David Varnau's sculpture blog

Yoga Bliss

Just brought my most recently sculpted piece, entitled Yoga Bliss, to the foundry for moldmaking. Although the piece was originally sculpted in clay, I have made numerous revisions to the wax model that was generated from an earlier mold.  Pictured here is the piece in wax prior to the foundry casting it in bronze.  The sculpture measures 50 inches to the top of her fingertip and is a standing version of the half pigeon yoga pose.

Persuasion

Just back from the foundry with my most recently completed bronze sculpture, entitled PERSUASION. It’s about 30 inches wide and 18 inches tall. In this work, I chose to create an image of a male and female tugging in opposite directions. The image can conjure many questions. Are the figures caught in the eternal tug of opposing intentions? Does each playfully want to show the other his/her perspective? Is she saying goodbye and he is begging her to not leave? Can this be viewed as a metaphor depicting the different sides of ourselves that oppose each other in our psyches?

If you’re in Edmonds, you can see it at Cole Gallery.

Cara Mia

My most recent sculpture, which I took to the foundry to have it molded and cast in bronze has a working title is Cara Mia and is life size.  If she were standing, she would be 5’4″.  Once in bronze, she will be mounted on a steel base that is about 30″ tall to provide the viewer with the same perspective as that seen in the photo.

Cole Gallery

An Artist’s Point of View

Universal Experience

Oct21by colegallery

This week we are interviewing David Varnau in our on-going series on Cole Gallery’s artists. David is one of our newer artists.

Q: When did you start sculpting?
A: I started sculpting 18 years ago. I have worked in the field of prosthetics for over 38 years. Through this, I developed an appreciation of the human form. I am fascinated with the features of the human body that a brief glimpse of which can transport us, creating those transcendent moments in our lives where the world feels whole and life seems so complete.

Reflection (detail)

Q: What are your favorite mediums to work with?
A: I like to sculpt in water based clay because I can generate an image more quickly than when sculpting in oil based clay–making the piece feel more “immediate”. I generally choose to have my works cast in either leaded glass or bronze, but favor bronze because of its nearly indestructible. I tell collectors of my bronzes that the artwork can be passed to their great grandchildren without concern about it being substantially damaged even if it is subjected to a flood, earthquake, or house fire.

Q: What do you want people to get from viewing your work?
A: What both intrigues and excites me is to successfully create an image that, at first glance, grabs the viewer’s attention and carries your eyes along the dominant lines of the figure. In each sculpture, you are invited to discover the gesture or action line embedded in the work. Go ahead; view the work from other angles. With 3-D art, it is particularly satisfying for me to succeed in captivating your interest from all sides of the piece. I endeavor to render certain details or features so that they all contribute to the mood of the piece. The gesture of the figure’s hand, the twist of the body, the tilt of the head, even the turn of a foot. Each of these is carefully sculpted to convey the message of the work.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: My artistic mission is to generate allegories in bronze and glass that mirror the narrative of our lives. This, in turn, provides you the viewer with a glimpse of your own reflection. My sculptures have a great variety of poses and subjects. Some are lyrical and lighthearted, some are grief struck and still others are uplifting, even stirring. But all speak to the human condition and the spectrum of our experience through the compelling beauty and the singular expressiveness of the human body. I have created allegories in bronze that explore such topics as bondage and liberation, defeat and triumph, temptation and surrender, playfulness and rebirth. I find these subjects to touch us at our core and I believe that they resonate with us all as universal experience.

Dance for Joy

Q: What artists are you inspired by?
A: I am inspired by Rodin, Michelangelo, and Bernini. One current day sculptor that inspires me is Martin Eichinger.

Q: What is a favorite recent work that you have produced?
A: I have two recent pieces: Dance for Joy and Persuasion. Dance for Joy is on display at Cole Gallery and Persuasion is currently being cast.

Q: How do you think Cole Gallery differs from other galleries?
A: Denise Cole is a very discriminating gallery owner and is very selective in what she chooses to exhibit. ColeGallery is one of those galleries that draws you in and invites you to linger and savor the joy of sublime art.

You can view more of David Varnau’s work on Cole Gallery’s website.

This entry was posted in Denise Cole’s Posts and tagged bronze sculpting, Bronze Sculptures, Cole Gallery, David Varnau, northwest artists.

It was so nice to be able to share my art with so many visitors to my studio today.  I clocked in 94 lovers of art for the first day of the two day tour.  The weather was great and allowed people to enjoy the garden as well.  What a joy to share it all with neighbors, friends and the wider community!

Dance for Joy

I am glad to be represented by Cole Gallery in Edmonds.  Gallerist, Denise Cole, is a very discriminating gallery owner and is very selective in what she chooses to exhibit.  It is one of those galleries that draws you in and invites you to linger and savor the joy of sublime art.  Denise has chosen to show a number of my works, which show well there.  Here is my latest piece that she has  selected to display.  Entitled Dance for Joy, the sculpture greets you currently from its central location as you enter the gallery.  If you are in town, check it out!

I am pleased that two of my sculptures have been juried into the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, which is an impressive 20 acres of outdoor art at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. The sculpture garden is an idyllic setting with 100+ unique sculptures selected by an impartial jury of art experts having the goal of pleasing the viewer while striving to expand cultural horizons. Open all year from dawn to dusk, it is a photographers delight. A great place to picnic. Come and Enjoy!

My sculptures on display there and available for sale are: Firedancer and The Blessing.

Firedancer

Firedancer depicts a performance artist who, although a fire performer with the expected dramatic flair, surprisingly kindles a quiet, fiery passion within her.

The Blessing

Blessing conjures an image of liberation. The figure is both awestruck and grateful that the possibilities before him are immense. It evokes that renewed sense of promise that life offers.

See the EDGEWISE Exhibit, which features work by the 2013 EDGE Graduates. Developed by Artist Trust, the goals of the EDGE Program are to provide artists with the relevant and necessary entrepreneurial skills for achieving their personal career goals and to build community by supporting peer support and exchange. Now that we fifteen artists have finished our 8 intense weeks of education, we are pleased to display our work as part of Edmonds ArtsWalk.

As a recent graduate of the EDGE program, five of my sculptures are on display in the show.  The ArtsNow Gallery is located in the Edmonds Conference Center on the northwest corner of 4th and Bell in downtown Edmonds.

I am thrilled to have just recently picked up two new sculptures of mine from the Two Ravens Studio foundry.  Both sculptures are something of an advancement of my sculpting style.

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga is one third of life size and features a female performing the yoga posture known to yoga practitioners as a variant of the “pigeon pose”.  You can’t miss  the arc that flows as a dominant line through the piece.  Yoga postures often create visual interest and serve to provoke the awe-inspired question of “how can she do that?”  But yoga isn’t just about poses—one of the challenges of sculpting such subject matter is to convey the sense of well-being that the yogi enters into during her practice.

Dance for Joy

Dance for Joy is perhaps my all time favorite sculpture that I have created during my eighteen year career as an artist.  Like Hot Yoga, this sculpture presents a dynamic image of the human form, which is beguiling from all viewing angles.  While sculpting Dance for Joy, I was inspired to capture the lines of the female figure as she arches and twists her body in an expression of playful delight

Works in Progress             

 I am excited to share with you a couple of sculptures that I currently have in process that are representational figurative sculptures of yoga poses.  I decided to depict the female form in yoga because the live model that was posing for me said that she was teaching yoga classes.  She has posed for me privately as well as for our open studio sessions numerous times over the past several years and, as a result, I knew that she is a strong model.   Anna is also one of those models whose sense of presence has inspired me to do my some of my most outstanding works.

As a figurative sculptor, I find that the female form in a variety of yoga poses exhibits not only a sense of feminine beauty but also feminine power.  Further, yoga presents postures which offer dynamic gesture lines that create visual interest and serve to provoke the awe-inspired question of “how can she do that?”  But yoga isn’t just about poses—one of the challenges of sculpting such subject matter is to convey the sense of well-being that the yogi enters into during her practice.

HOT YOGA (in clay)

My first piece is entitled Hot Yoga.  I sculpted it originally to be a nude and then, later, when the piece was nearly finished, decided to have it be a clothed figure. So, I had the model don yoga pants and a tank top and I then added the drapery.  It is one third of life size.  Pictured here is the piece in water based clay in my studio and then in wax at the foundry.  Two Ravens Studio, a foundry inTacoma, has cast the piece in bronze and have it nearly ready for a patina.

HOT YOGA (in wax)

YOGA BLISS (in clay)

The second piece is entitled Yoga Bliss and was sculpted of the same live model.  Pictured here is the sculpture in water-based clay.   Because Yoga Bliss is two thirds of life size, such a piece is also an engineering feat, particularly in water based clay.  In Yoga Bliss, as well as in Hot Yoga, I especially appreciate the predominant arc to which the viewer’s eye is drawn.