Murmuring of an artist

For two years I have been writing this book “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased- A Sculptor’s Journey” I have taken a close look a the four commissions documented within the book. Now I have this posthumous commission of Mr. Hockett. It feels funny not to be documenting it. After two years of paying such close attention I feel like somehow Mr. Hocket is being excluded, not a part of the process. I am back to doing what I do in the process without much consciousness of it.

IT does not help that the commission is on a tight deadline. I have no time to ponder. I think Patsy, Lucas, Dick, and Jeanine came to me in those times between. The time spent doing something else, the place that thoughts linger. With such a quick deadline I lose the ability to linger. Does that affect the process?

Few photographs. I cringe at this process without numerous photographs. At one point I even said to myself, “perhaps I will not take any more commissions without many photographs.” My supply in this commission is limited. It not only ties my hands as a sculptor but also leaves me craving more emotionally from the subject. The photographs are what lead me to the personality and the emotion of the individual, with a limited supply the emotion is limited, which may in turn affect the sculpture.

Now that the deadline is looming, and no more photographs are available I pray. Mr Hockett, God, show me his peace. Ii think about the sculpture of Jeanine and remember that some of the photographs of Jeanine actually made me sick. When copying the eyes of one photograph I copied the pain, when another photograph was available I transferred that peace in the photograph to the sculpture. I wonder what has happened in the day the time of the photographs of Hockett? My client’s friend did not see the peace.

This is not a mystical process. My feeling of the emotions in the photograph even those emotions that may leak through is scientific and documented. I have an entire chapter on it in my book. Picking up these emotions is apparently one of my abilities. Sculpting and trying to make something beyond what is in the photograph is mystical.

Approval process

There are many ways to approve a sculpture. Some people come to the studio and others work with me through the internet and the phone. The process does include the clients suggestions. After viewing the previous photographs I have some thoughts from the client and I go back and work some more on the sculpture. The one difficulty about creating a sculpture with a quick deadline is that I have no time to be away from the sculpture. Sometimes distance is good. A few days away from a sculpture and many things can be noticed. Here is the most recent version and once again a tracing of the original photograph imposed over the sculpture.

Awaiting approvals... or direction

Click on the photograph to enlarge.

I often say that all I do is copy photographs. Of course when your resources are limited there may be a bit more intuition involved. I have hovered over the sculpture for days. My husband cracks the center of my back regularly and in off hours I try to stand up right avoiding the affects of poor posture caused by hours of sculpting. This is approval time. The photographs are sent to the client in hopes of approval or direction. This is how it looks at 10:44 pm on Sunday evening.

working along

there is much to do. I'll spend the weekend working on the Hocket sculpture. I hope to send photographs to my client by tuesday. We are on tight deadline. This is how it looks saturday morning. I'll post more through the weekend.

Mr. Hockett moves upstairs to the graphics table

The process of sculpting, for me, does not always stay in the downstairs studio. I have taken the picture of Mr. Hockett upstairs into my husband’s office to work on his graphics tablet. It is a wonderful tablet that allows you to draw right on the tablet. I trace the outline of one of the photographs of Mr. Hockett. Then I transfer that in Photoshop dropping it over the photograph of the sculpture taken from the same direction as the Hockett photograph. This helps me to see some of the corrections.

I find I need to move the nose and eyes down. Instead of resculpting them I opt for carving those areas out and trying to move them down. It is a bit of work, but, much easier than resculpting the entire area. The ears need to be pulled up as well, the shoulders/back raised. Then I take another photograph to see how things are lining up, much better. Getting there. Just a little trick to help me see things that I might not otherwise see. I wish I had a photograph from the side, but am told one might be coming today.

I’ll post the revised sculpture this evening or in the morning. Gentleman that he is he would like to have his hat on before I take the picture.

The process-Hockett sculpture - intuition?

Bound by deadlines of a memorial service I precede with the sculpture. I cannot control the foundry process, they need the time they need to prepare it, and so I work night and day trying to figure out who this Mr. Hockett is. How much of this process is intuition. I often wonder. Photographs, especially when you only have three, only show so much.

