Patrick Gracewood

Studying Sculpture in Japan at the Inami International Wooden Sculpture Camp

Japanese art has been a big influence on my aesthetic and choice of wood as my primary medium. This August, I will be attending the Inami International Wooden Sculpture Camp in Nanto City, Japan. It will be held at Zuisen-ji, the largest temple in the Hokuriku region, built-in 1390. The vicinity is the workplace of 200 woodcarvers, one of the world’s largest woodcarving centers.

Each invited sculptor is given a 6-foot log and 10 days to complete the artwork. The finished art becomes part of Nanto City’s Public Art Program. The theme of the carving camp is “To Bring the World Together through Wooden Sculpture.” It’s a mix of international sculptors and traditionally trained Japanese artists all working on the temple grounds. The public is welcome on-site to watch the progress. In fact, it is a great opportunity to witness the camp to celebrate both the long tradition of wooden sculpture and help advance this art into the 21st Century.

Meeting the Broader Wooden Sculpture Community

The opportunity to meet sculptors from all over the world, and to have a focus on the wooden sculpture is a rare experience for everyone to learn new techniques and exchange ideas. It is a positive environment to understand at a deeper level this ancient art we practice. While the event is not a competition, carving a 6-foot log in ten days will be a personal challenge of planning, skill, and stamina. Japan in August is hot and humid.

On the registration form, they requested both an image and the meaning of the work I intended to make. I had an idea inspired by a famous poem by Matsuo Basho for very Japanese flavor artwork. Rereading the directions carefully, I found the stipulation that it reflects “your culture.” That made me pause: “What is my culture?” After a lot of thinking, I decided if they want my culture: Western, Christian, Catholic, I would carve “Listening to the Moon.” A young woman and the moon as an angel, an Annciation. First carved as a small detail of a large sculpture, this is the opportunity to enlarge it. All the finished carvings become part of the public art collection of Nanto City.

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

Sculpture Process: The Green Man from Sketch to Finished Sculpture

As a gardener, I’ve been cultivating plants for 60 years. As a sculptor, I’ve been researching the Green Man in books, museums, and churches. A current project which employs the sculpture process combines these interests into designs for a bronze fountain featuring the Green Man.

My drawings confirmed an idea I’ve had that sculpture comes down to bumps and divots. Regardless of the subject, abstract or figurative, good sculpture bounces light and creates shadows with its forms and surfaces. I didn’t need to draw eyes, I could imply them in shadowed recesses. Forehead and nose and chin, cheekbones could be suggested by bright surfaces in the proper proportions.

Finding Inspiration in the Sculpture Process

Many of the drawings were unintentionally creepy. Ambiguity has always been an aspect of the Green Man. Medieval sculptures depict him with branches and leaves coming out of his mouth. Is he exhaling green or choking on it. Is wildness threatening or benign? Genetic engineering adds another layer of ambiguity. What would a human/ plant cross look like? How would new green beings relate to us, and we them?

I was also inspired by the science fiction book The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It’s a story of a not too distant future mix of human and genetically modified beings and plants coping with a constantly changing environment.

I’m working on the carving now and will share soon. For now, here are some of my drawings.

Patrick-Gracewood-June-2019-Green-Man - Process-1

Patrick-Gracewood-June-2019-Green-Man-Process-2

Note: Patrick has been awarded a grant to participate in Inami International Sculpture Camp in Nanto City, Japan.

See Patrick’s small carving video

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

Wood Sculpture Techniques at the Portland Japanese Garden

My art tells stories, my collaborator is wood. In my current series, I recycle construction debris, coaxing these manufactured shapes into revealing their natural irregularities. I work with cross-sections of wood and pay special attention to the grain and texture. With certain wood sculpture techniques, the history of the tree becomes an integral part of the finished sculpture. While looking at the art you can see the passage of time because each line is one year of growth.

Japanese Technique in Wood Sculpture

Major influences on my wood sculpture are the Japanese monk, Enku, and the Taiwanese artist Ju Ming. Both influenced my work with their direct approach to carving.

