Search Results for: dave gonzo

Dave Gonzo Draws Sculptors Curious About Torch Welding Sculpture

PNWS members gathered at the studio of Dave Gonzo for a hands-on experience with torch welding sculpture. The Saturday event was the monthly meeting of PNWS members and guests hosted each month at a different member’s studio. The hosting member usually discusses his or her work and demonstrates how they work.

After an opening social hour, guests got reacquainted at a potluck lunch outdoors. Next, Gonzo invited everyone inside his historic small barn studio.

Since this was to be a hands-on event for sculptors interested in learning to weld, safety was the first order of business.

Lessons in Torch Welding Sculpture Classes

Gonzo who, besides his life as a sculptor also offers welding classes, explained how oxyacetylene works, what the risks are, and how to minimize those risks. A few of his guests stepped away from the large tanks of gases as he elaborated on the worst-case scenario.

He demonstrated how to perform basic tasks such as lighting the torch, which must be done in a specific sequence, and then how to adjust the flame with just the right mix of the two gasses.

The introductory lecture over, Gonzo called for volunteers. He had set up three welding stations. Amber Metz, who joined PNWS in March, was the first to step forward.

Besides sculpting in wax, clay, foam, and mixed media, she also creates two-dimensional art in pencil, ink, paint, and chalk. Gonzo patiently guided Metz through the basic technique of using the flame called the “cone” to perform the actual welding.

Metz grasped the technique quickly, and Gonzo turned her loose to practice on her own. Chayo Wilson was next, followed by Jacque Shayne.

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Bronze Sculptor Shifts Gears to Explore Collaborative Opportunities

Many PNWS members know me as a bronze sculptor involved exclusively with narrative bronzes. But there is another side bubbling up that wants to be more aggressive about other creative forms.

Before I went full-tilt into using the figure to tell stories and convey emotions I was producing abstract work in all sorts of mediums and various commercial displays that required innovation and involvement in a wide variety of materials and methods. Here are a few projects executed prior to my bronze sculptor days that were both challenging and fun.

I once built a pinball machine that taught science museum visitors how our digestive system works to breakdown food into usable nutrients. A ball (bolus) rolled or bounced through various options to get masticated and swallowed, hopefully without gagging or choking. As the bolus traveled it turned on information about enzymes being released, nutrients being absorbed and chemical processes taking place along with all the bells and sound effects of a traditional pinball. The bolus would churn in the stomach while hopefully avoiding being thrown up – GAME OVER! A convoluted intestinal track would end up in the rectum, waiting for the perfect moment to release. The winner was rewarded by the sound of a flushing toilet!

Harnessing Light as Sculptural Form

Another unusual creative experience was in creating a display that demonstrated how a laser beam could be used to measure movement. Laser light was sent through a fiber, then split in half and sent in opposite directions around a coil of fiber optic cable and then recombined. If the coil was rotated, the two light inputs would get out of phase with each other because the light traveling in the direction of the rotation would have to go a greater distance in the amount of time that it took for the light to go through the coil. Amazingly, this phase shifting can be detected with a light meter and measured to calculate for visitors how far the device was rotated. We built one of these to demonstrate the principle. Three of these devices set up at right angles from each other make up a modern laser gyro. Similar devices are used to orient spacecraft. Our demo model was three feet across while the ones in spacecraft can fit into your closed fist.

When I first moved to Oregon I was hired to build a 5-foot tall face that could blink its eyes among other sculptural things for the Oregon State Pavilion to be placed in the Worlds Fair in Vancouver BC that year. I had the pleasure of working with Michael Curry who was on the same sculpting team as me and who recently hosted a tour of his amazing facility for the ISC conference.

Professional Collaborations with a Bronze Sculptor

The last few years have provided me with the opportunity to work with architects and various builders to design an interesting building titled The Geode It included a 35’ tall spiral staircase, the iconic digital Light Blades on the outside of the Geode, and custom furniture. All of these projects were done with teams of creative people including several from the ranks of PNWS like Matt Scheick and Dave Gonzo who drew up the engineering drawings for the spiral stair from my concept sketches. It was laser cut and welded together in my shop while it was raining indoors (an amazing accomplishment).

