SCULPTURE OF THE WEEK 8/22/11

 

This week I wanted to give you the background on my piece "Great With Child". It was created first out of clay, then cast in bronze. I then patinaed (colored) it with dark rich black-browns, and polished areas to a shining gold. The story behind this piece comes from when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was at a standing room only concert at the Ritz in New York City, and the room became too crowded for the safety of my unborn child. I went upstairs to the "Press Only" area and was greeted by Joseph Shabalala, founder of the headlining group, Lady Smith Black Momboza, with the words "You are great with child. Come, sit with us". Several years later, when my daughter Hana-li was a young child, we went to see Lady Smith Black Momboza play again. I wanted to introduce Joseph Shabalala and his group to her, the child that I had been so "great with" at their previous concert. But as much as I tried to get us backstage, security wouldn't even let us get a message to Joseph Shabalala. I finally yelled his name, with as much intention as I could muster, into the far reaches of the area backstage. A few moments later, he appeared at the entrance. I asked him if he remembered when I was "great with child" at the Ritz. He nodded and said that he did. I then gestured at Hana-li, so small and mesmerized, and said "Here, this is the child." Joseph brought us backstage, and soon the whole group had surrounded Hana-li, smiling and taking her in. The child that had listened to their concert while still in the womb. This sculpture is dedicated to Joseph Shabalala, lead singer for Lady Smith Black Mombazo. The memory of his kindness finds its home in this sculpture.

Visit my website to see all of my work: www.ninawinters.com

And feel free to email me with any questions: Nina@ninawinters.com

DOING THE ENLARGEMENT FOR MY MONUMENTAL COMMISSION!

In Portland, Oregon, working with my crew to point-up (enlarge) The 6 ft x 8 ft Galactic Samurai sculpture. I am having the BEST time! Got blue foam up my nose, but I'm just pretending it's snow. The workshop is big and clean, and filled with artists and robots. It's all about high-tech, clean air and doing the job right.

Sculpture of the Week 8/15/11

This week, I wanted to write something about the inspiration and technique behind my piece "Fly, Fly, Little Wing". Cast in bronze, this piece was then patinaed (colored) with reds and browns, and the face and hand were polished to a shining gold.
The idea for this sculpture came from Celine Dion's song "Fly". In her song, a young girl leaves her body at death and flies away. It takes the sadness of death and turns it into the beauty of finding new life.
 

"Fly, fly, Little Wing, far beyond imagining, the moon will rise, the sun will set, but I won't forget..." 

I wanted to make a piece that represented this uplifting idea. 

When I began making my Wearable Sculptures, I decided to take the bird from "Fly, Fly, Little Wing" and create a necklace that incorporated the inspiration from the larger piece, yet still had its own unique voice. I call this Wearable Sculpture "Freedom to Fly". It is cast in bronze, like my larger works, then put on a handmade necklace of bronze chain and ribbon. I hand patina (color) each Wearable Sculpture, so they are all unique. "Freedom to Fly" is a wearable reminder that we can all take flight and rise to new heights. 

Both pieces are dedicated to my sister, Judith.

 

Sculpture breakdown "The One Who Learned to Fly"

I wanted to start a weekly tradition of posting a piece on my Facebook pages and explaining a bit about it. For this first week, I chose my sculpture "The One Who Learned to Fly." When my daughter Hana-li was little, I made her a costume with wings. I suddenly realized that she thought she would actually be able to fly with these wings. When she understood that they weren't real wings, she began to cry. I sat her down and promised her that in this lifetime, spiritually, emotionally or physically, she would learn to fly. This is sculpture is dedicated to her. It incorporates elements from "Cirque du Soleil" and Japanese anime to create a mix of edgy fantasy and inspiration. It is cast in bronze, with wings of bronze, silver, copper and parachute material. I subtly colored it with Patinas (chemical powders that react with the bronze) and metallic waxes. To find out more about the process of creating bronze sculpture, visit my website at www.ninawinters.com

 

MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE PROJECT

I am now officially starting a monumental bronze commission for 6 ft x 10 ft sculpture, called The Galactic Samurai, for a collector in Texas! I will be keeping everyone updated on the progress of this piece with pictures, video, and blog updates. This is sure to be an incredible project, so keep posted!

www.ninawinters.com

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