Donating time, skills and artwork for worthy causes has long been a part of who I am. Over the years I've tried to do what I can to help veteran community service organizations like Concrete Couch, CASA of the Pikes Peak Region, Citizens Project as well as new organizations or upcoming organizations looking for a little help to succeed. If your organization is interested in my work (for auction or other fundraising) or would like me to help judge a contest or needs some art direction for a project, please feel free to reach out to me to discuss how I can help you. I also have artwork available to donate for fundraisers! Please Contact Me if your worthy organization needs a piece of art for an auction, prize drawing, etc.
A friend of mine mentioned that he was going to submit several paintings for the inaugural "Make It So" fan art exhibit and cosplay event at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs (see the "Doom" painting). It sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun, so I decided to submit a piece as well... Watchmen themed. One of my favorite scenes...
Construction
My clients -- from Canada -- have been living in the United States for the past few years. When they knew they were moving back to Canada in August, they approached me to create a piece of art that would remind them of their time in Colorado, something that was similar to some of my previous "flagstone and steel" pieces. They asked that I incorporate the image of a twisted pine growing from a crack in the rocks.
I came up with this design, titled appropriately, "Twisted Pine." The frame holding the tree is sandwiched between two Colorado sandstone flagstones. And it took nearly 130 feet of coiled 1/8 inch steel round to make the body of the tree. The clumps of needles are hand-cut flat steel. Patina and enamel paint for the color. Completed one year ago, this project thrilled me.
My client used to live in Ghana, where she purchased several doors at a market. The doors used to be on village rondelles (round huts) and had family patterns carved into them. She asked me to make her a cabinet for her home office and incorporate the rondelle door into the door of the cabinet. I was thrilled at this challenge, as the original door was carved from a single block of wood of uneven thickness which twisted at an angle. I completed the commission, working the stylized patterns of the door into the metal body of the cabinet. The wooden door was so heavy, though, that I had to add a 60 pound steel shelf at the bottom to act as a counter weight, so that the cabinet did not topple over when the door was fully open. |
Thom PhelpsThoughts on sculpting, cartooning, designing, writing and the general joys of being an artist Archives
March 2023
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