Embedded Files
Object: Elephant Eye Sold
Materials: Marble and Smalti on Cement Board
Dimensions: 15.75 " x 22"
Method: Direct with mortar
The inspiration for this piece was a PBS Nature documentary called "Unforgettable Elephants". In it, the photographer Martyn Colbeck shot video footage and still shots of a family of African elephants over the span of 15 years. I found this program not only moving and insightful, but it inspired me to capture in stone the beauty I saw in these gentle animals.
The various textures of a mature elephant's skin was fascinating to me. I wanted to focus on this aspect, describing rough and smooth surfaces in a somewhat abstract composition. The overall impact though was still clearly to be elephant... almost too large for one frame.
Various colors of white, tan, gold, brown and black marble were used. The source tiles' size variety made the contrast between the rough pieces of the trunk and the smooth, flat ear possible. The brow and forehead is where both kinds of surface meet, where the bone draws the skin taut.
The flow pattern of the tiles was also used to help emphasize the surface shape as well as its texture.
To add a touch of sparkle, I decided to use the beauty of Smalti glass to define the eye. A cover of long black lashes hoods his gaze.
Selected for the "Mosaic Arts International Exhibition 2010"
SAMA's Annual International Juried Exhibition
On display in 2010: March 1 - July 30:
The Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Navy Pier (Chicago, Illinois)
Close-ups & Process
Close-ups & Process
01 Detail
02 Detail
03 Detail
04 Detail
05 Detail
06 After research for details and to get a feel for the shape and volume of the head, I start with a small sketch to nail down the view I see in my mind. Then I place colored paper around the sketch to get the final composition ... just the right amount of trunk, ear, forehead, tusk for the right level of tension.
07 The initial sketch is enlarged and then redrawn with more detail, working out where I want emphasis and direction.
08 I experimented with different kinds of marble of various sizes in order to get a mix of textures for the elephant's skin. The hammer & hardie are again my main tool for shaping the stone.
09 After transferring the drawing to a prepared backerboard, I dryfit some pieces to get a feel for color as well as how the various textures and sizes will transition.
10 In order not to loose sight of the highlights, I decided to paint them on. Later I added some shadow areas for the opposite side of the spectrum.
11 With the initial dry-fit testing, I had the most fun with the trunk, so that is where I started in earnest.
12 After establishing the trunk, I moved on to the ear, which I wanted smooth and flat. The forehead was to become the meeting place of the two textures, where the skin is stretched smooth by bone.
13 The tusk and background were dry-fit with some variations until I found the combo I liked best. A previous test on a human eye was my inspiration to keep things loose and painterly.
14 The eye is always key. Mess that up and the animal has no life, no focus. Like a game of "Operation", I work the pieces in the eye until I am pleased. I take a picture for reference & place the pieces aside before reassembling it with mortar. I only do this lengthy process with crucial sections.
15 After the piece is finished and has cured for a few days, I give it a good scrubdown to remove all debris. This brightens up the colors nicely and is the last step before trimming off the excess on the sides.
16 My elephant was accepted in the SAMA 2010 exhibition on display in The Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Navy Pier (Chicago, Illinois) during the months of March and April. It also graced the cover of the Convention Guide that year.
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