Posts Tagged ‘art’
« Older EntriesHistory of Motorcycles
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
I’ve been an avid motorcyclist since age 15, and currently own a gnarly Buell and refined BMW motorcycle.
As you know, these are complete opposites. Since every rider is in love with his or her particular motorcycle, there tends to be quite a rivalry between people with cruisers, crotch rockets, tourers, off road and everything in between. Throw in country or origin or manufacturer and there will be many emotional opinions about who makes the best bikes.
So, my goal was to capture something every rider could agree on-the pure thrill of charging down a road on two wheels, without offending anyone’s bike of choice. The ”History of Motorcycles” plaque is the essence of riding. To me it captures the spirit of the sport. Now there is something to finally agree on, we all share the same history of motorcycles and we love of riding!!!!
Tags: American made, art, Carruth Studio, George Carruth, gift idea, hand crafted, motorcyles, sculpture
Posted in George's Blog | 2 Comments »
Introducing A New Look on April 16
Friday, April 8th, 2011
We’ve been working hard to develop a new patina for my designs. We will be introducing the new look at my Spring artist signing on April 16. I think the new patina highlights the details in each of my pieces. In the past directional lighting was crucial for detail to “pop”, but with this new finish the sculpture comes to life in any environment. We posted some images of the new patina on our Facebook wall and received an amazing number of positive comments. People that have enjoyed the content of my plaques are now blown away as they discover all of the subtle details I include. I’m pleased with the dimension the new patina adds to my designs.
If you look at my sculptures, they almost have a children’s book quality. Every piece has a little story going on. Look closely for added details. Insects, tiny flowers, tiny objects and most of all, eye contact and body language. With all of these subtle images, most people are drawn into the scene by something THEY can relate to. I’m not choosing an audience. I’m piecing together images that tell a story. Sort of a snapshot, or starting point. Now it is up to the audience to dig into their memory bank and imagine what the rest of the story might be.
What do I hope to communicate? My goal is to share stories and images that make me smile. As I said earlier, my sculptures have a storybook quality to them. The viewer can observe all of the subtle clues sculpted into a scene, and feel as though they can relate to what is happening. It reminds them of something they might have seen or experienced. I’m sure you noticed that animals, nature and folklore are the themes that turn up in most of my sculptures. I guess I’m still a small child at heart…in awe of nature.
I’d love to invite you to join us for the artist signing. The event will be held at Garden Smiles, in Waterville, from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM on April 16. Call 419-878-5412 or click here for more information or to get directions to Garden Smiles. Hope to see you there!
Tags: American made, art, artist signing, Carruth Studio, garden, Garden Smiles, George Carruth, gifts, home decor
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Help Me Name This Design?
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
I just shot a short video with a few additional thoughts about this new design. I appreciate the comments and ideas the previous post has generated.
I’m still looking for the perfect name for this new design though. Want to help me? Post your suggestions here as comments or on our Facebook wall. Thanks!
Tags: art, Carruth Studio, coffee, George Carruth, new design, video
Posted in George's Blog | 13 Comments »
Another year has come and gone at our little company…
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
As Christmas and the end of the year approach I find myself thinking about both. One aspect of the holidays I particularly enjoy is rediscovering decorations that have been packed away all year. Specifically the hand made ornaments and drawings our children have gifted us over the years. I love sitting and reminiscing, while surrounded by hand made decorations that say ” to Mom and Dad”.
And somehow, another year has come and gone at our little company. Everyone at Carruth Studio (all 19 of us) has worked extra hard and feels especially grateful to do what we do. We appreciate the conversations with people that have used our sculptures as fun or meaningful gifts. Whether they are used as a ”Thank You” or “Thinking of You” gift, it feels good to know that our images are used for more than just decorative accents. Certainly we have fun making light hearted sculptures that make people smile, but it’s the meaningful gifts and stories that stick in our memories.
From dogs and cats in cars to angel sculptures–it has been a wonderful year. Who knows what sculpted images will emerge from the studio in 2011? Facebook has allowed me to listen to stories and see photographs from around the country. In the past, I quietly strolled our Garden Smiles gallery, listening to people discover and talk about how they intended to use the sculptures. But now I can go to my computer, while still at my desk, and enjoy the same experience. The wonderful quote from 4 year old Megan, about the moon eating all of the stars, is a perfect example of this.
Another satisfying project this year was the 1000 lb limestone sculpture of St. Clare of Assisi now placed in a memorial garden near Cleveland. Although I don’t carve stone as often as the early years, it felt great to use a hammer and chisels again.
So thank you for taking an interest in Carruth Studio. We truly do appreciate the support of our valued customers. To everyone we’ve come in contact with over the years, have a wonderful Holiday and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
George, Deb and everyone at Carruth Studio
Tags: American Artisan, American crafts, American made, art, artist, Carruth Studio, Christmas, Facebook page, Garden Smiles, George Carruth, gifts, Grateful, hand cast stone, Moon, New Year, Saint Clare of Assisi, Sculptor George Carruth
Posted in George's Blog | 2 Comments »
The Things People Tell Me…
Monday, December 13th, 2010
Stories, stories. People love to tell me the story of why they are purchasing a particular sculpture as I sign the back. You may have seen the image, sent to our Facebook page, of my leaf face sculpture that looked remarkably like someone’s father. I’ve heard quite a few ” look alike ” stories over the years.
