This section of the gallery is devoted to artists I wanted to include but felt I only wanted to use a limited number of each artist's works. It includes sculpture, Egyptian art, Raku (which is a very unpredictable smoked clay art form...It's my favorite medium to work in, and turning out a good piece is the best "high" I've ever experienced), and paintings from various artists. Some sculptures won't have a title or artist listed because they are from archeological digs of ancient times and that information is unknown, and some I've used reproductions of the originals because the originals are in such bad shape they display horribly on the internet.
Princess Andromeda sacrificed herself to save her native city from Neptune's wrath. Chained to a rock, she awaits the terrible sea-monster, unaware of the fact that Perseus on his winged horse is coming to her rescue. (French is best known for creating two of America's most powerful symbols: the seated Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC and the Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts)
The sculptor is unknown and the date of her carving is only surmised but she is one of the most famous ladies in the world. Her graceful body symbolizes an ideal of beauty that many long for but none attain. "The Aphrodite of Melos" is made of marble and represents the goddess Aphrodite. This statue had come by it's name of "Venus de Milo" or Venus de Melos, because in 1820, a peasant had found it on the Greek island of Melos and it was named after the island where it was found. (The French named her Venus de Milo) He knew that such treasures of antiquity were to be turned over to the Turkish authorities but for a time he hid her lovely beauty in his barn. The secret was disclosed and the officials took her from him and loaded her onto a Turkish vessel. Somehow she was transferred to a French frigate off the coast of Melos. The Turkish official involved was publicly whipped, the French said it was a legitimate purchase, and she who was destined to become famous sailed away to France. After the statue had been presented to King Louis XVIII, his art advisors sought the assistance of French sculptors in supplying the missing arms. They devised arms which held apples, garments, lamps, and arms that held nothing at all but pointed in various directions. Finally the king decreed that her marvelous beauty should not be marred by any other sculptor. It was a momentous decree which from that time on resulted in ancient statues being left practically as they had been found.
Artists throughout the ages have found The Three Graces an appealing subject. They were depicted in sculpture and vase paintings by the ancient Greeks, in Roman wall paintings at Pompeii, in Botticelli's allegorical painting known as "Springtime", and in this statue which Canova carved in marble. They were the beautiful sisters who attended Venus, the Goddess of love. They were an ancient symbol of liberality. Aglaia (a representation of splendor) was the sister who gave away, Euphrosyne (who represented jollity) was the sister who received, and Thalia (identified with abundance) was the sister who gave back.
This is an example of Raku Glaze/Fired clay sculpture. The reason I have the slash between glaze and fired is Raku is a dual action process. The way you "formulate" the glaze (mineral content) affects the result as much as how it is fired. Raku pieces are first low fired to what is called bisque stage (to harden it), then the Raku mixture is applied. The piece is then refired in a special kiln that allows you to open it while its going and remove the piece using tongs or special gloves (you are grabbing a red hot piece of clay fired to 1860 degrees). The piece is next placed into a container lined with wood shavings and covered quickly to make it ignite and smoke. After 7-30 minutes you remove the piece and gently cool it down with water.