The light Blades was created by a bigger team lead by my son Talik and gifted people who have created all sorts of things for Burning Man with us. I first made (with other PNWS members) a bamboo tent structure for a PNWS sculpture event held at the Maryhill Museum of Art in the Columbia Gorge. That inspired a 3,500 square foot bamboo structure for Burning Man years later. It housed a bar, sofa lounge, dance floor, and a giant misting chandelier by my friend, Lloyd Lindley.

Two years later I designed and lead the construction of a Mutant Art Car for Burning Man that carried the Tree of Knowledge, a refugee from the Garden of Eden, to help find a new home that would appreciate truth and freedom. Along with it came a wise, animated snake that could slither, listen, speak, breath smoke, and slide its split tongue out into surprised places (it’s still on display in my Studio).

The Evolution of an Accomplished Bronze Sculptor

That was a long introduction to get to what I hope to explore next. Recent projects in digital and projected light have suggested we may want to cast larger ideas into clear or translucent castable materials. These forms can be projected onto with mapped and animated imagery to give the sculpture additional dimensions of color and movement. So far we have experimented with opaque, castable urethane and clear or dyed epoxy resin. The urethane can be formulated so it can set in a short time. It is possible to hand rotate the molds as urethane set. Epoxy, on the other hand, allows for better control of clarity and colors, but sets too slowly to hand roll as it sets. Epoxy wants to be cast flat. We can bend it, but not pour it into a large mold easily. We just finished building a 9 ft. by 6 ft. chandelier for the main room in the Studio from precast flat pieces of epoxy resin.

I don’t know where this journey leads but we’re looking for collaborators, ideas, and skills to join us. Combining skills can greatly expand our options for making amazing things. We invite you to continue the conversation.

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Pacific Northwest Area Sculptors Explore Space at Sculpture Gallery

This month, our Making Space sculpture gallery show displayed the talent and commitment of both Pacific Northwest Sculptors and Northwest Stone Sculptors Association members. ArtReach Gallery is a huge space and we filled it with excellent examples of our work. We drew a steady stream of visitors. I heard many positive remarks about the quality of sculptures in the sculpture show from International Sculpture Conference participants. We presented ourselves well.

ArtReach Gallery Sculpture Show Sculptures - October 2019

Collaborating For A Sculpture Gallery Show

The effort required to assemble 39 pieces from 25 sculptors was epic. We had five or six sculptures between 5’ and 8’ tall. There were multiple stone sculptures nearly equaling the weight of their creators. My only regret is that the show only lasted four days.

The lack of sales was disappointing, but the boost in visibility and a few new memberships may have long term benefits for the organization. This was our first collaborative venture with NWSSA. I hope we will produce another show in the Seattle area. Sheldon Hurst, the curator at ArtReach has also suggested we display a few sculptures at ArtReach on an ongoing basis.

ArtReach Gallery Sculpture Show - October 2019

Special thanks to Bob Dale for identifying the space and making introductions. Working with Sheldon Hurst was as pleasant an experience as I’ve had in a long time. Additional thanks to Dave Gonzo and Andy Kennedy for moving pedestals to and from storage. A special thanks also go to Sue Quast for taking the lead on hospitality for our reception. And, no activity is complete without a thank you to George who helped with coordination and assisted in judging the entries. Shelly and Jessica worked kept us visible on social media. Thank you to all the participants who put a lot into getting work to and from the gallery for such a short event. And, finally, there are a number of NWSSA members who deserve a nod, including Cyra Jane and Carl Nelson whom I worked with directly.

Thanks to Marty Eichinger for co-hosting a reception for conference attendees and PNWS members. That was a great networking opportunity.

I’m sure I’ve overlooked a few others who also deserve to be thanked. My apologies.

To learn more about Pacific Northwest Sculptors events, contact us today!