Several years ago a sweet little elderly lady asked me to sign her two hanging plaque purchases. One was the “Too Much Fun“, the other was “Garden Grouch“.
I commented about how opposite the two sculptures were, and asked where she intended to display them. She then leaned across the counter and said almost in a whisper, as if she was telling an important secret. ” The happy face I’ll hang on the east side of my house. The neighbor on that side is a dear and I just love her to death.”
“The grumpy face will go on the opposite side of the house, facing my other neighbor,” as she rolled her eyes.” That neighbor, well, you get the picture, I just can’t stand her.” With serious eye contact and subtle nod, she made it clear that this was our little secret. She then shuffled out of the shop with a package under each arm, ready to implement her diabolical statement.
Since I can’t meet everyone and hear your stories, please send us any amusing tales of receiving, giving or displaying Carruth sculptures. Oh yeah, if anyone asks about a Garden Grouch displayed on the west side of some sweet little elderly lady’s home…I’ll deny any knowledge or memory of sculpting such despicable image.
As always, if you like this post, please share it with friends and family. We appreciate your support. And, please join us on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about Carruth Studio news and special events.
Tags: American Artisan, American crafts, American made, art, Carruth Studio, Facebook, Facebook page, George Carruth, sculpture, stories, Twitter
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A Child’s View Of The Moon
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
People always ask me where I find inspiration for my work. Well, I’ve always been daydreaming when I should be paying attention. As a result, I’m constantly aware of my surroundings: Sounds, textures, people. So when it comes time to sketch out an idea, I have huge amounts of unrelated images floating around in my imagination. Usually I’m drawn to a texture or shape that seems interesting. Sometimes it’s a scene or emotion. Anyway, something always bubbles to the surface and I’m never sure what it might be.
Several months ago I read a young child’s description of the moon. According to four-year-old Megan Vollmar, “the moon is so full it must have eaten all the stars.” Megan’s comment and her perspective sparked my imagination. I was entranced with her view of the moon.
Last weekend we hosted an artist signing at Garden Smiles, our gallery and retail shop in Waterville, Ohio. Megan and her family came to Garden Smiles and I had a chance to meet her and to sign a piece especially for her. We both enjoyed that. Megan’s mom has since emailed to say that she is also signing her moon and has offered to sign others.
You’ve probably noticed that animals, nature and folklore are the themes that turn up in most of my sculptures. I guess I’m still a small child at heart…in awe of nature.
I’ll be talking about my work with Cynthia and Jack Ford on “Coffee with the Fords” this Sunday. The show airs at 12:30 PM on WTVG.
We’ll be hosting one more artist signing at Garden Smiles this Sunday, December 12th from 12 Noon – 5PM if you are within driving distance of Waterville, Ohio. If you aren’t able to join us, you can still find a limited number of signed pieces on our Carruth Studio website.
And now for one more piece of shameless promotion: if you enjoyed this post, please “like” it and share it with your friends and family. We can use all the help we can get to spread the word about this blog and about Carruth Studio. Thanks!
Tags: American Artisan, American made, art, artist signing, Carruth Studio, children, Christmas, Coffee with the Fords, Cynthia Ford, Garden Smiles, George Carruth, gifts, hand cast stone, holidays, Jack Ford, Moon, sculpture, Waterville Ohio, WTVG
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Warm Wishes From the Families of Carruth Studio: Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
Before we begin our holiday gift shopping and over the top decorating, lets pause to enjoy Thanksgiving. The holiday when families come together, to enjoy each others company and share a special meal. For this one day, for a few hours, take time to acknowledge and appreciate YOUR family.
This years’ table might have some new faces to welcome or miss some favorite faces from the past. In any event, new memories will be created and old memories shared.
Warm wishes from George and Deb Carruth and the families at Carruth Studio. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Tags: American crafts, art, artist, Carruth Studio, Families, Give Thanks, Gratitude, Sculptor George Carruth, Thank You, Thanksgiving
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From Lump To Lovely: The Process Behind The Art
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Bringing art to the marketplace has its challenges. Among them is helping people understand the work that goes into the creation of a piece of art. In previous posts I talked about my stone carving commission because I thought people might be find the steps that go into carving a stone sculpture interesting.
STEP ONE:
I start with a clear image of the finished piece. It may change as I work on it but I always have an idea to begin with. I begin kneading a ball of the acrylic clay called “sculpey”.
STEP TWO:
I slowly rough out the image in the “sculpey” using dental tools and some of the homemade wooden tools I have crafted over the years. Magnified eye glasses are another valuable tool.
STEP THREE:
After a week of two of refining details and smoothing the surfaces, the image is baked with a heat gun.
STEP FOUR:
We create a mold for the piece by covering the original art with rubber. The original design is usually damaged or destroyed during the removal.
STEP FIVE:
While being vibrated, the rubber mold is gently filled by hand with a custom mix of cement. stone and colored dye. We embed a wire hook in the back.
