Portraits in Clay

Portraits in Clay

I'd like to present a series of portraits I have completed in clay.  To start off is a portrait of a Toltec warrior. He is mounted on a rough sawn block of wood and the green of the rain forest is reflected in his eyes, compliments of a nice low fire green ceramic glaze.  This bust was created from strips of rolled clay.   

  The next portrait is of Giotto and represents my idea of how the famous 13th century artist might have looked if his  head was a globe and he was made of clay. Oh well, it's just a representation and I actually didn't know him, so let's go the next un-likeness. 

I didn't create this stone portrait (titled "Phrophet").  I found it in the studio of Kansas City Artist Benn Bunyar and was so striken with it that I traded him out of it.  It was supposed to be for a litergical commission, but Benn just created another.  I think it has been an artistic model for me based on the feeling it evokes, the attention to detail, and the overall impact it conveys.  Thanks Benn.

This next portrait is of a bucaneer. I think my inspiration for this is based on a poem by Jorge Borges, "Blind Pew", the story of an aging bucaneer who finds himself in England remembering the South Seas.  I am satisfied with the image I portray here. 

The next porclean portrait is Christopher Columbus.  The Snow represents winter time. 

This small head was constructed from flat strips of clay.  It is really quite small, and it's hollow.  I have no idea who this is.  I was trying for Ernst Hemingway, but I don't think I held the image long enough and it turned out to be more like John Dos Passos?   No great loss!

This portrait is of Allenda. It shows his ernestness, vision, and square eyed approach to problems. 

I carved this head of Thoreau when I was on Jumpoff Lookout  Being carved from wood it obviously isn't made of clay but perhaps Thoreau was, who knows.  I like the etheral quality of this, illustrating Thoreau's philosophical bent.  Sorry for the light.  I use the carving to hang native weavings over so it' sort of looks like a hat rack?

While the Thoreau carving is from Lodge pole Pine, this carving of Whitman is from apple wood.  Not sure what I was thinking with the tall head and empty eye sockets??? Must have been the style of the 70s?

Back to stone heads. Not sure who carved these?? But they really are quite remarkable.  They are in South Dakota or Wyoming or some western state.  They are actually quite famous,, Let's see, what do you think they call them??

This head, in the snow, represents both the Union and Confederate soldiers of the Civil War.  The green "Cupie" hat, grumpy look, and heavy eyebrows seem to give it the proper age? 

Here is a portrait of a cup.  It doesn't hold water and you can't drink coffee out of it much like my other portraits. 

Here is a two head set that is in progress.  I hope to edit t his posting with the finished piece.  I will add stain, glazes, and mount them together.  Stay tuned to this site for follow up photos  

The piece is titled "Myxlodian Primacy".  It is a male and a female busts which have directed their attention at some object to our left and are intently staring at it, perhaps a child?  Tune in soon for the finished piece!