Home
Flight I (Ceramic Superman)
- Details
- Category: Sculptures
"There are no mistakes, just happy accidents."
- Bob Ross
I had initially set out to sculpt a two-part Icarus themed pieces. "Flight I" was supposed to depict Icarus soaring confidently into the sky, and "Flight II" was to depict him falling from the heavens, as per the popular Greek mythological tale. The problem arose when I realized I could not sculpt wings - decent and sizable wings - that the engineer in me could accept even as a stretch, to supporting human powered flight. Then the happy accident occurred. As I began sculpting the face, Icarus' jawline and cheekbones reminded me of Christopher Reeve. The pose was almost perfect, the outstretched arms of Icarus (meant to support the waxed wings) transformed into a classic flying form of the last son of Krypton. Similar to my minimalistic approach with Thor, only a cape (and a spit curl) was necessary to convey the essence of Superman. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
The God of Thunder (Ceramic Thor)
- Details
- Category: Sculptures
Thor is the Norse god of thunder, storms, oak trees, strength, and protector of mankind. The beloved Thor carries the great hammer Mjolnir, and is traditionally depicted with red hair and beard (unlike his blond counterpart in Marvel Comics). There are countless legends and heroic poems about Thor throughout the Nordic and Germanic cultures. In fact Thursday was named after "Thor's Day." In sculpting Thor, I was inspired by a superhero pose on a movie poster but took a minimalistic, Rodin-like impressionistic approach to conveying just his core essence: the iconic winged helmet, Mjolnir with the runic triquetra, and his imposing physique. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
Wet clay model
Ceramic Stegosaurus
- Details
- Category: Sculptures
Stegosaurs roamed the western United States and Portugal 100 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period. They are one of the most easily recognized species due to their distinctive plates and tail spikes. The prevailing theory is that the tail spikes were for self defense while the staggered row of plates were for either thermoregulation or for display (intimidation, mating, etc.). My personal haunch is that stegosaurs were both the peacocks and porcupines of the dinosaur world. With their conspicuous plates, their coloration most likely was not muted but rather bright and bold. A common misconception is that stegosaurs were hunted by tyrannosaurs; however, stegosaurs were long extinct by the time of T-rex. In fact, on a time scale, tyrannosaurs were closer to modern humans than they were to stegosaurs. This model was one of the cleanest sculptures I've made to date, meaning there were no cracks or other defects during the firing process. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
Ikemen Silverback Gorilla Shabani
- Details
- Category: Sculptures
Almost all gorillas in zoos are of the western lowland subspecies (G. g. gorilla) which are distinct from the eastern gorillas in both habitat and morphology. The western gorillas are typically more slender, have lighter and shorter fur than their eastern and mountain counterparts. Male gorillas can reach up to 6 ft in height and over 400 lbs. Females are usually half the size. All gorillas are primarily vegetarians with their diet consisting of fruits and vegetation, with occasional insects and grubs. I modeled my piece based on Shabani, a popular silverback at the Higashiyama zoo in Nagoya, Japan, who has become famous for being handsome, photogenic, and an "ikemen" (Japanese term to describe metrosexual men). My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
Page 59 of 71
