Here’s a close-up video of the eleven players on the “Football, circa 1890” monument. Still have months to go. Love the fine tuning process. As Rodin said about his “Gates of Hell”, “How can I finish it when I haven’t had time to forget it?”
I’ve taken inspiration from hundreds of vintage 1800’s photos.
Just spent an incredible weekend in Tucson, Arizona at Settlers West’s fall art show with Janette. We were guests of some friends / collectors and were able to visit, “Chiricahua Apache.” He is loved and well taken care of. There is nothing that touches my heart more than a work of art properly presented and displayed. Grateful to these folks who went “over the top” displaying this work of art.
Installed a casting of “The Trooper” a couple of days ago, outside of Santa Fe. We took the piece out of my pickup and loaded it into this 1947 Willy’s Jeep and maneuvered it into position. Good folks, fun ride. Nothing like nature’s vista to enhance a piece.
“For Spain, Glory and Gold”30″ high x 17” wide x 16″deep. Edition of 30. This piece has been in the clay for about two years, and is finally comin’ around….maybe!
Then again, maybe it’s me that’s comin’ around.
This is fun to see. I love obscure history. Here’s some examples of authentic armor used for horse heads, hundreds of years ago. With my posting the sculpture of the conquistador, I thought I’d better back it up….for the doubters.
This next piece on the sculpting stand is an idea given to me 7-8 years ago by a collector (I love a great idea). I sat on the idea for a few years. Finally, I got around to roughing it in around 2012…..but then it mostly sat still, until “The Revenant” came out this year. I was inspired to take it off the shelf, and have another “go”…. and push it farther down the road.
Untitled (Open for suggestion) 22″ high x 47″ wide x 16” deep
www.ScottRogersSculpture.com
I love it when a title and a sculpture merge together as one. When creating this piece, the words came to me and and I felt they were inspired.
She is a Popago Indian in southern Arizona about 1910.
After I sculpted the 32 inch wide nine player team piece, “Base Ball, circa 1890”, I had many people ask me to sculpt a single figure, So I did. I call this piece “Towne Ball, 1890.”
This piece will be cast in about a year. I’m pokey….. Getting sculptures out.
A dozen years ago….my uncle, Grant Speed, shared with me how to sculpt eyes. Today, I passed that knowledge on to another artist.
“Tête-à-tête”, as the French would say. “Head to Head”.
Softness…is the key. And don’t sculpt the eye. Sculpt vision. Sculpt planes. Sculpt shapes. Sculpt your knowledge of the eye…..not what you think you see. And most important of all, sculpt feelings.
So, I had the folks at the foundry begin a piece for me. They welded an armature together, put foam over it, trimmed the foam and applied the initial layer of clay. I arrived at the foundry (6 AM) to have them load it on my trailer. I figured it best to drive it to the studio in the cool of the morning. I’m quite certain this piece will be in the clay for about a year before it’s finished. It’s going to be a cowboy riding hell bent for leather on his horse.
I thought it be fun to pull over in Sardine Canyon, south of Logan, and take a picture. 
It’s taken a year….but finally got this bad boy to the foundry.
I’ve learned something about how I work. I do my finest sculpting when a piece is allowed to sit for a year and have me come with a fresh eye 8-10 times during that period.
“The Wrangler”
Since my last post…….I bet I’ve spent another 20 hrs on this piece during the past three days. Finally getting close. “I think”.
My mentor once told me, “You spend 10% of the time roughing in 90% of the piece….and 90% of the time on the last 10% of the piece.” Truth.
To quote my mentor, Fritz White, “Being a sculptor is not for sissies”.
It’s been a long time since I’ve struggled with a piece as much as I have with this one. I’ve built it up and torn it down at least six different times.
Yesterday, the words echoed through my mind “nobility of concept”. They were the words of an artist, Garland Weeks, who I took a workshop from 18 years ago. That one phrase assisted me to make a few adjustments for the better.
I’ve learned that a huge part of what I do is “listening to the whispers”.
This weekend, Janette and I are visiting The Booth Museum, in Cartersville, Georgia. We are their guest on a panel to discuss “Artists and their business partner’s (spouse) working relationships”
The museum has on display a show entitled, “Below the Sweet Tea Line”. It’s an exhibition of regional collectors who’ve temporary loaned works of art to the museum.
During our walk through of the show, we had a fun surprise. We turned a corner and saw an old friend, “Watcher of the Plains” (1997). This was the fastest sold out piece of my career. I believe we sold the edition of 30 castings in 45 days.
An amazing show!
Check out their website:
http://boothmuseum.org
At the museum was a casting of Fritz White (my mentor). It’s called,
“In search of the Snow Goose”. It warms my heart to see his work.
What is more American than the bison. Years ago, when I was studying these dudes, it was news to me that they roamed from Canada to Mexico and from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River. Legend has it that these animals migrated north to what is now known as “Buffalo Minnesota”, (because it was shallow there), and crossed the Mississippi River to Eastern grazing lands.
This is how you scrub your buffalo…..at the car wash.
Katie and I hit the road to Fernley, Nevada (East of Reno). Katie’s volleyball tourny in Reno coincided with this trip. We delivered this bad boy to the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetary. It’s going to overlook 7000 veterans graves.
While we were there, we met country singer, Lacy J. Dalton. She was the guest of honor at a ceremony honoring several deceased veterans. What a gracious lady she is. For those that are younger, and are not familiar with her songs, check her out on YouTube. “16th Avenue” and “The Wanderer” are two awesome songs. Her voice is magic.
Katie – Scott – Lacy J. Dalton
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Scott Rogers 