A Belated Introduction :D

[Julianna]

After poking into a few posts and asking some questions, I guess I should "formally" introduce myself. I must say that I'm one of those reculsive types who prefers to work like a hermit. As much as I'm looking forward to getting a show, I'm terrified of feeling obligated to make small-talk at openings ;)

I've been sculpting since 2000, and have been working in other media for as long as I can remember. I'm not much for formal education, but got a bachelor's degree last fall (and eventually studied philosophy and science). I've managed to keep my creativity away from books, and we'll see how far I can go before someone decides I need "formal training in the arts".

Hm...I'm going to hide in my studio now, hehe.

J

[sculptor]

.... I must say that I'm one of those reculsive types who prefers to work like a hermit. As much as I'm looking forward to getting a show, I'm terrified of feeling obligated to make small-talk at openings ;)
......see how far I can go before someone decides I need "formal training in the arts".

Hm...I'm going to hide in my studio now, hehe.

J
I can't think of a better place to "hide" with any luck at all, I'll be a productive hide....

as/re "...before someone decides ..." Your's is the only decision that really matters.
...small talk...I usually bore folks with minutia, or comparative mythologies....let me know if you come up with a better formula.....

Post-a-pix-o your works
cool?
rod(sculptor)

[JAZ]

Welcome Juliana,
Your lovely soapstone and alabaster forms have sold well so far, so there's maybe no pressing need to exhibit right now if you don't feel comfortable with it. But really, if it was your own opening you wouldn't have to "make small talk" because people would approach you with questions and compliments and maybe it might actually be fun (maybe). Most of us really need time alone to work, but after awhile solitude can get to be too much and it sometimes is useful to hear what people say about your work. Feedback can be distracting or stimulating.
It seems that your pieces are getting a little bigger as time goes on, which is nice. They seem intimate and personal and the surfaces and colors are beautiful. What tools do you use to carve the soapstone? How do you get that silky surface? (I'm more familiar with steel and have never tried soapstone, though I do have a small piece I bought once.) Have you ever tried stone?
It's nice to hear from you and this forum is probably a lot less scary than an opening, right? There are lots of good people behind the posts on this site. Enjoy.
JAZ
www.joyceaudyzarins.com

[JAZ]

Post-a-pix-o your works
cool?
rod(sculptor)

Rod, et al,
Here's a link to Julianna's site. I just clicked on her username, then on her homepage link.
http://www.transientwaters.net/
JAZ

[Julianna]

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

Yeah, I'm not really sure what to do with the whole formal education thing. I've followed some of the posts about that here, and it's certainly food for thought. The first time my sculptures went public, a couple was contemplating the purchase of one (I think) of my sculptures. After some whispering, they announced that they'll wait until after I graduated. I guess they assumed I was getting a BFA. I really don't know what the difference is, because the sculpture would have been the same after I graduated, and probably for less money!

...small talk...I usually bore folks with minutia, or comparative mythologies....let me know if you come up with a better formula.....

Boring them sounds like a plan! Hehe. It was quite a shock the first time people asked me questions and told me they liked my work. I wanted to answer everything with "I don't know...I just sculpt?" and the compliments with "really??"...not very elegant though. I'm hoping after I polish my answers, the questions won't be as scary. This forum is definitely more comfortable. If anything, at least you don't need to see me turning red when the spotlight is on me :o

Yes, I'm really eager to make bigger sculptures. The only problem is the upfront cost... well, that and moving the stone. I acquired a 200lb piece of soapstone last summer, and am starting that now (yay!). It took two guys and much grunting to get it onto my work-surface. I don't know how I can move it afterwards, but I'm hoping inspiration will strike when I actually need to move it.

I started off just using rifflers (specially-shaped files) for carving, but now that I'm getting into bigger pieces, chisels and the occasional power tool are necessary. I'm still using the rifflers for the majority of the work, because they're the only tools that I can use to do what I want (particularly the curves). The silky surface is a combination of sanding (up to 1200 grit, which I've been told is unnecessary, but I notice the difference if I stop at a lower grit) and a polish by Akemi (http://www.akemina.com/). It's much more work to get the shine on alabaster than soapstone...I'm not really sure why, but I'm guessing it has something to do with absorbtion.

Have you ever tried stone?

What do you mean?

I really like your work, Jaz. So many different media, but all very provocative.