Sculptors Share Secrets At International Sculpture Day 2019

International Sculpture Day - May 2019 - 1

International Sculpture Day - May 2019 - 2

We’ve yet to have an International Sculpture Day celebration that was not a great success. This one was slimmed down from previous years in that it was to be merely a juried exhibition with a few artists demonstrating techniques. A budget was set for food and the demonstrators paid a small fee to participate. Sculptors Jesse Pierson and Dave Gonzo hosted at their studio on Franklin in SE Portland. Of course, this all sounds simple, but there are a tremendous number of tasks to complete to pull such a thing off. Firstly, you need postcards and publicity, find somebody to pour beer, and the food needs to be bought and set up. Also, where does one find a computer beefy enough to run Oculus Rift? At some point, Gonzo had to lower the giant spider down from the ceiling and build a fire in it. Suffice it to say there was plenty of thinking and heavy lifting involved to make the event a success.

International Sculpture Day Is Mainly A Social Event

I was a demonstrator and went with the intent of making a decent number of little creatures. I made a small lump. It was green and misshapen. That’s as far as I got. Afterward, I spent the rest of the time talking with one person after another. What a bunch of interesting people and what a remarkable evening.

Oculus Rift is a piece of the 3D system with a stereo headset primarily aimed at the gaming industry. One is immersed in a 3-dimensional environment usually with ample weaponry. Hand controls enable one to manipulate and/or operate virtual objects. Your virtual hands or tools mimic the movements of your real arms and hands. Of course, all this means it’s possible to make things as well. This resulted in one person after another sitting over in the corner with googles and hand controls making insane gestures. Alisa Looney, Chas Martin, Andy Kennedy, Joe Cartino, and I were the demonstrators. All were constantly engaged. Thanks, Dave and Jesse, and all who helped out. That was a really nice event.

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Portland’s top art event – Art in the Pearl 2018

Carole Murphy

The Art in the Pearl was a success for the 15th (I think) year of demonstrating artists from the Pacific Northwest Sculptors! This year Dave Gonzales, Maureena Ross, Chas Martin, Olinka Broadfoot and myself, showed some of the possibilities our art. The reception from viewers was warm and inspiring. It is always wonderful to hear what people see and feel about your art. There are so many different ways to see each sculpture and people freely talk about what you do there and of course they quite often share what many of them are up to in their artistic lives. As usual, many folks were interested in joining us, we’ll see how many actually come to meetings or become members. It is good to get the information out about us either way. Our participation there is an excellent way to support the art community, wake up people to some of the art in the area and to let people know about who we are and what we do both individually and as a group. So many visitors were really excited about the meetings that we have monthly in each other’s studios, so who knows who will show up at this next meeting.

Pacific Northwest Sculptors member Dave Gonzo at Art in the Pearl 2018 — Dave Gonzo at Art in the Pearl 2018

Pacific Northwest Sculptors member Chas Martin at Art in the Pearl 2018 — Chas Martin at Art in the Pearl 2018.

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The Belly – An interactive art installation of art in public places

Art Installation by Aim Axon

The senses, how enticing, visceral, our primal instincts… unnourished. The Belly was created to awaken our healthy and innate urges within ourselves, within nature itself. A 20 minute sensory experience crafted to open doors, unlocking the tight control that represses and denies the very essence of who we are and the Earth we live on.

Alisa Looney experiencing The Belly - an art installation by Aim Axion. — Alisa Looney experiencing The Belly

Into the chaotic jungle, through angles of bamboo, near the mind altering glows, enter The Belly. Feet undressed, pass through the veil, greeted by one glowing light. The ground soft, inviting a seat ~ lay ~ crawl ~ stretch. Look around, Earth is hiding in the darkness. Trees, flowers, scents of rosemary, lavender, and lemon. The sky has an underground feeling, wet and mountainous. Come closer to the light, see your reflection. Put your skin in the Earth and Water…touch your body…the elements so wonderful, so giving, have you forgotten?

