Naked Sculpture

Athletic Figure

2012-01-29T16:44:00.002Z

Crikey - I can't believe how long it is since I last posted anything! Oh well - how time flies; I have been chipping away at this piece over the last couple of months since I got some new extra large clamps to hold it still - the old ones just weren't up to the job any longer. The figure is gradually taking shape and getting more definition. I've been leaving the details of the hands and face til as late as possible, sorting out the big masses first and getting the proportions about right. I enjoy the slow and steady process of carving by hand and don't use any power tools - it makes my arms and shoulders ache - but that's actually part of the enjoyment too, it almost has a meditative quality in the process......

New old wood carving

2011-08-05T18:55:00.002+01:00

This is a piece I started carving many moons ago and then left (read forgot) for ages, it's a very old block of oak about six inches square and about two feet high. I restarted doing some work on it last weekend and think it might be worth pushing a bit further to see how it develops. My original vision for this piece was a strong, athletic figure standing proud and square, with only the head turned slightly to one side. I liked the idea of working the surface all the way with chisels (rather than smoothing the form with files/sand-paper) to leave the multi-faceted surface of repeated chisel marks - rather like beaten metal :-)

Wedding Gig

2011-06-27T20:26:00.002+01:00

I've not updated for a while as we've been rehearsing for this gig last weekend - it was for a friend's wedding bash and we all had a really brilliant time!

One finished, one starting.....

2011-05-15T18:18:00.003+01:00

Polished and mounted SAM2 today, it looks okay when the light shines through it. Now that's out of my system I'm starting another medium-sized figure carving; the big lump in the last photo is another piece of Purbeck and I want to do a curled-up figure similar to the Rosie bronze sculptures on my web-site: www.josburton.co.uk - I'm looking forward to working on this over the coming summer months - should keep me out of mischief if nothing else............

SAM 2 takes shape

2011-04-25T18:53:00.002+01:00

SAM 2 - Small Abstract Marble mark 2, develops more contoured edges; as with the first piece I like the sense of movement across the form. I've decided to aim for a symmetrical/balanced look on this one and the bisecting line only runs completely through one surface and stops part way down the other surface. I've done nearly all the work so far using files rather than chisels, the marble is soft enough for the 'quieter' method - which keeps family and neighbours happy!

Another new piece

2011-04-16T19:05:00.002+01:00

Started another small abstract in marble today - you can see the progress in the photos above, I began by using a chisel to rough out the shape but quickly found that it was just as easy to use the coarse files which are also better for keeping control........ I'm really enjoying playing with the abstract forms in this way

Almost finished?

2011-04-10T19:12:00.002+01:00

The light through the camera phone caused the rather sensational effect in the first picture quite by accident - I've been using a fine beeswax to polish the piece by hand today which has given it this lovely finish. It's been a really interesting learn for me these last few weeks developing this little abstract piece and working in marble - I've got a few more slabs about the same size and think I will do a few more variations on this theme......

Progress on the little abstract marble

2011-04-09T20:21:00.002+01:00

More work done on the contoured edges today; aiming for a gentle twist to give some movement whilst retaining the overall balance - just need to work out now how to get a really high polished finished.......

2011-04-02T17:32:00.003+01:00

Did a little more work on this piece today - shaping the edges to have a definite contoured asymmetric line. Also spent some time smoothing parts of the surface with wet and dry to see how the colour looks - it has a warm semi-translucent appearance which is very satisfying. The big lump of stone on the right is another piece of Purbeck that I'm going to start - I'm thinking of another curled up figure in this one, we'll see how it goes........

2011-03-27T20:54:00.002+01:00

So - I decided to come out of hibernation and start some new carving; I was given these small slabs of marble many years ago and was thinking of doing some abstract, organic forms with them. The piece on the left is half of the first block - the shape on the right is one that I carved with a cold chisel yesterday and then smoothed out with a couple of rasp files today. I'm looking forward to playing around with this over the next few weeks.............

