It was quite breezy last night and I was quite relieved to see that my sculpture had not reverted to a pile of sticks this morning! Although I had left it outside, I did fix a support through the middle of it just in case. If and when it becomes a permanent fixture in the garden, I shall have to take care not to site it where it will be most exposed. Keeping it as a “Living Sculpture” is fine, but preferably not battered by the winds.
After yesterday’s busy beginning, I was anxious to continue this morning and set about adding further support to the head and body. I did not take any particular care over the proportions when I started the sculpture but I am keen to keep it relatively close and made a few adjustments to the neck. I also extended the ears slightly and found a suitable piece of wood to suggest a mane, although I will be working in more detail before I finish.
The initial stages of the driftwood horse came together quite quickly but it was slower progress today. I was being a bit more precise in using the right shape of wood for the curves of the back and neck. I also needed to top up my wood supply with a few solid pieces from around the garden just to add support. I may replace them later but they should be absorbed into the sculpture without any problem. You obviously don’t want to use any rotten wood but I noticed a ladybird already happy to sunbathe on the horse’s back!
I also started strengthening and thickening the legs. I want it to go a stage further than just a vague resemblance to a horse with four sticks for legs. The natural curves of the wood hopefully suggest a little movement in the legs so I am hoping to accentuate this rather than detract from it by making it over complicated.
One of the great things about these sculptures is that they are very portable. I decided to move it into a better part of the garden to for today’s photo update and it is definitely coming along. It looks better from certain angles but I’ll return to it tomorrow and try to improve the weaker areas. The early feedback has been encouraging and it is certainly the most fun I’ve had on a project in a long time!
Ecoarts 