Ink and Hot Glue

I  have been working on these for the past few days. I pulled out the dusty glue gun and combined it with the alcohol inks. I am obsessed with the transparent curly glue lines. The bottom piece was from the day before I pulled out the gg.  Sometimes I just need to paint. I am about to start a seven foot sculpture of Israel,  and this is what I am doing.  Creativity is an interesting process to watch. Especially your own.

New Work- Cartogram Series Maquettes

 I know it has been a while but I am back!  I have been working on some smaller, more affordable pieces lately.  I hope you like them.

Armenia

Bangladesh

Georgia

Algeria 

Uganda

Lebanon

North Korea

Pakistan

New Work- This tornado loves you

  Another venture into new territory.  This is my 3rd year in the Plates and Totems Invitational at the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville, CA. This year I decided to make a totem.  Wow, I had no idea how challenging this would be. The engineering was a learning experience!  I think it came out pretty well. I titled it after the Nico Case song This tornado love you.  This pic is from my iphone.  Better images to come in the future.

New Work- Oliver's Travels

Oliver's Travels

     I have been absent from the blog for a while so I thought it was time for a peek at what I have been working on in my studio.  I have been venturing outside my comfort zone lately, first working on the basketball player, and now a dog. I was invited to submit a dog to the Bark Show at the John Natsoulas Gallery.  I was inspired by my student Terry's Italian Greyhound Oliver. It was fun to work on a new form.  I studied with Jeff Downing and watched him make many dogs over the years.  I think that this came in very handy.  Thanks Jeff!

Art meets Science: Views of the Arab World

I am excited to be featured on Ben Hennig's Views of the World blog today.  I have been using his maps to create my Constructed Cartogram Series.  Ben's blog is facinating. I hope you enjoy checking it out.  Thanks Ben for the feature and for all of your fabulous maps.
http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/?p=2171

New work- Lighting conundrum

  Last night I had Jay Jones over to photograph my new work.   He and I are having an ongoing conversation about capturing the surface of my sculptures with stark shadows versus the soft lighting that most people are using these days. I am including the soft lighting version of Qatar for an example. I  like them both, but wonder which style shows the surface treatment better? I like the dramatic lighting, but is it too much? I would love some opinions on this issue. Thanks!

Egypt

Qatar dramatic lighting

Qatar soft lighting

Afghanistan

Fukushima crossing the North Pacific

Egypt, vellum drawing

Kuwait, vellum drawing

Libya, vellum drawing

Collaborating with Veronica De Jesus

by Veronica De Jesus

I am excited to be collaborating with Veronica De Jesus on a sculpture of this basketball player that she drew. We had our first work day today at my studio.  She is sculpting the head and I roughed out the shoes, legs, and started the the shorts.  He is going to a very big guy.  I have never made a figure this large. I know we are in for some challenges but I think we are up for it. We are using Dixon clay and building the armature out of half inch pipe.  Check out Veronica's fabulous work on her website. www.veronicadejesus.com  I will post new updates as the piece progresses.  Wish us luck!