STEP SIX:
After about 24 hours we pull the cured but fragile casting out of the rubber mold. The scrap rate is 20-30%.
STEP SEVEN:
We work on the rough edges and spill-over on the back by hand by filing or sanding. Then we re-inspect the piece.
STEP EIGHT:
We apply a custom paint or stain by hand in a three step process. This helps to highlight the details and the texture of the piece.
STEP NINE:
The finished piece. “Celestial Attraction“.
STEP TEN:
After a final inspection, each piece is gift boxed, using recycled biodegradable packaging materials. The piece is now ready for adoption.
A few times each year I choose a handful of pieces to sign since we have many people who collect my designs. They feel that having a piece signed by the artist adds special value. These signed pieces are available on our website in very limited quantities. We also host special artist signings at our gallery and gift shop, Garden Smiles. Both Deb and I truly enjoy these events and hearing the stories about how people are using my designs. We have three artist signings scheduled for the holiday season: Saturday, November 27th 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Saturday, December 4th 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, December 12th Noon – 5:00 pm. Visit our site for directions or, for more information, call 419.878.5412.
Hopefully this helps you understand the process behind the Carruth Studio collections. It is easy to assume that the pieces are churned out mindlessly in vast quantity but the reality is that each piece is thoughtfully crafted by hand here in the United States. One last thought: we often have pieces that are slightly damaged or imperfect and we offer these “seconds” in our slightly blemished area fondly dubbed “The Pursuit of Imperfection”. Only Garden Smiles carries these slightly blemished items and, as a result, customers come from great distances to take advantage of our minor mistakes. If you like this post, please share it with your friends and family. We can use all the help we get to get the word out about this blog and my work. Thanks!
Tags: American Artisan, American made, art, artist, artist signing, Carruth Studio, collection, collectors, completion, concept, Garden Smiles, George Carruth, gift, hand cast stone, processes, sculptor, sculpture
Posted in George's Blog | 5 Comments »
A Child’s View of the Moon.m4v
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
Sculptor George Carruth talks about his recent sculpture inspired by four year old Megan’s view of the moon. Megan told (more…)
Tags: art, Carruth Studio, children, children's words, Facebook page, George Carruth, gifts, Moon, sculpture
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Stone Carving of Saint Clare: an update…
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
George Carruth carving the Saint Clare memorial
Thanks for coming back to check on our progress and welcome to those of you who are visiting the blog for the first time. I have been documenting the process of a new stone carving commission I’m working on. The process calls for a combination of creativity and intense concentration, not mention long hours of hard work, but I love it.
You may know of me from my sculpting work, which my wife, Deb Carruth, and I market through our little studio in Waterville, Ohio. Carruth Studio is our online store and we have a gallery and retail store called Garden Smiles, also located in Waterville, Ohio. Garden Smiles is Deb’s inspiration and great delight and she takes pride in featuring my work there as well as that of other artists from all over the United States. You can also find my hand cast stone sculptures in garden shops, gifts shops and floral shops throughout the country.
George Carruth carves Saint Clare of Assisi memorial stone
Back to stone carving though. Now that all the elements are roughed out and in their proper places, at their proper depths, I start refining with home made hand chisels. The chisels are made from masonry nails that I heat, hammer, file teeth into and re-temper. The steel shaft is then inserted into a small home made wooden handle. The handles are reusable and the chisels only take 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish. The trick is getting the right angle, tooth spacing and bevel on the tip so that it cuts accurately with the control required. Otherwise, it shatters and crumbles the stone instead of cutting smoothly. By making my own tools, I always have exactly the correct shape for difficult areas.
Now for the imagery. Saint Clare was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi and had similar qualities relating to nature and the environment. The moment in time depicted in this scene portrays Saint Clare protecting the town of Assisi. An invading army had made it’s way to the city gates and was ready to capture the city. Legend has it that she appeared in the cloister door, just to the left of the round window of the basilica. Holding a monstrance in her right hand, she faced down the enemy from high in the basilica. The enemy withdrew and the town was spared.
Other elements include two birds in the upper border, a rabbit and the bright shining sun to depict her close relationship with nature. All of this was refined with small home made hand chisels. Tedious but rewarding. My typical carving day starts at 8:30 in the morning until 9:30 or 10:00 at night.
George Carruth chisels stone carving of Saint Clare of Assisi
Once the imagery is complete, I will rough up the other surfaces of the stone to give it an old, hand carved appearance. The base will match as well. With time and weathering, this texture should pick up a natural patina that enhances the detail. In a year or two, this stone should have enough patina to give it that old medieval appearance I’m after.
In a few days, you can see this stone completed and mounted on it’s base. It will then be strapped to a pallet and delivered to the memorial garden in Parma Ohio.
We’ll post images of the end of the project soon so check back in a few days. And, visit us online at Carruth Studio or join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
Tags: American crafts, art, art commission, artists, Carruth Studio, Deb Carruth, garden art, Garden Smiles, George Carruth, memorial garden, Saint Clare of Assisi, sculptor, sculpture, stone carving, stone carving tools
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