. She reminds us that this is also an opportunity to hand out your cards or woo a prospect in the direction of your own art…!

With the summer art season just around the corner, the time is perfect to start planning for increasing your gallery representation.  With a little over six weeks until the first of June you have sufficient time to create and compile a cohesive body of work, get the work organized, compose a powerful and effective portfolio, choose and research appropriate markets and galleries, and prepare yourself to effectively and successfully approach the best galleries for your work. Approached systematically, these five steps assure the greatest chances for success in securing good gallery representation.

I have owned Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, for almost ten years, and I’ve been in the gallery business for over 18 years. During that time, I have worked with scores of artists who have built successful professional careers by establishing long-term relationships with galleries. Those relationships began when the artists carefully and confidently approached galleries to carry their work.

Recently, I published my book “Starving” to Successful, The Fine Artist’s Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art. My goal in writing the book was to give aspiring professional artists like you an inside understanding of how galleries operate and how they select artists. I wanted to give artists concrete steps they could take to prepare to approach galleries.

Of all of the advice I give in the book, the five steps listed below are the most important in ramping up and preparing to approach galleries.

STEP 1 | Create a Cohesive and Consistent Body of Work

One of the key elements I look for as I am contemplating whether to represent an artist is whether the artist’s work is consistent. I have found, to establish a collector-base for an artist’s work, it is critical to present the collectors with artwork I can easily tie together. Consistency breeds familiarity and confidence – key ingredients in getting collector buy-in. 

When I call for consistency, I am not asking you to create the same piece of artwork over and over – I am simply suggesting that you strive to tie the work together thematically or stylistically. I work with a number of artists who do an excellent job of maintaining variety in their work, while at the same time, showing strong consistency. Visit my gallery website and see the work of Guilloume, Robert Burt, or Dave Newman to get a sense of the cohesion I recommend you strive for in your art.

Think in terms of increasing your productivity to create a large body of work. Many of the artists I am working with are creating between 40-95 (and sometimes even more) pieces per year. Think about those numbers for a minute and what you could do if you were creating that much marketable work in a year. In my book, I share techniques that will help you become more productive, while maintaining the quality of your art.

STEP 2 | Get Organized

As you start working with galleries, it becomes critical that you have complete control over your inventory. It’s vital that you have a good record-keeping system in place so you know where all of your artwork is located. If you wait until you are already showing in galleries to get organized, it will be too late. Commit to organizing your work.

To maintain organization, consider using an inventory numbering system to track your work. Using inventory numbers removes the possibility of confusion between similar works and allows you to systemize your inventory.

Also, physically attach inventory information to your artwork. Write the inventory number, title, size, and medium in indelible ink on your stretcher bars if you are a painter. Grind the inventory number into the base of your work if you are a sculptor. Make the information easily accessible for you and your galleries.

I have also developed a simple inventory tracking system for artists called ArtTracker. The software allows you to keep track of your work as it moves from gallery to gallery.

STEP 3 | Prepare an Effective Portfolio

Your portfolio is the most effective tool you can create to give galleries easy access to your images. An efficient portfolio is concise, includes not only images, but also information about the art, and is kept up-to-date with your latest work.

While many formats exist for presenting your portfolio, I propose you create and use an uncomplicated package. Employing a presentation folder from your local office supply store will allow you to present your work efficiently, and, because the format is inexpensive to reproduce and easy to keep up to date, it will be easy to maintain multiple copies of the portfolio.

Watch a brief presentation on creating a powerful portfolio

STEP 4 | Find the Right Galleries for your Art

Many artists are paralyzed in the quest for finding gallery representation because they don’t know where to begin. There are a vast number of galleries out there in a variety of markets – deciding where to begin can be overwhelming.

I suggest a straightforward approach for selecting the galleries you are going to approach; start with convenient markets. You can begin by tapping into your local market. Become an expert at everything that is going on in your local art scene. Join gallery mailing lists, attend openings, and network with other artists. You want to be prepared to take advantage of any opportunities to show in local galleries.

After surveying your local market, consider attacking markets in places you already plan to visit. If you have friends or family members you are planning to visit this summer, start researching galleries in the area where they reside. If you are planning on taking a vacation, allow for a day or two of gallery research and approaches.

Wherever you go, look for opportunities to look for galleries. In my book, I give you some of the specifics for which to look.

STEP 5 | Get Out There!

It may surprise you to learn that I advocate a personal approach to galleries. I have found, by interviewing artists for my book and from my personal experience, there is no approach to galleries that beats making a personal visit to the gallery. Mailing in a portfolio, trying to get an appointment with an owner, or following gallery submission guidelines are all highly-ineffective ways to approach galleries.

In my book, I share techniques for professionally and confidently getting your work in front of decision makers.

If you are ready to step up your marketing efforts and start showing your work in galleries, or if you are already in galleries and want to expand your reach, buy my book today and make this summer the most productive and profitable summer you have ever had as you successfully begin building relationships with galleries.

For more info on Jason’s book: Click Here

Moderator Note:  Steve Eichenberger offered this link to his summary notes from a RACC panel discussion on how to approach galleries: http://steveeichenberger.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/racc-panel-professional-presentation/

The cement parties are back!  If you remember the weekend gatherings that Jackie Woodward hosted in past years, they’re back!  But this time the cement is in the form of AAC blocks.

In response to the interest expressed by PNS members for more sculpture/sculptor involvement and interest in AAC (aerated cement), Jackie has agreed to resurrect the cement parties at her studio.

WHAT IS A CEMENT PARTY?

This is an informal gathering to create sculptures in a cement product.  We will be carving 24” x 12” x 10” blocks of aerated autoclaved cement – which carves somewhat like a soft limestone.  It is fun, easy, addictive.

This is not an actual class or workshop – it’s hands on, learn as you go – and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you will learn.  If you’ve carved this material before, you know that you can create a sculpture in a day.  If you’ve never tried it, you will learn all you need to know from demonstrations and by just watching others.  Everyone is happy to share their knowledge and ideas in this synergistic setting.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS:

There will be a maximum of 10 participants at each party.  RSVP to be one of them!

WHEN:

Regular events began in January.  Hopefully, you will receive updates and information in the PNS weekly emails – if you don’t see it there, please see the PNS website and Facebook page.

The parties are held on the weekend – morning to late afternoon .

WHERE:

At Jackie Woodward’s studio in Hillsboro.*

 *If there is enough interest, we will have one in Southeast Portland as well.

Helen and I visited San Antonio during spring break. After several days consuming our body weight in fine food, chips, salsa, and green beer along the River Walk, we left the crowds to follow the calming river path to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). 

The River Walk in mid afternoon before the lively evening crowd.

SAMA is a gem of a small art museum set on the river bank about 1.5 miles from downtown.  Though small, it houses an outstanding collection of art spanning ancient Egyptian to contemporary times.  The ancient work, of course, is principally stone sculpture. Unfortunately, there was very little modern sculpture. 

Gallery of Greek and Roman Sculpture. San Antonio Museum Of Art

Admire the expressionable brow and gentle fabric by Lorenzo Bartonlini

In painting and sculpture I prefer the abstraction of modern times. Never the less, I admire the objective figurative works of past centuries for their incredible control of medium and exemplary expression of human emotion. 

Here then are a few more images.  2)3)

This work by John Borglum is somewhat smaller than his other major works... Mt Rushmore

A beautifully crafted work ... but I misplaced the artists name.

Sculpture of Ariadne who legend says helped Theseus slay the Minotaur but he abandon her while she slept. It worked out in the end because she later married the God, Dionysus