Christmas ornaments have become an annual artistic activity. Little sculptures (usually kinetic) that often represent some part of life or type of artwork from the year prior.
We have been learning to swing dance and that is why the dance design.
After some sketching and experimenting, some balancing and bending, this swinging dancing mobile ornament emerged.
It has been a long move from the last studio to this new space. More time has been spent packing, moving and unpacking tools and artwork than actually making things.
I think some downsizing and focus will help.
There are new shops and galleries looking at my work and it seems to make sense that the first images that appear on this site are available for sale.
So there will be a bunch of re-posts of pieces that are still in my possession.
Also, it will be good to spend more time with the WordPress community!
Remember this one?
Bright orange! No black on this one.
There are five or so new circle mobiles from last winter that are being finished and painted now that the weather is better for paint to dry. There is a make-shift spray booth in my studio that is small and not great to use so waiting for good outdoor conditions is better for me.
There will be more effort to include colors this round thanks to input and encouragement from helpful bloggers and followers. Thank you!
Kinetic sculpture is one of my favorite art forms. Not just because the sculptures move and change. It is also because of the balance. Balance to me is art.
Balance is one of those concepts that seems to be expressed in all aspects existence.
Physical balance is how many of us love to play. Whether it is counterbalancing artwork or shifting one’s weight doing a favorite activity. Without it we are doomed!
Balance rewards us in many ways when we maintain it. Losing our balance also has many, often painful and destructive, ways to remind us of how dependent we are on it.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite lines, “it’s all about balance”.
The 2017 Christmas decoration came out like this.
I was not very excited about it this time. The design usually comes from the forms of recent artwork projects.
This year more time was spent packing and moving art than making it.
So, it makes sense that this is an old shape with a little holiday add on.
The good part is no one hated it and a few thought it was the best yet!
Roosters seem to be everywhere.
Recent trips abroad have proven the popularity of the rooster motif as seen in homes, shops, advertisements, graffiti, glassware, jewelry, sculpture, painting…..
Yes, even ChristopherPollockArt has made and sold a few rooster pieces.
During this trip to Lisbon, Portugal, there is time to do some artwork while my wife meets with some coworkers (The main reason for the trip).
Tools and materials are limited basically to wire and pliers. So why not ad a new spin on the rooster design?
There was this rooster design.
There were a few incorporated into mobiles like this. (Notice the rooster on the wall paper in the background of the home the mobile is installed in.)
There were some others in mixed farm scene mobiles as well.
The inspiration to make a kinetic rooster design came from seeing this large moving sculpture in Lisbon.
These hands have bent many kinetic birds that stand and move like that rooster.
Mixing the rooster and bird designs seemed like it would be a good project for Lisbon.
So it began.
Some of you kind readers have asked to see more of the process, so here goes.
It starts with an coming up with an idea, as just described.
Then there is usually some doodling.
Then the prototype is started.
The prototype stages are where you really learn the most. This one has not gone well from the start. First of all it should have been larger. Small is very nice, but it is much harder to do, so it is a bad idea for a prototype.
Step by step you go. (I forgot to mention the use of image searches like you see on the computer.)
Just keep bending, bending,bending….
At this stage it was clear that the wings were too small to counterbalance the design intended for the head and eye part.
There was to be a slightly different beak and a “waddle” hanging below the balancing loop of the head and eye piece. Larger wings should add enough weight for that to work in following attempts. You see the rejected part in the foreground.
There you have it!
This object came to me as a brass kick plate on an old door. It is possible this piece was some other brass object before it was recycled into the kick plate. Now it is an activity sensor disguised as a mobile that hangs in my living room.
It hangs from our ceiling and the top two “s” shaped plates are not attached. They just balance on a recessed point. They have lots of movement.
My children and their friends seem to manage to send it crashing to the floor more often than they think I am aware of.
Regular inspection of this object revels when it has been knocked about the living room. Often the clues are subtle irregularities in the wires or balance. I sometimes am happy the boys are so good at mobile repair and balancing. Other times I just imagine what kind of misbehavior has been taking place in my living room!
So you may have noticed that the Christopher Pollock Art posts have slowed down some.
The problem is that snowboarding is too much fun!
There is an art to play. Sculpting a good life is artwork too!
Right?
May never know exactly how many of these dancing stick art pieces I’ve made. Making myself try to Continue reading Another Dancing Stick Sculpture #012116
Found some old images of early artwork.
Flat cuts and minimal shaping are telltale signs of the first years.
Keeping track and remembering is why this blog was begun. So here is a little (about 3 inches tall) example of a twig sculpture made years ago.
Recently some photos (yes, actual photographs) were found. May have to take digital pics of the photos to keep up to date.
Another stick sculpture to get the new year going.
This one looks like it would make a good bracelet holder!
It is not tall enough to hang ties from.
They don’t seem interested in doing much but dancing anyway.
They have done the tree thing.
They have had their leaves and seasons.
Why not just enjoy the dance?
Merry Christmas!
This year’s Christmas ornament is this star mobile.
