Ladies and Gentlemen, Jonah's Done!

A "man of steel" who is unaware that

he's going down!

Jonah, a Man of Steel, 2011, 18" long x 10" wide x 15.5" high, clay and antique gells

Photo's: Cliff Derksen

I was very happy as I left my studio today. I have finally, after a few attempts, been able to complete a sculpture that is very near my heart.

The subject of this sculpture was instrumental in making me who I am today. Jonah and his story became an uncomfortable yet very encouraging kick start to my personal spiritual renewal. Because of this I agonized over how he should not only be crafted, a "he-man" blindly driving a sinking boat. But what colors should I chose to compliment this mindset.

A mind-set that I began to understand was a reality for me and is a reality for a lot of men today.

Therefore it would be the color that would make him look "right" as a sculpture.

I chose finally to go metallic. This would correspond with his inner issues of going it his own way,  And, living life blind to reality, destroying himself and others as he lives with this masculine “straight jacket” that will eventually destroy him, despite his delusions of strength and power.

The iron or metal look I believe goes well with this idea and makes the presentation complete.

I for one, like it.

"An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment."

Prov. 18:1



Silver Applied

A metallic silver base color.

On my way to the studio I picked up more of the metallic colors I needed for Jonah, and immediately went to work giving him that first coat.

Above you see the results of "phase one" of the coloring process.

What do you think? Can you see how the "metallic" aspect communicates his character. Namely things like; unbending, cold, harsh, brash and so on. That will be more obvious when the next color is applied.

If you look closely at the water at the base of the boat, you will see a hint of blue (which I had applied earlier) showing through the silver! Love it.

Next, I will be applying the black gel over-top this silver. I know that sounds crazy but trust me, it will be amazing. (I hope!) Once applied I will take a damp cloth and rub the black away at areas of highlight or interest to bring out the silver beneath. I am so looking forward to see what that will look like! Yes, I'm just as curious as you are!

"Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay."  Dan. 2:41



Smashing through the "Wall of Color"!

I did a very quick test run of the "color" on my sample Jonah.

Will the real Jonah please stand up.

I have not been going to my studio much because I've been kind of stalled. 

Let me explain. You see I have been not only working in my studio but also at my business. My business keeps interrupting my art! One of the biggest interruptions lately has been that I have injured myself! Yes, it is true. My true male masculine self doesn't like to admit it but I have to say I have been slightly "slowed down." I had to cover for one of my staff, and I had to clean 6 places in one weekend. At the very first place I lifted a very heavy mat to flip it over and forgetting it's weight was not prepared for the strain and sure enough, pulled some muscles in my upper back. Well, it did not hurt that bad at the time and so I continued working. That was Saturday. The next day in the afternoon I continued cleaning the four places left, and it became a marathon of pain.

I could have stopped but no...never considered it. Kept going and made what would have been a minor injury into a major, life effecting, muscle twitching painful experience. So, I have been recuperating now for a while..

But I have not stopped working on my art! I have been "thinking" (I know, hard to believe) ...about color.

You see I have been continuing to create new work, some are bisqued some are not. But both the dried work, the bisqued, and the green ware, are all on my shelves waiting to be finished. I had hit the wall. The wall of coloring my work. "I have to deal with it" I thought, "and it might as well be now while I'm too sore to spend much time in the studio."

So I have been thinking about what colors to use to finish my sculptures.

This is an issue for me and a lot of artists working with ceramics. We enjoy the creating part of the work but are loath to deal with the surface color issue. Do we use glaze? Maybe under-glazes? What colors work best with what I'm trying to say with each piece? Should there be texture to the surface? Should I use a wash? But again what color do I use and what should my pallet of colors be? Maybe I should go monochrome! OK, but again then, what color of monochrome should I use? What is my "voice in surface and color"?

All through the joy of creating my pieces I have had this one sobering thought....what color will I make this piece? And since I could not come up with a definitive answer, I put it off.

BUT NO LONGER!

I had begun to color Jonah, but I just was not satisfied with it. It did not really reflect the essence of the character of the prophet. It might have looked nice but nice is not the answer here. I needed his essence oozing out of the color of the work.

I have memorized Jonah, and have come to understand him as a grumpy stubborn man who is not happy to obey God's orders to deliver a message to the Ninevites. After all, these were the bitter enemies of his country and the people of Israel. They raided their towns and villages, venting their rage in cruel and unspeakable ways. They were hated by Israel and by Jonah. None of Jonah's friends would understand him going to preach to these barbarians. What if they repent and God forgives them? Horrors! No one, not even Jonah wants that to happen. As far as he's concerned these people don't deserve even the chance to repent, and he's afraid to preach because he knows that God is long-suffereing and forgives those who repent, and he doesn't want that to happen to these pagan, beastly, idol worshiping, war mongering enemies of Israel.

So, I gave him a Rottweiler head. A stubborn, tough, prone to disobey breed of hounds. Secondly the color should reflect his attitude of "I want to do things my way" life style.

With all of this in mind, I stood before what seemed to me millions of color choices and glaze options at "Sounding Stone". Finally, after a few visits I remembered a figure I'd done over 5 years ago.  "I am the Gate". I'd painted him with two different colors of gel, then wiped the second coat off at points I wished to highlight to reveal the undercoat of color. It turned out great. The light went on.

I asked for the "antique gel" section and found some colors to match the character of Jonah. I chose metallic colors, silver and black. This was Jonah, the hard surface of metal said it all, unforgiving, cold, unfeeling, harsh. Something that could be imagined bashing it's way through life. That's it! (fist pump) I got it!

Not only that, but I believed this technique would work for the rest of my stuff. With different colors of course. Unbelievable, I had my color and "surface voice" for my pieces.

