Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and an article in the Courier-Journal

Here is the cover of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

And here also is an article in the January 18th Courier-Journal about that sculpture and other

work I have completed.

The article was written by Diane Heilenman. You can read the article online at:
http://courier-journal.com/article/20090118/SCENE05/901180333

Daphne refinement and photos of ice

I am finishing up Daphne, refining areas all over the piece; the body, limbs and leaves. I am experimenting with different textures for the trunk of the tree.
It is slow work finishing up the leaves, I want to have as much movement as possible.

I have spent a lot of time working out areas inside the piece, smoothing out chisel textures, etc.

I will refine the leaves further, but I have to be careful not to get the sculpture too fragile as it will have to be loaded onto a truck when goes to its new home.

Last spring I took a lot of macro photos of flowers. Now that it is winter, the flowers are all gone, but there is still beauty to be found, you just have to look close...

This is a photo of frost - the temperature was about 5 degrees, and I saw pockets of large crystals in the grass.

This is a closeup of a leaf in a frozen pond.

A tiny forest of ice crystals

An oak leaf in a frozen pond.

A winters walk by the creek

It snowed Wednesday and I took a walk by the creek. Here's what I saw...I am standing at the top of the hill next to the barn. The property is bordered by Yellowbank Creek. Yellowbank Wildlife Management Area is on the other side of the creek.

Some berries in the snow. I don't know what the plant is.

The path to the creek, highlighted by the snow.

The path runs next to the creek.
An island is part of the property. It is roughly 1/2 acre in size.

The point of the island. It catches alot of the logs that drift down stream.
A beaver has chewed down this tree....

A view of the creek between the main property and the island(on the left. The channel of the creek runs on the other side and is very deep. The water here is a little over knee-deep. I've waded over to the island, but not today...

A big storm a few years ago took this tree down...

Raccoon tracks

A wood duck nest box put up by the state. This is on an island that is part of Yellowbank. Deer regularly bed down on these islands in the summer, I've watched them swim back in the evening.

Looking across the creek to Yellowbank WMA

Our neighbors, the Mitchells, farm.


Otey, one of three donkeys, wonders what I'm doing....

A fresh water mussel munched by an otter.

A big old tree


Another big old tree with a very long branch.

The committee requested that changes be made in the final sculpture. She has an apron on as
this is in keeping with her role as a caretaker of children. She also has a bun instead of loose hair.

And now she is wearing a cross pin.

Some nice photos...

I was going through some of my photos and found some I like..

This is a spider web covered with dew. Can you find the creator of this web?A wildflower, the name escapes me at the moment....

Another spider web very close up, this one was down in the grass....

From Nun to Deaconess..

It turns out that Sister Emily Cooper was a Deaconess, not a nun. So she would not wear a habit,
but working clothes. So first the sleeves, wimple, etc are removed, and the lower part of her garment is changed from the full gathered appearance of a habit to that of a skirt.
Her hair is now loose and flowing and I feel gives her a lot more life.

This outfit is based on a day dress from 1872.

Japanese Macaque in Georgia Pink Marble and a Christmas Card

This is a Japanese Macaque (or Snow Monkey) I am carving in Georgia Pink Marble. It is a juvenile monkey grooming it's leg. It was roughed out with an angle grinder using a 5" diamond wheel. It was then shaped using the same angle grinder with a masonry wheel. A large and small die grinder were used for shaping the interior spaces and detailing the fingers toes and face. A rolok (an air sanding tool) with a tapered cartrige roll is being used to polish the hands, feet and face. A bush hammer chisel is used for fur texture, though only as a light, final touch. The marble is too brittle to put up with much chisel work.

I will further refine the details of the monkey with fine die grinder bits and apply a fur texture to the interior sections with a channeling tool which is a type of chisel.

A side view....

This is the Christmas card that we will be sending out this year. The photo, poem and design are by Meg White Copyright 2008.