something different (1 Viewer)

birdpotter · Jan 17, 2007

I started a thread a long time ago with some of my work. I have changed a lot of that work; I have taken it in a slightly different direction. I would love to hear some opinions on it, mainly from a birder's perspective. Many people I have encountered have purchased a mug or platter(which are decorated with one bird or another) because they know someone who loves watching the birds, but I have yet to meet a birder who is enthusiastic about my work...or maybe I should say I have yet to meet a birder who has purchased my work.
What I have posted is of a sculpture I did recently. Two crows-just fledged. I saw them on cool afternoon huddle together in almost the exact position these two pieces are placed. The photos are not that great; I was at a show trying to sell some work and realized I had no record of these two guys and quickly took a couple of shots.

So tell me what you think. Please be completely honest. My style is not representational, although I like to keep it close. The nature of the clay comes out and I like the raw shapes and curves and marks that, I like to think, bring out the essence of the subject(s). But any constructive critism is very welcome. Improvement and change is always something to strive towards.

Thank you
Elizabeth

matt green · Jan 17, 2007

I think these are pretty quaint actually,and great fun!

They definately have that ''garden sculpture'' feel about them.I don't know how you managed to reproduce that patinated copper effect in ceramics but it is very effective,these would lend a contemporary feel to any garden or interior.

Look forward to seeing more of your work!

Matt

birdpotter · Jan 17, 2007

Thank you Matt. I don't know if I ever equated the word 'quaint' with my work, so that is interesting.
As far as the coppery look, well, that's all about magic

I am still up for any criticisms. I am only out to better my work. And now that I look at these birds, I am finding that I do not like the heads. They are lacking in their shape somehow. I must improve on that. So, if no one else will comment, I can at least come away with that!

timwootton · Jan 17, 2007

Elizabeth - surely this ALL depends on what you feel about the pieces. Of course you can solicit a random critique, but does the fact that I like them say any more about the objects and why you created them? Or are you wanting them to be 'anatomically correct' sculptures (or models) - in which case there are areas which you could work on regarding structure - BUT, and I emphasise - these are about art, not anatomy, surely? The 'expressions' are perfect - although a long way from being anatomically correct - and are far more 'lifelike' than many model sculptures I've seen. I think the surfaces are interesting and the colours are secretively lovely.
For the record - I like them - lots.

birdpotter · Jan 18, 2007

timwootton said:
Elizabeth - surely this ALL depends on what you feel about the pieces. Of course you can solicit a random critique, but does the fact that I like them say any more about the objects and why you created them? Or are you wanting them to be 'anatomically correct' sculptures (or models) - in which case there are areas which you could work on regarding structure - BUT, and I emphasise - these are about art, not anatomy, surely? The 'expressions' are perfect - although a long way from being anatomically correct - and are far more 'lifelike' than many model sculptures I've seen. I think the surfaces are interesting and the colours are secretively lovely.
For the record - I like them - lots.

Of course, how I feel about my work is what is going to keep me working. But that can only take me so far in the art world. Being an artist within a niche as clay and then placing myself into a smaller niche by working mainly on birds, puts me in this situation where although I can elicit a decent amount of helpful criticism from the clay artists I know about technique and form, few sculpt and none are birders.
Thinking about it, I would like to know if I am getting the basic anatomy of the bird across, that is, would one have an idea of what type of bird I am protraying. Most importantly, though, and you hit it on the nose, is the expression.
The essense is what I am moving towards, while still maintaining a loose anatomy of an individual species.
And of course, I just want to know if you all like them or not.

Thank you for your kind and wonderfully descriptive words. And thank you for getting me to think about and define why exactly I posted these pictures.

Best
Elizabeth

timwootton · Jan 18, 2007

Hi Elizabeth - I would encourage you to look at the work of these two artists - Madeline Goold and Harriet Mead - both (like you) take the essence of the creature and reinterpret it in a unique and distinctive way. They are exceedingly clever at identifying the most salient and characteristic elements of the creature and emphasising these, in a strong and non-fussy way. You may find some common ground here.
Both artists can be found here http://www.thelandgallery.com
and a 'google' or two may bring other stuff up. Good luck and look forward to seeing more. Tim

birdpotter · Jan 18, 2007

Fantastic Tim. Thanks.
Madeline Goold's work is astounding in the way she has minimilized her subject matter while still keeping something familiar.
I have a friend who is a metalsmith. He just had his MFA show last month. His work is similar to Goold's in catching that familiarity. He created this one of a Pileated Woodpecker, the neck alone must be four feet long and very thin. It is horizontal, stretches out from its perch. But the moment you look at it you know what it is.

I see things like that and want to get back to minimizing my work. I did it before, but felt things weren't working on that level for me.
I tell you, it is tough being an artist.

Oh, I also liked Mead's work. I really like the idea of breaking it down and with scrap metal I think not only are you doing that, but (if you want it to) it shows just how much a subject has been broken down.

I will post some more things soon.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness Tim.
Best
Elizabeth

Woody · Jan 18, 2007

Hi Elizabeth,
I like your crows too, if I were you I wouldn't get too hung up on anatomical correctness when you obviously have a talent for capturing character. These guys look like they're going to get into mischief any second now! The glazes are spot on too, lovely colourful 'black' crows.

Possibly my favourite bird sculptor is Simon Gudgeon http://www.simongudgeon.com/
Elegance of form like no other.

Woody

birdpotter · Jan 18, 2007

Woody said:
Hi Elizabeth,
I like your crows too, if I were you I wouldn't get too hung up on anatomical correctness when you obviously have a talent for capturing character. These guys look like they're going to get into mischief any second now! The glazes are spot on too, lovely colourful 'black' crows.

