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Transcript of Heliosphere Magazine
An exclusive online publication by Eternal Sun Studios
Fall 2012
Waxy Monkey What?...….……..........………………..…..4
Drops in Ether…….…………………………...………….8
Ghosts of a Lost Frontier………………………………..10
Gallery Spotlight.………………………………………..16
Inside the Studio……...……………………...………….18
Upcoming Events………………………………………..20
Timeless Meditations Exhibition………………………..21
Contact Weston………………………………………….22
Visit Eternal Sun Studios online by clicking one of the
icons below:
P A G E 3
Waxy Monkey What?
P A G E 5
While in this issue I don’t have any flashy new pictures to show off, the fall has been a
period of great progress on new work. This time of the year always ends up being
something of a transition for me. I dedicate a lot of energy to pursuing shows and
commissions, and then the rest to developing new sculptures. I’ve even been trying my
hand at stone carving. Right now there are two in particular I’ll be focusing on, and then
mixing things up with a story in a very different line from the sculpting. So without
further ado:
The first piece gives you a sneak peek at a clay in progress. The idea for this sculpture
came to me after the Loveland Show. A lot of people who came through my booth asked
if I had done any additional sculptures with frogs—“Between Worlds,” was the only one
at the time. It spurred me to pursue something I had already been thinking about doing.
The resulting sculpture, still untitled, went through a previous draft in clay before I came
up with the final idea. For a while I had been toying with the notion of creating
something that almost looked like an old sign post, but as it began to emerge from the
clay, I felt like it was too similar in concept to the frame for “Edge of Time.” Going back
to the sketch pad quickly produced ideas that captured the essence of what I was looking
for. The core idea was to continue in the trend of blending abstract geometry with
stained glass and then adding my realistic wildlife. What I enjoyed most about the
“hour-glass” form the frog is sitting on is it being a smooth, “unending” plane. My hope
is that it captures and evokes an aesthetic of the sophistication and yet simplicity of the
architecture and design elements of some of the world’s ancient civilizations. What’s
Credit: http://florafauna.com/images/category/frogs/waxy_monkey_tree_frog.jpg
more there was major influence behind
my choices for the frame: So much of my
work is very heavily textured. It’s
something that distinguishes my style, but
it takes away my ability to do some fancy
patina work. My hope and plan is that
this piece will allow me to do a very
striking and complex patina. Time will
tell…
As to the frog, selecting a species
happened a lot faster than I would have
thought. I happened to be at the local
exotic reptile store, getting some crickets
for my Fire Skinks, when I happened
across a very unusual species called the
Waxy Monkey Tree Frog. Visually a frog
that at times even looks comically odd, I
instantly knew this was the subject for the
sculpture I was working on.
The most interesting fact about this type
of frog is the origin of its name. Unlike
other frogs, waxy monkeys actually
inhabit fairly dry climates in South
America. They retain moisture by
secreting a wax which they spread across
their bodies. The moniker of monkey
comes from that fact that they tend to
walk, instead of hopping—and maybe it’s
just me, but the way the move almost
looks to me like the inspiration behind
Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
All in all, I’ve been very happy with the
results in clay so far. I’m still working on
perfecting the frog’s form, and grappling
with ideas for the glass panel. My wife
and I had quite a laugh joking about
what was beginning to look like me hav-
ing an obsession with circles and spheres
when I showed her my first ideas. At the
moment I think I’ve settled on pursuing a
design which contrasts the organic flow of
the frame, and which will likely incorporate
a kinetic element.
PRECAST SPECIAL!
Looking for a unique gift idea as we come
into the Holiday Season, or considering
P A G E 7
buying art? I will be offering a pre-cast
special on this sculpture. What is a
pre-cast special? Basically it means you
get to reserve an edition number, and own
the finished piece before the rest of the
world has a chance to buy it, and at a
percentage of the retail price! If you are
interested, contact me to see higher
quality pictures of the piece and the glass
pattern as it is finished in the coming
weeks, and to reserve your edition num-
ber.. The precast special will last until the
end of November.
Another idea that’s been germinating for quite a while, when finished this will be my
largest sculpture to date. Continuing in my expansion of pieces showing extinct wildlife,
a prehistoric fish known as Dunkleosteous will be the central element of this sculpture—
at least I think so. It’s funny how ideas can change midstream. While things look like
they’re going to work out well, it’s always possible I’ll change my mind once sculpting on
any given element is finished. In truth, what exactly to feature in this sculpture is some-
thing I’ve played with for quite a while now. I’ve gone through several ideas, but I
think the Dunkleosteous will make for some very interesting aesthetics.. So what is this
piece all about?
