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McAlister Merchant – Cast Glass Sculpture

November 2020 Monthly Meeting

Cast glass sculptor, McAlister Merchant was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. McAlister took his first art classes at the age of 8 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Several schools and careers later in the early 1970s, McAlister moved to Los Angeles to attend the Art Center College of Design, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design.

After Art Center, he won numerous awards for his work with Los Angeles area companies and clients, including Circle Industries, Vivitar, and several industrial design firms.

In the early 1980s, he began working with computers and became a self taught computer programmer and database specialist and wrote

magazine articles about using, customizing, and maintaining computers. In 1993, he joined Microsoft in Redmond, WA as a technical writer. In 2001 he retired and returned to his artistic roots.

McAlister creates sculptures in clay, creates a ceramic mold and, in a kiln, casts glass into the mold to get a range of effects from opaque to translucent glass. He also works in acrylic paint and pastel, teaching himself and learning from his friends.

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio

I’ve wanted to do this since Carole first asked me to announce it. I finally made the third iteration and was not disappointed. What a hoot. Here’s the idea. On certain Wednesdays, (to be announced to members) Carole Murphy opens her sculpture studio and her immense collection of oddities for members to use as they see fit.

Now I just stuffed my collection of “I may want to make something out of this someday” items in a 10’ x 20’ storage unit. Compared to Carole’s collection that is puny and I am filled with shame. That is to say, there is a rich collection of materials and media available at Carole’s sculpture studio. There is a wall of chisels, beaver chunks, shiny doodads, and feathery bits from some creature that died in the sea. There is fodder here, workbenches, and tools. If like me you toil in a studio alone, with little heat, and poor light, rats nibbling at your heals, a visit here would be a welcome relief.

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio - small sculpture - Jan 2020

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio - wood pieces - Jan 2020

Sculpture Studio or Candy Land…

Right off I found most of some wooden puppet thing that had suffered decapitation. Carole offered the head of the temple lion dog which I obtained by means of a cement saw. I spent the session carving down the neck so it would fit in the body of the puppet thing. I was successful in this. Not only that but it no longer looks like a lion dog but more like a pig and I’m not done yet. I don’t know where this is going. I don’t know what’s in that chunk of head cement. All I know is that I hope it’s worthy.

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio - George Heath - Jan 2020

Joe Cartino appeared. Being a sculptor of put-together bits I am not surprised that he would be drawn to such a place. Here he examines some artifact to determine if it could be art or he should put it down quickly, back away, and go wash his hands.

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio - Joe Cartino - Jan 2020

What are these? you may ask. These are the things that beavers chuck out of trees. The inedible bits they spit out as they take down your price Japanese maple. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a beaver out of those?

Here’s a box of letter stamps. Old school letter stamps. It goes on and on. Shiny and matt, plastic, metal, wood and shell, antique and newish. It is a thing of mine. If I miss my hoard I can go here and feel at home. Watch for announcements. This is a fun thing and a chance to collaborate or just show what you’ve made to another sculptor who will understand and not think you are weird because of it. Then again…

Here are some of the thousands of things available:

Art Play Day at Murphy Sculpture Studio - letters - Jan 2020

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Ben Sams – A Nearly Forgotten Genius in Modern Ceramic Sculpture

In a remarkable way, Ben Sams had something to do with our recent exhibition at the ArtReach gallery. One of his ceramic sculpture pieces, “Texas Ranger” stood in a side room at the Making Space exhibition. Bob Dale is seeking attention for the work of Ben Sams that happened in the ArtReach gallery. One thing led to another resulting in our group show with the NW Stone Sculptors Assn.

The art world presents a complicated and sometimes confusing environment where significant recognition and fame can be as random and elusive as winning a lottery.

While there are thousands of recognized painters and sculptors internationally, one medium where the number of true geniuses is minimal is that of ceramic sculpture. That may be a result of ceramics perhaps being considered more as a craft than a true art medium. The word ‘ceramics’ almost immediately brings up mental images of pots and tiles rather than credible works of art. However, the medium of clay provides a truly creative artist with an almost unlimited opportunity to express ideas and images.

