New bronze box turtles up for grabs on Kickstarter...

Here's my newest offering up for grabs on Kickstarter- box turtles!

Click HERE to check out my new box turtles. I have had a blast making them and hope you love them too!

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

Soon I will be saying 'goodbye'...

Steve Worthington with bronze painted turtle (pre-patina)

 Above is my turtle before patina, and below is Mike Masse (master patineur) having completed his handiwork. I asked for a traditional bronze patina that would weather well.

Mike Masse with Steve Worthington's bronze painted turtle (post patina)

 Below are a few smaller ones as well!

A selection of variously sized bronze turtles (and one silver turtle)

Soon it will be off to Canada to stand guard over a lake in a park. And I only just got it house trained!

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

Latest Kickstarter - Silver Ghosts - solid silver pendants and earrings

I've just launched another Kickstarter, the all or nothing crowd funding platform for getting creative projects realized with a little help from your friends!

This time it's my Silver Ghosts collection; solid silver wearable sculpture in the form of pendants and earrings.
Meridee's been sporting a couple around town and getting unsolicited compliments, so I hope that bodes well!

Some have a bit of a dia de los muertos vibe. Or day of the dead, if you prefer.

That's because four of the 10 designs reveal an etched skeleton on their flip sides.

Here is the project video which hopefully will run if you click on its play button.
If you like what you see (or if the video didn't play) hop on over to the project on Kickstarter for more info and rewards!

Oh, feel free to 'like' it when you get there (or whatever is your preferred 'sharing' method!). I'd appreciate that.

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

And in the blue corner...

The jousting toads pugilist event of the decade!

Heavier.
Uglier.
Slower.

But do they ever pack a punch!

So Nimble Warts now has a worthy adversary in the Meat Grinder!

I'll probably fiddle around with them a bit more, but you can clearly get the general idea!
The 'heavy horse' is a common snapping turtle, with some generic big ol' toad on top.

Both pairs are currently in digital form only, but I'm determined to find a way to get them cast...

Jousting toads: The Meat Grinder meets his doppelganger

And here's a few pics of my meaty new creation devoid of any distractions...

High angle view of the Meat Grinder

Jousting Toad: The Meat Grinder

A new quest in my life is to find a way to get these beasts cast: Who wouldn't want a pair in a park near them?

Coming soon...some jewelry pieces I'm working on and will launch through Kickstarter...

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

More big turtle shenanigans

I've made lots of turtles so making a maquette (small version of the final big turtle) was pretty easy.

It had to be a particular species so I was careful to avoid my usual hybrid peculiarities, and stick to the facts!

After that I sent it off for enlarging, and this is what I got back...

My maquette was hand made (not digitally sculpted in ZBrush) since that stage was quite a while ago, before I got with the ZBrush program.

It's quite unforgiving, getting your small sculpted wonkiness back in giant size!

They (Axiom 3D Workshop, that is) mill it out of blue foam and then cover it in clay. It's really light weight and easy to work on. I only know them from phone calls and emails, but they are very helpful and know what they are doing!

Starting point: The digitally enlarged maquette with lots of work to do!

First up was to get the head looking somewhat decent...

Looking a bit like a Tim Burton movie prop so far...

That's better! And the tiny turtle on the nose is a reduced 3D print of another turtle (one of my bottle opening ones). I'm going to be making a pendant after making adjustments and re-printing an improved version.

A quick reminder of the final sculpture...

Sliced and diced! Here's my turtle chopped up and having a shim system applied so the mold works well. I wouldn't know where to start so fortunately experts are on hand!

More turtle body parts (some legs/feet and a head behind)

More to come in future posts...

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

Here's a nice big turtle!

Steve Worthington with a turtle sculpture, the bronze of which will be installed in Lake Wilcox Park, Richmond Hill (near Toronto) Ontario, Canada.

It's fun making big stuff, and this beast is going to be installed at Lake Wilcox Park (formerly sunset beach park) by Lake Wilcox near Toronto in Canada.

Turtle, the bronze of which will be installed in Lake Wilcox Park, Richmond Hill (near Toronto) Ontario, Canada.

It feels big in our living room - somewhat obscuring the tv: in the great outdoors I'm sure it will not seem nearly so imposing.

This is the clay version. Of course the park will be getting a bronze.
A bit later I'll post some pics of the process of getting it from the original you see here to the final bronze, as well as some 'in progress' pics up to this point.