Revisiting my love for science, “Drops in Ether” will explore a visual representation of
space and time. In the past I have mentioned my interest in the sphere being the most
stable form in physics, and one observable at the atomic level, all the way up to the
galactic level. In light of that, the sphere is an incredible metaphor for the entirety of
the universe. The central idea behind the title and this composition is that a vast expanse of time is still just a single moment in the face of something far greater than one
can comprehend, and how grand the infinite is, if that's something we can really even
begin to grasp. I was further intrigued by space as a sort of parallel to the ocean: ether
being what space is to a given planet and what water is to our landmasses.
If you thought sharks were
scary, just be glad this thing is-
n’t around anymore.
These prehistoric, deep-sea
predators were over twenty-feet
long and could take prey
through a “vacuum “ like pro-
cess.
Credit:
http://www.dinosaursrocksuperstore.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/
dunkleosteus%20skull.jpg
Drops in Ether
P A G E 9
Provided no major
changes happen as I
continue to work, the
finished piece will also
feature the “Astrum”
glass panels, (featured
on the cover), which
are a continuation of
the repetition of the
magnifying glass effect
I’m trying to create in
the piece.
If things really play
out as I hope, the
sculpture will be
available either as an
indoor or outdoor
piece, and will be
internally lit—maybe
even by solar power.
While the sculpture
itself is still very much
in the early phases of
production, I’m really
looking forward to
seeing how things pan
out with it.
The biggest challenge
is going to be creating
a unified composition.
It’s still something I’m
playing around with a
lot, which is why I
don’t have any
pictures yet of the
Dunkleosteous.
What better for an October
issue than something a little
ghostly? While
photography is more a
medium I dabble in, my
“ghost” series of work is by
far my favorite.
In the Summer of 2008, I
was awarded a grant from
Colorado College to spend
two weeks in a tiny town in
New Mexico called
Cimarron, staying at one of
the most allegedly haunted
places in the Southwest.
The primary purpose of my
grant was collecting ghost
stories and then
studying them from the
perspective of their being
folklore. It really was a lot
of fun , if not fairly spooky
at times, and afforded me
the chance to explore a re-
ally fun method of trick
photography.
I don’t intend to spell out
my secret here, but
capturing and perfecting
images like the ones in this
issue is a lot easier than you
might think. I only did a
few during my first trip,
but went back to the hotel a
few times afterwards to
shoot more.
The St. James hotel itself
was built in 1873 and
finished in 1880 and was
owned and operated by a
French chef named Henry
Lambert who
distinguished himself
working for none other
than President Lincoln.
Before the hotel was closed
in the 1920’s, about 21
killings resulting from gun
fights occurred at the hotel.
It remained vacant until
the 1980’s when former
physicist, Ed Sitzberger
bought and reopened the
hotel. I was quite surprised
to learn that Ed actually
knew my grandfather due
Ghosts of a Lost Frontier
P A G E 1 1
are kept with the same
décor and furniture you
might have seen there in
the 1870’s. There are not
televisions or phones. If
you happen to spend a little
time in the bar, you’ll
notice the bullet holes that
still fleck the original tile
ceiling.
You can even play poker in
the same room people like
Buffalo Bill and Doc
Holiday used to frequent.
One room in particular,
Number 18, is kept locked
to this day. I had the rare
opportunity to be allowed
inside. It’s been left as it
was:: There’s holes in the
wall, the wall paper is
peeling, and an aging bed
frame takes up most of the
space.
According to legend, in
1883 a man named Thomas
James Wright won the deed
to the hotel in a poker
game, and was then shot in
the back as he went to the
room he was staying in
where he ultimately bled to
death.
While receiving far less
attention stories from
Room 17 sre just as
interesting. Henry’s first
wife, Mary, died when she
was only 35. As Henry’s
second wife was also named
Mary, a lot of the history’s
been mangled over the
years., but in my research I
uncovered a lot of
information about her. The
result is a type of tragic
plot arc worthy of any good
story. It’s odd that
Cimarron has so much
history worthy of a good
movie. So, in that line and
to their similar professions.
The old hotel registry is a
veritable “who’s who” of
famous figures from the
Old West and most of the
rooms are now named after
them.
