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Gurtie the Gromling

Posted on by Process

Life can be busy sometimes. Today was one of those days. It started early and never stopped. Time was just flying by. As with most busy days, I got a lot done.

The world waits, but not for long. As a creator I have to keep producing. I get asked a lot where do I keep coming up with new ideas. to be honest I am not sure. I can give you the crazy answer. When I was working on Gurtie, she was telling me stories about her friends.

In reality, these little guys have been running around in my head for years. When I started in college I was challenged with my assignments to create. These little creatures began to show up. Yes I did all the classical works, such as painting with a limited palette, Abstraction of form, and even copy old masters. Still, these lovelies keep making appearances.

So after a while I just went with it. Gromlings are have been made in cast Bronze, clay, plaster, aluminum, concrete, stone and now paper. the point of all this is that art is a process. You try many things and before you know it, you have a voice. Your style develops because it is what you do. It is not a forced exercise, is is a natural extension of yourself.

Spend your time creating what you love. The world needs your unique vision, and you need the vehicle of expression. So if you need to with ketchup, you do you. That is how the world becomes a better place for everyone.

George from Enchantedland

Mush the Gromling

Posted on by Process

Inspiration is an odd thing. Everyone likes it when they find it. It motivates, drives and fuels creativity. Often times I hear people say they cannot even begin to work without it.

As long as there have been people on this planet, inspiration has led to the development of many new things. One person sees another’s work and then the next person adds to it. That is what makes the world so wonderful.

Sometimes people want to hoard their ideas to themselves. They are insecure in their own creativity. I receive comments all the time about how I need to copyright my creations. I will admit I am not a lawyer and do not understand the law. What I do know is that I have watched as copyright battles drained artists and others of their very life. Yes, I want my creations to remain mine, but spending my day defending myself in court is a day wasted from creating.

I know it is a risk to make this statement in a public form, but I would rather explore and expand my creative life than have to set in a court room. Besides, what if my work does inspire someone to create their best work?What are your thoughts?

George from Enchantedland

Clint the Gromling

Posted on by Process

Mistakes I have made a few! That is how we learn. Seems like there would be a better way, but there is not. When I was studying bronze casting in college I failed to finish my surfaces. Turns out smoothing wax is much easier than grinding metal.

Just last week I noticed that two of my creatures had the same name. Oh well, many people have the same name and it works out just fine. Sometimes mistakes are easy to fix, and sometimes you have scrap the whole mess and start over.

Every time you begin a project again, that project will be better, bigger, stronger. Take my Gromling project, for example, When I was casting them in bronze they were just a hint of what they are today. I was just getting the feel for expression and texture. Then I did them in digital arts and they developed even more. I began to develop the proportions that I liked. Next I worked them in clay. They really began to come together. The only problem I had at this point was shipping such fragile creations. A bowl ships much better than a little creature with horns and legs…. well you get my point.

At this time I was also creating masks to hang on the wall. These masks were getting large and heavy. Some of them would take a substantial wall to support their weight. Idea time. I remembered some paper mache I had seen in New Mexico and I thought I had the solution.

Well every new medium has its learning curve and this would be no different. While on the surface paper mache seems like child’s play, making consistent work proved to require some time. In the end it was a wonderful journey, and now I am part of the circle of recycling. I want you to find that medium that brings you joy.

George from Enchantedland