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CURRENT PROJECTS 2011
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MOOSE | MONKEY | DOG PARK SHADE

Moose commissioned by Simon Property Group
for a new premium outlet center in Merrimack, NH.
rhino
rhino
rhino
chris willaims rhini
chris williams animal sculpture

rhino rhino
These are the first few steps. It seems that once I get going on the legs I can see the form a bit better, I'm always returning to the frame for adjustments. It's a never ending process of corrections to stay on course.

Checking and re-checking, I'm now looking at the way the legs will tie into the body. It was at this point I realized, the belly was sagging more than I wanted and for the third time, made more adjustments to the body shape.

A couple of key things are happening here. First, the legs are now completed far enough so that they can be joined together at the body. Sounds simple but this is when I make a commitment on the width of the hips and the shape of the belly. It maybe hard to see the differences between the first few pictures and this one but I've spent another couple of weeks adjusting the frame so that this critical step can be made.

Now that its form is tightening, I also put him up on wheels so I can turn him around and see him from different angles. My studio space isn't very big so it's nice to be able to rotate the piece.

 

People ask me all the time how I curve
the pieces and make them fit together.

For the longest time, it was this
hand operated Arbor Press.

 

 

The trouble was that I could only work in small areas and this resulted in a bumpy surface. Sometimes it would work for the style of the piece but other times, the moose would look like he was chewing on walnuts. I wanted a smoother surface and the answer was this.

This is a hydraulic press. So I had the power now
to enlarge my tools. Bending curves over large areas.
It was a huge step forward in my little shop.

This is my old machine.
See how small the tools were...
 

After using the hydraulic press for years with only three steel dowels to form things, along comes this moose project and I start thinking, how do I make everything even better. Curving pieces in two directions at once so I can use larger pieces and have them really follow the muscles. I decided to take a week, and make every tool I could dream up to go with my hydraulic press. Now I call this "The Kitchen".

A long way from my old hand press and the result is awesome curves with no dents. Ok back to the moose.

I'm beginning to think I'm on the right track. I was able to put enough definition in the rear legs to show off some muscle tone and with all the new tools in the kitchen, the plates are smooth and looking great.

Next step for this guy is the front shoulder structure. I've got some framing in this area already worked out
and it looks pretty good but not perfect. More pictures to post next week.

PS: Everyone asks about the tennis balls. It's a way to cover the sharp ends of the frame rods so I don't get one stuck in me. I hope all this information about the process of creating the moose is fun to learn about. Please email me with any questions you may have and I'll do my best to fill in the blanks.

 

Life Size Moose Sculpture
Life Size Moose Sculpture

Really coming along now. Check out how smooth the body looks. All the plates are smooth and fit together great!
Looks like from here on, I'll be working off the ladder.

 

Moose Sculpture
  

 

After cleanning up the loose paper on the floor, I had a good look at the neck in my photos. Seems like the moose have longer necks than I remember. I guess, they need to be able to reach down for an occasional nibble on some swamp grasses.
In this next phase of the project, the neck is another transition, meaning the body stops and the neck begins. It's these transitions that are the challenging areas. Subtle transitions with thick steel plates is a trick.

So at this point, with the neck completed, it's time to start thinking about the head.

Moose eye
Moose eye

I've got a big steel ball that I squished into the steel plate to push out the bump for the eye. Then shaped the upper and lower lid. The little differences as you position the lids around the eyes are dramatic. If you bring the eye brow over the eye too much, he gets grumpy. Too little, and it's not strong enough. I'm shooting for strength with these eyes. Power of the Moose!

Moose sculpture

Here's a few chunks for the bell. It's risky whey you introduce a differant style on an otherwise completely smooth sculpture. I decided to overlap the pieces on this to give it a little more life. Looks good to me so far.

Paper patterns are the key. Every shape you see on these pieces are first made of paper. This gives me the opportunity to decide how the seams should look. It piles up on the floor and becomes a fire hazzard so it's always on my mind. I know you can't tell from these pictures but every day, I've got Bob Marley and the Wailers blasting in the shop. When the music is loud, it puts me in the zone.

 

Head looks good. Time for that rack!

You can see here, that the antlers are made partially of pipes. Actually I put a square steel tube through the head where the antlers will be mounted. This serves as a mount so the antlers can be slipped into the tube and then removed to get the piece out of my studio. The space is tight. He wouldn't fit through the door with the antlers. At least this way I can make up the entire thing and then remove them for its big day.

The antlers are made of 1" solid steel bars. Each one is cut on the tips with a torch to give the ends a boney look.
I can really see how grand this guy is going to be. Very exciting and cool!!!

Here's a good shot of the antler mount I was talking about.

 

   

It's a battle but I smell victory!

 

  

 

People often ask my "How do you move these things?"
I bought this machine a few years ago and I can't live without it!

 

The antlers are about 80 lbs each.
So putting them in is a little hairy at the top of the ladder.

 

Starting to really get close. It looks awesome! I'm thrilled to see it outside. You never really know what it will be like to be with the piece outside. It's a whole new experience. It goes from a project, to a really cool sculpture.

A little behind the ears and,

 

Wow! I love it!!
Can't wait to see it after the steel changes to the rust color. It will pass for the real thing.

I hope you have enjoyed following this project with me. I look forward to hearing from you.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to shoot me an e-mail or give the studio a call.

On to the next project!

   

 

  

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