Michelangelo vs Picasso

There's no prizes for guessing who I prefer...

Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
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Season's Greetings to you, from me and my crew!

And here's a pic Kat sent of her Sprightly stuck out in the snow!
Thanks Kat!

Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Bronze Toad Bottle Opener...

Is it a kitschy, novel frivolity...

Or some fine art with a sense of purpose?

You decide...!  

Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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'Big Boy' in Sculpture Review article, Fall 2011 issue

The National Sculpture Society's quarterly magazine heads off with an article on 'Humor in sculpture', which includes your's truly's Big Boy...

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And since Big Boy's in the spotlight, here's another pic or two of the grumpy fellow from my files...

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Calves, a masked man in the snow, and a dud casting...

Here's a few random pics for your viewing pleasure!

Freshly cast plaques (need finishing and patina), a dud attempt at casting metal masters of my new angel mice, and an American Indian snow suited superhero keeping watch on Canyon Road (not mine, I just had to take the pic when I saw him!)

 This plaque is my modified award one I did for Mercy For Animals to present to Bob Barker minus the lettering, plus some additional background sky. Needs sandblasting and patina...

The first attempt at casting the angel mice came out a bust (shrinkage, and bits didn't cast properly etc), but not to worry, it took six tries to get my metal masters done for Pugnacious and Rumpy and Pumpy mice.
We'll get there...

What's Angel Chubby whispering?

And when I saw this guy standing stoically up Canyon Road I had to get his picture!

The snow made it sort of a bit of a mash up of a day of the dead superhero American Indian character!
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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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One of my tiny turtles wins big at miniature show

Athos the turtle - second place for sculpture MPSGS 2011

Athos got second place for sculpture!
To be true to the headline I suppose best in show or something would be big, but I was having too much fun mixing up the big and small.

Well it's definitely something to be thankful for on this holiday feast.

That's the the pic they took of him for their exhibition page on their website (I suspect around Nov 2012 it will be all different, for the then current show, but for now it's the right link!)

I believe this is my third second-place win for sculpture with the MPSGS, which is very gratifying.

Here's how Wikipedia introduces them...

The Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS) is an invitation-only organization dedicated to the promotion and encouragement of the practice of producing fine art in miniature. This miniature art society is headquartered in Washington, DC but includes members from around the world. Founded in 1931 by Alyn Williams, the Society is the second-oldest organization of its kind in the world and the oldest active organization of miniaturists in the United States.

Anyhow, happy Thanksgiving to you. 

Unfortunately, and true to (wobbly) form, I know I'll eat too much!

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Diner napkin scribble

What self respecting artist blog would be complete without some spontaneous napkin scribbles?
Here's someone else having breakfast at The Pantry here in Santa Fe.


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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Rodin and the jigsaw puzzle

I needed something small and flat to cover my wine glass (I don't like fruit flies landing in my wine).

I pulled this old Taschen postcard book of Rodin off the shelf. It was just the right size.
Of course I got a bit distracted looking through it while my wine sat unprotected.

It has some pictures of The Burghers of Calais.

I found myself looking at this portrait...

His city has been starved into submission, and he (along with a few others) are offering themselves as a sacrifice that the rest of city might be spared.

I stared, contemplating the poor man's state of mind at the time.
Of course I was also marveling at Rodin's work. Sensitive and powerful, and executed with consummate skill.

I knew about the story behind the piece, and started to wonder how I'd feel differently about the portrait if I knew nothing about it.

Or what if I was mis-informed, and believed the face was reacting to some other turn of events...

Let's say this man has been working on assembling the worlds hardest to do jigsaw puzzle on  his kitchen table.
Puzzles are what he lives for, and he's been working up to this one all his life.
He's been toiling away for several months on the final stages alone, and is nearly finished.
Only this morning his house was cleaned top to bottom, and all the trash was picked up by the trash van for the celebration to come, with all his most fanatical puzzler friends invited...