Russell Flint

2011-03-22T15:00:00.002Z

Since I've not blogged for a while, (no excuses, I've just not started my next piece of sculpture yet) so thought I'd share this - one of my favourite prints. It's by William Russell Flint and it's not one that crops up very often on the web. The reasons I like this particular work are manifold; firstly it is about a model, she's not a goddess or the personification of some abstract ideal - just an attractive young woman taking a 'break' from posing for the picture in the background.

Secondly, Flint's watercolour handling of her form is so subtle and nuanced as to be breath-taking - I look at this picture on my wall at home everyday and still admire his skillful technique as much now as when I first saw it 15 years ago.

Even though the figure is reclining, the angle of her body diagonally through the composition suggests a dynamic quality even at rest, which contrasts her pale form against the garish background colours. And the fact that the model is looking away from the viewer suggests this isn't attempting to be a portrait - it is a candid observation of a beautiful rear-view with little pretence or artifice - despite its subject matter.

Apologies for getting carried away - I'm not a great collector of paintings especially watercolours but this is definitely a favourite of mine.

2011-02-07T10:32:00.001Z

Smashing gig at the charity ball for cystic fibrosis this weekend at the Gateway in Nottm - raised over £2500 - well done everyone invovled

Gloss Gallery Exeter

2010-11-05T17:17:00.003Z

Great news! - I am delighted to have three pieces on show in Gloss Gallery at Exeter. This is a wonderful new gallery recently opened in a beautiful Georgian building; sympathetically converted to a contemporary art gallery. Have a look at their website www.glossgallery.co.uk or better still, if you're in the vicinity - call in and talk to Francesca who has done such a great job in getting the gallery off the ground!

Completed stone carving

2010-10-17T19:54:00.003+01:00

Well, a lot of wet and dry smoothing and polishing over the last few days and the torso is finally finished - hurrah! I was keen to get the piece completed and found an old block of oak that I'd been saving for the base. The highly polished surface of the Purbeck stone reveals some tiny fossil fragments and also looks a little like marble, the smooth lines provide an interesting contrast with the rough texture at the top. It's over a year since I started this piece but I'm really happy with the way it's turned out.

Stone carving update

2010-10-05T18:30:00.002+01:00

For the last few weeks I've been working on this piece using a combination of chisels and some heavy duty rasp files to further work the surface; the trouble is, as I smooth the surface I can then see where I need do more work with a chisel, which then needs smoothing out with a file again and so on......

Progress on the stone carving

2010-06-06T17:12:00.003+01:00

Over this weekend I've spent some hours using a flat chisel to smooth out the 'cross-hatching' effect produced by the toothed chisel used to rough-out the piece in the early stages (see previous posting). I quite like the way carving is a bit like drawing in three dimensions. With the natural light coming in from the window to the side this helps me see the form more clearly and look for the level of definition I want to achieve.

Stone carving update

2010-05-31T18:37:00.005+01:00

I've been working on the stone carving quite a bit over the Bank Holiday weekend and it now has a front surface which is gradually meeting up with the back. I'm not sure what it says about me but I prefer starting with the rear. I also remembered a great tip from one of my favourite old art teachers (Joe Burrows who is still producing wonderful pieces even though he retired from teaching 20 years ago) - he advised carving the stone in a tray of sand, which as the piece looses its regular surfaces is a sure way of holding the stone in almost any position - and it helps absorb some of the impact thereby reducing the noise a little too - a win all round I reckon.

