Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are headed to China. The National Zoo’s, America’s beloved pandas are being returned with no foreseeable date to visit the United States again. The only remaining giant pandas are in the Atlanta Zoo and they will be leaving for China in early 2024. The Pandas came to the United States in 1972.
I was so moved by their pending departure that I had to draw and so my drawing has become…………
Just discovered a great photograph of “The Passengers” taken and posted on Instagram which reminded me ….. Recently the City of Sarasota commissioned the creation of an audio tour of the City’s public art collection and I was invited to say a few words about my installation.
Public Art Collection Audio Tour
The City’s Public Art Collection audio tour is on the Otocast app. Download it to your mobile phone or ipad. Once downloaded select or search for – Sarasota Public Art. You can read a short description of the artwork, find links to related websites, watch videos, scroll through a photo gallery, or listen to a custom narrative. It can connect you to hundreds of art sites!
“Lily” was installed as a public sculpture in Sarasota, Florida. She complimented the lily filled water element along historic Palm Avenue. Passers-by were tickled to take photos of friends and family with her.
One of my young, accomplished students kindly posed with her…………….
Today the whimsical alligator is enjoying beautiful private accommodations having been purchased and relocated by a private collector.
Saturday April 16, 2022 is World Circus Day. A day to celebrate the amazing entertainment circuses around the world have provided us. Every year an artist is commissioned by Princess Stephanie of Monaco to design an announcement card for this special event. In 2013 I had the honor of being selected to create the artwork.
“Huntley & Brinkley” lead off a new series of sculptures – The SHEEEEP! These irresistible, happy guys were welcomed by the Mauritson Winery owners and staff just in time for the 2021 harvest.
This family winery is well known for creating superb wines. One in particular makes these guys, well Huntley for sure, an appropriate addition – It’s Clay Mauritson’s Black Sheep Zin. And yes, there is a great story behind it!
Cut from heavy aluminum plate and finished with a hard shell powder coating, these guys will endure all kinds of weather and bring smiles forever!
There is even a Little SHEEEEP guarding the wine in Mauritson’s tasting room!
The SHEEEEP Series has a herd of colorful ewes and rams looking to graze almost anywhere. Huntley & Brinkley stand 4 feet tall but depending on the installation they can be larger or smaller. Here’s one that hangs out in my studio….
This installation will most certainly brighten a neighborhood. Good it doesn’t come with audio! Ricardo is six foot tall and quite handsome………..He’s been a labor love. He is paired with the Pickettes, two rather gorgeous hens.
I designed him a number of years ago for a public installation that never happened. This year I was thrilled to be commissioned to fabricate him for a private installation.
Original public design
I had a few challenges though to overcome with this one. I had to re-engineer the pieces to suit a residential site and because of the pandemic I had to work remotely.
The designs and vector drawings I produced on my computer went via email across the country to my metal fabricators in Florida. They fed my designs into the control system of a waterjet machine that precisely cut sheets of aluminum into the parts of the sculpture.
A Pickette leaning against the waterjet pool
It’s quite a fantastic process and there is no room for error in the drawings. It cuts exactly what it sees! I was on pins and needles awaiting the assembly of the raw parts! So relieved they came together without a hitch!
Ricardo in the raw
The sculpture parts are now off to be powder coated. From there my installer takes over, assembles, delivers and carefully installs on the site.
The powder coating came off beautifully and the trial assembly was a success!