Almost done, the floor around the table is of course spotless. Now he sees four spaces left in the puzzle, but only three puzzle pieces left in the lid of the box....

So, if that was the story behind this face, would that change my feelings instead of knowing what was really going on?

Of course it would, on an emotional level it wouldn't have nearly the same impact since it would make me feel differently about the person in question and the gravity of the situation.
Although for a few die hard puzzlers I'm sure it would resonate even more!

But I'd still feel the same about it on another level, where I'm just in awe of one person's ability to convey so much expressive form, so artfully, with just a lump of dirt.
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Here's a description from the Wikipedia page on The Burghers of Calais...

"The story goes that England's Edward III, after a victory in the Battle of Crécy, laid siege to Calais, while Philip VI of France ordered the city to hold out at all costs. Philip failed to lift the siege, and starvation eventually forced the city to parley for surrender.

Edward offered to spare the people of the city if any six of its top leaders would surrender themselves to him, presumably to be executed. Edward demanded that they walk out almost naked, wearing nooses around their necks, and carrying the keys to the city and castle. One of the wealthiest of the town leaders, Eustache de Saint Pierre, volunteered first, and five other burghers soon followed suit, stripping down to their breeches. Saint Pierre led this envoy of emaciated volunteers to the city gates. It was this moment, and this poignant mix of defeat, heroic self-sacrifice, and willingness to face imminent death that Rodin captured in his sculpture, scaled somewhat larger than life.

In history, though the burghers expected to be executed, their lives were spared by the intervention of England's Queen, Philippa of Hainault, who persuaded her husband to exercise mercy by claiming that their deaths would be a bad omen for her unborn child."

Oh, incidentally, here's another Burgher...

This one kind of made me think of a leaner version of Marlon Brando's Godfather for some reason...
Oh, and no fruit flies landed in my glass, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear!

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Snakes alive (but not for long), it must be Halloween!

Around Halloween last year I jumped out of the car to help a snake off the road.
Turned out to be a rattler, and I had nothing to help it with, and the road was busy, and it was right at the entrance to our local community college.
So in pretty short order it became snake jerky.

It was the first rattler I've seen around here, every other time I've escorted a snake off the road it has been a harmless, non venomous bullsnake, which does do a remarkable rattlesnake impersonation.
Here is a video of a very large bullsnake I found on YouTube. It's demonstrating its hissing vibrato, and head flattening routine...



Yesterday I found my neighbor in the process of using a spade to hack off the head of a pretty small rattler (other neighbors have done the same thing to at least one bullsnake I'm aware of: a case of mistaken identity).

Well, in this instance it was definitely a rattler. So guilty as charged I suppose. Maybe a foot long, with 2 little buttons on its tail.

Even with its head off, it was wriggling all over and its mouth was opening and snapping shut repeatedly.

I reckon if I'd found it I would have got it in a plastic bin and let it go, away from houses somewhere, which is what I did with a baby hognosed snake a while back.

Anyhow, a little unsettling knowing while Meridee's gardening there could be more hiding out amongst the hollyhocks...

Besides that, here's the latest Kickstarter project news... I got double the funding I need to get my Winged Angel Mice up and running (or flying), so THANKS BACKERS!!!

They're still available for pre-order if you'd like to get in touch via email etc, although once they're in galleries it will be retail price only. I'm expecting that to be around Feb sometime.

Have a spooktastic evening!


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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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An artistic assault on the ears

I read a great little article which explains why 'museums are bulging with visitors who come to view works they secretly detest'.

Something happened in my twenties which this article reminded me of straight away.
It's why I think the author's  main point is right on the money (there's a link to the article at the end of this post).

Here's what happened...

A friend of mine has a musical genius brother who was participating in a recital of his latest composition at London's South Bank.
I persuaded another friend of mine, Jeremy, who is also a splendid musician to come along too.
I thought he might enjoy it since I had it on good authority the composer in question was extremely talented and capable.

After the lights went down and the composition started Jeremy and I were both in for a bit of a shock.