Possibly my favourite bird sculptor is Simon Gudgeon http://www.simongudgeon.com/
Elegance of form like no other.

Woody

Woody,
What an unbelievable artist! He really captures his subject matter.
One of my goals is to accomplish that beauty (through my own interpretation, of course) in clay, which can be a very fickle mistress. I think that is why I became interested in clay instead of any other material; there is so much to do with it-it is truly challenging. Of course, that is a good thing.

I have to say, I think Simon Gudgeon is now one of my favorite artists also.

Thanks!

birdpotter · Jun 5, 2008

Wood sculpture

So, it isn't the greatest picture, but it's what I've got. Anywhere a cut is on the sculpture there is a dark line from the grinder I was using. I left the marks there because it really brought the piece together. I don't know if they come out so well in the photo. And I have added my first oil landscape done plein aire. The photo is awful. The painting is getting washed out, but there isn't much I can do with film.
AND I have added how my little sculpture looks in front of my house and a great shot of a crow being attacked.

That's all. I hope you all find me here.

Best
Beth

nickderry · Jun 5, 2008

I'm loving it all, you've got creativity in so many things here, a wonderful sculpture, it's like you've sculpted your impressions of a tree in a tree, giving it an extra level of interest (its natural shape and its human interpretation), the landscape is lovely, with a great sense of open space, and the photo is excellent, almost like a bold ink drawing, rich in tone and interest - some exciting stuff here!

birdpotter · Jun 6, 2008

Thank you so much Nick. I have to say, will readily admit, that I barely remember taking the photo. It was purely a fluke, but a neat one nonetheless.

Woody · Jun 6, 2008

Fantastic en plein air painting Beth, inspirational. Sculpture too, very earthy and natural.

Mike

timwootton · Jun 6, 2008

Oh yes - I love the woodwork, Beth - there's a very sensuous form lying in there and the way it's cloaked in more wood relates back directly to the medium. Very lovely.
Painting is splendid and applause for the out-of-doors approach (that's been easy here recently - weather's been fabulous!). House and garden look very nice and the photo - wow! (looks like a raven getting hammered - is it?)
Great contribution - don't leave it so long next time.

birdpotter · Jun 8, 2008

Thank you Tim and Mike. My mother-in-law just gave me enough money for my birthday to go out and buy a digital camera(slightly early, but she gave my husband money to buy a brand new bicycle at the same time, so I guess she was in a very generous mood). So I won't have any excuses now...gulp.
I started a blog so that I could stop mass emailing my friends back east and I am sharing it with you all too...which means the whole birding community.:eek!:
It really isn't all that, but it's out there and I wanted you to know.
I've posted pictures of all sorts of things and eventually I will post my artwork.

Best
Beth

nickderry · Jun 8, 2008

Great blog, I'll be sure to be a regular visitor, lovely area of the world you're in.

timwootton · Jun 22, 2008

WOW - beth, what a fantastic studio space (and an incredibly erudite Blog ((and co-commentators)) you have! Looking forward to seeing the results of all that light and inspiration making it onto these (and other

) virtual pages. Get yer hands dirty, girl - that's what they were made for!
Great pics too - 'bout time.
I was going to post on your Blog - but I keep forgetting my password!!!

birdpotter · Jun 23, 2008

It's been a bit since I have been able to spend any time on the forum. First I am going to post some pictures that were poorly taken and THEN I am going to try to hop over to everyone else's spot and check out what's been going on.

The first one is a landscape of one of my favorite spots, but I don't like that foreground. It looks very 14yearoldish to me.
The second was a quicky that turned out nice. I will give that one to my mom for her birthday which was last month...heh.
The next two are just crappy photos. I attached both so maybe you could see the whole thing.
The last is a birthday painting, so to speak. In twenty minutes I will be a year older(actually not until 10:10pm tomorrow night but that's getting a wee picky about it), and I thought I should finish this year up with the beginning of something new. So here is the start of my first painting of birds. You can barely see them started there. I wasn't sure where I wanted to put them until I had the basics of the flowers and background in. I will post it when it is done. Hopefully I won't have such an awful flash on it like this one.
I started a sculpture, but it turned out completely not the way I wanted so it's back to the drawing board with it. Right now I am messing with the pieces of this latest one trying to create something possibly interesting that the art world will all ooh and ahh over and wonder what kind of artistic mind could produce such a work of art.

This place is really inspirational. I have found so many great places where I could work for days on just landscapes or just birds.
Hope to hear from you on the blog Tim!
Best
Beth

timwootton · Jun 23, 2008

Some very fine paintings here Beth - I agree with your assessment of the first two - spotting what's right and wrong in a painting is one of the hardest things to nail down, but therein lies th path to greater understanding and progress. The red-hot pokers are beautifully caught - great colour and great design - love 'em. I have an issue or two with the large landscape - and it's really about 'Art' I suppose. What you have done is painted one of the most beautiful distant landscapes and then (probably because they were there) dissected it with these pier posts. I personally, would urge you to wipe out a couple (the left-hand ones) and repaint the background. This painting needs the space for the viewer to explore and these poles break up the vista too much. The two on the right are fine - they add foreground interest, but again I would make the one to the left slightly receed, adding a further illusion of depth. You could then have a little party of gulls winging their way through the centre-ground, or something else?
It's a really fab piece, Beth - just needs your creative and discerning eye to make it a masterpiece.
Good luck.

timwootton · Jun 23, 2008

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! B

(I can't see your name on the 'roll of honour' for today's birthdays - are you hiding it from BF?)

something different (1 Viewer)

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