RandyHand's avatar
Good to hear!
They really are the only fairies that give me that 'Homer Simpson with a doughnut' reaction. :)

I guess it was a bit of a slowing for a small stretch of time. Didn't realize how long it's been since I've worked
on something really big. I've been picking away at small and medium sized things. I guess the turtle I did that is 31 inches tall was the biggest project in that
stretch of time. At the end of the year it's looking like I'll be doing some realistic Alaskan wildlife in bronze. The client hasn't figured out the scale yet. I'll get to do a moose, a bear
a deer, a seal, and a bald eagle (and maybe some sled dogs?). Realism isn't my favorite thing to do but it will be good for pushing me in a different direction. I've also been doing patina work lately. Not sure if I've ever told you but I used to patina artistic bronze at a foundry for 6 1/2 years. This was a long time ago before I went off on my own selling my sculptures. A friend asked if I would patina one of her pieces and then all of a sudden a bunch of people found out I was doing patinas again. It's really good money and relaxing for me so it's been kind of a nice change of pace for me for a bit. The only pain in the butt is that it's not my own work.
Kaduflyer's avatar
Th Alaskan wildlife project seems very cool. I don't often get a chance to do that kind of thing…professionally that is, I guess I could do it at home if I chose. Wracking my brain here to think what and all I can remember is horses and sealions…oddly I've actually done more sealions, years ago I did two projects back to back and both required sealions, young and old…oh yeah andy I've just finished a project that had me sculpt a sort of ape…can't say anything else as I'm still bound by my NDA.

You did tell me you started as a foundry man doing patinas….sometimes its nice to kick back and do something that just brings in the money (but that is still enjoyable). Before working in the film industry I worked on a farm for 4 years…but nobody ever asks me to drive tractors anymore..lol! Before that I was a sign writer for 6 years…I get asked to that when people find out but always refuse (though I still have my brushes somewhere)…I freaking hated it and it was a bad time of my life that I'd rather forget to be honest. 
RandyHand's avatar
It should end up being a lot of fun. I'm going to have to be really patient with myself and not try to rush each animal.

Horses would definitely be a challenge. There's a lot of people doing horse sculptures but not many get the anatomy right, or they just don't make them very dynamic.
Sea lions seem like they would be easy but I can see where getting those forms to read like the weight is there would be a challenge as well.
I'd love to see images of your sea lions if you have any hanging around.
Now my curiosity is peaked...an ape like sculpt. Looking forward to that one. (Is it related to something that rhymes with Shmoctor Shmoo?)

I love hearing about what people did in their past. Especially when it involves not being afraid to get your hands dirty.
I've worked on farms as well. I also drove a tree transplanter for about 5 or 6 years. I would drive this big truck that had giant hydraulic spades attached to it. I dig a hole and then go pluck a tree from a tree farm (sometimes 30 feet tall) and transplant it to that hole.
For a few years in high school and even my college summers, I would run a crew of 6-7 people and we would travel to farmers bean fields and walk up and down the rows pulling the weeds and cleaning out these huge fields of soybeans. All I wanted was a job that was outside so I could bleach my hair and tan my body. (what a knob I was)

Sign painting doesn't sound fun. I think the preciseness of it would drive me insane.
I've had those kinds of jobs that remind me of 'lower' periods in my life. Definitely makes me appreciate what I have today.
Have a great weekend man!
All my best to you,
Take care
Kaduflyer's avatar
Dynamism in the sort of work I do professionally is very rare. Since most of what I sculpt is going to be a make up, or puppet or moved with animatronics we have to sculpt everything in a neutral position (eyes half closed, mouth part open etc) to allow the puppeteer, actor or mechanisms to do all the dynamic stuff. The problem is it gets to become a habit, so I find it very difficult to get movement into my personal work…I always think everything looks a bit posed and static…it's why I admire work like yours so much…it's admiration mixed with just a pinch of envy!

The ape like thing has nothing to do with schmoctor schmoo no..it was for a movie…but alas I'm still bound by NDA's so can say nothing more…sorry!

