OnGrowing Art: A minor change

Friday, January 23, 2009

A minor change

Every so often I get emails from some of you (and a phone call or two) expressing justified frustration at not being able to open Lithicvision.com. As near as I can guess (and that is the right word) this is due to some tracking code I have tried to install on my site that isn't compatible or didn't take properly. This is what is preventing some browsers from opening the page. Well, it is gone now (and with it the info it provided me). Let's hope this is the needed solution. Thanks for your patience.

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A R T I S T I C G O A L S & P H I L OS O P H Y

ARTIST STATEMENT

Nature is my inspiration, the Sonoran Desert my touchstone. An appreciation of my environment was instilled through being out in the desert and learning about the many wonders it contains as a child. I have been collecting plants for 25 years and prior to starting my career as an artist, worked for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum making exhibits. I derived tremendous satisfaction from my work there because it was an opportunity to educate people, to contribute to my community and be a part of a greater good. Fundamentally, I was acting on my belief that education develops appreciation, and that we protect that which we value.

In my own work I carry forth that same intention and express this through concerted efforts to educate my clients about the nature of what, why, and how I do my work. I bring to my work an unusual combination of practical knowledge coupled with a creative aesthetic sensibility. All of the skills I have acquired and draw upon in my work are the means to this end - a greater awareness and appreciation of the world around us. My skills make the stones in the path I have had to take to realize my dreams, to get to a better place. I take it as a responsibility to create with an awareness of the environment we are a part of and respect for the community we create. Our intentions create our future.

I mold concrete, weld steel and incorporate plants in a harmonious synthesis of color, texture and form in a manner that is exceptionally realistic, highly organic and abstract. Cast stone that is balanced and holistic in an effort at creating a rich, soothing and beautiful environment. My work can be discreet or serve as a focal point in any environment. I produce finely crafted works of art with an eye to putting a smile on your face. Simply put, I make beauty. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I do making it.

"How do you do that"

or, “Are those rocks real?”, or “How do you cut the holes in those rocks?”, or ”Where do you find all those cool rocks with holes in them?”.
First, I find a rock with the right character, the right contour and texture; ones with just the right crack or cavity to place a plant into. Ideally it has multiple options for this so I can get a greater range of end uses. I also keep an eye to being able to combine it with other molds so I can make bigger rocks (think modular). It also has to be small enough to be transported back to the studio. This is a great excuse to wander aimlessly in the desert, something that I enjoy tremendously. Given how many amazing rocks there are in this world I have quite a few great candidates waiting in the wings right now, but I’m always looking for more.
After cleaning off the dirt and determining its’ best orientation I apply the first of several layers of latex and cheesecloth. The first layer of latex is the most important, the one that captures all the detail. If this one isn’t done properly all the work done after won’t make any difference in the finished cast. Like most things, the foundation determines the strength of everything on top of it. When the first layer is completely dry, a second thin coat is applied and dried. While the third coat is still wet, small strips and patches of cheesecloth are embedded in the liquid latex, each overlapping the other by approximately ¼”. This layer and all additional layers should be thin enough to thoroughly dry before the next layer is applied. If the latex isn’t completely dry the next layer will seal the liquid latex in and the mold will rip apart at that point when removed from the rock. When this process is complete seven layers of cheesecloth will have been applied over the course of several days. The result is a strong flexible mold that duplicates exactly the shape and texture of the rock.
The mold is then filled with a mixture of high-strength fast-setting mortar that has a combination of tile grout and/or concrete dye mixed into it to provide the bulk of the color seen in the finished cast. If it gets chipped or scratched the color will be more or less the same. Nor will it peel or fade like paint will.
When the mortar has set enough the cast is removed from the mold. After assessing the color and shape I select the location for the plant to be placed, followed by trimming the edge of the cast, the “bottom”, to ensure that it will be flush when set flat on the ground. The last step in this phase is clearing up any flaws or blemishes on the surface of the cast.
The next step is placing the bottom. A layer of mortar is spread out atop a sheet of plastic in roughly the same shape of the cast, approximately ½”- ¾” thick. While still wet a hole is cut the size of a nickel where the drain hole will be. Then the cast is pressed into the mortar and whatever gaps there may be are filled and the excess is scraped away from the edge of the cast.
When the bottom has dried enough to be lifted, the final edges are trimmed off and my initials and year are cut into the bottom.
The final step is to apply a stain to the rock; the casts frequently look too new and clean and have to be weathered. With the addition of soil and the right plant, my world is a little bit more beautiful than it was before, and I don’t have as many rocks in my head. You can now have a little bit more beauty as well; something I know we all need more of.

OnGrowing Art

Friday, January 23, 2009

A minor change

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