While there certainly are
guests who walk away from
the hotel with no stories, I
was very impressed with
how many do have stories.
Again, my interest in it was
not from the vantage point
of, “Are these real or not?”
I was most interested in the
ghost stories meaning
something because they
illustrate a profundity
about our relationship to
the past and our history.
While I may sound
pretentious saying it, I’ve
always been fascinated by
those relationships and the
tension which exists
between them. The Old
West is a era of the past
I’m particular fascinated
by. Those ideas and this
region of the US really
shines through in most of
my artwork—at least I
think it does...
Going to the St. James
really fuels my imagination
in tremendous ways. It’s
literally like taking a step
back into time. If you stay
in the old hotel, the rooms
“Specter of the Past”
Edition of 50
2010
story with Mary Lambert’s
room that I think is cool as
heck. Right after, I guess
we were on unsolved
mysteries in 1990, but right
after that in January or
February I got a call from a
guy in California who said
he was a doctor and he
wanted to talk about
ghosts. So I said okay, and
asked him what he wanted.
He said, “If I wrote a letter
to Mary Lambert, would
you put it in her room for
me?” Well, I didn’t see any
problem with that, so I said
sure. After a while, I got
the letter and he’d sent a
picture of himself along
with it. Well, the letter
went something like:
Dear Mary,
I know that you died young.
You died when you were 32
and I’m very sorry that you
were unable to experience a
full life. I’m a doctor and I
might have been able to help
you had I been there during
that time, but unfortunately
I couldn’t be there. I know
that you can travel, and I
really need your help now,
can you come and visit me?
So I took it down and put it
on the dresser, on Saturday
at about 10:20 in the morn-
P A G E 1 3
she had lost her perfume,
and that she would really
appreciate it if we’d look
for it because she said it
was really expensive
perfume and there was only
one place she could buy it,
so of course she wanted to
get it back.
Well, nobody found
anything, but later on, oh
maybe a few weeks later,
the maids were cleaning
one of the rooms and they
found a bottle of fancy
looking perfume. Well, I
figured this was her
perfume, and we were glad
that we had been able to
find it for her. So I said,
“Give this perfume back to
her.” And we got it back to
her. I was talking to her on
the phone, and asked “So
did you get your perfume
back?” And she said, “Oh,
well I really thank you for
doing this, but this is not
my perfume.” Well, that
was something, here we
had thought we’d found
her perfume, and it turned
out we’d given her someone
else’s which had just ap-
peared in the hotel. Who
knows whose it really was?
An account from
Ed Sitzberger:
I have a really favorite
to do something fun and
seasonal, here are a few
good stories, here’s a few
about Room 17 I collected
while I was there:
An account from
Ed Sitzberger
Of course another common
report is Mary’s perfume.
There’s been lots of people
I’ve talked to who say
they’ve smelled it. People
accuse us of salting the
room, and of course we
don’t. But I’ve had a
couple in the room with me
once and I’ve smelled it.
The odd thing about it was
that both us men smelled it,
but she didn’t. It’s kind of
musky, an old fashioned
flowery smell, almost like
roses.
We had another friend
come up from Albuquerque
with her ten year old
daughter, but they both
were staying in the Mary
Lambert room. Well, she
gave her daughter a bath,
just in the room there, and
had put her perfume on the
mantle when she had gone
in. When she came back
out of the bathroom, she
looked at the mantle and
her perfume was gone. She
told us when she left that
and went inside to look
around, and see that every-
thing was in order. One
server wanted to go to TJs.
I told her it’s not a good
feeling when you go in, but
she did and she started rat-
tling and knocking on the
door. Afterwards, while I
was in Mary's room was
when everything started
happening. I heard foot-
steps then the door
slammed shut. At first I
thought it was guests or the
server teasing. But I
opened the door and looked
and couldn’t find nobody.
It was strange because they
were so real and so loud.
Then I thought, “Okay,
maybe there's more to it.”
I was in the room again
when the door smacked
closed on me. Then when I
was leaving something loud
fell in room 17.
My “ghost” photographs
have been featured in
shows, and won awards. All
are available as limited
edition prints. If you are
interested , contact me for
sizing and framing infor-
mation.
check things out.” So she
went to go look around the
cemetery. When she came
back one hour later, she
came in and her husband
seemed really out of place,
like something was bother-
ing him. Well he said, “I’m
a psychiatrist; I know I’m
not crazy; I am a skeptical
person, but I know I heard
voices when you were gone.
