Saturday, November 29, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Rifle Sagging

Started this morning by painting the wax fringe. Painting the wax shows me were I need to fill with clay to eliminate the crevasses. I spent all morning working on that and filling in behind the fringe, with clay, to make it easier for the foundry to cast this piece. Easy equals less cost.


I then started to add beads to the right sleeve.



I then noticed one of the fingers on the hand holding the gun was missing. Searching the floor and I found it under the base of the clay. Then I then investigate why that finger fell. Turns out the rifle was starting to sag. If this was going to stand in a gallery all winter in clay, I had to figure out a way of anchoring the rifle better. So it was then that I decided I need another week to finish this clay. So now I've delayed transporting this clay to Park City Utah an additional week. So a little relief there. Still a lot to do before packing up the clay though.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Will I Finish by Next Thursday?

Yep that's the question, as I started today. I'm shooting to have this piece 80 to 90 percent done by Thursday of next week. Then Friday I have to build the crate around it, so I can transport it to Mountain Trails Gallery next Saturday. I'm just not sure if I can. I have an awful lot of stuff to do yet. It's kind of keeping me up at nights. Must think positive..
Well today I worked on the beaded and quill worked square on the Indians chest. Then later in the day, I started to add the fringe onto the sleeves and the shirt using my twine in wax method.



Here are photos of the clay as of this evening. I added a photo from the 17th of September, when I started to work on this piece, just to give a perspective of how far I've come since then. (Remember you can click on the photo to make it larger)


Tomorrow, back to the beaded areas of the shirt. Once I finish that, I'll be able to start the hair. I'll hold off on filling the fringe negative areas till I get all the hair and the rest of the headpiece done. See you tomorrow evening.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Fringe and more Fringe



Spent the whole day cutting fringe for the war shirt. I'll spend all day tomorrow doing the same. So nothing of interest to show today.
Have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow. Hope you can spend it with family and friends. I'm so thankful for the people who come and view my blog. Thank you for your visits and the occasional comments. Love you all.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Hand That Holds the Gun

Today was spent on the right arm and hand.

Here are final photographs of the clay as of this evening. Note the scalp locks hanging from the rifle. They were made with willow and stretched leather where the scalp would have been stretched. I'll add wax to the skins and then sculpt the hair later



Monday, November 24, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Left Hand

I had just enough time to work on the left hand today. Had to go to the foundry in Bozeman.

My camera batteries died. So that's all the video today. See you tomorrow.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Body Fully Covered

Well finally, I covered the whole body of the Indian in clay, today. I started the day, cutting up the block of clay into manageable pieces.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Two days

This first video was from yesterday. I had to run to Bozeman late yesterday afternoon, so was unable to add to the blog last night.

Today, I started fine tuning the rifle, and then started to add clay to the arms and chest of the Indian. Towards the end of the video, I add the wide duct tape to the shoulders. This shows me how it will look with the beads on his shoulders.

This set of photos show how this clay is taking shape.


Ran out of clay, so had to stop and let a new block of clay soften for tomorrow. I went back in about 7 pm to cut down that block and then I put in another block to soften. I'll cut that one up tomorrow morning.
A photo I took on the way home tonight. Just love these mountains.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Cardboard, Foam, and Towel

Started out the day, drawing the outline for the shield, will be mounted on his back, on cardboard. I then cut out the shield and applied clay to the front and back of the cardboard. Tomorrow I'll put detail into it. Feathers will be hanging from the bottom of the shield.


Then I drilled two hole in the butt of the rifle. Then inserted two copper tubes in them and then anchored the tubes. I then drove the tubes into the foam at the waist of the Indian. This will hold the rifle in place. Then I added foam to the arm holding the rifle.


Now I add foam to the right shoulder.


Then to save clay, I dipped a towel into wax and then added it to the back of the Indians head. This will be the base for the hair.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - No Time



Here are final photos today of the clay. Remember to click on picture to increase the size.