OK, Now I feel a lot wait off my shoulders and, my back feels a lot better too.

" Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, "We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?"   

Gen. 37:32

 



Give the Lady a hand...

Lady Justice with her new arm and hand.

The dowel support is standing on the base to hold it in

position till it is dry enough to support itself,

especially while it is wrapped up for night.

(I think she's too serious, maybe a joke...)

I was on my way to the studio knowing that the next step would be critical in the development of my "Lady Justice". Her left arm and hand.

First of all I found out the angle I'd begun when I first made the initial arm was not a good angle. I wrapped it in wet chamois and let the arm soften with moisture for a while. During this time I worked on details like making her ears, having them stick out from under the blindfold and smoothing her out, removing rough edges etc.

Then back to the arm,  To get the arm into the right angle, I cut the arm at the elbow and experimented with a new angled cut. After a few tries I got the correct angle and reattached the arm. Then I took new clay and build up the arm, checking it for correct body proportions etc. Then I came to the wrist. Taking some fresh clay I fashioned a hand looking like a mitt, and connected it to the arm. After this, I had to make a brace standing on the base to hold up the arm and the hand in its correct position. The extension of the arm make it impossible for the arm to stay in its correct position, especially with the weight of the plastic used to wrap her up for the next day.

Then on the next day (which was today) I found the arm much dryer and was able to begin carving the correct form of the arm and the details of the hand. This hand will be holding the scale so it needs the fingers going down into a "holding" position.

Tomorrow I build the DNA morphing out of her side into the arm. This will be structured in such a way that it will not only make the symbolic point in the sculpture but will be a main support for the extended arm. (Double duty eh? I like that!)

It has been going well but slow due to the extreme extension of the arm. 

"The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!...." 1 Cor. 12:21

Lady Justice Has Changed...

My new (incomplete as yet) Lady Justice, 24" high.

See her right arm and the sword morphing into DNA.

Her left arm will hold her scales.

A detail of the arm and sword.

Notice the clay brace on her foot to keep her from collapsing while drying.

This is a detail of the "stand" beginning with law books and binders

of the old order mophing into DNA at the top.

I was on my way to my studio and I had an idea. As I've been thinking about the trial I mused about "Lady Justice", goggled her and realized it's mostly "old school"! Yes, there has been some efforts to bring her up to date, new clothes, new "sexy" looks and so on, but from my experience I see the whole justice system moving, in some ways kicking and screaming, into the digital age. This is my effort to express the incredible change and impact DNA has had, in a very very short time. Looks to me like everyone is kind of reeling with the dizzying possibilities and results of DNA on and in the justice system.

The sculpture is not finished, the scales and what they will weigh is another decision. I have some ideas floating around...

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Gen 4:9

Surprise Reasons for Vacationing...

   Don't worry how he looks, he's happy I'm back!

So I went to my studio...

as soon as I could after we got back from our vacation trip. I could not wait to see all my guys, see how they were doing and bringing them up to snuff on everything. I noticed that they had not changed a lot. Other than having dried some in the heat, things seemed much the same.

Except, I realized I’d changed. I had to explain that I’d actually gained a new perspective, or two.

For example I had to admit that I really missed my studio. That I had thought about it a lot, and according to my traveling companion I also talked about it all the time. That I was possibly a bit too anxious to get back home I suspect, for her liking.

Also, that since the art show was about 7 months away it was important to kind of step back and prioritize my creative work. Discipline myself to make a list of artwork that might be “relevant” for the show in Feb. What feelings and issues did I really want to express? I could tell all my guys in the studio thought that had been a good idea.

Then I had to do some thinking and planning about how I would go about making enough time for myself to make all of these items. I explained that I had a plan that I could realistically implement. I could hear the applause.

So, now that my business stuff for the end of July is done and I can get down to it. I’m  glad I had the vacation and I’m glad I’m back. Let’s turn on the music, the coffee maker and get busy....

“The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day...”   Exodus 5:13

A Creative Vacation...

So I went to the studio...

On Saturday, the day before we were planning to leave for our vacation trip I dropped into my studio for the difficult task of seeing that all would be ok for my being away for two weeks.

I gently un-wrapped the hands sculpture to check the repair on the cracks that had showed up and I had repaired earlier. It looked good. They were gone. Now I needed to repair the under-glaze that was disturbed in doing that repair. Plus, I needed to put another coat of Ivory over the cuffs and paint in the dark tones on the cuffs and the lower arms. This I did slowly and with the knowledge this would be the final coating before the bisk firing. I ended with going over the whole thing and doing the final touch-ups of all colors. (black, Ivory, and yellow)

I have come to a decision on a working title for this hands piece. I’m thinking...“6.5 Weeks”. This refers to the time that it took to find Candace and therefore the amount of time her body lay frozen in the shed. The more I think about it I like it.

Now, what will I be doing on my vacation? Will I do anything regarding my art? After all, I have to plan art pieces for the art show that my Daughter Odia and I are doing in January of 2012. We are planning to major on pieces inspired by the loss of Candace and the trial which took place this February and is still not quite over. We now have the appeal to go through yet. I will be taking, my sketchbook and my camera along and begin planning and sketching ideas for art projects for the art show. Both sculptures and charcoal drawings. I actually have ideas but I need to prioritise for the show. Only 7 months to go, which is not that long! I already have some ideas using the “hand theme” like this one I’ve been working on now. “Ouch” is all I can say.

Yes, it is a vacation, yes we are going to a nephews wedding in Victoria BC and yes, it is important to take time to contemplate and plan what emotions and feelings I must share.

“For he is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season...”

Psalm 1