In the dark, it sounded like some people with their shoelaces tied togehter were trying to steal the instruments, or perhaps a bunch of animals with xylophones and pots and pans strapped to them were banging into each other.

Sounds clanged and squealed. 
It was worse than listening to a construction site.
At least there you could discern the rhythm of a jack hammer.

The players emerged from the dark as spotlights were employed.
I hoped their visibility might cause them some embarrasment, perhaps enough to squeak out a tune.
But the music remained relentlessly awful.

We were just at the start, with a couple of hours to go.
Jeremy just got up and left, since he wasn't a friend of the family.
I had to sit there, for what seemed like an eternity, for fear of seeming rude.


After all, I knew the composer, and was there with his brother.
And I was a friend of the family.

And I fancied his sister.
So there was really no escape for me.

For a while I kept hoping this torture would evolve into something bearable, but eventually I just stoically accepted my fate and sat it out.
At least until the interval, when I darted off for a strategic 'emergency bathroom break' and headed for a bathroom somewhere far across town.

On the way I had a drink with Jeremy, who had been nice enough to wait  outside.

And now, with no further ado, I urge you to read THIS ARTICLE and discover the secret of how the 20th Century art scene got away with it (although of course it's not over yet)...


Besides that, my Winged Angel Mice are still available for a half price pre-order on Kickstarter (click HERE to see more).

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Bronze toad bottle opener...at least it will be later.

Future bronze bottle opener...

I been busy testing my Frogoholic metal master, with very satisfying results!

What you see here is its toad cousin.

I have a cunning plan for this toad bottle opener, which is currently a wax and clay model ready for molding before creating bronzes.

...I'll go into more detail once I have a few cast...

Besides that, my Winged Angel Mice are still available for a half price pre-order on Kickstarter (click HERE to see more).

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Pre-Order my upcoming new Angel Mice at Kickstarter (for around half their expected retail)

Angel Pug wax and clay original (pre-cast)

That's right, if you like my new upcoming Angel Mice series now's your chance to snap one or more of them up for a steal!

They're a available for pre-order through Kickstarter.com for 30 days until Noon on Tuesday Oct 18th New York time.
Click HERE to go straight to my project.

It's my second Kickstarter project.
I had a blast first time, and I have to say I love their whole win-win concept.

I'd like to offer another huge thanks again to you if you participated last time or have collected my work through galleries or my Etsy store.
You are making it possible for me to do what I love to do.

And also a big thanks to anyone who's reading my blog and enjoying my handiwork!

I can't speak for other artists, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ego gets a tickle every time someone likes what they do!

Above: Angel Chubby wax and clay original (pre-cast)

Winged Sprightly wax and clay nearly finished original (pre-cast)

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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James Bond, beer, and tree frogs.

Frogoholic - raw bronze (no patina yet)

Frogoholic - raw bronze (no patina yet)

It's fun combining things I like, so I'm combining
• my bronze wall hanging tree frog,
• secret James Bond-like gadgetry, and
• beer...
to make Frogoholic!

It's the wall mounted tree frog that's now also a stealth bottle opener.

What could be more fun than that?!

Unassuming wall mounted tree frog, soon to become weaponized to 'Frogoholic'...

Frogoholic has yet to receive its patina, and is currently still in the testing phase, since I want to make sure the bronze doesn't get all chewed up after opening bunches of bottles.

I call it research and development.
Then, a bit later, I call it searurch and dvelelopment...

Then, assuming the metal holds up nicely, I'll get some made, probably with a yellowish green patina and send them off to M-I-5...

'Right, now do pay attention double-O seven...'
'Excellent, just the thing for unwinding after a rough day at the office.'

Frogoholic patina options- I think I like second down on the right best...or possibly top left...what do you think?

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Toadem Pole: It's a totem pole made of frogs (or toads)...

Wax and clay original of my toadem pole

I've been having far too much fun playing with my home grown building blocks, as you can see!