Starting tomorrow, I'll be just videoing at the end of the day, and show the progress I've made that day. I have to stop doing the instructions. I have two weeks to finish this piece and it just takes to many minutes out of the day to make a photo or video biography of it's creation. I'll be putting in much more time, and hopefully you'll see a speedy progression. What takes the most time are the details. I have a lot of details to put into this piece before I set it up at the Mountain Trails Gallery, in Park City, Utah, the first week of December. The clay will reside there through the rest of the winter. So if your near Park City, stop in and take a look.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Headdress Feathers

Today I spent making the feathers for Iron Horns headdress. (Refer to videos on yesterdays entry on how I created these feathers)


Monday, I start on the upper part of the war shirt and once I finish that, I'll start on the hair and then the headdress of the warrior.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Feathers

Just want you to know, I get home with a couple of hours of video, and I spend about 3 to 4 hours editing it down to about 10 to 12 minutes. I'm sorry if sometimes the videos seem kinda boring. I just don't have the talent to add music and video tricks.
I started the day, with the objective to produce at least one of 8 feathers I'm going to have to produce for Iron Horn.


Have a great weekend everyone...

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - A Face Appears

A Face Appears today.



Here are final photos of the clay.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Trip to the Foundry in Bozeman Today

I traveled to Bozeman today to meet with a client at the foundry there. On the way back, on a cold rainy day, I took these two photographs from Norris Pass looking south. McAllister, which is a bar and an abandoned gas station, is the area to the far lower right in the trees. Ennis, where I live, is in the center of the photograph in those trees, 6 miles south of McAllister.
The Bozeman trail ran along the base of the western hills to the right.



This is a photo of the Valley Garden Ranch, north of Ennis. That's the Gravelies in the background. One of the last Wild Mustang Horse Herds runs in those hills further south.

Will not be in the studio tomorrow.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - 3rd Day on the Rifle

I will be putting brass tacks on the wax rifle. I know that Gloria 'D' up in Virginia City has them. Her husband, Joe Red Feather, came to my studio a few days ago. So I traveled the 14 miles over the Gravely range of mountains.


Once Back at the studio, I'm back at the rifle.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - A Wax Rifle


Just thought I'd share a view of the valley I live in again. The mountains on the east part of my valley, tonight. Again cold.


The very distant peaks are mountains just south of Henry's Lake, in Idaho. About 50 to 60 miles south


Just having dinner.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Starting the Rifle

I started the day cutting off parts of the foam on the left shoulder and arm. Then I got to creating the armature for the right arm, and then started to re-create the rifle.


Here are pictures of the model, Micheal Terry, with rifle in hand, with scalps hanging off of it, as well as pictures of the actual rifle, and now my reproduction of that rifle.


On the way home tonight in windy and 29 degree weather, I took this photo of the Madison Mountain Range, as the sun was getting low in the west.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Down From on High.. kinda

Well today is election day. Before I voted, today, I took Iron Horn to the next level in it's creation.

It is getting exciting now.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Iron Horn - Monumental - Joe Stops By

Today I worked on the Shot Pouch that hangs on the warriors right side.

Joe Red Feather (his Indian name), from over the hill, in Virginia City Montana Stopped by my studio late this afternoon. I put him to work.



Joe is a War Chief of the Ogallala Sioux. When Joe was named a War Chief, he was told that his battle, or war, would be against drugs and alcohal abuse and any form of physical abuse against others.
Red Cloud was a famous War Chief of the Ogallala Sioux. Here's a bit of the history of this tribe.
The Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux, (IPA: [ogəˈlala]), meaning "to scatter one's own" in Siouan, live in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota bordering Nebraska and 50 miles east of Wyoming, the second largest reservation in the United States. The reservation has broadly three parts, pine covered hills and ridges, grassy plains and a desert area. All three parts are noted for natural beauty. The Oglala Sioux see themselves primarily as part of the Lakota Sioux people. The Oglala Sioux, along with the six other groups of Lakota, had separated from each other by the early 19th century. By 1830, the Oglala had around 3,000 members. In the 1820s and 1830s the Oglala, along with the Brules (another division of Lakota) and three other Sioux sects, formed the Sioux Alliance. This Alliance caused much warfare between the Western Sioux and surrounding tribes for territorial and hunting reasons.
After being moved several times during the 1870s, the Red Cloud Agency was relocated one final time in 1878 and renamed the Pine Ridge Reservation. By 1890, the reservation included 5537 people, divided between at least 30 distinct bands.
Well I'm done till Monday. See you guys then.