Posts Tagged ‘sculpture’
« 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
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The Tommy Tucker Veterans Memorial
Friday, May 27th, 2011
Close up of the sculpted clay boots
With Memorial Day only days away I thought I would share the story and images of the Tommy Tucker Veterans Memorial.
Our daughter Libby Krock worked as assistant sculptor to the artist, Rip Caswell, in the creation of the Tommy Tucker Veterans Memorial. The piece was sculpted in clay and cast in bronze. As Libby tells it, the inspiration for the piece was U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas “Tommy” Tucker, from Madras, Oregon.
Tucker was one of two U.S. soldiers who disappeared after an attack on a traffic control checkpoint just south of Baghdad on June 16th, 2006, launching a massive three-day search effort, and galvanizing citizens of the United States.
As described by the sculptor, Rip Caswell, The emotion-packed figure represents a U.S. soldier, reaching upward to aid an Iraqi girl – who is both fearful and hopeful at once, as she sits perched on the edge of a shelled building ledge.
The life-size bronze of this magnificent piece is installed at Friendship Park in Madras, Oregon.
Art has healing properties. Sculpture can bring comfort to bereaved family members and, as in the Tommy Tucker Veterans Memorial, to complete strangers as well. This piece will stand as tribute for years to come.
On Memorial day I will pause to think of the many who have died or been injured in service for our country and of the artists whose work helps us remember them.
If you like this post, please share it with your friends and family and ask them to like and share it too.
Tags: American Artisan, American made, Carruth Studio, George Carruth, Libby Krock, Rip Caswell, sculpture, stone carving, Tommy Tucker Veteran's Memorial
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Your Feedback Inspires Us
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
One of the things that inspires our work at Carruth Studio is the feedback you provide; the stories, the pictures and the suggestions we get from all of you. Last year, a little girl’s comment about the moon inspired me to sculpt “A Child’s View of the Moon”, which has become one of my favorite pieces.
Earlier in the month I asked you to post your stories about Mother’s Day on our Facebook page and we enjoyed reading each of them. I have shared a few of those stories below. We were so moved by Wendy Weldon’s story about holding her daughter on Mother’s Day, that we have chosen her as the recipient of a $30 gift certificate for a Carruth piece.
I’m always looking for sources of inspiration for new pieces and am particularly interested in finding new verses that resonate with you. I’m also interested in the way young children, like Megan, who provided the inspiration for the moon piece, describe the world around them. Especially their views of the natural world and family members.
Do you have any verses you’d like us to consider using? Any things your children have said that you think we would find inspiring? Post them here or on our Facebook wall and we will review them and may even decide to use them in the future.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to share your Mother’s Days story. We enjoyed your contributions.
Your Thoughts on Mother’s Day:
Here is my Mother’s Day story. On April 27, 1990 I went into early labor with our daughter. She was not only 5 weeks premature, but she was also born with Spina Bifida. We had no idea what Spina Bifida was until the doctor explained she had an opening at the bottom of her spine which was allowing her spinal cord to be exposed. They took her away for care immediately after she was born. Meanwhile the pediatrician was trying to locate a Neurosurgeon in Toledo as she had to have a surgery to close her back. He later told me the nearest one was at Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
When the ambulance came to get her in the middle of the night, that’s when I got to hold her for the first time for about 5 minutes. Then she was swept away to have surgery the next day all by herself. Three days later I finally was released from the hospital and traveled to Columbus. A few days later I was told she would need another surgery for a shunt because she had hydrocephelous or water on the brain. She made it through that ok and she was finally released from the hospital on……Mother’s Day. The day I finally got to bond with and hold my baby girl in my arms at home. I always cherish that day! Wendy Weldon
Okay, here’s one on how we surprised my Mom on Mother’s Day last year. My folks live halfway across the country from us, so we planned a little surprise. On the day before Mother’s Day, we called her from my cell, told her we had plans on Sunday so were calling a day early. All the while we’re parked in her driveway, and were trying to sneak past her kitchen window without her seeing us. We rang the doorbell, and I said, “I heard your doorbell ring, go ahead and answer, we can wait.” So she opens the door and there’s my husband with a big bouquet in front of his face like a delivery guy. Then he lowers it and I pop around the corner, and I think it was the first time in my life I saw my Mom speechless. She’d had a hard past couple of years with health issues and other things, and we just wanted to give her something to put all that aside. It worked! Carolyn Dreiling Hammerschmidt
What I have become, what my daughter has become, and what her daughters are becoming, has come down from one mother to another throughout time. I’m thankful that I came from a long line of strong , loving women. Paula Schrickel Renfro
I lost my mother to Cancer after a long, hard fought battle. She showed me what a True Hero is with her grace and love of life. Mothers day has been a particularly hard holiday for me since her passing. My heart aches to feel her comforting arms around me but I thank God for blessing me with a mother so loving and kind. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to hug your momma! Paula Stapleton Gossman
As my mom progresses in age I become a mom to her. So glad she taught me well. Do blessed to have a Godly example. Becky McIlroy Brown
One of the Carruth pieces I bought for my Mom was Hope. It is such a beautiful angel piece and makes a nice piece for Mom’s or anyone to have. My Mom was the one that told me about the Roots of a Family Tree piece (the older version one) when it came out and went with me to buy it The new design of it is beautiful as well. Deb Cameron
Mothers Day makes me think of my Momma. She passed away in 2008 and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. She had Alzheimers and it was so hard to see what that terrible disease did to her. I am a Busia now, as she was to my kids and I feel she lives on through me and my children as well as her beautiful great granddaughter Emma. Mary Smigielski Toth
My mom was my best friend. I would tell her everything. She and I would laugh until we couldn’t breathe. She never said a bad word about anybody or gossiped. She read her Bible every night and helped me have a great faith in God. She was a wonderful mom. Ann Teatsorth Broughton
I don’t have a great story, but I do have many great memories and pictures from lots of mothers days gone by…and I appreciate so much that I am able to hold on to those we’ve lost with those memories and pictures! Emily Stover Barnes
Tags: American Artisan, American crafts, American made, Carruth Studio, children, George Carruth, gifts, Moon, sculpture
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For The Love Of Morning Coffee!
