| All About Art |
Volume 1, Issue 7 |
Sponsored by Coral Coast Art Gallery
(coralcoast.com)
Art that Lives for the People You Love |
April 25, 2001 |
Happy Easter to all our loyal readers!
"If, facing the paper, your thought is 'I am an artist', you have no clue as to what to do. If the concepts of your function are, 'I am a shape maker, an
entertainer, an expressive symbol collector'.... then you have an explicit road
map to create art!"
- Edgar Whitney
Contents:
- Editor's note - Hope you all had a Happy Easter!
- Sponsorship Opportunities - Something Special Coming Up?
- Art Trivia - A challenge: Name Two "David" sculptors....
- Outstanding Art, Alternative Art - Small is Beautiful too -
Miniature Carving!
- Art Tips - Creating Your Own Carvings and Castings...
- Unsubscribe/Subscribe Instructions
Subscriptions to All About Art are free. Subscribers will not be spammed, nor will their email addresses be supplied or sold to any outside companies or identities.
If you are online, come to http://coralcoast.com/allaboutart/1.7.html and read our more attractive web incarnation - we have hyperlinks, so it's much easier to read the sections you want; we also have pictures and links to web sources, as well as back-issues! Or... Have the formatted version sent to you as email. Just subscribe again and check the HTML box.
Dear Readers,
I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter weekend! I know I did - with the knowledge that I have a whole week free (no uni), and almost all my midsemester exams done (Now I only have to survive the finals, lol!)! Free to finally work on "All About Art"... Yes, I must apologise, I have sadly neglected my poor baby (and you, my dear readers) while getting back into the 'swing' of study, but it seems he has been growing even while I was away studying! So a warm welcome to all our new readers, and I hope you send me a hello note soon, I'd love to hear from you....
And to all my loyal readers, here we are, back again, finally! The ezine has been a bit sporadic lately, as I've gotten so carried away with Maths and Java and... back to the life of a student! However, I think I have uni sorted out again, and within the month should have the ezine back to the regular schedule, with all the familiar sections you love to read (although some shifting and changing will be occuring, naturally - as your premier interactive art ezine, All About Art changes with your preferences).... So I am back to share my love of the arts with you, and to encourage you to share yours with the rest of us!
Talking about familiarity, I hope you are all familiar with our major sponsor by now - but for our new readers, do come and peek at Coral Coast Emporium (coralcoast.com) - with so much fantastic original art at such affordable prices, you'll find it hard to tear yourself away! Oh, and don't forget to check out the online version of the ezine, including hyperlinks and pictures - if you like the html format, sign up for an emailed version at the site! Well, I'll let you read on, we have some great arty easter-holiday reading for you this month - with so many new artists joining Coral Coast, we've had an influx of sculptors, so this month we'll be looking at the beautiful art of sculpture in its many forms....
Yours Sincerely
Cecilia Marrington
mailto:cecilia@coralcoast.com
Something Special Coming Up?
Have you got a great artistic event, promotion or opening happening, and you want to get art lovers flocking to your doors? Had a book, CD or e-book published recently and looking to make sales? Or maybe you are so proud of your recent masterpiece you want everyone to see it? So get the word (or pictures!) out there, advertise to over 3000 other art lovers like yourself - place an advert in "All About Art"!
This month, as an introductory special, we are offering ads at half price - US$12 per line. For a low extra $10, you can buy the sponsor spot (below the editorial); you get this spot FREE if you buy 8 or more lines!
Of course, we'll include your ad permanently in our online version of the ezine as well for free. This is spidered by all the major search engines. And we'll throw in the option to include a small picture with that online advertisement. PLUS, if you buy more than 4 lines, you will receive a year's sponsorship of a coralcoast.com art gallery page (worth $50) for free too (more links for your site)! So what are you waiting for? Don't let all these fantastic advertising opportunities go to waste - email cecilia@coralcoast.com for a quote!
Can you name two famous Renaissance artists who have depicted David in sculpture?
Donatello, who is considered the founder of modern sculpture, cast his depiction of the biblical David (the guy who conquered the giant Goliath!) in bronze. Donatello created his David in the 1430's, and the sculpture is remarkable not just for its intrinsic worth but also because it was the first nude sculpture of the Renaissance period, and the first sculpture to be cast 'realistically', rather than in the angular Gothic forms that were popular in that day. Here's another interesting fact about Donatello: born the son of a wool comber, his real name was Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi - now there's a mouthful for you!
However, by far the most famous sculptural depiction of David was Michelangelo's 4.34 meter (14' 3") carving. Michelangelo carved David between 1501 and 1504, around the time that Pope Julius II was quoted saying "[Michelangelo] is terrible, as you can see, you can do nothing with him." Indeed, unlike Donatello, who took many apprentices and to all appearances seems to have been an agreeable and unassuming man, Michelango was well known for his temper! He was said to be brusque, even rude at times, and had no apprentices nor pupils. As you can gather, he didn't have great interpersonal skills - and the emnity between Leonardo DaVinci and himself is famous!
The Timeless Art of Miniature Wood-Carving...
DDE(f) and Vadim Borovykh
Sculpture is an ancient art. Man has whittled wood since he has been able to make tools. Even the Egyptians sculpted stone thousands of years ago. The arts of sculpture are as widely varied as the arts of painting, though many people do not realise this. In modern times, contemporary sculpture has become popular (such as Nan Wollman's angular metallic works seen here), and is usually the focus of the art world. However, this month we are going to have a look at a more traditional artform that requires an amazing dedication to practise...