It wasn’t who she thought she knew, but who they used to be
She whispered to the wind at night, preserving bits of memory…
Excerpt from the poem written by Jessica Stroia

Vibrating sound surrounds, undulating in emotional spectrum: fear, anger, repression, hunger, sexuality, ecstasy, sensuality, gentleness, unknowing, meditation, renewal. All here, seeping and pouring through our souls like the streams and rushes of Water.

Photo of The Belly - an art installation by Aim Axion.

As experiencers came out of The Belly with mud on their faces and a curious look in their eye, many greeted me with warm hugs. Some expressed they had feelings of being in the womb, being deep within and tending to the core. Being in a mystical and sacred place, similar to a sweat lodge. Being close to Earth’s weaving roots…

This journey has been so fruitful and fulfilling. Thank you all who interacted and took a moment to feel.

Musical appearances by:

• Nature – Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, the Crow and native birds

• Amber Metz (Aim Axon) – Composition and recording, female vocals, planetary patterns, bamboo, tingsha bells, chimes, xylophone, Tibetan singing bowls, wood drumming, rainstick, gong, whistles, effects

• Dave Gonzo – Dejembe drumming, bamboo, Rick Gregg’s bells

• Matt Weiers – Clarinet, flute, xylophone

• Chayo Wilson – Tibetan singing bowl, bells, xylophone

• Andy Kennedy – Male throat singing

Listen in a quiet and dark space at » www.aimaxon.bandcamp.com

Special thanks to:

The elements for nourishing our very existence, allowing us to feel the senses and experience this stay on Earth.

Andy Kennedy for stoking the fire to this conscious experiment, for being an intriguing collaborator and a whimsically supporting hand. Andy, thank you for creating the engaging jungle atmosphere outside The Belly room, which encouraged the audience to touch – play – wonder – let go.

Also within the jungle, Craig Dorety for lending his hallucination chamber and Joseph Cartino for his indigenous dangling decor.

Chayo Wilson for her spiritual guidance and all around kindness and support.

Matt Weiers for sharing audio knowledge and lending his recording equipment and handsomely crafted singing bowls.

Dave Gonzo for harnessing the essential and primal animalistic forces.

Jessica Stroia for her surreal poetry, elegant flower reef and veil decor.

Terri Elioff for her excellent seamstress skills that made the ground oh so comfortable.

Jennifer Corio and Art at the Cave gallery for making the use of this space possible.

And of course, to the Pacific NW Sculptors who donated materials and for their artistic encouragement.

Photo of Pacific Northwest Sculptors member Aim Axion inside The Belly - an art installation. — Amber Metz (Aim Axon)

The Cave in Vancouver, Washington hosts show by Top Sculptors from Oregon and Washington

The International Sculpture Center, (the publishers of Sculpture Magazine), some 4 years ago suggested that there be an International Sculpture Day. Not surprisingly sculptors and sculpture organizations around the country thought this was a good idea.

This is our third year of participation. It is a thing we look forward to all year. Much effort goes into preparations and not enough can be said about the volunteers who put it together.

This year the event was held at The Cave gallery in Vancouver WA. The gallery mounted a juried show of member’s works for the month of April 2018 with an opening on Friday, April 6th. International Sculpture Day was celebrated on Saturday the 21st. On that day three artists gave talks, demonstrations of welding and ceramic construction were outside and the vacant storefront next door was transformed into a space for immersive and interactive installations. Janet Julian provided acoustic music on a vintage Gibson guitar.

Demonstrations were provided by Dave Gonzo, (welding), and Chayo Wilson, (ceramics). Also featured in that area were additional works by those two artists which included a rather remarkable spider fire pit by Dave. Note the glass eyes glowing from the fire within.

