Randall's Urban Architectural Sculptures

A blizzard came in today making the 45 minute trip to class take an hour and 20 minutes, with some virtual white-out conditions frequently, with visibility being about 5 feet ahead and only the yellow line for any guide!

Didn’t get as much done as I wanted, but the model 208-R is coming better, he is shown in the sculpture class at Iowa Central Community College where I’ve been offered an art scholarship.

A competitor of sorts once emailed; “you are a talented ornamental sculptor”

I’m happy to report all four gargoyles in this series are finished.

Nr 169-R and 168-R are on the floor on a dollie, while Nr 170-R and 171-R are above on the modelling table. They average 25″ long at the base which also varies slightly in width in order to remove as much excess weight as practical while still retaining similarity in sizes and authenticity to the originals on the school.
They are scaled very close to the extant originals in every way.

Having taken an average of about 15 hours each to model in clay, the next step is making the molds for them, that process usually takes about half a day each.
I’m not in a rush to get molds done of these, but I plan to complete them individually early this spring, probably starting with one of them soon, and the rest as I find time.

William H. Grueby (1867-1925) founded the Grueby Faience Company in 1894 in Boston, Massachusetts. Beginning in 1898, focusing primarily on art pottery vases, he introduced his own version of French matte finishes, including the matte green finish that became his signature work. The popularity of his work, however, spawned mass market competition and eventually resulted in the company’s demise in 1909. Grueby emerged from bankruptcy and began limited production runs that included statues, pottery, and tiles, before the company closed for good in 1920.

Plaques of beavers are located on the walls of the Astor Place station of the IRT subway line in honor of John Jacob Astor’s fortune derived from the beaver-pelt trade. The plaques, as well as name tablets, were made by the Grueby Faience Company in 1904.

I think sometime this spring I’ll make a full-sized model of this Beaver plaque found in the Astor Place subway station.
The station dates to 1904.

This fourth and last gargoyle in this gothic Public School series is now completed and drying.

Model Nr 208-R inspired by two keystones on 208 Eldridge st.

This model won’t have as many progress photos as usual, since this is shown on the table in a local college class. I decided to take a sculpture class there this semester (only offered in the spring) to gain additional skills with modelling human faces in a classroom environment with an art professor.
This model progressed rapidly and in just 3 hours I had the basic form as shown.
This photo was taken during the start of the second class and now progress will go slower as details and refinement are done, the wood form was removed.
I wasn’t completely happy with the lower portion of the face and after viewing some photos on flickr and comparing several together, I decided how and what modifications I’ll make tomorrow to get what I was after for the face, strength and expression.
As he is now the face needs to be reduced a little in size, more throat, narrower cheekbone width and so on.

Photo of me with our Gt Dane puppy, Long Island, NY, always liked this photo

Now the wood frame is removed, most of the work tonight was done on the back which isn’t pictured.

I didn’t do any work on it for a couple of days, back to it for a short time tonight.

As can be seen in the head, the classic gothic elements consisting of crockets and leaves.