It was a woman and she
said when. “He was wrong
you know. I didn’t die
when I was thirty-two; I
died when I was your
daughter’s age.” And the
woman told me that her
daughter was thirty-five.
And sure enough Mary was
actually thirty-five when
she died. Well, we all
thought that was
something!
An account from Night
Manager, Mickey Wolfe
At first I did not believe in
the haunting, when I came
here. I knew people said it
was haunted, but I didn’t
believe it; even growing up
with things like that from
Europe. The first two
weeks, it was pretty quiet,
On Sunday mornings I go
through each room to make
sure it’s correct. So, I went
to Mary Lambert’s room,
ing. I was planning to go
pick it up because we had
some people checking in
later in that day. Well, I
got distracted by something
else and never got to
picking it up. So, the next
morning I was having
breakfast in the coffee shop
and a guy came over and
said, “Are you Ed?” Well
it turns out he was from
Omni magazine and was in
Cimarron and wanting to
do a story, so he asked me if
I could take him on a tour
of the hotel.
So I forgot breakfast, got
up, and took him on a tour.
When we got to Mary’s
room the couple happened
to be getting ready to leave,
and they came out into the
hall. Well the woman said,
“When you’re not busy I
want to tell you what hap-
pened to us.” And I said,
well, this man here is from
Omni, and he’s doing a sto-
ry on the hotel, so maybe
he’d like to hear the story
too.
So she told us they had
checked in about two in the
afternoon the previous day.
And her husband had been
pretty tired and he wanted
to nap. Well, she didn’t
want to, she said, “I’m
pumped; I’m going to go
P A G E 1 5
“The Witching Hour”
Edition of 50
Located in charming Louisville Colorado, Creations fine art gallery is truly a
wonderful place and the first gallery to represent my non-collaborative
portfolio. Creations is owned and operated by Tom Parsons and
Vickey Swenson, who restored the historic coal miner’s cottage after plans
had been made to demolish it. The result of their efforts is a truly beautiful
and unique gallery, which houses five showrooms, and an eclectic variety of
work by regional artists in a wide array of mediums. With more than sixty
artists represented by Creations, there really is something for every taste and
budget.
Gallery Spotlight
I met Vickey this past August at the Loveland Sculpture Invitational where I
received the invitation for gallery representation. I was certainly excited at
the time, but was even more so after spending the afternoon in Louisville. In
addition to the arts district, downtown Louisville has an array of one-of-a-
kind shops, and restaurants. My wife and I stopped at an Italian place called
Zucca’s, which was literally the very best Italian food I have ever had in the
United States.
I’m looking forward to growing my presence and inventory in the gallery in
the coming months as I restock my current inventory and expand it with new
pieces. One of my favorite aspects about this gallery is the casual and inviting
atmosphere it has, while still maintaining the utmost standard of quality and a
degree of elegance one would expect to find in such a place. I’ve been very
pleased to learn that my work has received very positive responses so far. It’s
great to know I’ve found a place where I really fit in well.
If you have the chance, a trip to Louisville is well worth it. I highly recom-
mend taking a day or even a weekend to visit. It’s a very pleasantly
surprising place—close to Boulder and the mountains with a charm and
atmosphere that leaves one ready for the next visit as soon as you’re on your
way home. Of course, if you really get a hankering for something in the city,
Denver is just a very short drive away.
Most of current inventory is or will be featured at Creations. You can find out
more about them by visiting them by clicking here. Check my Facebook page
or website for information about upcoming “artist’s walks” in Louisville to
find out when I’ll be at the gallery.
P A G E 1 7
Inside the Studio
Mold Making
By far one of the most involved and challenging aspects of the lost wax production
process., mold making is practically an art itself. Even after a few years experience I still
am learning new tricks ans secrets to perfecting my molds. An array of types and
materials exist. In this issue I’ll be discussion some of the types , and hopefully doing
more on the actual process next issue . In my experience to date, there are generally two
types of material used by mold makers. Poly-vinyl is the first, and the one I have the
most experience with. It’s most traditionally used in casting concrete, but is also a fa-
vorite for lost wax due to its flexibility and durability.