[Araich]

Julianna, welcome from out of the shadows! :)

This is a rare occasion when I dissagree with JAZ, you must exhibit! It is the best chance people will have of seeing a progressive/logical body of your work, understanding the path that you are on, and the only way to garner the attention necessary to ultimately leave you alone in the workshop with whatever sized stone you might fancy.

I too, like most, dreaded the openings. Worst was the very general "I love this piece in particular", followed by a long pause in wait of your reply. What the hell do you say to that? For years I would stumble along with "yes the colour here works well" or "I think this element works best". Then one day I realised that I was just deflecting the praise and that the proper answer was to say "thank you".
It is was a revelation. If you just say thank you, then it falls to them to be more specific if they want. Often it simply carries to real world stuff, like "where is your studio". And that is my other technique, drive the conversation into the humourous, the general and the inane.
Openings are not the place for analysis of your work. They are a time to celebrate your continued survival, your minor victories in the studio and the all important sales that free you to bang your head softly on the workbench in private.

You have beautiful work.

[fritchie]

These are beautifully shaped and finished pieces, Julianna. As JAZ says, you are selling, so you can follow your own path, but you might want a gallery show so more people can see your work. As others have said, the artist usually is asked about methods, working habits, goals, and so on at shows, so the conversation can be interesting. Also, good gallery managers watch to see what is happening and will intervene if the artist appears uncomfortable for any reason. Treat an opening like a family celebration, and you might even find it fun!

[JAZ]

I know "have you ever tried stone" sounds like a stupid question, but actually, it's just an incomplete one. I meant harder stone like granite or marble. I know soapstone is softer and somewhat easier to work. I don't know about the hardness of alabaster. My conception of that is limited to the fact that it is more translucent. I've never worked any stone.
Thank you for the compliment.
One thought about the 200 pound piece. Now you need to know more about material handling. A few months ago I bought a hydraulic worktable. You need one. I think it was about $200 (if you need specifics let me know and I will comply) and it lowers to about ten inches from the floor, easily raises to 30 inches or so, which is standard worktable height, has wheels and is only about 2 feet by three feet. Very handy. I bought it from the HarborFreight catalogue. Also, you can get an electric winch from them and nylon straps that will allow you to lift that rock all by yourself. If I can do it anyone can. Given electricity and leverage it's amazing what can be done.

[JAZ]

Oh, and about that education thing. I'd go back and get a Masters in a second if I had the money. You have to find your own combination of living for a while, thinking for your self and getting mentoring and input from a stimulating environment. A good art school offers time to think only about your work, facilities at your disposal that are often hard to come by on your own, and relationships that become your network later. You just have to zero in on making the most of the aspects that are valuable to you. Yes, the painting department dorve me absolutley berserk, but I found refuge in the sculpture department. I never would have tried it otherwise. You just ignore everything that isn't useful and soak up everything that is.

[Julianna]

Ahhhh!!!! I timed-out and lost my post! I guess that's a hint to keep things short, eh?

Thanks for the compliments, everyone :o Yes, it took me a while too before I knew the correct response is "Thank you"...actually, it was more like some jabs in the arm from my partner, hehe. Now I'll know to look for a gallery/rep who knows how to handle artists who don't know how to mingle. I'm still trying to decide just how I want to have my sculptures shown—on the one hand, my patrons so far have been very personable, and I like being able to deal with them directly...on the other hand, trying to do everything myself doesn't leave much time for sculpting.

I do plan on working in harder stones...actually, my long-term goal is to work my way up to large outdoor sculpture. Soapstone and alabaster aren't really meant for being outdoors, or even being handled often. It'll be a while until I have the physical and financial resources for marble and granite. In the meantime, I'm testing finishes and varnishes on alabaster with hopes that it can somehow be weatherproofed. Alabaster is supposed to have the same hardness as soapstone, but alabaster is just harder enough for me to notice the difference.

The possibility of a Master's degree is going to sit for a while. After sludging through my thesis for a mere Bachelor's degree, I'm happy to take a break from academia for a while. The problem is that I have one of those "thirst for knowledge" things, but haven't done well in institutionalized education since elementary school.

One thought about the 200 pound piece. Now you need to know more about material handling. A few months ago I bought a hydraulic worktable. You need one. I think it was about $200 (if you need specifics let me know and I will comply) and it lowers to about ten inches from the floor, easily raises to 30 inches or so, which is standard worktable height, has wheels and is only about 2 feet by three feet. Very handy. I bought it from the HarborFreight catalogue. Also, you can get an electric winch from them and nylon straps that will allow you to lift that rock all by yourself. If I can do it anyone can. Given electricity and leverage it's amazing what can be done.