Enkū (円空) (1632–1695) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, poet, and sculptor during the early Edo period. He was born in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture) and is famous for carving some 120,000 wooden statues of the Buddha and other Buddhist icons. He used his art as devotional objects, giving them away, and to pay for lodging on his pilgrimages to temples throughout Japan.

I will be carving small figures in the style of Enkū and showing recent sculptures.

To learn more about Patrick Gracewood’s sculptures, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, or contact us today!

“I am Leading this from What I Need as a Sculptor.”

Patrick Gracewood interviews sculptor, Alisa Looney

PG. I’m curious about artists who combine different disciplines. We share a love of drawing, dance, and sculpture. I’d like to talk about process. When we are focused on “Making ART” it is easy to ignore our body’s needs. How do you care for your spirit’s needs as a sculptor? Ignoring that aspect is problematic if we want to create art that communicates spirit instead of just manufacturing a skillful commodity.

AL. Many of the stretches and exercises that I do are essential for my body to function and to do physical work. Movement is key to keep my body mind and spirit all working properly. If I don’t move, I am literally in pain, my mind is not happy and my spirit feels stuck and I can’t draw well. Also, the computer is the hardest on my neck so I tend to avoid working on it.

How A Sculptor Translates Movement Into Form

I am still very drawn to depicting movement, yet not as much directly to the image of the dancer(s) as I was before. I have always been held captive by the energy of the body, and how it is the same energy as the river, the flow of life, the power of it, a strength of the body, the balance, the completeness of one human expression. My consciousness is expanded to the broader recognition of the web of life. How I can best depict our deep connection to nature and to each other?

One recent piece was inspired by the vision of humans breathing with the trees. We support the trees with our out-breath, and they support us with their oxygen. This was largely inspired by Treesister’s meditations which include gentle movement, and focuses on the deep connection to nature and trees. I am exploring how we co-exist with nature, how we can support the healing of our world and each other. This is primary to me now.

Currently I’m making an enamel on steel spirit mask. It depicts the rich layer of soil and fungus deep in the roots of the trees. Trees and fungus support each other with life giving properties. The roots take the shape of a human face, and the piece is titled: Rooting Tree Spirit.

I have had many, many years of movement – explored through dance and then brought that energy into drawings and paintings. Over the years that has developed what I call Sketch in Motion. I enjoy teaching this process.

Dance of a Sculptor

As a dancer, the movement I am longing to do is largely outside, along the river, under the trees. I have decided to start a movement class near our home and studio called: “Move with ease in the trees.” It is my hope that this brings movers to me that also feel this calling to move and to connect with the trees and nature. I will keep it gentle and improvisational, for any age, and will provide art supplies to allow whatever self-expression or inspiration to come out. Afterward, we warm ourselves up indoors and gradually take it outdoors as the movers feel comfortable to do so. I am leading this from what I need as an artist.

PG. Thank you, Alisa. I love the idea of leading from what you need. An artist doesn’t just make a product but is someone who integrates the different interests of life as a creative process.

Watch Alisa’s process video to see her combination of creative processes. https://alisalooney.com/about/process-video/

To learn more about Patrick’s work, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, and contact us today!

How To Create A Video Of Your Sculpture

A video of your sculpture is a tremendous way to introduce your sculpture to the world. There’s a very real chance that more people will see your art via video and the internet than will ever see it in real life.

While working on a public art commission for TriMet, I had both the opportunity and budget to create my first sculpture video on the inspiration, creation, and installation of To Grandmother’s House. I hired a talented young videographer, Eric Nordstrom of PPAV. He came to my studio, filmed for a bit, and later sent me a rough draft.

It was a cold wake up to realize that I couldn’t use any of it.

I called Eric and postponed our next meeting. There’s a lot that goes into creating even a very short video. Be prepared so you don’t waste time, (yours and your videographer’s) and money, (yours!) It took me two weeks to write down everything the video needed and how to get it done. Here’s what I came up with:

How To Plan Your Video Shoot:

Firstly, write the script. What story are you telling? Where does it begin, what does it say, and how does it end?

