Meanderings of a Maine Artist... sculptor Cynthia Smith

A Chip Off the Ol' Block ... Reincarnations in Bronze

8/27/2012

Worry Stone... 4 3/4" h

Sometimes old projects take on new lives. A few years ago, I encountered a fissure in a piece of soapstone that I was working on.
I ended up having to remove a 5" chip from the piece and, being a true thrifty yankee, said to myself- "I can make something out of that".
The chip became a rather well endowed 'worry stone' and sat on my desk for quite a while, until one day I said- "I can make something out of that". I was taking a mold making class at Maine College of Art at the time and needed an object to cast. I made a rubber mold with Brush-On 35 (from the Smooth-On Company) and cast the piece in plaster, then plastic. The cast pour spout from the mold allowed the piece to stand on its own. It was now a free-standing small sculpture.
Time passed. I was now enrolled in a bronze casting class at MECA and, again, 'Worry' came to mind - "I can make something out of that". And so, I poured wax into the mold and 'Worry' turned into a
bronze sculpture. I made several. Time passed. Alex Sax at the Whitney Art Works Gallery in Portland put a call out for artists to participate in an exhibition called 'The Jar Project' - artwork that fit inside any kind or size of lidded jar. I found an old chicken watering device at a local antique and collectible shop and knew that 'Worry' was going to be back in action. She became 'Lady Bountiful' and went on display, first at the Whitney Gallery and then at Spring Gallery in Belgrade Lakes. 'Worry' was getting around.

Rubber mold & plaster cast

As the result of yet another bronze class, 'Worry' took on new dimensions and a split personality. I poured 6 waxes and attached them together in a circle...liked it and poured 6 more. On a whim, I put the second set on top of the first - I liked it. Poured another 6, then another. That was it. The wax became bronze and 'Worry' became 'Stacked'.

Until next time....

Worry... 5 1/4" h Lady Bountiful... 7 1/2" h Stacked...19" h

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Sculpture in the Round ...What's on the Other Side?

8/22/2012

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In Manu Spiritus... wood... 23 1/2" h

One of the most challenging and rewarding parts of sculpting is creating a 3-dimensional composition that can hold the viewer's eye and interest for all 360 degrees of the viewing circle. Can I create a path of visual discoveries and revelations? Will the viewer get to the end and find they have the uncontrollable urge to retrace their steps or start the experience again to find out how they got there? There is a process of peeling back the layers of choices that were made by the artist ... some dictated by the nature of the materials themselves, some by

specific design or intent, and some simply emerging from subliminal memories or influences. Each layer the viewer peels away allows him or her to experience the artist's creative process on a very personal level. The reward of the final revelation is that it is like sharing a secret with your best friend.

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Sculpture as Illustration ... a collaboration

8/18/2012

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Quabbin Park Cemetary in Ware, Ma.

In 2010, playwright Dorothy Johnson approached me about collaborating with her on a presentation for the exhibition of original art and poetry called 'Interface' organized by Massachusetts poet, Candace Curran. Dorothy had written a series of short vignettes about fictional people who might have lived in
the Swift River Valley prior to the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. The pieces reflect the impact of the flooding of the Valley, the loss of homes and property, and the relocation of over 6500 bodies that were exhumed from local cemeteries and reinterred elsewhere.

My task was to read the vignettes and create a work of art that illustrated or responded to Dorothy's words. One short piece, in particular, about a character named Nora Barton (1764-1807), whose grave had been relocated, resonated with me. It read as follows:

Rough hands moved me here
and jostled my bones.
Life was hard enough
that I was glad to come to rest
in Dana where all was quiet.

Why did they move me
to this place?

For me, the anger, frustration and helplessness that must have been felt by all who lost their homes in the Valley was encapsulated in these few words. I had a small unfinished armless bronze figure mounted on a piece of stone that I felt projected these same emotions. This led me to creating a setting for the figure that consisted of a cemetery partly submerged by flowing water. I inserted a piece of thin plywood that had a pronounced "flowing" textured grain into an old oval wooden frame. I cut headstones out of soapstone and arranged them around the centered figure. Then I painted the plywood surface to look like a flowing river and added shadows from the headstones on the "water".