That tree transplanter sounds fun…I would have enjoyed having a go with that. The closest I got to that would be taking a JCB (I think you guys would call that a back hoe) to tear out our orchards….every farm in my corner of the world grew apples so the price was crap and we turned it all over to grain crops. Tearing down trees is kinda fun, but the hippy in me would have preferred transplanting them!

Doesn't every guy get body obsessed at some time in his life?…and lets face it we all look better with a tan. I was darker than many of my black friends during my farming days (which kinda makes a nonsense of the whole black/white thing!)…and my hair was almost white (I have to bleach it these days…lol). Had to smile at the your use of the term 'knob'…I thought that was slang peculiar to us Brits!
RandyHand's avatar
I would have never thought about that. I can definitely see where that would be difficult at times.
I've got a buddy that sculpts at Pixar and he's been working on characters for them for so long, he doesn't
know what his own personal style is right now.

Looking forward to seeing what is behind the ape like thing!

Yeah, that tree transplanter was actually fun. It was nice because I was able to work on my own for much of the time. The worst day I had
working with it was when I had to transplant a huge amount of trees for an evangelical church. One of the members of the church insisted on riding
with me the whole day. Every time I plucked a tree from the field this guy would greet the pastor of the church with "Hey Brother Bob!" and the pastor would reply "Hey Brother Roy!" "It's sure looking more empty here!"  "It sure is!"
Then when we planted the tree at the church they would repeat the same phrases only they would replace the last part with "It sure is filling up!" "It sure is!"....
I was ready to scream by the end of the day.
I would find it difficult to tear out a perfectly good tree but it would be fun to run a backhoe.

Ha haha...yeah...I think a large percentage of us do get body obsessed!
When I was working at the foundry that casts my work, I would get to the gym EARLY, and work out for a few hours....go to work, come home, go for a bike ride and then sculpt all night and repeat the process the next day. I remember pinching skin and being
 annoyed thinking it was fat. (kind of a reverse male version of anorexia...ha ha)
Okay, gotta get my first cup of morning tea in me and get to sculpting.
Have a great week mate!
Take care
Kaduflyer's avatar
I can empathise totally with your friend at Pixar. As a commercial artist it's actually a bit of a boon to be able to adapt to many styles of work…to chameleonise if you like….as it means you can work more. But after over 20 years of doing that I to am at a bit of a loss as to what I'M about as an artist or what I have to say as an artist.

And body image? Well I'm way older than I like to admit and I still work out and look after myself…and why not eh?…it beats being a pot bellied unhealthy old dude with man boobs!!! 

Hmmm?….using 'knob' AND drinking tea??…you sure you're not British??
RandyHand's avatar
As far as being able to express your own personal style, do you think you'd prefer 2D or would you rather do it sculpturally or both?

If I don't watch out, I'm going to be pot bellied and man boobed...The older I get, the harder it is to
keep off those unwanted pounds.

Maybe British in another life?...ha haha...I was a hard core coffee drinker until about a year and a half ago. Our acupuncturist suggested switching to
Green Tea and it's been a nice switch.
Kaduflyer's avatar
Ah…nonononononnono!!….green tea isn't Tea….Tea is brown and has milk and sugar (and preferably a nice biscuit to dunk in it!). I'm afraid you don't get the 'honourary Brit' award for green tea…sorry!!….lol

I've held my 'fighting weight' of about 155lbs (I'm a small guy) for many years now and intend to keep it forever…I can't scoff down as many Big Macs as I used to without consequences any more but other than that I think I can avoid the man mammeries for most of my life!!

As for developing my own style in 2 or 3D?….I really don't distinguish between the two. I originally wanted to be a writer (and still have some ambitions in that field) and my art is simply another way of telling my stories…what medium I use is dependent on what fits best the story I wish to tell. I'm also kinda finikerty…when I'm sculpting I want to be painting and drawing, when I'm painting and drawing I want to be sculpting…I'm like a kid who just wants, wants, wants!!! 
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