Second, storyboard the shots: I used 3 x 5-inch cards with quick drawings of how I wanted the art seen. You are the expert on your art and want to share its best aspects with your audience. I taped the cards end to end so I had a fold-out book for quick reference. It’s easy to get flustered or lose track of goals when the camera is rolling.

Be a location scout: Nothing is more distracting than distracting backgrounds. It’s a good reason to clean your studio or at least your workbench. It can be as simple as finding a blank wall or green hedge outside. Is it quiet enough to have a good recording sound? If not, you’ll need to plan and record a voice-over. For maquettes and small sculpture consider shooting them against the sky or distant background.

Control the lighting: Lighting is critical. While working on my video, we discovered how powerful it is to just move your light source. It gave a powerful sense of movement and revealed new details. You don’t need fancy lights (they help) but you do need to know what your lights can and can’t do. If they’re LED, are they warm enough so the video and your art isn’t that cold blue? A simple turntable can show the work well.

The camera sees differently than human eyes. If you’re showing bronzes, avoid glaring high lights. A little wax can dull that shine and easily buff off later.

Direct: tell my videographer what needs to be accomplished, go over the storyboard with him or her, listen for suggestions s/he has for improvements.

Help edit the final version. I don’t have time to learn another skill which is why I hired a professional videographer. Filming is one skill, editing is another. Eric presented me with a rough cut version that we jointly edited to get the best story.

Last but not least, You get to be the artist. Did you forget to write down what you want to say? Go back to step one. Write it and then rehearse speaking it out loud. It’s not hard but it does take practice. Like any story, it gets better with the telling and is a skill you can use whenever you talk about your art. People want to hear what you have to say about your art. They just don’t want to wait around while you struggle to find words….

Congratulate Yourself! You Created A Video Of Your Sculpture

It can be disappointing to see yourself and even more to hear yourself speaking. What helped me was remembering “It’s not about me. It’s about my art.” Relax, give it your best, AND shoot it several times. Editing can select the best version, even splicing different takes together.

Now that you have a video, let the world know or your website, blog, and social media.

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

Dance with Me: Sculpture, Dance and Creative Collaboration

My comment, “Sculpture and dance are closely related, much like a creative collaboration” had left some people puzzled at a recent Pacific Northwest Sculptors member meeting. I see dance and sculpture as a continuum of movement and stillness, the ephemeral to the eternal. Almost everything we know of early civilizations comes from sculpture. Indeed, if some form of physical artistic expression can last thousands of years, it’s likely sculpture. Additionally, an installation can encompass the ephemeral, everything from gallery installation to Andy Goldworthy’s nature work.

I’ve been a sculptor for forty-three years, and celebrate thirty years of dancing contact improvisation in 2019. Often what I learn from one discipline transfers to the other. Dance requires that I show up several times a week, fully present, emotionally, and physically. I have discovered this has been a good method for making art. Moving mindfully became my physical therapy, an antidote to the exertion and repetitive motion of carving. That kind of awareness gradually shifted my focus from the object to the space surrounding it.

The Creative Collaboration of Sculpture and Space

That awareness has helped me site my sculpture in clients’ gardens. Conversely, many sculptors believe their collaboration is completed when the art is finished and sold. If you have sited your work outside, you know what happens. It shrinks radically as it contends with the chaos of the rest of the world. Siting sculpture requires shifting focus from the art object to creating an environment that includes art. Blocking some views, framing other sightlines, defining a clear approach, you choreograph how people move through space to better appreciate the art and the entire space it occupies.

My concept of what sculpture is got much larger.

My early artworks often appeared overly polished and careful. There’s a valuable skill in banging out “working-class sculpture” aka stage sets and props for performances. Cardboard is free and quickly fabricated. In fact, I have never made cardboard models for my own sculpture before I started dancing. Now I make them all the time. These models I create act as a physical embodiment of an idea. Indeed, the model serves as a visual placeholder that haunts me until I have time to make it in a permanent medium. Working in a throw-away material encouraged me to work fast, go for big shapes, deep shadows, and lots of bright colors. The results are often very engaging on their own. I now make damn sure that same fun and energy make it into all my sculpture. The question I pose to other PNWS members is, “What enriches your creative practice?”

