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| Raphael, Justice from the Stanza della Segnatura, 1509 - 1511 http://www.wikiart.org/en/raphael/justice-from-the-stanza-della-segnatura-1511 |
Yay for installation! But before I installed, I carved this block - a replacement for the figure's right hand. (The first hand was just a stand in until I had a chance to carve this new one in the position I was picturing.) Carving hands is tricky, and this pose was challenging because of the twist in the wrist and the way both the back and inside of the hand are showing. The pose is similar to Justice's left hand in Raphael's version in the Vatican (but with my knobby, bent fingers ;) )
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| ...and here it is joined to the rest of the figure and holding a unicorn chain. |
Some detail shots of the installation:
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| I sewed on the bunnies wiskers, but didn't have starch with me, so I'll get to starch and re-iron them at home (ah, an artists work is ever done, haha.) |
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| I also collaged in the golden horns (on the male, I don't think female jackalopes have horns?) |
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| Much work to be done still - re-carving the legs so that they match the body better and increasing the size of the head, but still exciting to see the machette and get an approximation of how it might look. The plants turned out gorgeous, and I think they're going to look great, but still refining how to place them into the landscape (hmmmmmmm.) |
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| The marbled sections turned out well, and I'd like to add additional segments onto them so that they aren't so isolated from one another but still small enough for me to de-assemble, pack and transport myself. |
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| The shaft of the column is just a place holder of toned paper for now, but I like the way it works as a perch. |
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| I turned the flying rats into a mobile - which I love because they really bob and flutter... but - now they have a visible back (oops) - still figuring out exactly how I want to resolve that... |
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| Me, playing dead-tired for scale |
It's exciting to see it starting to come together, and it was a wonderful, productive residency in a large beautiful studio surrounded by lots of hardworking and talented people - thank you VCCA!Now, I'm pretty wiped out, and if I think about how much work there is still to be done on this, it makes me want to cry; so instead, I'm trying to focus on how far it's come - Fortituuuude!...baby steps.
I got to experience both winter and early spring in Virginia, and I'm excited to bid winter farewell and start to clear out the garden for new flowers.
I enjoyed traveling, visiting with dear friends and getting lots of work done...but, naturally, I also missed my feline assistants. We've been joyfully reunited, and they had such loving care while I was away that they weren't even mad at me when I got home.
However...despite my effort to reinforce across the span of their entire kitty lives the message: "Kitties don't go on the kitchen counter," it seems that during the 2 weeks of my absence, that lesson was quickly jettisoned, and I came home to a clear statement of "Look Primary Human, we go on the counter now!" [doh!]I'm also especially proud of Jr.'s beautiful coat (they are both currently at maximum fluff - one of my favorite things about winter :p) My elegant Princess has downy soft fur and a luxurious mane that she really grew into between the time she was about 2 and 4 years old. I'd been waiting to see if Jr. too has a fluffy coat (I know her Mom carried the recessive long-hair gene). This winter, she has silky long fur on her belly especially and a much thicker ruff - My little kitty is growing up, and she's a beauty just like her big sister - so proud!
