This week was a mixed bag of projects. Everything from starting a new painting, mold making, and more work on my free flight airplanes.
First thing I did this week was finish the Talosian sculpture. With pre-orders on the schedule, I needed to get this sculpture in a mold to be able to make up the masks.
I used white hydrocal this time, as I had noticed as of late, Pottery plaster is not what it used to be. The molds don’t last very long until they start breaking down. This white hydrocal is stronger. I also found it more consistent and it was easier to work with. I finished the mold on Thursday.
I wrote an interesting article on my blog about the experience of making this mold and my reflections on the nearly 50 years I have been doing this work you might want to read it. Some of you are mentioned in the article that read this newsletter. Click on the link below to read it.
https://steveneills.art.blog/2022/06/03/the-craft-6-3-2022/
I opened the mold on Friday and I had no problems with it at all and after it dries up a bit over the weekend I can trim it up and start casting masks.
Here’s the mold just after opening it up and the front half removed.
The clay then gets cleaned out of the mold next in the sink with sponges, brushes, and water.
Both sides are cleaned out and the mold is ready to close. Once closed it can dry out so that it’s easier to grind off the outer edges of the mold to make it smooth. Then it’s ready to start pouring rubber. Next week I should have the first mask painted.
The painting I spoke of is of a friend and talented man Vance Gilbert. He is a songwriter, performer-musician, and a prolific model airplane builder extraordinaire.
Every year there is a massive event for free flight airplanes in Geneseo NY called the NATS. A friend of mine George Bredehoft took this picture of Vance in the morning of the open field they fly from. The pictures say it all with the beautiful sky and green fields Vance felt it was heaven on Earth for us aviators and reached in glory for the sky. I just had to paint it.
In this picture you can see the print out of the actual picture and the canvas I only worked on for about 40 minutes so far just massing out the shapes and values for the background before I start painting Vance in. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’m enjoying this and I plan many more.
I also worked a bit on the free flight planes I’m taking to our large local event in Arizona later this year in the green fields of a 600 acre ranch of sod.http://www.westernfac.com/ These events are so much fun. All Free Flight. No gas motors. Just quiet rubber powered planes that fly silently in the grassy fields and blue skies.
I nearly finished a new one named “Double Trouble”.
This is a terrific flier that Howard Littman designed. He sells many kits of high quality that can be found here should you ever want to try this relaxing and amazing hobby. http://www.hjlmodels.com/
And here’s the table with the various planes on it being worked on for this event in October. I’m building two more before the event.
Thank you all for reading this newsletter. You can also read daily posts on my website on the blog: https://steveneills.art.blog/ Thanks to all the new followers there. Wow, it’s really growing. If you want to follow it just click on the “Follow Button” on the right side of the website page.
Mary has started a studyof birds with different mediums. On her blog you can see her Toucans:
https://marycacciapaglia.wpcomstaging.com/2022/06/04/toucans/
Have a great weekend. Be creative always it makes the world a better place for us all!
Love you all!
Steve and Mary
Fine Art America – Steve Neill
SNG Aero – Rockets by Steve Neill
…and Mary on the web
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The Art of Steve Neill 