Steve Worthing with one his turtle sculptures, the bronze of which will be installed in Lake Wilcox Park, Richmond Hill (near Toronto) Ontario, Canada in the summer of 2014.

I have more plans for large turtles and other beasts. Logistics of course present their usual problems, especially expense related ones, but for now I'm glad to be producing a piece that will be part of a public project.

It will be the third or fourth park to instal some of my handiwork, which is very gratifying.





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

Jousting toads - let the tournament begin!

The jousting toads of my mind - the standing toad is your's truly

Looking a bit more like chocolate than bronze (my rendering skills in ZBrush are still pretty basic)

Fairly finished

Here they are, toad and turtle combined and fairly finished.

I say fairly finished because I'm sure to tweak something sometime.
Anyhow, I finished my toad and turtle, made a nice jousting saddle and lance (complete with boxing glove on the end!) so now my critters can have at it!

Some details

Jousting toad - Steve Worthington

I'm going to make an opposing jousting toad that looks heftier than this one (turtle too).
I figure this one can have nimble speed working for him, while the other will rely of brute force.

Mental picture

I like the faded background in the photo's at the top because it kind of highlights how I often see the world through the filter of my imagination.

Especially when I'm in parks.

Just a big kid I suppose!
But I have a whole world waiting to be born, and now I am getting a pretty decent handle on ZBrush I can finally unleash it on you at least in the form of photoshopped pics.

Here's where I step away from my computer to indulge in a hearty James Bond evil super villain maniacal laugh attack...




OK, I'm back now, great, got that out of my system.

Be prepared

The thing I'm really excited about is that I can indulge myself in a serious body of work of a certain substance and heft, if you will, and have it all ready to go at a moment's notice should the opportunity arise to get it 'made real' (what is real anymore, anyhow?).

They say luck is when opportunity collides with preparedness (or something), so my mission now is to be prepared. So I'll be beavering away with a frenzied sense of purpose in my spare time for the next while I'm sure.

It has been quite frustrating keeping lots of ideas pushed down simply because I haven't had the space and financial clout to make them at the kind of scale I have in mind to properly capture the imaginations of others.
I've been told by locals that kids especially really enjoy my big grumpy toads in Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland, Colorado (they guard the entrance to a bridge over a pond).
Some even kiss them, to see if they will turn into princes I guess!

Besides just allowing you to sculpt, ZBrush also has lots of other bells and whistles to explore. I'll be checking them out too, so I can use it as an illustration tool if I ever need to.

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

Did you guess right?

Nearly done turtle in ZBrush (still needs a bit of work)...

If you guessed that the strange looking thing at the end of the last post was a fledgling turtle, congratulations:
You guessed right!

Below are progress pics of iteration number 1.

I still have a bit to go on it refining claws, head, folds of skin etc and adding some more texture, but for  now I feel good that I've made a recognizable critter that I can continue to mess about with a bit.
One for my playtime critter bank.

Maybe I'll work on it more before I have a bash at something else, maybe after.

This turtle I wanted in a nice alert, perhaps aggressive pose, for future plans I have for it.

It's nice to be able to separate the body from the shell while making it. And now I have a shell and body tucked away.
Another particularly nice feature is that you can have ZBrush duplicate your strokes as you work on the other side of the shell, so achieving symmetry isn't a headache.

If I wanted to print a small one, I'd probably adjust it some to thicken up the thinner areas in particular, but since I've made plenty of turtles in sizes from an inch to a lot bigger, I can refer to those to get a sense of how much detail vs how much broad strokes to shoot for.

This is fun!

Kinda sorta turtle body laid out with ZSpheres

There's a face only a mother could love! More ZSketching

No need to get fancy with stuff hidden away by the shell. Makes for a strange looking beast though.

First go at a turtle in ZBrush more or less done

First go at a turtle in ZBrush more or less done

First go at a turtle in ZBrush more or less done

First go at a turtle in ZBrush more or less done

First go at a turtle in ZBrush more or less done


SteveWorthingtonArt.com - Sculpture that loves you back
or my Etsy store, CritterVille

My New Bronze Turtle Bottle Openers on Kickstarter

Steve Worthington's Bronze Turtle Bottle Openers for pre-order until May 11 2013 on Kickstarter

Greetings!