The process-Hockett sculpture

Creating a sculpture with little reference is challenging at best. Often I can capture the likeness in one direction, however when a sculpture is viewed from the side it might not look like the person at all. I have only three photographs of Mr. Hockett- a challenge. The clay has been added to the sculpture and the hat. Florencia works on putting details on the hat, carving in the vents, smoothing the clay and putting the designated texture.

Jeanine is finally home!

I was so thrilled to hear that Jeanine arrived safely, and that the parents found the sculpture very peaceful. I am honored to be able to give such a gift and help parents in the grieving of their loved one.

I really learned so much about myself through thiscommission. I talk about it in the book that I am writing "Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased- A Sculptor's Journey". Thank you jeanine

How do we start?

The crockpots that heat up my clay and double boiler holding the wax are both turned on. First time for the new year.

For those of you interested in the process of sculpting here is how we are beginning on this new sculpture commission.

First I searched around for an inexpensive cowboy hat to use with the new commission. It will be covered with wax and clay to thicken it up enough to cast in bronze. I didn't want to buy a good new expensive one. I Found this hat at Fiesta grocery store.

The armature that I use for this project is purchased from the ceramic store in Houston Texas http://www.ceramicstoreinc.com/.

I covered the armature with a plastic bag and then sprayed some spray foam into the bag. This is the kind that is used for insulation purposes and you can get at Lowes or Home Depot. It is messy to work with and the bag holds it somewhat in place. The next day I have to cut away some of the plastic bag so that the foam can cure. This foam gives me a lightweight structure for the clay. Once the foam is cured I can shape the head, as you see it now. Before I will put clay on this I will coat the entire thing with wax. This is done to keep all of grit from the foam out of my clay. I am a nut about that. I hate gritty clay! Florencia, my apprentice has helped me a great deal with all of this. She has put the put the wax on and the clay.

Now we begin our dance of me coming in the evening and making a mess while I sculpt and she coming in and smoothing out areas of the sculpture and cleaning up after me. Today she asked me, "just what do you do in here at night." As she was picking up my mess. I guess I am focused and don't really notice until either I am done for the evening or my tools become buried in scraps of clay.

A new life size newsboy

Another life size newsboy was ordered. We have been working on it the last few months. I went to the foundry yesterday to take some photographs of the work. This new bronze has a great story with it, that I will have to share at a later date. It is a surprise for someone.

Sample chapters and a new relationship

The book chapters that need to go to the printer are done and sitting here waiting for the proofreader. These are just the chapters for the proposal. There are many more to work on. Every spare moment will be spent working on getting the book ready. I am thrilled with the content and incredible things I have learned by writing "Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased-A Sculptor's Journey"

The sculpture bust posted on December 26th is on hold. I will be making this man look younger. This should be something to document. Stay tuned.

On to Mr Hockett. Blessed, blessed, blessed to be working on this sculpture. I write in my book that I develop a relationship with the deceased through this process. I look forward to developing a relationship with Mr Hockett.

A new commission

I am always blessed to create posthumous sculpture. I would like to introduce to you Stan Hockett

The memorial printed and sent to me states-

We are saddened to share the news of the passing of one of the true Heroes of Faith, Stan Hockett. Stan went to be with his precious Saviour on October 24th, 2006, in his home in Manhattan,, Montana. Stan and his wife, Simone, served the Lord in North Dakota from 1962-1995, first with the American Sunday school Union and then founding the organization that became FaHoCha bible Conference.

There will be a memorial service in North Dakota in the spring of 2007. The date and invitation will be printed in this publication at a later time when the details are secure. Stan was one of the most Godly, loving and caring man that you will ever meet, with faith and trust in God that was unmatched. He was a cowboy and a hero through and through. His legacy continues as one of Godliness and lives touched by his ministry. My life (Jay Deckert), just one of the many touches. There would be no greater way to honor Stan and who he was, than by living our lives to serve and love God with our whole heart. He had a saying that went like this, "We will see you again here, there, or in the air." This time, Stan, it will have to be in the air. May we all meet you there!

1924-2006

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