YUKON SEASONS: RIGHT

YUKON SEASONS: RIGHT - PHASE 7

October 29, 2002

This phase has been one of the trickiest and most time consuming to date. The mother bear in the summer scene has been further defined. The section of antler is extremely thin here and the challenge has been to design the mother so that she looks substantial from the probable vantage point of the viewer. The antler curves toward the viewer, exposing the thinness of the antler along its edge. The best solution has been to carve the body texture of the bear deeply in relief, permitting a rounding of the multiple surfaces, while finishing the nose and mouth area in the round, providing a pleasing illusion of substance which works from every vantage point.

The brown marks are made by a pencil crayon and serve as reference points for further refinement. I find that pencil crayon is preferable to pencil, as pencil leaves fragments of graphite which persist in the pores of the antler. The pencil crayon's waxy consistency tends to remain on the surface of the carving and comes away easily during subsequent work.

The small holes represent Yukon's ever present summer environment: insects. Yukon's summers belong to the blood suckers, save in the small oases human bug killing technologies have carved out of the wilderness, which are our towns. With such an influence, nay, dominance over the summer landscape, I felt it necessary to include them in the sculpture, along with the creature we typically assign to that role.

The sun's rays are also an important element of the summer environment. Nothing seems to warm up in the Yukon without being touched directly by the sun. Conversely, things cool rapidly with the passing of a cloud. Fortunately, the sun is with us in summer most of the time, 24-7. It is only the ever present sunlight that permits the slight warming of the permafrosted soil and subsequent growth.

Till next time,

Shane

PS. In reviewing the last couple of phases on this side, I noted that last year at this time there was plenty of snow. What a contrast to this year, with balmy, springlike temperatures and no snow!

back