Creative collaborations with famous sculptor and dancer pairings: Isamu Noguchi and Martha Graham; Robert Rauschenberg and dancers Paul Taylor; Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown; Robert Morris and Simone Forti.

To learn more about Patrick’s work, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, and 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.

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

Questions on Art, Commerce, and Eternity

I didn’t expect much of this condo estate sale. A friend wanted some advice about sculpture included in the estate. Expecting some Hummel figurines, I was astounded to see three beautiful stone carvings. Not just beautiful, old. Old as in ANCIENT. Two Buddhas and a devotional figure from Gandhara. 1500 to 1700 years old.

Gandhara sculpture looks like no other art. Gandhara was a kingdom in the 3rd to 5th Centuries, in what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan. The faces are very stylized, like a 30’s movie star. It is a fusion of Greek and Asian art that happened when Alexander the Great took Greek art and crafts into Asia. The artists of Gandhara were the first to carve images of the Buddha. Prior to this, he was depicted as footprints with inscribed symbols.

I felt a protective responsibility for these three time travelers, and had so many questions! How did they wind up in a Parkrose condo? Can you sell these? Can you own them? How do put a price on cultural art that’s almost 2000 years old? Don’t they belong in a museum?

Looking for a way to evaluate the trio, I called the Asian Art Museums in Seattle and San Francisco. They were little help, though they did refer me to the National Institute of Appraisers and the Appraisers Association.

With the pressure of time and no money to pay for an appraisal, I called an Sue McGovern-Huffman an antiques dealer in Washington DC, for advice. Sue looked at photos and said they weren’t the quality her collectors were looking for.

That raised the question: How perfect does a 1700 year old religious stone object need to be?

“Try Bonham’s in San Francisco.” They have a specialty in Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art.

Darise Weller, the sale organizer, told me that the owner was a Pan Am pilot, stationed in Iran and Afganistan in the 1960’s. Historic art as souvenier. They’d been in the USA for 50 years. Not a recent vandalism… The heavy stone sculptures had small zigzag hangers epoxied to the back side. Talk about hanging by a thread…

Also in the sale were Persian tiles, an embroidered jacket badge for the Imperial Country Club, Iranian jewelry. A large silver medallion caught my eye. Facing reliefs of the Shah and Richard Nixon proclaimed 100 years of friendship between Iran and the USA. I laughed out loud. That era seemed more distant and dated than the Buddha’s. What art survives as a living force and what becomes just memorabilia?

Weller decided against sending the sculptures to auction. Including them in the estate sale was easier and faster. And it changed my role from consultant to contender. I said “Put my name on the list.”

Sale day, I was there early and had a great conversation with two women about Buddhism while we waited patiently. Closer to opening time, the stairs became crowded and the energy changed. People were indignant that others were in front of them, that they had to wait at all. People cut into the line. The impatient man behind me, a dealer, had covered his entire left arm with SOLD stickers, eager to aquire more.

Doors open, I walk to the three carvings, pick up two and have my hand on the third as Mr Dealer reaches from behind me and slaps a sticker on it. Figuring I’m bigger and have three blunt objects, I say loudly, ”My hand is on it.” He responds with a loud curse and moves back.

Now I have a different problem. Flooded with adrenalin, I’ve suddenly got a bad case of the shakes and an incoming panic attack from the intensity in the crowded room. I can’t set the carvings down, cause the shark is still circling, and I can’t physically hold them for long. To have survived almost 2,000 years only to be dropped on my foot? A wide lunge to the cashier’s table, a credit card and a cardboard box, a quick exit and I’m good again.

They need metal mounts with stone bases: that’s a winter studio job. It’s so amazing to see how they’re carved and wonder if the dirt in the crevices is recent Portland dust or the dirt of the ages. For now it’s enough to be able to hold each one individually and continue to ask questions.