Sheep, Lambs, Weightlifters, Goalkeepers and Bicycles…..

(Above) Almost there…..the sheep sculptures are just about ready to let out, but they still need a final coat or two of varnish to give them a smooth finish and the bases need to be painted a matt black. I must admit it’s been something of a struggle over the last couple of weeks trying to fathom out what paint finish worked best, but I reckon I’ve just about cracked it after painting and re-painting over 30 different sheep in various paints, varnishes and stains….

I’ve decided to turn them out in pairs (mounted) and pairs (free standing) and singles (without bases) and see what works best in the galleries. I like both variations to be honest…

I now have an ever-expanding flock of over 40 sheep and lambs waiting to be set free so hopefully they will sell, or else they’ll end up all over the house again.

I’ve also produced a ‘weightlifter’ in the last few days titled “Weightlifting for Beginners” (you can see it on the website http://www.edrust.co.uk) and another sporty one called “What A Save” (again viewable on the website)….

And finally, I’m currently working on a series of ‘Bicycle’ pieces after being asked by a gallery if I could let them have ‘bicycle related sculptures’….more about those in a later blog.

Right….time to get back to the sheep….they are all looking at me from the far side of the room and wondering when I will set them free? Cheers for now….Ed

 

Brown Sheep? White Sheep? I Have No Idea…

(Above) Brownish sort of sheep and a white one….in various stages of development…but which colour will look the best? Or be the most popular? I have absolutely no idea.

So…I have twenty or so small sheep sculptures. They have moved on slightly in the last week or two…they now all have their ‘shaggy’ coats which I’m pleased with. But we now come to the all important ‘finish’ – always a problem.

At the moment the ‘brown’ sheep have their brown undercoat with black heads and black legs, and if I follow my usual routine these will now be mounted onto blocks of wood and then given an overall coat of ‘bronze effect’ paint…..which is fine. But….just out of interest I painted one of the sheep white yesterday and it’s set me thinking. Do they look better with white coats? Probably they look more realistic? But do they look like sculptures? Or are they just a bit too….too….I can’t quite find the right word to describe them.

Maybe the right answer is to do both? Let the potential buyer decide? I’ll have to have a think.

Oh, and just to add a further complication I’ve made a posse of small lambs too which will stand alongside some of the sheep….too cute? Perhaps.

Oh, and only this morning I looked at the assembled flock and thought “Do they look better as free standing sheep rather than mounted on blocks? Then the buyer can arrange them as they like, wherever they like  (assuming of course they buy more than one)?” Decisions decisions.

I keep looking at them hoping one of them will say something helpful to me, other than “Just get on with it….”

A Multitude of Whimsical Sheep – Works In Progress

(Above) Works in progress…..two sheep half-way through the creation process…..from the growing number of sheep cluttering up every surface in the workshop.

Yuletide now just seems a distant memory as work begins again on sculptures large and small but I just thought I would take a minute or two to mention ‘the sheep’. They seem to have appeared out of nowhere over the last few days and are beginning to take over every room in the house. I found a couple last night in the bathroom – when I put them there I do not know, or care to remember.

Most of the flock are still only half-done so to speak….but the idea is to create groups of them and to add a whimsical sheepdog to keep them in check. As yet they are free to roam wherever they fancy….stay tuned. Right, back to the mince pies and Quality Street…..Ed.