Blue flame didn't burn out, just changed fuel.

[Stephen Casey]

Some might remember I was all over these threads pretty heavy, prob too heavy sometimes. I didn't burn bright and then burn out. I've been tightening up my artistic/financial projects. Less I want to do, and more I need to do.

Hence the dropping of the signiture line, pulling references to my major sculpture goal as it is being pushed back about six months. And less ambitious stepping stones sought in the mean while.

Getting "something" done has never been hard for me. But quality artistic product that is marketable, that is a critter I have yet to capture.

I think I will be able to provide some laughs though as I will be doing a humor collectable for the eBay croud, and a 18" horror figure for the "Garage Kit Market."

Take care.

[Roy]

I've been tightening up my artistic/financial projects. Less I want to do, and more I need to do.

Welcome back Stephen. What does the above portion of your quote mean?

[Stephen Casey]

Hello Roy.

I had intended to complete a mideaval chess set, within a 7 month time frame. But having only recently shifting from writing to sculpture, because of reduced cognitive abilities. This time frame while is do-able would not represent the majority of my potential. I made my first chess set out of my medicine bottles (I still had plenty left over, but thats another story).

While humorous this certainly doesn't make a statement I want to share with the public. I have very definite goals for expressing the human stakes, the personal loss involved in the wars of long ago and of course today.

Even though I personally have a very real even potentially mortal financial need over the next 6 months, I decided I would rather the project never happened than do it only half ass. I will still pick at the chess project as time allows, but no real time effort, until I flesh out my sculpting skills with some projects that have far less at stake than the representation of individual mortalities.

So I will forgo the self gratification of working on something truely important, to do a few things that are far more commercial and easily exicuted, at the same time refining reproduction abilities.

Charging at windmills is so much more fun. I guess I will have to find some fun in building them.

[Roy]

I have very definite goals for expressing the human stakes, the personal loss involved in the wars of long ago and of course today.

Hi Steven,

I don’t know what the situation is that blocks your way to following your vision. I know money, and suspect a medical complication, but I won’t intrude beyond that. I too have a situation that keeps me from progressing for awhile, but I have hope that it will be resolve in the next year or two. In the mean time I follow this site trying to keep the artistic part of my mind engaged with the dreams and works of others, so I can keep perspective about mine.

I read a book a few years ago called The Artists Way. The main point I remember is to surround your self with supportive friend that care enough to give honest, constructive feedback when needed as opposed to the poisonous comments of critics like in the American Idol TV show. To me this site can serve that function along with the other functions.

Keep the vision, and take what ever steps, no matter how small, to get there.
.
Roy

[JAZ]

Stephen and Roy thank you for talking about these things that you feel because it's so discouraging sometimes and reassuring to know that others find ways to keep up hope. I'd guess that most people on this forum do something else besides sculpture some of the time.
The good people on this forum are helpful and supportive, and since we all work alone, that's important.
The bottom line is that you have to believe in yourself and just try to be true to that while you explore different ways of living. Good things will happen if you are honest with yourself.

[Roy]

Hi JAZ.

Thanks for your supportive words. As I told Seven, I'm hopeful, and I know I will be able to get back to my joy when a few wrinkles are worked out in our life.

[jwebb]

"The race is long and, in the end, it is only with yourself." -- Kurt vonnegut

[Stephen Casey]

I agree that the process of getting the art done or working toward a situation that will make the EFFORT even POSSIBLE is as crucial as any system of technique or craftsmanship.

I have been in Roy’s boat for long periods of time as well, that is having to think in terms of years versus months before I could dive into my art.

In my case manic-depression and then baby brain strokes reaped great destruction not only on my earning potential but also the ability to think in the complex patterns that my art had required for any dependable amount of time.(Writing a novel and self help book.) An exaggeration I had often repeated over this last decade is, "I'm often a genius one day, and a moron the next." Of course genius is accounted for by the results of potential not potential in of its self, and here I am totally lacking.

Jaz thanked Roy and myself for talking about these things, because we all share adversity, but we don't always have the opportunity to share a connection to other peoples adversity. And this is where a lot of healing and progress is seeded.

