Feb 22, 2011 Push

Spring is approaching (even though snow is predicted this week). Plants are beginning to push through the soil, pushing through boundaries to create their own abstract compositions.

Feb 20, 2011 Capture

Yesterday was a super clear, super cold day on the waterfront with many violent waves--which is unusual for the Puget Sound. And yet the waves provided a texture to the water that is often not seen. Art sometimes needs to shake up the natural order to make us appreciate the usual.

Feb 19, 2011 Start

I've started on my new series of sculptures. These will be small, about the size of a hand, and inspired by mushrooms and nests. Here's the beginning of the first one with a third of the underlying structure constructed. More updates to follow.

Feb 18, 2011 Drop

This drop of water takes on the texture of the leaf it occupies and brings in reflective light. It looks weighty and plump against the thin leaf. It reminds me of molten glass.

Feb 16, 2011 Variety

This jumble of intersecting lines in this pile of sticks is visually interesting because of the varying thicknesses and shapes. When I create sculptures I often have to concentrate on creating variety with each aspect of the form.

Feb 14, 2011 Metaphor

The lines converge and intersect, illuminated at critical junctures. A metaphor for Valentines Day.

Feb 13, 2011 Glossy

I like how the big, smooth, waxy leaves provide a nest for the intricate puffs of the flowers. In my early sculptures I applied a semi-gloss coating to the surface but then I moved on to  matte finishes. I don't think my work is suited to a full glossy finish, but I might try it sometime.

Feb. 9, 2011 Light

The strong lighting in the sky makes the clouds look 3-dimensional. But the lack of lighting elsewhere flattens out the other forms. Lately I've been paying attention to lighting as I prepare images of my sculptures for a grant submission.

Feb 8, 2011 Swirl

The ridges and valleys that make up this tree bark come together and flow apart, creating a flowing pattern. It makes me think of water and currents. The squareness of the photo works in this instance to concentrate the viewer on the detail of the form.

Feb 7, 2011 Capture

When I took this photo I was attempting to capture the texture of tire tracks in the grass. What is more visually interesting is the shadow (it's me in my big down coat). Sometimes the unintended mistake is the key to a an interesting exploration.

Feb 6, 2011 Nodes

One of the things I find inspiring about rhizomes is the interconnectedness of their nodes. Together they stretch out horizontally, but broken apart they can start new plants. It makes me think about connecting several sculptures together as well as breaking one apart to create new sculptures and installations.

Feb 3, 2011 Prow

The 25' tall Viking ship prow sculpture at PLU by Paul Schweiss is a intriguing form. It is representational yet abstract, a fragment but monumental, a ship as well as a wave. The lines are truly elegant. It makes me consider how I might make more fluid sculptures.

Feb 1, 2011 Monumental

A few weeks ago it snowed tiny little snowballs. In looking closely at the snow I discovered this sprout. Its shape is abstract and monumental--it would translate well to a large, multi-story sculpture.

Jan 31, 2011 Fill

HIgh tide turned these pier posts and decks into a composition of dots and lines. It reminds me that filling up the negative space can profoundly alter a form.

Jan 29, 2011 Felt

Moss always strikes me as nature's felt. Here on this wall the bulbous mounds of moss form a topography of rounded hills and plush valleys. I wonder how I could emulate the form.

Jan 26, 2011 Web Again

In the last 6 years I've created 11 installations. You can see images, videos, and info about them on my website's updated installation page, http://www.ryksenn.com/installations.htm. This year I plan to create small sculptures, but I've applied to a couple of installation opportunities and we'll see what happens.

Jan 25, 2011 Cube

What was once a white concrete box that covered a stairwell at the Jupiter Hotel (Portland) has been transformed into a cube of art. The patchwork mural, each side with a different color theme, has softened an otherwise clunky piece of functional architecture. The form has been made into a point of interest.

Jan 24, 2011 Tilt

I like the way that this huge cairn (outside the Portland Greyhound station) leans to one side at the top. It could have been a cone shape, but instead the top is mashed down and tipped. The change in orientation makes this an exciting form.

Jan 22, 2011 Lights

The storefront, traffic, and far away building lights make Portland seem like a jeweled city. The light dots add an essence of infinity.

Jan 20, 2011 Web

From time to time in 2011 I'll be posting about my art process. As a way to share my work I make frequent updates to my website. I just finished updating my sculptures page, see http://www.ryksenn.com/sculpture.htm. (Click on an image to see it bigger and use your arrow key for a slide show.)

Jan 19, 2011 Weight

The stone, slightly askew, backed up to the disarray of the swaying grass, makes me think about how the weight of forms can be used to create a subtle tension.

Jan 17, 2011 Witch-Hazel

What I like about this witch-hazel is that the droopy, thin, yellow petals are matched with the droopy, big, brown leaves. The color combo and the forms seem like an unlikely pair--and that's what makes them interesting.

Jan 14, 2010 Support

The center of the cut reveals that the tree's center was compromised. In my own sculptures I occasionally find that I haven't given enough thought to the support structure. Sometimes this is good, in that the form then takes another direction. But sometimes I have to do some very tricky retrofitting.

Jan 13, 2010 Cut Off

The remnants of the cut to this tree are visible--bits of sawdust at the base. When I captured the scene I didn't notice that the stump "touches" the double yellow line of Ruston Way. Sometimes after you create work of art you discover an unintentional compositional element.

Jan 11, 2011 Mystery

These wilted purple leaves are tucked under, avoiding the cold. The irregular, dark negative spaces make the forms pop out of the composition. The well defined stems pierce back into the darkness, adding a bit of mystery.

Jan 9, 2010 Bulk

Located in Commencement Bay, this paper mill remanent provides a perch for birds. The outline of the concrete form has an interesting shape which is enhanced by the transient wildlife. The birds are an elegant, mobile addition to the bulk.

Jan 8, 2010 Splash

When it's gloomy outside, you can duck inside the W.W. Seymour Conservatory for art inspiration. The stark contrast of the white and yellow at the base of these petals is harmonious with the orangish petal tips. The splash of light colors gives the forms a stroke of randomness.

Jan 6, 2011 Peer

Like eyes with baggy folds, these branch collars seem to peer out in all directions from a periscope. In an era of CCTV and video cams everywhere, it makes me think about what nature sees but doesn't report back (at least not in a way we can understand). The folds exude a sense of weariness.

Jan 4, 2011 Double

Near the Louise Bourgeois "Eye Benches" sculptures at Olympic Sculpture park (see yesterday's post) I spotted this double. The setting sun cast a tree's shadow against the retaining wall. The swath of blue sky helps differentiate the shadow from the 3-D form.

Jan 3, 2011 Forward

In 2010 I made it a goal to blog every day about forms that inspire or inform my art (for the record, I blogged 307 days). Looking forward to 2011 my goal is to make a series of small works. With that in mind, I probably won't post every day, but I may include images of my works in progress along with the inspirations.