Standing figure in wax

2010-04-10T18:09:00.003+01:00

Recently I've started a couple of smaller pieces in red scopas wax. This one is built around a simple wire armature and is about 12" high. I like modelling directly in wax, it needs to be kept at the right temperature to handle and mold and it can be worked to quite a tight, smooth finish when cold. The Lizzie sculpture on my web-site was constructed this way and I love being able to polish the surface and actually 'finish' the work. I wasn't sure initially about doing smaller pieces as they can end up looking a bit like trinkets, so I'm striving for a more sculptural look - whatever that is.....

unfinished

2010-04-02T19:08:00.002+01:00

This piece was my version of a small bust we bought from the late Nick Deans. I had the very good fortune to meet with Nick on several occasions before his untimely death in 1991. He inspired me to start sculpting and I loved his way of presenting the figure. I've altered this work a couple of times as you can see and I'm still not sure about how I want it to look. The nice thing about clay is that I can keep on mucking about with it, whenever I feel like it.

Arc of Angels

2010-03-28T19:25:00.004+01:00

This is the Arc of Angels by sculptor Rick Kirby. It is in a new housing estate at Portishead which is about 15mins drive off the M5 near Bristol. We visit each time we're passing on our way to Devon. I really love his treatment of the figure; made up of small pieces of iron which allows some light through and gives a delicate quality contrasting with the rusty patina. It looks as though each figure is identical and the way they link through their fingertips creates a beautiful rhythmic composition. I find these figures even more satisfying than Anthony Gormley's.

stone carving

2010-03-19T19:56:00.002Z

I started this carving last summer, the stone is one of two pieces I picked up whilst visiting Dorset. It's Purbeck stone from St Aldhelm's Quarry, apparently the same stone used in the building of Salisbury Cathedral. It was an eventful drive back up the quarry lane with those lumps in the boot of my car! As a crystalline limestone it's relatively easy to carve whilst being hard enough to hold a crisp edge. I'm aiming for a simple torso with a gentle contrapposto..... well, that's the idea anyway.

some favourites

2010-03-12T19:04:00.004Z

These are two of my favourite sculptures, (after the work of Rodin and Maillol of course) they're by Andrea Carlo Lucchesi; a Victorian whose work was more naturalistic than neo-classical. They are in the grounds at Chirk Castle, a National Trust property near Wrexham. I love these pieces and insist on photographing them each time I visit, I love their simple clean lines, taut and beautifully balanced.

YouTube - You're Gonna Miss Me, Lulu and the Lampshades

2010-03-12T15:21:00.000Z

YouTube
- You're Gonna Miss Me, Lulu and the Lampshades

work in progress

2010-03-09T20:15:00.004Z

This is Llyod Le Blanc putting finishing touches to Lizzie, this guy is a great sculptor himself and is extremely knowledgeable about bronze casting; having set up and run several foundries in his native Canada and over here in the UK. He is now based just outside Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, have a look at www.leblancfineart.com

The photos above show the piece being metal-worked and having the final patination applied so that it looks a bit like an old penny - alchemy or what!

Claire and the Band

2010-03-07T19:48:00.002Z

These photos were taken at a recent gig, I am very privileged to play bass in this band with two of my three sons; my eldest, Ben plays lead and sings as you can see, and my youngest son, Nathan plays piano and sings too. My other son Adam is indispensable as roadie! The vocalist Claire is an old colleague and friend from Hays with a super voice, and we have an even older friend Ben 2 playing on drums. We only do covers these days, including: Blondie, Sheryl Crowe, Shakira, Queen, ABBA, B52s etc. We have a lot of fun and only do enough gigs to ensure it doesn't spoil our enjoyment of playing live - I love this stuff!

work in progress

2010-03-06T19:49:00.003Z

This piece was started a couple of years ago based on some drawings I made of a model called Emma. It was made in clay on a simple wire armature, I liked the structure of the pose and it worked reasonably well from most angles. I wasn't very happy with the surface finish so I had a resin cast made by a nice chap I know called John Harvey at Wickmere near Holt in north Norfolk. This is basically car body filler and is easy to work to a smooth, even finish which I find more satisfactory.

I have prevaricated over the months and haven't yet committed this piece to casting, hey ho, maybe I'll take the plunge this year, we'll see...........