Cowboys and Indians series

This is work from an old series where I was working with plastic cowboys and indians, welding them together and making large color woodcuts at the same time. I am interested in the idea of the small world of the toy standing in for a more global issue. If I remember correctly, these were done in 2001. They have some relevance to the strategy I am trying with the oil clay relief I am working on now.

a relief

While the parts for the monster that eats things with its rollers sit waiting for me to get back to them, I started another project.

I saw some drawings for paintings Pernilla's studio, landscapes quickly rendered in pen, just quick sketches; and wanted to make some more representational work. I started this relief in oil clay. It is stuck on an old melamine drafting tabletop, so it is fairly large by my standards. The hope at the moment is to have an Iowa landscape with cornfields and grain elevators in the distance. In the foreground with a shift in perspective will be the fire monster burning a thistle, in a cornfield. I am trying to get two pictures in one, to give the idea of microcosm (small world) and larger context for that small world.

It is shaping up to look like some wood cut prints I did about 7 years ago.

After the monster

After the fire monster, I thought a similar creature with case hardened steel rollers for jaws would be just the thing. I milled grooves in a 2 inch piece of steel, then transfered it to the lathe to drill out the middle and cut some relief into the two ends. Casehardening was an interesting experiment, I had never done it before. Used Kasenit, this black powder stuff that comes in a can. You heat the steel red hot, roll it in the powder, then heat it again before quenching in cold water. It puts an almost glass hard case on mild steel, neat stuff.

the monster

As yet untitled, this piece was a response to Mr. Fox-Morgan's ceramic piece. He makes a lot of paper sculptures, so I wanted to make a sculpture that could stand up to his work. Hence the steel sculpture covered in steel wool reinforced concrete and equipped with flame thrower. I liked working with the concrete/steel-wool composite material, but I am not sure if it is right for the image. I have since bought some flame proof glass fiber fabric and thread, hopefully a plush version is on the way.

untitled flame thrower

Made of steel, steel wool, concrete, hydraulic brake line, a pump oiler, and an oil can. Uses lamp oil for the pilot light and naptha for the fuel.

the gift that started a monster.

This piece was a gift from Mark Fox-Morgan, a very talented and generous man. It has been an inspiration to me lately, inspiring a flame-throwing knock off toy. My knock off does not compare to the grace of Mr. Fox-Morgan's ceramic sculpture.

finger powered engine

Here is another piece that has been around a while, again overcoming mechanical difficulties.  It is a finger powered engine.  Steel, brass, and bronze.  I never put a fine finish or finger pedal on it, but it is a fun mechanism.

machine for knocking things over

I made this piece a couple years ago.  Originally I was going to make a train of destructive toys, kind of a super tabletop destruction play set.  I ran into mechanical difficulties at the time, but my skills have improved... who knows.  Any how, it sort of relates to some of the stuff I have been working on lately.