Working full time and being a father of two little girls (Eve (5) and Sophie (3)) who often play until they drop, it is a constant struggle to find both the time and creative energy to sculpt. However, I continue to go to the Alpine studio where we are working on a new pose:

We are about a month into this pose and there are many elements that I just love about it: the curve in the spine, the twist back to the right, the left shoulder dropped, the left hand lightly resting on the knee. I decided to drop the head to have her gazing down slightly. I created a tree stump for the base with a network of knotted roots which I've always wanted to incorporate into my art. This could easily be turned into a fairy but I'm leaning more towards Eve after the fall - there's a lot of room for symbolism here. If I ever get to cast this piece I want to have a patina that of a dark brown for the base which will come up into the bottom third of the figure and gradually turn to a pastel green/gray, to give the effect that she is part of Nature.

This will be my third piece - my portfolio is slowly but surely growing. Now I've just got to figure out how to sell one of them!
 

Last year, a few months after quitting medical school, I had this voracious appetite to do get back into art. I first began drawing when I was 8 and studied art till I was 18. I had not drawn a portrait since 2005. My wife, Anabelle, bought me my first sculpting tools last year from the Alpine Arts Foundry. She found out that they do a public studio session every Tuesday from 3:30 - 6:30, a steal at just $10 per session. Under the watchful eye of some incredible local sculptors I have been able to advance much faster than otherwise.

When I first walked into that studio it felt like I had come home. My gift and fascination for art were re-awoken, having lied dormant for so many years and buried under piles of rational thought and scientific inquiry.  It was very exciting to feel parts of my brain and soul re-engaged in the recreation of the infinitely complex human form.

I am currently working on completing my first male model which is only my second sculpture. I started this pose Winter 2011 and must have put in around 100 hours so far. Unfortunately a heavy work schedule at the beginning of 2012 deprived me of time and creative energy to sculpt. Inspired by talking with a young, local successful painter recently and my work schedule calming down, I picked up the tools again and picked up where I left off. There is still a lot of work to do on the arms and feet but I am pleased so far:

 

Here is my first rudimentary attempt at a female model from fall 2011: 

 

The desire to create is firmly rooted in the fertile soil of the human soul. The process of creation is one that brings immense satisfaction. To invest one's soul in the creation of something beautiful, to step back and say within oneself, "I have created beauty in a place where there once was banality." - these are singular and vivid experiences.

I observe the world around me and sadly remark that the excessive accumulation of goods, the over-consumption of food and the relentless binging on entertainment has silenced many of the creative voices that lie within people.

I am on a journey to find a career that can harness my desire to create. My journey has led me to discover classical figurative sculpting - a creative process that has truly captivated me. My dream is to leave the safety of my fairly ordinary day job and take the leap into the world of professional sculpting.

Since I embarked on this path, the regular battle in my mind has been one between the arch enemies of Doubt and Hope. I made this blog to create an outlet for my affirmation of faith in myself.