I have launched another Kickstarter project.
I like to put new pieces up for pre-order on Kickstarter at a special once only price.
It's good for me (takes care of up-front casting costs) and it's good for you (if you like my handiwork and want to take advantage of a special price, and get yours first).

My thanks to the plenty of fine folks who have helped me out with early pre-order purchases of my other Kickstarter sculpture projects, for which I am most grateful.

Click HERE to see the latest, featuring bottle opening versions of Athos, Porthos and Aramis.
There's a video demo and some pics to check out.

Cheers!

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

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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Turtle maneuvers, and rock hard headaches...solving my granite drilling and bronze mounting problems

These guys are heading off somewhere with a united purpose in their semi aquatic minds...

Drilling holes in the granite bases and screwing in the semi submerged turtles for Bumper to Bumper was giving me some major headaches.
Some turtles were drilled and tapped with a smaller size hole for 10/24 screws, while the others were larger for quarter twenty screws. I got different turtles cast and metal worked at different times, which explains that.

Keeping organized was a lifesaver, with each base numbered, and each turtle marked on its underside according to which base it went on and it's position in the lineup.

Getting the hole locations marked was easy enough. After smearing some release agent with a Q-tip around each hole on the undersides of the turtles (thanks for that, Lee) I pushed a flattened pea sized ball of soft waxy clay over the hole, positioned all the turtles on the base and then removed them.
Voila!
Six little flattened bits of clay with short stalks corresponding to the holes under the turtles were stuck nicely to the granite.

Then I just lowered the right sized diamond core drill bit into place, clamped the granite, surrounded the area with a dam of clay, filled the dam with water, removed the tiny blob of clay I was aiming the drill at, and slowly and carefully drilled through the rock on the slowest speed my drill would go.
I've mentioned before how much I love that rubbery stuff on rolls you can buy for your cutlery drawer from the supermarket.
I find it great anytime I need some grippy friction and cushioning, so it was great under the granite to help hold it steady.
I took my time and lifted up the drill several times so as not to overheat the granite since that might cause it to crack.
When the drill went right through the water drained out into a bowl underneath and I repeated the process until done.

I used a chinagraph pencil to remind me which were the quarter twenty holes on the granite (so I didn't drill the 10/24 ones with the same bit)

My legal disclaimer goes here...water and electrical appliances don't mix. So of course I'm not suggesting you do what I did, I'm just saying it's what I did. Check with the manufacturer of your drill press to find out what you should do, and of course wear safety goggles.

And a snorkel too, if you like.

Oh, and super hot bits of rock could shatter and fly off and do you or others all kinds of damage.

So wear all the appropriate safety gear and keep kids/pets etc away.

I used a half inch glass and tile bit (looks like a spear) to widen the holes and act as a countersink on the back side while spritzing the bit with water to keep the granite dust from rising, and to keep the drill and granite cool.

So, to continue my legal disclaimer, don't drill anything without using a proper air filter on your face or the dust might kill you. Only work in well ventilated areas. And get the proper supervision.

And don't get water on electrical equipment. That's just asking for trouble.

So the procedures I've taken and am describing here are not meant as advice. They are for your entertainment so you can marvel at how I have somehow survived such reckless behavior. (so far, anyway). So view this not as a 'how to' post, but as a 'how NOT to' post.

Best to simply hire a pro.

So later I used a nylon washer with each screw. The washer is essential otherwise the screw gets jammed in the hole, while the nylon washer can become crushed into the hole and provide some compression for the ever tightening screw.

That worked wonders for the smaller 10/24 screws, but the larger quarter twenties didn't have the wiggle room and got jammed up inside the narrow 1/2" wide steep sided hole.

A 5/8 or 3/4 masonry bit turned out to be the answer to that problem.

Masonry bit

Depending on how deep you make the countersink, and how many nylon washers you use, and how long your screw is, and how thick your granite is, you can get it to work out every time.

Before I got the masonry bit to use as a countersink I spent a whole evening messing about trying (unsuccessfully) just to get a couple or three turtles screwed into place that were needing quarter twenty screws. It was a frustrating nightmare.
But when I got better tools to do the job, it was a breeze in comparison.

For quarter twenty screws I'll use a 5/16" diamond core bit, and a 5/8" masonry bit for the countersink, with 1/2" screws and one or two nylon washers in each for granite 3/8" thick.