Swift River... bronze, stone, & wood... "h

Our collaborative effort was well received at the 'Interface' event. Dorothy continued to add characters and stories until her collection grew from 6 to 60. As the numbers grew, she was encouraged by others to put the collection into a book with illustrations in the form of portraits of the characters - and so, our collaboration continued, and eventually was published in 2011 under the title *A Swift River Anthology. Dorothy has done readings at numerous venues throughout Western
Masschuetts, including the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem. After constructing a signpost-like base with the name of the 4 towns flooded to create the reservoir painted on each side, I was able to display the sculpture at several of the presentations to bring our experience
full circle.

* Additional information about A Swift River Anthology, including purchase information, can be found under the 'More' section of the site menu.

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New project, old materials ... resurrection

8/15/2012

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I have spent the last few weeks working on a piece for the upcoming Marine themed juried show in Wiscasset at The Maine Art Gallery. I knew I had a piece of wood tucked away in my studio that would lend itself to the task. It was a wedge shaped piece that had a very distinctive grain that presented as an undulating wave-like pattern.

The wedge led me immediately to the idea of a empty dory with oars askew riding the crest of a wooden wave...a tribute to those lost a sea (or just lost). I constructed the dory out of wood, oaktag, and ducktape, then added wooden oars and wire oarlocks. I had originally planned to coat the dory with epoxy clay and then stain it to look like dark metal, but decided that it would get too heavy and clumsy looking. When searching for another way to cover and color the surface of the boat, I found a Rustoleum textured spray paint at Home Depot that turned out to be the answer to the problem. I was happy with the color, texture and coverage. I was able
to effectively spray and cover both the oarlocks and the heavy nylon string that I had attached
as the bowline of the boat.

'Memories of the Lost'...17 1/4" h

After attaching the dory to the wave, the next challenge was to find a way to raise the piece up. Again, I looked to my stash of accumulated materials. I had a pair of 7 inch tall old wooden
spools that were the perfect size, color and patina. I also found that I had an old maple shelf with the almost identical color and patina, and I was able to cut it down to an appropriate size for the base. The combination of attaching the spools to the bottom of the wooden wedge and then to the resized maple shelf effectively gave the piece the desired height... completing the sculpture through a process of reassembly and resurrection of rescued materials.

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The Art Game ... the fun is in the details

8/10/2012

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My work often reflects my sense of humor, and contains twists or discoveries for the viewer to find and enjoy. 'Jeu du Chat et la Souris' is an example of that - starting with the title itself. I don't speak French, but the idea of the title for this 'Cat and Mouse Game' being in French seemed playful and like part of the game. Of course the most obvious element was the fact that the game pieces consisted of 2 teams, one of cats and one of mice - what else could you do for a game of cat and mouse? At first glance they appear to be all different, but on closer inspection there are only 3 mice and 3 cats - the positioning and relationships between the figures creates the impression that there are differences. The positioning of the game pieces and the visual conversations created by those positions was important to me. (This has created a bit of frustration on the part of viewers, as most want the opportunity to rearrange the pieces on the board...they are firmly attached. Creating this 'frustration' was also part of my 'game'.)
On another level (literally), I created a second front of activity on the shelf below the game board with the game pieces that surround the white box. Again, I wanted to create visual conversations between the pieces themselves and also with the box. Having the box lid partially askew was part of the conversation. I wonder if the various attitudes of the pieces (curiosity, reticence, indifference, timidity) reflect viewers reactions to the artwork...or to the unknown in life in general?
My final play of the game was to set a trap (yes, literally) under the game table...a mouse trap, complete with cheese wedge.

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Accumulating Possibilities... found object hoarding

8/6/2012

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If it's interesting... save it!

I have long had the habit of not being able to part with or pass by interesting objects or materials that feel like they have the potential to be the start or a part of a future project. Of course, as a result, I have boxes and shelves of odd, assorted and unrelated bits of "stuff", each waiting for its moment in the sun.
I recently needed a piece for a show at The Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset. The theme was 'View From the 'Window' and I nothing that even remotely fit the concept. My mind did a quick inventory of treasures that I had
put aside in the past and zeroed in on
past and zeroed in on an accumulation of wooden dollhouse windows that had been boxed up for 40 years. Bingo! The windows, combined with a black walnut board left over from another project from the past, became 'Window'.

As they say in Maine...it's a "keepah" !
( keeper to folks from "away").
*Article from 'The Coastal Journal'

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A Chip Off the Ol' Block ... Reincarnations in Bronze

Sculpture in the Round ...What's on the Other Side?

Sculpture as Illustration ... a collaboration

New project, old materials ... resurrection

The Art Game ... the fun is in the details

Accumulating Possibilities... found object hoarding

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