Ben Sams - Modern Ceramic Sculpture - Nov 2019 - PNWS - 2

Ben Sams - Modern Ceramic Sculpture - Nov 2019 - PNWS - 3

The Ceramic Sculpture Work of Ben Sams

One of the most creative, yet unfortunately nearly forgotten, pioneers in this field was Ben Sams. He came upon the scene in the 1960s and almost immediately created a name for himself as an innovative genius. The ‘60s and ‘70s were a period of political turmoil and questioning of values among the younger generation. Sams could pull together diverse thoughts and ideas into often whimsical ceramic sculptures that could make people laugh. They compelled one to think about some of the statements he was making on the social issues of the day.

Quoting his own description of his work, Sams wrote: “The early sculptural images I made did not reveal if I was pushing reality towards abstraction or abstraction towards reality, and the resolution of my problems always remained visually exciting.”

Influences of Sams’ Ceramic Sculpture

Sams’ heritage had a significant influence on his approach to art. He was born in Texas in 1945, where his father, a Native American from the Walla Walla Tribe, was stationed during WW II. The family then moved to Montana, closer to the roots of his paternal ancestors. Sams began his studies in art at the University of Montana in 1965 under two well-known ceramicists, Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos. There he learned various techniques and processes which he adapted to his work in ceramic sculpture.

One such process used in printmaking is called collagraphy. It employs pieces and textures from various sources built up onto plates that can then be used to print. While typically used to produce prints on paper or canvas, Sams decided to use the technique to create textures and images in clay. These could then be incorporated into larger pieces to provide backgrounds or segments of the larger story being told in a particular work.

The Evolution of Recognition in Sams’ Work

1967 was the year Sams married his first wife, Dana Boussard. That year, his innovative work began to gain national recognition with numerous exhibitions, including one at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. That exhibition was sold out. These resulted in commissions from collectors who began to recognize and appreciate his unique talents and styles. Sams continued to create and display exciting ceramic sculpture works from 1967 until 1972 when his life changed somewhat dramatically with a divorce and a move from Montana to the Seattle area. There he tried to balance his creative work and exhibitions with teaching at Highline Community College and later Evergreen State College in Olympia.

He married Cynthia Tasso in 1975 and moved his studio into a large barn on her property northeast of Seattle. There he began to experiment with the chemistry and physics of glazes he could produce to enhance and dramatize elements of his works. In his own words:

“Glazes and glass represent a very separate discipline that must be united to the finalized clay form by means of extreme heat. The development of a glaze or glaze colors involves continuous experimentation into applied chemistry.”

Sustaining his Creative Energy in Ceramic Sculpture

Sams continued to produce unique and notable works for the next three years until shortly after a well-received exhibit in Bellevue, Washington in 1978. He then decided that he needed to take a break from juggling the creation of art and the commercial activities associated with promoting it. By doing so, he left many unfinished works in his studio and moved on to dealing with real estate and studying common law.

Sams returned to his art in 2001 with a new passion. Unfortunately, the following year he died unexpectedly while on a beach walk with his wife and dog on the Washington coast.

While Sams’ long hiatus resulted in his name losing the momentum, reputation, and recognition as a significant pioneer in the world of ceramic arts, his legacy still lives on in his many surviving works valued by collectors, internationally.

Author Zig Lambo is a consultant on sculpture and resource-based investments.

Images courtesy of Robert Dale at: bensamsartist.com

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This article was reprinted from the Art and Museum magazine spring 2019 issue. Art and Museum Magazine is a publication of Domos Fine Art Advisors of the UK.

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.

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Art Inspiration – My Oracle…The Ocean

A lot of my work draws heavily on ocean waveforms for art inspiration. I’ve spent many happy hours sitting on beaches all along the west coast from San Diego, California to Long Beach, Washington just watching and letting the power soak into my bones.

I call this visiting my Oracle….I ask questions and (usually) I get a few answers.

There is nothing better for resetting your sense of self than watching several tons of water crash against the rocks …again and again…relentlessly. The rocks hardly notice, but over the years, the water will win. In search of art inspiration, I discovered when I went back to visit a favorite beach I found the sea had rearranged objects in my absence.

Where Medium Meets Art Inspiration

My sculpture medium is paper clay. It has high water content and I can slam a slab of it against a “rock” that I set up in my studio. The effect is very much like what I observe at the beach. I manipulate these slabs to support human figures. I follow this sculpting method for a while like a person in a fever. But, after several new pieces, the fever will leave me and I step away from the ocean waves for a time. I now know that at some point I will have to return to the sea for information about my life and my art. (Aren’t they one and the same?). My Oracle will always be there.

To learn more about Michele’s work or Pacific Northwest Sculptors, contact us today!