For 10/24 screws I used 1/4" diamond core bit, and the 1/2" glass and tile bit that looks like a spear.
I'm sure a 1/2" masonry bit would work great for that too.
After some clean up, felt dots go on the bottom of the granite to keep it from scratching the furniture, unless you're really determined of course.
Where there's a will there's a way.

Oh, I almost forgot, Merry Christmas!

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

Tree frog 'Rolls Royce of shoe horns' progress, museum show, and my mouse project book is officially in the mail...

The tree frog shoe horn is coming along, after a few glitches (described in an earlier post).
But I'm liking how it's coming along (not so thrilled with my photography skills on this bunch of pics!).

I decided to fill in the hole that hangs it on the nail, and have the frog hollow, with a keyhole shape cut into the leaf on the back side (only the keyhole is upside down) so it hangs magically on the wall.

I think this one and the snail complement each other nicely.

Or will when they're done, after molding, wax pulling, wax chasing, investing, burnout, bronze casting, de-molding, metal chasing, and patina. That's quite a process!

So it might take a while!
But it is the Rolls Royce of shoe horns, after all.

I filled the hole in and will hang it 'invisibly'

unfinished wax original (yet to be molded)

unfinished frog on leaf shoehorn

In the meantime I'll just have to make do with the cheapo and unsightly (but perfectly functional) shoe horn I bought from WalMart.

I recently published 'The Mouse Project' through Lulu.com, but have it set to 'private' until I get to see the printed book. It should arrive on Wednesday.
If all's well, I'll hit the 'public' button then and immediately post that it's alive and kicking!

I can hardly wait, I'm very excited to see the printed version, having been messing about with it for ages now on my computer.
Thanks to all the amazing work from 21 other artists I'm sure it will look great!

My Froggyballs and Athos, Porthos and Aramis the turtles are on display in the Albuquerque Museum's Miniatures and More show for this year which opens tonight, so I'm eager to find out how that goes.

Froggyball #1  a soda can,  and    Froggyball #2

Athos (top), Porthos (bottom left) and Aramis (bottom right)

Last year's turnout was very impressive, as I'm sure it will be this year too.

I'm working on some new mousey things which I'll no doubt post about very soon.
And I'm still planning on taking some pics of the critters in the pumpkin patch.

It's fun having a few balls up in the air at once!

Thanks for reading...

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

Trying some things out, and this year's Barkin' Ball...

Tiny swimming bronze turtles in resin 'water'

Originally I wanted to make bronze turtles swimming through glass that was cast around them.
But I asked a glass blower and learned that it would crack and break up as it cooled around the hard metal, so I explored other options, deciding to give a urethane resin a try.
I was advised to wear rubber gloves and eye protection, and avoid getting the uncured resin on my skin, as some people have an allergy to it and can develop a poison oak type of reaction.
And if you aren't allergic to it, you can become sensitive to it, so best avoid the situation and cover up.

Once it's cured it's completely harmless, clear, and hard as nails.
Just like what I wanted glass for, so I gave it a go.

turtles on the window sill while the 'water' cures

paraphernalia

You have to be really precise in mixing the A and B volumes. That's what the syringes are for.
The straws are for stirring them together.
And once mixed you have a limited working time before it starts to 'go off'.
And you have to keep it quite warm (ideally 140ºF) while it sets, or it will never cure completely.
So the window sill and a lamp took care of that.
The bronze was too hot to touch all afternoon.

Well I really like the effect, especially with a greeny colored patina under it, to contrast with the turtles.
It's got me interested in coming up with other things to do with it!

Mike finished the metalwork on my tree frogs on a vine and did a very nice job on the patina (of course!).
I'm undecided as yet about which base I prefer. I'm having the round metal one all tarted up so I can compare them side by side. I like its minimal profile, but I also like the reflectiveness of the granite.
We'll see...

Mike Masse doing his thing on my tree frogs on a vine

unfinished metal base

Barkin' Ball came along unexpectedly quickly this year. I almost didn't get my mice in on time!

Yee-haw! It's Barkin' Ball 2010.

These critters found a great home...

But I'm glad to say they found a great home at the end of the silent auction to benefit the humane society's animal shelter here in Santa Fe.

The Mouse Project cover and page layouts are coming along nicely, I'm using Lulu.com, so I'll have to post a few pics of them next time around. I haven't done the wordy bits yet. But soon I will have done, then as soon as the last pics come in I should be just about able to drop 'em in and be all done!

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