

About six or seven years ago, a fellow artist gave me a photograph of two women. They thought I could possibly use it as inspiration for a sculpture. About a week and a half ago, I ran across the photo again, it struck my heart to see if I could pull off the idea in clay.
For artistic compositional sake…. I made the woman on the left taller and facing forward (to be the focal point). I arranged the wrinkles in their clothing to lead the viewers eye around the piece. Notice the subtle 5 points of entry, to bring the viewer into the sculpture.
Don’t you just love that hat! The double rows of cartridges on the gun belt?
“Of Proper Wit & Adventurous Spirit” Edition of 30
It’s a funny thing I’ve noticed about myself over the years. Often, when I come up with a concept that I feel strong about, I have to sculpt the subject two or three times to exhaust my mind “off of it”. Otherwise the idea haunts me. Such was the case with this one…..it is my second bookend. I’m finding I may have a third one in me……of a woman in a chair, as a book end (we’ll see).
I tried to upload a video in this post. I’m not sure if it will work or not.
“Rescue” gets a new patina.
At the foundry with my patina man, Kike. Going for the European old school look.
“Base Ball” is finally in the ‘mold room’ at the foundry. T’will be August 2015 when the first castings come out.
18 1/2″ high c 32″ wide x 11″ deep
Edition of #50
Long before I began sculpting, I noticed that the Oval Office had sculptures in it. Remington’s “Bronco Buster”, a bust of Abraham Lincoln, until a few years ago, a bust of Churchill.
Once I became a sculptor, I thought, “One day I want to create a piece that would fit the aura of the office of the President of United States.”
In 25 years of sculpting, this may be as close as I’ve ever come.
I call it: “American Cowboy”.
Www.scottrogerssculpture.com
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”.
Up in Cody, Wyoming, at the Buffalo Bill Art Show (this past weekend), they hold what’s called a “Quick Draw” for artists to participate in. Artists are given one hour to complete a sculpture or painting. They are then auctioned off on the spot. It’s one of the most insane things I’ve ever participated in.
Here is my effort:
I’ll be in Santa Fe, sculpting at Sage Creek Gallery (421 Canyon Road) Santa Fe, New Mexico, until August 26th.
Putting final touches on:
“The Wrangler”. 65″ tall.
I love taking wax with me when I’ve got to sit a while. Being a passenger on a plane or in a car (or today getting my oil changed)….allows me to work on some of a pieces finer details in wax. This left hand is going on the man in the lower left side of this piece.
I’m calling it “Base Ball”. It depicts an 1890’s baseball team.
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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