*closes jaw and wipes away drool* Specifics please!

[Gdog]

Welcome Julianna, while I don't have the credibility that some of these folks have, I have sold a few stone pieces, and I work with Akemi products every day, from what I understand soapstone is quite formidable in fact I plan to get a block or two to carve a vessel or sink maybe.Unfortunately I don't have an official sight, I do cut and carve stone often, I've only posted pieces that I thought were formally complete, and are sold. I am so close to having a fair place to do my work[we're moving!] I could pop with excitement.I believe I could help when it comes to granite, and the harder stones, I was viewing your work and my wife took notice of it,and made a comment on how nice she thought it was![she tells it like it is]

And your right if you have the time and patients by all means go to 1200 grit
[ the key to abrasion is being thorough espescially during the initial sanding]

I'm not a huge advocate of gallery showing or juried shows,but that's just me [ I kinda like the idea of being on the fringe of the fringe ] I've had some success there, however as for now, I'm going to hunker down in the cave and put together the rest of the body of work I plan to look back on one day!
People thought of your work enough that they were willing spend there money on it, thats as far as you have to look to confirm your success as a sculptor! "you don't need to be a bigshot just a li'l one that keeps shootin!
It's always nice to see some more stonework here! Gdog

[sculptorsam]

Welcome, Julianna. I've never worked with stone, but it seems to me one of those 2-ton foldable engine hoists on wheels would work well for moving pieces around the studio, onto a table and into a truck. I think you can find them on sale for under $200. And if you're related to a creative welder, I'm sure any limitations of it could be modified to suit your needs.

Sam

[Julianna]

Yeah, Gdog, the Akemi stuff is great. I found it by luck more than anything else (it was the first polish I tried), and now I swear by it. And I can feel your excitement for a place to work from here! I'll certainly let you know when I get into the harder stones. I suspect I'll need to slowly accumulate power tools before buying my first piece of "hard stone"... otherwise, I'll probably bankrupt myself in a wild shopping spree for sculpting toys.

Sam, what's an engine hoist? It sounds like something a mechanic would use, but I thought I'd ask just to be on the safe side.

[sculptorsam]

Here is a pic, Julianna. You could always add on a winch to add the ability to raise and lower via cable as well. Just a thought.

[jwebb]

The transition to harder stone from what you've done with soapstone and alabaster is not so difficult. I've worked in basalt and granite. For a few hundred dollars you can get an air compressor (the bigger the better) and an "air hammer" or pneumatic chisel apparatus (Trow and Holden is a good supplier and on the web) with a variety of points. That'll save your wrists. Then it's still rifflers and polishing. The stone will teach you how to work it. I've also tried the engine hoist, and it's fine for lifting and moving stones around on a nice concrete floor, etc., but outside those tiny little wheels go directly underground. Especially in this climate. The logistics of moving large stone pieces are a constant problem. Welcome aboard. This site needs more stone heads.

[Julianna]

Thanks for the pic, Sam. I'll keep an eye out for it. And jwebb, thanks for the heads-up about using it outside.

It looks like this is certainly the place for me to go when (and probably before) I start to get into the harder stones. I've still got much alabster and some soapstone (and some "mystery stone" which was recently discovered) which is waiting its turn under my chissels and files...

[jwebb]

By the way, I think it's time you got "formal training in the arts". HA! As you said, it was just a matter of time....and I couldn't resist.

[Julianna]

Haha. I was waiting for someone to say that! But like I said, I'm quite ready for a long break from academia for a while...at least a year or two while I split my time between "the day job" and sculpting.

[sculptor]

Haha. I was waiting for someone to say that! But like I said, I'm quite ready for a long break from academia for a while...at least a year or two while I split my time between "the day job" and sculpting.

justathought
work nights for $------the light is better for sculpting in the daytime

[Julianna]

justathought
work nights for $------the light is better for sculpting in the daytime

Yeah, the whole timing thing took a while to work out. Right now, I'm working from 7am to 3pm, and sculpting from then until I'm hungry. The light's not too bad now that it's summer (horray for daylight until 9pm!), and the lighting in my studio is very good. And I much prefer sculpting until I need a natural break instead of sculpting until I have to go to work. I'm just glad I don't have to do a regular 9-5 shift, because that pretty much takes all the good hours out of the day! Hopefully, I'll be able to better sustain myself on sculptures on the future and sculpt during the day and get some part-time evening job to make sure I have enough of a steady income...and eventually...no non-sculpting job!