Block Molds:
Among the easiest to produce, block molds look just like
they sound. They are produced by building a “wall” or
“dam” around the object being cast and then pouring the
liquid rubber until it fills all of the negative space. Once it
hardens the mold is cut part way down it’s length in order
to remove the clay and then the wax. It’s a good type for
small pieces which are easy molded separately and
reattached in wax or metal. The mold pictured here is used
to cast the head of the western diamond back for my
“Handle With Care,” tea kettle.
Plate molds:
They look exactly like they sound and are used for
sculptures which are really only one –sided., or for sculp-
tures which have been broken down into one-sided panels.
The few masks I’ve made employ the plate mold style,
anlong with “Dust Walker,” pictured at the left. Plate
molds are among the easiest to cast wax with because they
are often filled ot the brim, like block molds, or require
only a few layers . Theis type of mold is even easier to
create than a block mold, as you do not have to build any
dams or walls to hold the material in place as it cures.
P A G E 1 9
Two-Piece Shim Molds:
Probably the most common mold in the lost wax process
a shim is a mold that divides a sculpture along its
greatest lateral axis, essentially splitting it in two. This
mold type is most useful because it allows you to cast
complex shapes and gives you the ability to remove the
wax from the rubber without damaging it.
A shim is essentially a large fin, which is attached to the
clay after being coated in two layers of liquid rubber.
More rubber is then built up on each side of the shim,
until the whole thing has been encased by several thick
layers.
The indentations you see in the photo to the right, are
“keys.” These are created using vacu-formed plastic, and
are a part of the shim as it is built up. Their presence
helps the separate pieces of the mold adhere when they are fit together for wax pouring.
Shown in the picture below, a finished shim mold consists of two separate halves of the
rubber, and then a mother mold with fits against each of those. The mother mold is
created using a special high strength plaster which is built up on the rubber before the
clay is removed. Its purpose is to hold the mold’s shape. Mine are reinforced with
fiberglass cloth. While the plaster is strong enough to resist cracking and breaking
without fiberglass, such mother molds tend to be very heavy. The use of fiberglass cloth
strengthens the mother mold and allows for a more minimal use of plaster, making the
entire piece lightweight. In order to cast wax, the four pieces are carefully fit together
and then held either with
industrial or some sort of tie.
While it all may sound quite
technical and specialized, some
my molds have been created
using cereal boxes to form shims
and furnace filters for fiberglass
in the mother molds. Moving
into the winter I’ll be doing a lot
of mold making as new pieces
are finished. Check back in
futures issues to see more.
Upcoming Events
Lots of great events to look forward to through the fall and winter! More details to
follow in coming issues.
Friday Night Art Walk: TBA 2012
Creations Art Gallery. Louisville, CO
Check back for the dates! Friday Night Art Walks go all through the winter. Stop by Louisville
Colorado to visit me at the Creations gallery, and for a chance to catch lots of other great
happenings in the down-town area.
Western Art Collector December 2012
Make sure to grab a copy of the December Issue to see “All But Lost” in the
Western Gift Guide.
Moore and Brownlee, Dual Exhibition: January 14th– February 15th.
Mari Michener Gallery. Greeley CO
Opening Reception Friday February 8th, 4pm to 6pm.
Dual show, featuring the work of Weston and his mentor, J.G. Moore.
Is Something Missing?
Was there a piece you remember from another issue, or were hoping to see this time? While
Heliosphere is not a catalogue of Weston’s complete bronze portfolio, we are happy to direct
you to one or send an electronic copy.
Please note hard copies are only available by special request and may associate a small
surcharge for printing expenses.
If you have any questions about a sculpture you’ve in another issue, don’t hesitate to contact
Weston.
P A G E 2 1
Tubac Arizona: October 12-November 11th at the Tubac Center for the Arts
A national juried exhibition which explores sacred geometry and patterns
which exist in the natural world, including Mandalas.
I’ m very excited to be a part of this show. From what I hear about the
quality of the work at it, it’s really too bad I wasn’t able to attend in person.
My sculpture, “All But Lost,” is featured in the show.
Next Issue:
-See progress unfold on my first stone carv-
ing. This untitled piece is made from Italian
Ice Alabaster!
-Updates on sculptures shown in this issue.
-2012 Holiday Catalogue!
Eternal Sun Studios is a fine art production and representation company. Our services include:
Commissioned Sculpture
Mold Making and Metal Chasing
Patina for Bronze
Artist Agent, and Social Media/Marketing Consultant
All uncredit materials in Heliosphere are the exclusive property of Weston Brownlee and Eternal Sun Studios and are therey
Contact Weston at [email protected]