The top frog is a double header.
Besides sporting a pair of wings (it is a totem pole after all) the toad in pole position is looking forwards and backwards at the same time.



Looks to me like it might also make for a very unusual rapier handle...

...or candlestick holder...

...or a fire stoker handle...

...you know once you start making things, you just keep coming up with more things to make!

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Sprightly is also becoming a winged mouse...

Winged Sprightly Mouse

I suspect all my mice will eventually sprout wings, but here's a wax version of Sprightly sporting a fine feathered set of wings.
Destined to be bronze with a silver patina when all's said and done.

Winged Sprightly Mouse again

At the time this was taken there was still a bit to do in the area where the wings meet the body, but it was nearly finished and gives a good idea how Sprightly will look as a winged mouse.

Winged Sprightly Mouse from behind

I went with semi-folded wings.

Would that be just  having landed, or about to take off...?

In the last few posts you can see Chubby and Pugnacious in their wingcarnations...

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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My primitive frog 'Rocky' is finished...

Meet Rocky.
Since a pocket full of these would weigh you down like a bag of stones, Rocky is what I'm calling my bare essentials frog.
Rocky is all action. Perhaps not too well mannered, but chock full of personality and attitude!

Reckless and eager to break new ground (and windows), Rocky dreams of being launched from a slingshot, far off into space...

Actually Rocky kind of has a bit of an Aztec-esque feel.
I should sprinkle a few around some old ruins and see if they show up on the History Channel...!

Rocky, Rocky, Rocky and Rocky meet Penny

Rocky has a Lego like quality too.
I'm having fun piling them atop one another.
Ancient Aztec lego toys, that's what they are.

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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All mice go to heaven 2...

Here's Angel Chubby in wax and clay yet to be molded and cast in bronze...

 As you can see this chubby little mouse is furnished with a dainty pair of wings that hardly seem able to lift the critter heavenward...

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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Dangerous liasons, and my big news...

Naughty Rumpy and Pumpy mice rudely invading a Dan Ostermiller bronze...

I was dropping off some mice for this years Barkin' Ball at the Humane Society to benefit Santa Fe's animal shelter when I noticed a splendid sculpture by Dan Ostermiller...

I couldn't help myself: I just had to put Rumpy and Pumpy mice in there since the piece seemed to be made specially for them!

Rumpy and Pumpy mice

I wondered if I just left them there: would anyone think to move them, or just assume they were welded in place?!

I've had fun photographing Nosey mouse playing on Dan's famous bears before, which you can see if you click HERE.

Two other people's work that grabbed forcefully for my attention when we moved to Santa Fe were bronzes by Sisko, and Louise Peterson.
That was nearly six years ago.
Seeing all three of those represented around town gave me the kick up the pants I needed to get serious about sculpting.

I was struck by their obvious love of and respect for nature, and the elegant and restrained degree with which they stylized their designs.

My BIG news!

And now for my BIG NEWS which I'm exceedingly puffed up about right about now, just having got back from the mail box and all...

I have a letter informing me that I've been elected as a sculptor member to the National Sculpture Society!

From their website...'In 1893, our founding members, including Daniel Chester French, Augustus St. Gaudens, Stanford White and J.Q.A. Ward, established the Society to "spread the knowledge of good sculpture." Today, NSS continues to support sculpture as an active, vital, not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization.'


Up 'till now I've been an associate member, which allows me to enter their annual shows, get the magazine and what have you.

But Elected Members are sculptors whose work is juried and voted on by other elected sculptor members and the NSS Board of Directors.

I imagine every artist relishes being recognized by their peers; not only that, but now I can officially put NSS after my name if I'm feeling flash!

Dan Ostermiller is currently president of the NSS (and not for the first time).
I hope he doesn't mind my little mice playing on his sculpture, otherwise I could find myself banned even before my certificate and pin arrive in the mail!

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Click these links to visit my website... SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back

or my Etsy store, CritterVille

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