Alex Alvis Art

Monday, August 11, 2014

Sculpture in the Park

Since I was one of almost 200 artists showing my work in Loveland this weekend at Sculpture in the Park, I did not have time to write this past weekend. So I'm making it up to you with lots of pictures of where I was. Sculpture in the Park in Loveland, Colorado!

It is a fabulous show and if you are a sculptor and have never been - I encourage you to apply to next year's show. Here is what is written about it on their website:

Heralded as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the United States, Sculpture in the Park showcases over 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 170 sculptors from around the world. The event is majestically staged against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and attracts thousands of art lovers and collectors from across the country to Loveland's Benson Sculpture Garden.

The second weekend of August, Benson Sculpture Garden is transformed by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council and their volunteers from a park into a beautiful setting for this outstanding exhibit. Highlights of Sculpture in the Park include Friday night's Patron Party and a two-day silent auction.

Huge thanks to everyone who came by to see Mark and me at the show; friends, relatives, patrons, gallery owners, the other artists who were there that we got to know and know better, the fine art services professionals whom we know and appreciate so very much, and all the volunteers who work so hard to make this event such a success year after year!

We have so many wonderful stories of everyone who stopped to look at my sculpture and just had so many great things to say about it!

A very special thank you to Elisabeth, Carl, Linda and Jim.

Here are some photos of the event:

Thursday, August 7, 2014

"Look!" at the Foundry

Hi Everyone! It is a very exciting day and I haven't much time for my blog entry because today we set up for Sculpture in the Park!

Tomorrow night is the patron party and I am looking forward to seeing my collectors and meeting my new collectors!

Enjoy these photos and if you want to know what's happening in them and more about the process of turning an original sculpture into bronze, come find me at the show. Mark and I will be in Tent C.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

"Look!" - the making of (Pre-Foundry)

The first sculpture in the House Horse Series was "Look!" When I "imagined" him he was standing on the fireplace mantle looking at me standing on the 2nd floor. I was looking down over the bannister of the landing into the family room when I saw him looking up at me. It was a bit of a surreal experience and one that is hard to describe. But I saw his form the way I sculpted it and he became the basis for the style of all the horses I sculpt.

Here is a photo of him in in the beginning stages of sculpting him - I took this from upstairs using zoom on the camera.

And as time went on I did the finishing details in my studio once the clay was dry. In that stage I do a lot of sanding and carving.

Until finally I re-attach the tail and he's ready to be put in front of the mirror.

And then it is time to say goodbye to the original sculpture. I will never see it again as it will be destroyed in the process of turning it into bronze...a heart wrenching thought - especially for the first sculpture an artist takes to the foundry to have this done. But the end result is (hopefully) spectacular and permanent and can be shared with other people because several (in the case of "Look!" only 50 bronzes will be made) bronzes are made from the original and then the mold that was made from the original is destroyed.

Tomorrow is a pictorial of the bronze process and then I hope that any of you who are reading this have met me at the wonderful show Sculpture in the Park in Loveland!

"Til tomorrow!

~Alex

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Tuesday and it is my birthday...

Well. I have a day off on my calendar today because it's my birthday. If today is your birthday too - happy birthday. Take the day off!

birthday cake painting by Carol Engles

I'll talk with you tomorrow!

"Til then!

~Alex

Monday, August 4, 2014

Monday is after Sunday

Topsy turvy house continues but the workers have not arrived and are, in fact delayed. So the house is waiting. Home renovations are sooo - disruptive.

I know it will be marvelous once it is done and it is, in fact, a remaking of a part of the house into a gallery for my art and a place for entertaining. I know I will love it once it's through.

But enough - you are not hear to read of my remodeling woes. You want to know how I make something that looks like someone waaay younger than me made it into something that is, in fact, beautiful fine art bronze sculpture.

Next step. Add more clay. Let dry. Add more clay, let dry, add more clay, let dry.

Really. Let me see if I can find some more progress photos.

beginning of "Yata, the North Wind" in clay with little "Look!"
in bronze standing in the foreground

So here is a good photo of "Yate the North Wind" the first sculpture in the Lakota Winds Series standing next to a finished in bronze "Look!" sculpture. I love this stage in the sculpting because they are beginning to form a personality and do gain a lot of their characteristics just from the material I use to sculpt with; that paper clay.

And here is another one of "Yata" in progress from the other side. Unlike many other sculptors, I sculpt my originals free standing. But I do occasionally employ the use of "props" - you can see some black tape down at Yata's feet - this tape is holding his legs down onto a level surface while the clay on the legs dry...otherwise some of his legs may dry unevenly...they may anyway, but this helps.

And here is "Yata" nearly finished in paper clay. There are some differences between this one and the finished bronze because this is pre-put-in-front-of-the-mirror Yata. Once I think I'm finished I always put a sculpture in front of a mirror and anything that doesn't look right in the reflection I address. Then off to the mold maker and the process of turning the original into bronze.

Then a couple of months (yes MONTHS) later:

Tada! Beautiful!

I will show you some photos of me working on "Look!" in my studio tomorrow and then the NEXT day will show you some actual photos of him being turned into bronze...all the many steps to make that happen.

'Till tomorrow!

~Alex

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Inspiration Sunday

At home everything is a bit topsy turvey right now (long story) and I don't have the time to find my book of quotes. I borrowed some of these from this lovely website though and you can find more there. My thanks to Skinny Productions for all the services they provide to us artists in the world.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

“The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.” ~Paul Cezanne

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” ~Albert Einstein

“Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” ~John O’Donohue

“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” ~Rumi

“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.” ~Ben Okri

“You connect yourself to the viewer by sharing something that is inside of you that connects with something inside of him. All you have as your guide is that you know what moves you.” ~Steven Brust

Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” ~Arthur Schopenhauer

“To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.” ~Georgia O’Keeffe

“Paint the flying spirit of the bird rather than its feathers.” ~Robert Henri

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” ~Marc Chagall

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” ~Francis Bacon

“To be an artist is to believe in life.” ~ Henry Moore

“Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?” ~Picasso

“Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing.” ~Marc Chagall

Saturday, August 2, 2014

What Next??

So what do I typically do after I have an "armature sketch?"

Time is spent adding layers to the sculpture and waiting for them to dry. Looking back over photos I found a few House Horse Series photos. Here is one of "Relax!" - you can still see the wire armature in her tail hasn't been covered by clay yet.

"Relax!" in the beginning

"Itchy!" in the beginning

and here is one of "Itchy!" It just starts with a lot of basic shapes and they look very funny at first.

"Watch!" in the beginning

and this is "Watch!" - you can see the differences from start to finish.

"Watch!" finished sculpture in bronze

When I imagined "Watch!" I saw her running up to the window and sliding to an abrupt stop and so as I sculpted her during the months ahead, I would put her back in front of that window where I first saw her.

Over the months by that window next to the front door I could see her face there when I pulled the car into the driveway. It was her window...of course, our cat thought it was her window too and would frequently send "Watch!" in progress sliding across the tile floor.

Next installment of a Alex Alvis Sculpture becoming on the Monday post because the next post is inspiration Sunday :).

'Til then!

~Alex