I happen to personally know two women that are great inspirations to me because their burdens were and are greater than mine. Seeing them survive and flourish in the slightest let alone remarkably well at times, keeps me from despair. My good friend and ex-wife Donna is one of them. Her challenges from the point of birth until I met her, were so great that most people wouldn't even want to know what these challenges were for it would make them wretch. She has more than survived against all odds, and will be contributing to an art exhibition at my local library along with some other artist in May. A couple years ago she had nothing and no-one, today she has friends, a boyfriend, her art, a beautiful rose garden, and peace of mind on a regular basis. She is my personal proof that I can always improve and find hope in my current situation. And without hope there is little art.

On a lighter note:
Today and perhaps for a few more days I will be finishing a global search for-I kid you not-zombies!

My first major and competitive sculpture work will be a full bodied 14" to 36" in height male zombie. Height is part of what I am narrowing down right now as well as doing my very best to not be trite with this sculpture. To not be clichéd in the substance nor the expressiveness of the sculpture. The major action, motivation, and momentum of the piece is fairly concrete now. I just need to give a bit more effort to making sure I am doing something unique as well as competitive for the market I have chosen. The garage kit market.

Garage kit builders buy white rosin kits of monsters, heroes, dinosaurs, and lovely ladies from popular horror action and fantasy movies. These kits come in about 15 pieces, that they assemble and paint often with elaborate airbrushing techniques. Below is a couple links to sites that specialize in this hobby.

I learned recently there have been over 190 zombie movies produced in the USA and over 80 made outside the USA. Starting in force from 1932 White Zombie, Bela Lugosi. And a May 2004 release of a remake of Dawn of the Dead. That computes to 3.75 zombie movie per year since 1932.Or one being produced every three months. Who'd a thunk it?

Latter I will start a thread presenting this kind of sculpting as an important artistic expression and look forward to some interesting dialog amoungst us sculptors.

Magazine and retailers.
http://www.amazingmodeler.com/photogal.htm
http://www.amazingmodeler.com/weblinks.htm
http://www.januscompany.com/catalog.htm
http://www.darkcarnivalmodels.com/kits.html

[Roy]

I have been in Roy’s boat for long periods of time as well, that is having to think in terms of years versus months before I could dive into my art. Today and perhaps for a few more days I will be finishing a global search for-I kid you not-zombies! My first major and competitive sculpture work will be a full bodied 14" to 36" in height male zombie. I just need to give a bit more effort to making sure I am doing something unique as well as competitive for the market I have chosen. The garage kit market.

Hi Steven - I'm happy you are out of your troff, and making plans again. I know it's an up and down thing.

Today is the sad one year anniversry of my wifes accident. She was it by a buss during Marti Grais. She has suffered a tramatic Brain Injury and needs constant care. I feel selfish that I want to get back to my joy when she has the real need. My hope is that she will recover enough in the next year or two so I can again focus on my interest.

[Stephen Casey]

Roy you might think of a considerably smaller project for your self. Still casting or hands on sculpting of some kind. It only takes 20 minutes of loosing yourself in art to give you a good dose of release.

I wish I had my art when I was a care giver. 17 years taking care of my mother. I had no idea how much I sacraficed until she passed on. I would of done again in a heart beat. But I look back at those years and think of myself blinded in the forest for all the trees. I think I would of been easier to get along with if I had delegated some time to my art. Whether if anybody cared or liked it or not. I find artistic endeavor is a splended form of meditation. Everyone needs some time to their selves. Even my very dependant mother needed me out of her face on a regular basis. Something to think about maybe, I haven't walked in your shoes lately.

If you were to work on a project what do you think it might be????

[Stephen Casey]

By the way Roy, does your wife do any kind of craft, maybe something from a long time before the accident, that would be within her capabilities? When my mother was well enough she crocheted. I had to learn how so I could teach her. My kitchen wall is full of her pot holders and douilies. When she couldn't see well enough she enjoyed watercolor painting. The simplest scenes. But as i showed interest it made her happy. She didn't want to do the water colors at first, I had to egg her into it.

[Roy]

By the way Roy, does your wife do any kind of craft, maybe something from a long time before the accident, that would be within her capabilities?
Hi Steven - Thanks for the encouragement. Nancy did do painting before the accident. She did water colors and oil for many years. My sister and I have her doing chauk drawing now, and she still has the ability, but the brain injury has damaged her desire to do it much. She is missing her old zest. She was my muse, and I miss that. I hope she gets the use of her left hand again, and starts to burn again for her joy of creating art.