GALACTIC SAMURAI CREATION FILM

I just completed and put up a short film on the creation and installation of my monumental sculpture, "The Galactic Samurai - Confrontation of Evil", commissioned by the Global Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of PepsiCo.

Enjoy!

INTERVIEW ON PEACE DAY TV

My uncut interview on Peace Day TV, the international broadcast that interviews celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie and more!

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE ART SHOW

I am one of the artists featured at the St. Armands Circle show in Sarasota. The show is November 10th and 11th and is an incredible event filled with world-class fine artists. I've done this particular show before with a lot of success.

Thank you to Howard Alan Events for giving me the opportunity to show my work, and I hope to see everyone in the area there.

www.ninawinters.com

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

I wanted to share a bit about Niki de Saint Phalle, the self-taught French sculptor and painter.

Niki was born outside of Paris in 1930 to a wealthy banking family. After being wiped out financially by the Great Depression, she and her family moved from France to New York City.

While in New York, Niki was enrolled at the prestigious Brearley School, but perhaps as a sign of things to come, she was dismissed for painting fig leaves red on the school's statuary.

After graduating from Oldfields School in Maryland, Niki became a fashion model, appearing on the cover of Life Magazine, and a few years later, French Vogue. 

She eloped at 18 with childhood friend and author Harry Mathews, and soon had a daughter with him. 

The young mother was on a modeling assignment in France when she met American painter, Hugh Weiss, who became her friend and mentor. 

Niki moved to Spain, where she gave birth to a son, and began to pursue her career in the field of art. 
After dabbling briefly in naive-style oil painting and collage art, she famously turned to a new medium--the rifle. Inspired by the explosive methods of her stated "go-to thinkers": de Beauvoir, Proust and Goudi- she cocked her gun, aimed and fired at giant paint loaded canvases.

In the mid 1960's, Niki began to work alongside Swiss artist Jean Tinguely, whom she would later marry. Niki moved from her "shooting paintings" to developing the voluptuous female form of the Nana, French slang for “woman" in 1965, which led to the commission of the vast sculpture, She: a Cathedral for the Modern Museet in Stockholm. As she worked on brightly painted sculptures of animals and human figures, Niki conceived the idea for her Tarot Garden, a sculpture park inspired by Gaudí’s Parc Güell.

After nearly 20 years of work, and a considerable amount of money,  the Tarot Garden, filled with Niki's monumental sculpture and whimsical architecture opened in Tuscany in 1998.

I wanted to share my love of her voluptuous and whimsical, yet important sculpture. 

SCULPTURE OF THE WEEK

This week I'd like to share more information about my sculpture, "The Child King of the Known and Unknown Universes". Inspired by the idea that Innocence can rule with brilliance, this is a maquette (small scale) version of a monumental piece I envision at the entrance of one of my peace parks.

COMMISSIONS

Do you have close friends or relatives who would love my work?
Are you friends of an architect or designer who uses sculpture in their work?

Show them my website. I can create all of my pieces in any size and can also do custom commissioned sculptures.

Any sale you make YOU receive commission on.
And that means the BIGGER, the better for you.

Contact me at bronzes@ninawinters.com for pricing and additional details.

OLDEST KNOWN SCULPTURE

This 6 cm tall sculpture, carved from mammoth bone, is the oldest sculpture of a human figure.

This fertility figure, with it's exaggerated bust and anatomical details, is thought to be at least 35,000 years old.

The sculpture was discovered in the Hohle Fels Cave in Germany, which is how the tiny figurine gained the name "The Venus of Hohle Fels."

It is believed that the figure was suspended from a pendant, as instead of a head a small ring is carefully carved above it's broad shoulders.

The artefact is presumed to have been made by modern humans even though Neanderthals were still present in Europe at this time.

"We find all kinds of things in our caves - musical instruments, all kinds of ornaments, mythical representations of lion-men, not to mention all the different stone tools, bone tools, ivory tools, [and] antler tools. But we have no human bones that really tell us one way or the other who made these artefacts. I assume they were made by modern humans," said Nicholas Conard, professor of Early Prehistory at Tübingen University.

(Reference, BBC News)

Throughout history, venus figurines have played prominently in prehistoric art. These ancient tributes to the female form have been an inspiration for my own figurative works. Here are some of examples of my own fertility sculptures:

 

 

www.ninawinters.com

SCULPTURE OF THE WEEK

 

This week I wanted to share a bit about my piece, "Angel de la Vida" (Angel of Life). Her robes are filled with the colors and passions of life. First cast in bronze and patinaed with fire and chemicals, I then create subtle nuances with metallic powders and waxes. Throughout art history, angels are frequently depicted in heaven above the clouds. I brought the clouds into her drapery and attached her to a steel circle, giving the illusion that she is floating above the material universe.

www.ninawinters.com

SCULPTURE OF THE WEEK

This week I'll be sharing the story of my piece, "Great With Child", that was recently added to the art collection of Joseph Shabalala, singer of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The back story begins 24 years ago 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 Ladysmith, 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 Ladysmith Black Mambazo play again. I wanted to introduce Joseph 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 him. I finally yelled his name, with as much intention as I could muster, into the far reaches of the backstage area. 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 and said, "Here, this is the child." Joseph brought us backstage, and soon the whole group had surrounded her, smiling and taking in the child that had listened to their concert while still in the womb. This sculpture is dedicated to Joseph Shabalala, lead singer for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in the memory of his kindness. It is now on it's way to his home in South Africa.

NEWEST CELEBRITY COLLECTOR

Pictures of the presentation of my sculpture, "Great With Child" to my newest celebrity collector, Joseph Shabalala, lead singer of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (backup group for Paul Simon on his album, "Grace Land"). It is now part of his personal art collection.

 

BEHIND THE SCENES AT MY LATEST INTERVIEW

Behind the scenes of Art Tour International Magazine's photo shoot and interview with me in Times Square! Here the photographer takes a photo of my sculpture, "Great With Child".

Thank you so much to Art Tour International, I am honored to be included in their global publication.

 

THE DRAGON DAYS OF AUGUST

Celebrate the heat with your own bronze Wearable Sculpture, "The Littlest Dragon". This tiny homage to my favorite guardians makes a strong statement for both women and men.  

Individually patinaed to your color preference, each Wearable Sculpture comes on either a handcrafted chain and ribbon necklace featuring individually sewn bronze stars or on simple chain at the length of your choosing.  

Whatever your personal style, these are the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for yourself or your loved ones.  

For more information, visit the website, or call me directly:

727.804.1444

 See All Wearable Sculptures and Order Now!

PICTURES OF BRONZE CASTING PROCESS

Here are some images from the lost wax bronze casting process, a fascinating and ancient technique that is still used today:

 

Creating the waxes

Foundry Work

 

Pouring the Bronze

  

Star Man, born from the flames

 

Working on Patina

 Here is a diagram on the process: