Whodunnit? Probably an easy guess this year. I donated my most recent screen sculpture to the Art Association’s biannual Whodunnit art sale fundraiser. This years event was a hit and looked great. I was amazed by the generosity of all the Jackson Hole artists and the quality of work. The event is an anonymous art sale and in the past I’ve tried to disguise my style by working with new  mediums. This year I decided to play it straight with the metal screen. “Inny Outy” went to Michael in Boston. I wonder if he decided to take it off the canvas…

“Inny Outy” was created for the Art Association’s Whodunnit Show.

Another happy customer…Thanks Jeff.

Jeff has had his eye on this piece for awhile.

Franco Snowshapes snow boards are rockin it next door at the Igneous Factory. Jackson Hole Artists, Mickey Franco and Mike Parris are making beautiful boards and Tierney is painting the graphics. Boost.! My barcode artwork has made it into the line-up.

Mickey Franco has purchased my bar code design to use as a logo for his company.

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So my dad backed into my van this Spring while I was home for a visit. Sal hit it last year, so their even.

I got a quote for the repair and didn’t think it was worth it but Jim said that I had to do something to protect the body from rust.

That afternoon I was standing out side my shop with my friend, Mike Tierney, and he commented on the nice weather and his wish to have an outdoor project. We both looked over at the dent and got an idea. I figured I could pop the dent out pretty well and he could cover it up with one of his spray paint paintings. I gave him creative freedom on color, size and subject matter – he went off. Thanks so much, Mike.

Prepping the rolling Jackson Hole Art Gallery

I got a little nervous when he started spraying the purple.

Heat gun action to get the paint to dry on a chilly day.

“The Sleeping Indian”on Sheep Mountain is located across the National Elk Refuge. I see it every day as I leave my house.

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This Spring I was commissioned by the Roadhouse Brewery to make a piece of Jackson Hole sculpture that represents their brand and philosophy for the Amber Waves Beer Fest in Washington, D.C.

We settled on a bison skull fabricated with hammered bronze and amber colored resin horns. The metal represented the plates of the skull well and polished beautifully to a chrome finish. I’d not cast in resin before and learned a lot in the process. There were some setbacks but I was pleased with how they turned out.

The coolest technique I learned involved a two-part rubberized epoxy for molding the teeth. My friend, Katherine Donnan, a jewelry artist, loaned me some tools and let me try the mold making material. You basically start out with two colors of silly putty, mix them together and then mold them around a form in under 30 seconds. The pieces cure in 17 minutes and you’re ready to pour in the resin. The flexible nature of the mold allows for easy extraction.

The skull is on display at the Q Roadhouse on Teton Village Road.

I pulled my patterns from a real skull using tin foil and then traced them onto the bonze sheets for cutting.

I used an nematic hammer, English wheel, grinder and welder to shape the plates.

I loved this mold making material – so fast and clean.

Resin teeth from rubber molds.

Final shot taken by David Swift. The metal is yellower than it appears in this photo.

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While visiting family last week in Denver, I got to flip through some three ring binders of mine and my sister’s earliest artwork. My parents were good about saving our creations and thoughts.

The work is nothing special but shows what was on my mind at the time. They make me laugh…I like their looseness. The earliest creations mostly involve bats and tigers and they are usually covered in freckles (like me at the time) and often peeing. I was definitely into smiling animals, clouds, flowers, dinosaurs, robots and suns. Not much has changed.

This is a walking, smiling sun with rainbow freckles, of course.

Happy Brown Bat

No…those are not piercings. This is the Easter Bunny delivering baskets….with a buzz cut and purple toes.

No apparent aptitude for robotics.

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I just mailed my most recent sculpture down to Vail for an Art Auction on Feb. 15. The event is invitational and is based on the theme of sleds.

Most participating artists paint or transpose an image onto the surface of a sled and the work is shown as a wall hung piece of art. I’ve been more interested in sculpture of late, so I asked if I could go 3D.

I’m not sure what first made me think “pig” but I quickly thought of Maxwell from Gaicco commercials. I started out trying to make a reclining pig but couldn’t get it to work. I think my sub conscience was’t comfortable copying a mass media/marketing image, so i slowed down the “speed” of the sled from “careening” to “exciting” and created a sitting pig with a smile and scarf flapping in the wind.

Molly Eppard, the Public Art Director for the town of Vail, suggested the red scarf. Brilliant…thanks Molly.

Failed first attempt

better….

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I’ve been working on this project for the past three Months. The goal was to hide a transformer box located just North of the Sonnenalp Resort located in Vail, Colorado. I created the surface using 18 gauge sheet bronze and molded it with a nematic hammer and English Wheel.

I assembled the bronze pieces on the floor like a puzzle.

After attaching the bronze pieces to modified ranch gates, I headed up to Bozeman to have the pieces patinaed at Northwest Art Casting. Isaac and Collin did a great job capturing the alpine colors that occur at high altitude.

I installed the piece just before Christmas and it looks good but doesn’t swing smooth enough. I’ll be heading back down mid Feb. to attend an art auction and tweak the gate a little bit. The project was more difficult than I’d anticipated but I learned a lot and look forward to using this technique again.

Ben Roth and Molly Eppard in front of the gate

I’d like to thank Shane Linsay for his help in the shop, Jim Gute for his engineering skills and all the guys at Northwest Art Casting. Also, thanks Billy Anthony for the measurements and Jack for your help with install. Thanks also to the Sonnenalp Resort and the Town of Vail for the assistance and opportunity.

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Creating this Environmental Installation Sculpture in Green Mountain, Colorado was an adventure.  Click on the thumbnails below for the image slideshow.

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Behind the scenes with Ben Roth and his “Fallen” sculpture. from JH Public Art on Vimeo.

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