When 'traditional' sculpture is mentioned, the mind immediately thinks of the human form carved from stone or bronze (like the rubinesque bronze figurine here, by Priya Martin, or of course, the famous sculptures such as "David"). But what of woodcarving?
As stated before, man has whittled wood since ancient times, but some have chosen to refine the time-passing activity into art. DDE(f) and Vadim Borovykh are both Russian artists who specialise in miniature wood carving. DDE(f)'s religious subjects especially reflect the traditional origins of wood carving - during the middle ages, carvings such as his adorned churches and chapels throughout Europe. Vadim's subjects are slightly more contemporary in form and expression, but the traditional aspects are still apparent in the fine detail in his works.
In fact, DDE(f) and Vadim's works are each unique as their own creative genius is expressed through their art, but their sculptures all show a great attention to detail. Click on the image to the right and have a closer look at one of Vadim's masterpieces, his sailing ship (or just go to http://www.coralcoast.com/art/Vadim.Borovykh/H.ship1.html). This piece only took him 44 hours to create (I am amazed by the context these artists use the word 'only'!), and is selling for a mere US$91.
If Vadim's work doesn't move you, DDE(f)'s should - his "Epiphany" is a mere 13 centimeters high, yet it took him over 22 months to carve! He tells us that he put over 4650 hours of work into this tiny, beautiful piece - and I can surely believe it, for the detail will never cease to fill me with awe. To see a close-up of the work, go to http://www.coralcoast.com/art/DDE(f)/H.epiphany.html.
As an artist, I can appreciate the creative drive and motivation that can lead one to spending hours, days, even months on a project, yet even I am completely wowed by the loving dedication that Vadim and DDE(f) have put into their work. Their work puts a whole new meaning into the phrase "Timeless Art"! Words cannot express the mastery of their work - come and have a look for yourself at coralcoast.com - or jump straight to their home pages at http://www.coralcoast.com/art/Russia.emporium.html.
While you are there, have a look at Vasili Poliyakov's work - he sculpts in bronze and clay, but his work also reflects the fine detail that is common to Northern European sculpture (although the art of detail is at its highest form in wood carving...).
Or, if you would like to check out some more contemporary sculptors, come to coralcoast.com to meet all the up-coming masters:
Both Virginia's and Priya's works make wonderful gifts for under $100 AUD, so come and check them out today!
Sculpture can be a very rewarding art-form, so if you are just a beginner, jump in and experiment with any materials, whether they are wood, stone (like Bernhard's cat, opposite), clay or even cloth! However, sculpting is a difficult skill as many materials are physically hard to work with. Some of our sculptor subscribers have written in with some great tips towards creating your own sculptures. Read on, see if you agree with our 'masters', and perhaps learn a thing or two! Don't forget, if you have a tip on any form of art, please send it to cecilia@coralcoast.com and share it with all of us...
And for those of us who love art, these comments provide fascinating insight into how a sculpture is created.
- If you are interested in wood carving, try carving with all sorts of different woods as they all have their own 'personalities'. Fred wrote to say that he even tried Palm tree trunks once - he removed the pithy core and was working with the hard outer ring of wood - but he drove his flatmate insane with the noise, as every strike would boom out a very loud note! He comments that he found listening to the noise as he carved would tell him when the quality of wood was about to change.
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David agrees with Fred, adding that the change in noise when you are striking any sort of wood can indicate knots and flaws in the wood. This technique can also be used when grinding down metal to finish a piece, as the grinding noise will change slightly if gas pockets are present (air pockets will be present if you don't use a degassing agent when casting, and will ruin smooth finishes if present.). The same principle applies when carving styrofoam...
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If you are casting a sculpture, consider using styrofoam instead of clay for much sharper edges and finer detail. Just carve your design straight into styrofoam, set it straight into hard packed sand, and pour your molten metal in.
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To stop your sand from shifting and causing 'blurring' or lost detail, pack the sand very firmly around your cast. You may want to try using oil or resin 'moulders' sands as they don't shift as much, although this is more expensive. Also, try inverting the cast so that the top, or face and facial features, get cast first - if any blurring occurs it will only be at the base of the sculpture, and can often be fixed with molten steel and some aluminium oxide paints.
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Sculptors agree that it is harder to sell sculpture than 2D art. They hold that 2D artists have a much larger market to access, IF they can break into it (ie. compete with cheaper prints). The sculptor, however, must make his own market, as consumers need to be shown why they need to buy a sculpture - sculptures don't fill blank space on the wall. What do our 2D artists think about this argument? Write in and tell us all, at cecilia@coralcoast.com...
Unfortunately we can't promise you this if you send in your artistic articles, poetry and stories, but we can promise that your name and your short 5 line ad / biography will be seen by over 3000 other art lovers. What a great way to promote your services! For budding writers, getting your article published in ezines like "All About Art" may give your career a good kick start, as it will provide you with clips of published work to show publishers in traditional paying markets. So what are you waiting for? Send in your articles, stories and poems about the arts today!
Email any article or art story to Cecilia Marrington at cecilia@coralcoast.com (or just email for complete guidelines) and you will receive a personal response and review as soon as possible.
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Copyright Notice
All About Art is the product of Coral Coast Publishers and no section may be replicated without written permission from the editor (currently Cecilia Marrington - cecilia@coralcoast.com). The email format of the ezine in its entirety, along with this copyright notice, may be forwarded for personal use only. At no time may any or all sections of the ezine be used for commercial use without the knowledge and written permission of the author and of the editor of All About Art. Individual authors maintain copyright for their own pieces published within the ezine. Coral Coast Publishers have one-time electronic publishing rights of all pieces submitted for publication, plus the right to publish the submissions on the website, www.coralcoast.com.