How drawing influences sculpture

Sculpture takes a great deal of time to create. How do you think through a sculpture?

Not just the mechanical/technical process, but the important aesthetic work of meaning.

What do you want it to say, and how do you shape a physical object to have emotional resonance for others?

Drawing sharpens both your eye and your hand. To be able to record what you see takes practice. A lot of practice. If you’re a sculptor, drawing also helps you understand what you WANT to see. Drawing becomes the conversation between you and the muse to discover what the art wants to be.

Detailed drawings can be a blue print to follow so that the finished sculpture looks like the original rendering. Drawing can be a detailed map for sculpture, but it’s not the three dimensional territory. A flat two dimensional drawing can restrict your spatial thinking. As a sculptor, it’s your job to fully explore every angle, facet and form, even if it’s a bas relief.

These days, I use water colors to think through new sculpture. It’s so much easier to make a bad drawing than it is a bad sculpture. Don’t like it? Make another drawing. Quick drawings and loose washes of color keeps my thinking flexible, open to different possibilities and meanings. Carving feels playful, more exploration than execution. Some of that looseness even makes it all the way through into the finished work!

Look at the drawings of sculptors to see how they use drawing to think through their sculpture. Rodin’s sketches are loose washes of color with lightly drawn ambiguous lines. Think about how the faceted surfaces of his bronzes flicker and bounce light and catch shadows.

Michelangelo’s cartoons are often detailed blueprints for finished work. Look and see how he’s drawing how light hits a form, he’s thinking about volume and surfaces.

Consider your materials. If you use a pen or brush, you train yourself to see lines, through lines, contour lines, etc. If you’re using a charcoal or soft pencil, you attune your eyes to nuance of form, shadows, volume. What medium draws you?

Each drawing is another opportunity of composition, editing and thinking. As you draw, you shape HOW you see and WHAT you see. As a sculptor, drawing sharpens all your skills so you can make what you WANT to see happen in three dimensions.

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Elements of art: Thoughts about Lines

Just there on the office floor are 3 good sized boxes of comics. They are there because a friend of my nephew’s passed away and willed him his collection. They are Golden Age comics. That is from the 40’s, 50’s and early 60’s. There are several holy grails of comic art in there. In particular, for me at least, a 1952 issue of Walt Disney’s Comic and Stories. This issue came in the mail when I was 5. I could not read. Ran all over the house pleading for someone to read it to me. All my normal readers were busy except grandma who was visiting from Salt Lake. Could she read? She’s so old. Boy could she. She had a remarkable voice. Had a hint of frog in it. She read me the thing, us sitting on the edge of my bed. I never forgot. I am writing this as a direct result of that little episode.

Seventeen years later a friend and I are taking a drive north from Vallejo, Ca. We stop at a little store for snacks. I see a comic book rack. I buy a Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories for 12 cents. It is the same story, reprinted. I bought it and read it for myself this time. I began buying them monthly and eventually acquired great piles of the things. I became a cartoonist sculptor. That particular artist was Carl Barks who passed away 17 years ago at the age of 99. Carl was from Merrill, Oregon and worked as a writer for the early Donald Duck cartoons. After a strike at Disney in 1941, he began working as the Duck cartoonist for Dell Publishing. He was very good and very prolific.

Why does this matter? What does it have to do with sculpture? Beyond Barks’ storytelling was the drawing, the lines, expressions and gestures. They were all dead on. Alive. In most studios where cartoons are pumped out by the bucket load are model sheets pasted to the wall.

If you want to draw something lifeless use one of those. The thing that made Bark’s drawing so good is that every expression or gesture is unique to the situation. If the expression is just right then you not only get it but you feel it. You know exactly what that particular curve in that line means deep down. To get this right is a bit like method acting. You have to feel it, you have to be that as you draw it. This applies to sculpting as well. It’s like being one with what you are doing.

Humans are adapted to finely interpret facial and body expressions. There are shades of meaning in a facial expression that can change with just the teensiest nudge of a lip line. It’s a complex language all its own which we understand right from birth. The lines themselves can have meaning, such that the shape of a line on a face when applied to the curve of an abstract sculpture conveys some of the original meaning. Car makers know this and if you’ve ever been tailgated by a ‘53 Buick you know what I’m saying.

Like words, line curves can carry connotations. In this way a simple line can speak directly to one’s emotions whether that line is part of a face or the silhouette of a sculpture.

Pacific Northwest Sculptors member George Heath's classic comic collection

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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