Immersive Works were set up in the vacant storefront next door. Just to the left of the doorframe a 3D printer provided by Proto Pasta of Vancouver was busy squirting out tiny gnomes. The floor, walls and ceiling were festooned with assorted segments of bamboo. Some pieces were meant to be rearranged as one saw fit. Curious items were here and there. Further up a passage was a box fixed to the wall. In it were a number of LEDs strobing in unison. A knob on the side of the box could control the frequency. One inserts one’s head into the box and then manipulates the knob to create the most desirable hallucinations. Not anything like flying monkeys but rather interesting moiré type patterns of dots. Those subject to seizures were clearly warned away. Flying monkeys have never hurt anyone by the way.

The Belly was just on the other side of the corridor. That was small darkened space lit by a salt lamp, the floor covered with pillows and a soundscape coming from hidden speakers. Artist Talks were introduced by Jennifer Corio in the main gallery. She talked about International Sculpture Day and our participation in it for the past 3 years. George Heath the current president of PNWS introduced the organization and talked of its purposes and goals. Three artists then spoke for about 15 minutes each. Sue Westfall Quast described how her art developed and intersected with life over time. Craig Dorety, a light sculptor, spoke about how the peculiarities of LED lights could be utilized creatively and further how such lighting can interact with the mind. The strobing chamber mentioned in Immersive Works paragraph was one of Craig’s pieces. Chas Martin spoke of creating a piece so as to control the space around it and using that space to elicit a response from the viewer. He also described how his current work developed from line into sculpture.

Sculpture Tools: Favorite tools for creating figurative ceramic sculpture

Andy Kennedy

Some rocks, a fork, a piece of wire, a wooden baseball bat. This is a short list of Favorite Tools for creating figurative ceramic sculpture. The rocks are chunks of concrete and asphalt that fit my hands. They are rough here and sharp there. I have memorized their shapes to intuit the best rock for sculpting the clay in the gesture of the moment. When I am deep in the process, this happens without thought. My name is Andy Kennedy and a lump of asphalt has become magical to me.

I asked our Pacific NW Sculptors president, George Heath, what would he like for an article in the newsletter? His reply suggested that I write about my bat; a gray, weather beaten, wooden baseball bat. He had seen me sculpting with the bat last September at the Fall Festival for the Arts in Troutdale. We were both demo (demonstration) artists there along with Dave Gonzales. To digress a little, I really recommend being a demo artist. I have done numerous demo gigs with Pacific NW Sculptors, and being with the public and your art process at the same time can make your art more authentic, more responsive, and more real.

Dave Gonzo got a few seconds of video of me using my bat and posted it to Instagram. In the video, you will notice that I’m holding the bat in the middle of its length, where it is balanced. This allows me to toss it in the air slightly and spin it 180 degrees, like a baton. With that flip the bat adjusts from a club to a prod and there is an easy flow to the gesture. Instead of writing more about this tool or the technique of its use, I’m going to attempt to refer to the frame of mind that I have during the process. There is a temptation to say, as with the asphalt chunk, this 180 flip happens without thinking, because there was no conscious intention to flip the bat. I never practiced this trick or considered ideas such as, “Can I do this?” or “Should I do this?”

I have the sense that the thinking is accelerated and nonlinear, guided by my focus on crafting the clay figure. I am alert to states of mind that seem suspended, paradoxical, timeless, and irrational. I believe this is what allows an artist to discover new forms and meaning. This is why our work can be considered priceless, because the value of this work should not be measured by a linear metric.

There is also an elegance and solidity to linear thought. This how we engineer our work to stand up against gravity. A thought building on the thoughts that came before, as in an essay. The focus of this essay is tools. The asphalt chunk and baseball bat are both used for blunt force to shape and texture the clay, but for building structure one tool more than any other helps me to sculpt: a fork. Learning to fuse together clay pieces is a most important technical skill for building clay objects. A fork looks like a tiny hand; consider that roughening and scoring into the clay where it is to stick to other roughened clay is like creating a series if hands that reach out to each other to hold fast the two joined parts. Structural strength only results when the two halves are sufficiently blended together by force and fork. Bonus feature: most fork handles can be used as a knife to cut into clay. A common household object useful for adding and subtracting from clay sculpture; definitely a Favorite Tool.