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
COFFEE, gotta have it, can’t start the day without it! Are you, like me, a non-morning person? Then you know coffee is the one major food group that allows us to function before 10:00 am.
My current sculpture reflects this influence. I have depicted a loving, cheerful couple…well, that’s how they will appear, after their morning coffee. For the moment, they are still waiting for their coffee to brew. Not much conversation while they wait.
Until they have their coffee not even a smile is possible. Thank goodness their pets are available to lighten the mood until that coffee is ready. You can see that each of the pets has an expression reflecting their basic personality. The dog is absurdly cheerful and energetic, the bird seems to be considering his next comment, and the cat is patiently waiting to see if anyone spills the cream. If you look closely, you can see the texture in the coffee cup itself.
My inspiration for this sculpture is based on our love of coffee and the ever-growing number of coffee shops popping up. From the upscale cozy building, the tiny roadside drive-thru or our familiar kitchen table, we gotta have our coffee. And many of us just don’t want to talk until then…
So next time you and your spouse are shuffling around in bathrobes and pajamas, morning hair and all, take time to acknowledge the house pets. Our pets are on duty every morning, purring and wagging their tails simply because they love us–even before coffee is ready.
We’re still deciding on a name for this piece. Have any suggestions? This design will be available in late spring. Do you like this post? If you do, please share it with your family and friends.
Tags: birds, Carruth Studio, cats, coffee, dogs, George Carruth, pets, sculpture
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Waving Goodbye to 2010
Thursday, December 30th, 2010
Another year has come and gone at the studio. It has been a full and rewarding year with wonderful experiences and new directions. We will wave goodbye to 2010 and get ready to meet 2011.
Some of the new directions for 2010 included the History of Motorcycles # 1183 and A Child’s View of the Moon # 1186.
On the motorcycle piece I tried to capture the raw thrill of motorcycles by creating a dust cloud and executing a looser ”sketchy” surface technique. 
By adding more texture and not defining every detail, the essence of the scene feels stronger.
On the moon plaque, the sculpting technique is similar. But the wonderful verse, ” The Moon is so full he must have eaten all the stars”, is the trigger for our imaginations. The quote came from a 4 year old girl named Megan. I really can’t express how much I enjoyed sculpting Megan’s observation of the moon. Since many Carruth sculptures already have a children’s book feeling, the quote from Megan made the sculpture complete. In 2011, I hope to receive a few more observations of nature in the form of children’s quotes.
Over the holidays I’ve been working on a sculpture that is influenced by how much people love and look forward to their morning coffee. Again, the sculpting technique is a little looser, but the scene is full of delightful details. Naturally, I’ve included some family pets in the composition. Anyway, the characters are coming along nicely and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Because so many people display their sculptures indoors, I’m more comfortable choosing topics that are not garden related. Plus, people who post comments and photographs on our Facebook page, allow me to better understand how the sculptures are displayed.
2010 was full of new experiences and subject matter. It seems fitting to mark this passage with The Birthday Fairy, a new design we introduced only weeks ago. Because of the internet connection to our customers, 2011 should be just as exciting.
So, thank you for another good year! Everyone at Carruth Studio will be busily creating and shipping original new designs that serve as fun and meaningful gifts.
Tags: A child's view of the moon, American Artisan, American crafts, American made, artist signing, Carruth Studio, George Carruth, gifts, hand cast stone, History of motorcycles, sculpture, The Birthday Fairy
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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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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
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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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