Sculpture Trails Workshop Installation
Sculpture Trails 2018
It started with a concept...
Overlooking the Rocky Mountains this summer at about 8,500ft my pen was whizzing along. That fresh mountain air, nothing like it. I ended up on this path of energy, stretching, contouring, and engaging the form with velocity. I wanted something with tension and turmoil, negative space and simplicity. And so it began.
- These are some of the original sketches
- I tend to draw from multiple angles so as to really "see" the forms
- I don’t always sketch on graph paper but sometimes it helps contextualize my ideas
The Magical Place: Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, Solsberry, Indiana
The Workshop process and Installation of Cast Iron art in the natural environment
Throughout the month of July, 15-20 “interns” from Art schools nationally & internationally congregate at a little gem hidden in the tree covered hills of Indiana. This place is Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum. It not only has 2+ miles of walking trails but it is covered in outdoor sculptures from artists across the world. The workshops held every summer include all types of metal casting but the primary “reason for the season” is Cast Iron. It takes a lot of work to make a furnace spew out 2,600+ degree molten cast iron, but this place is up for the challenge.
I was honored this summer to install one of my own pieces in this collection of amazing outdoor sculpture. Here is the process!
Challenge
Countless hours of sweat labor go into making cast iron art. Just simply producing the molten metal is a monumental task requiring a team to operate the furnace. Then there is the actual making of the sand molds that you pour the metal into. It takes a real team of brainstorming, thinking and rethinking of how to make your art turn out right. This is the ultimate place for collaboration, teamwork and artwork of tremendous size. I am honored to have access to this little slice of metal heaven.
Value
Lifelong friends and art contemporaries have been made here as well as a wealth of knowledge gained. This is where I do research on honing my craft as an artist and metal caster and that time is invaluable. Please consider donating to this magical place through this link:
