pick your nose

[Larry H]

Well, yes, I have made partial faces, in order to get to the whole. Its time consuming and tedious to get to the place you want to be.First you start with the nose, ( well, I do anyway ) the lips are next, well sometimes, I don't know , I'm getting confused , mix in some eye work,......., Tell yourself it looks like xxxx, be to stubborn to stop, (actually you become curious what it will turn out like) take chances with all your hard work going down the drain, and sometimes ...... you get lucky.

[Mainely,Bob]

I find the third pic to be an especially haunting image.
I always like your work but the partial faces are really more jarring than the completed ones.The next to last pic with only hollows instead of eyes is almost disturbing to me and I can`t put my finger on exactly why.

[Larry H]

I dunno , it happens a lot, I've shown ten faces to ten different people each one picks out a different one that appeals to them. , which is interesting in itself
but I'm starting realize more and more,... people like the unfinished versions, ....strange

[Tim McCoy]

Great samples ... yes, the unfinished ones seem to be more appealing. Perhaps it's the mystery and the potential in what is not shown. All of these are very well done. Thanks for sharing your work.

Tim

[infinityblacksmithing]

If you complied all of them to hang on a wall or an a stand somehow you could easily get an art gallery to put it on show. Would be really interesting to see them all attached around a pipe or something similar. Post a pic if you do it, I'd like to see.

[monstermetal]

mmm..... So how many dollars would you take in trade for #3? Id like to have it

[Mainely,Bob]

mmm..... So how many dollars would you take in trade for #3? Id like to have it

Man,I`m just too slow!I was waiting on a reply before I asked that.
Glad to see someone shares my taste in art there Larry.That particular one has just enough of the "machinery" feel in it doesn`t it?
It reminded me of an old sci-fi short story called "The Meathouse Man".

[Chad J]

Hey Smithy1,

Those are AWESOME!!!!!

If you ever think about tossing one of those in the trash, send it my way! I would find something for them!!!

By the way those are really great i like them a lot! Keep up the great work!

Chad J

[monstermetal]

Man,I`m just too slow!I was waiting on a reply before I asked that.
Glad to see someone shares my taste in art there Larry.That particular one has just enough of the "machinery" feel in it doesn`t it?
It reminded me of an old sci-fi short story called "The Meathouse Man".

I like #6 too.... And hey I can share... Or they might not be for sale... :)

[pkrankow]

I like #3 best too.

Seems that eyes and nose without lips is less odd than nose and lips without eyes...

Impressive work

Phil

[Dillon Sculpture]

That is where its at! I think these are your stronger pieces, there is enough there to entice the viewer and show your mastery of metal and form. Number three is my favorite as well, probable due to its stance with the angle cut on the bottom giving it a direction of movement, like portrait photographers always tell you to tilt your head. When making a natural form the more you fuss over it the further away you get from where you want to be, I say do one with as little as possible to describe the form and see what you get. When I do figure drawing there are warm ups that are timed at one minute and five minute intervals, your having to describe what you see in this amount of time which leads to a very gestural presents. Also look at some of Michael Angelo unfinished sculptures for a reference.

[Larry H]

I'd like to thank everyone for the kind words, its strange the way #3 appeals to so many. That piece of scrap metal was used to see if I could make a nose and eyes, and it failed. "No eye lids" I thought. I threw it aside in the pile you see before you. You all have made me look at my work in a different way and for that too I thank you. I think I'll try to do something wild this week......(sculpture wise)

[clinton]

smithy1- What type of backing do you use?

[Bentiron1946]

I found out when I started making and selling my works that some stuff that I felt wouldn't get a second glance would go out the door like crazy and stuff I worked to what I though was perfection ended up in the scrap pile, never discount what the public wants.
I really like your work and even if you think it's just a series of exercise pieces it looks salable to me. :blink:

[Larry H]

smithy1- What type of backing do you use?

I used a 6" pipe for rear support, 1/2 x 2 for the nose , round balls, 1" FOR THE EYES

[Mainely,Bob]

So,are you willing to put a price on any of your "scrap"? :)

[Mainely,Bob]

I have a friend who does turned and carved wood sculptures.One of the things that make his work unique is the layers of color he puts on them.If you have ever had a close up look at a crow you could see that the bird`s feathers are not really just a monochrome black they have an iridescence and depth to them.Jacques` pieces have that quality because of that layering of color.
Long story short,he was using paper pallets to mix his paints while he worked and a buyer saw this and asked for the pallet that went with the piece they bought.Jacques signed and dated it,had it framed and put a rather hefty price in it.He now saves something he used to throw away after the work was done and makes good money on that alone.
As others have said,never underestimate the wants/needs/taste of others,especially when it comes to Art.
Art is most assuredly what you are making,my friend.

[edge9001]

For pricing your scrap... you would be suprised at how often things you throw aside before finishing, because you feel they failed, are some of the most prize items for your customers. I've been to several artists craft shows,. though never any metal work, where the artist had several finished pieces up for sale and across the back of the booth several incomplete works. the incompletes sold out before the finished works. especially thing like your #3 that face has sort of a haunting comic book villan look to it. The eyes and forhead shape work together beautifully together.

[clinton]

I used a 6" pipe for rear support, 1/2 x 2 for the nose , round balls, 1" FOR THE EYES

Ok so you use stakes, how do you have them set up? can you show pictures of your tooling? I watched a guy that does a lot of copper raising and he used stakes that had a shank on them that he placed in a stump that he sits on to work

[Bentiron1946]

Clinton, If you want to see some homemade stakes and really nicely made tools take a look at Steve Shelby's blog http://shelbyvision.ganoksin.com/blogs/ He also makes reasonably nice art too, enjoy.
We could all learn a thing or two from him that's for sure. He makes all kinds of cool stuff out of brass, copper and silver.

[Whittler Kev]

Can't decide which one is the best. All absolutely brill. If you want a home for one in Cambridgeshire, UK .... let me know. :lol: :lol:

[gazilla]

interesting work, thanks for sharing.