Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Standing figure


cast black resin with filler 36"
click to enlarge
My friend, Gordon scanned some slides for me yesterday of some work I did when I lived in Toronto.
Ellen, also known as Woody is the model here. The quality of the photograph is abysmal – I’ve tried to lighten it in the next image.

Ellen was a great model, a natural - and  became the full time resident model at the University of Guelph. John Fillion used to give us both a lift two or three times a week, which was great for me because I got to see my parents. 

During the commute John smoked Lucky Strikes (Luckies) and Ellen smoked Pall Malls. The air would thicken and my eyes would water until,  by the end of the trip,  they were bleary and red. Whatever conversation between us was carried on between sips of coffee from styrofoam cups over a loud, steady stream of country rhythm and blues.
 I remember Ellen as a Miles Davis fan. She made regular trips to Massey Hall when he came to town, often waiting patiently and uncomplainingly for up to two to three hours before the legendary Miles was ready to perform.
She always said he was great and the wait was worth it!

12 comments:

  1. I remember bringing home drawings of Ellen when I was at OCAD and putting them on my bedroom wall. They were probably the best drawings I ever did. My parents were very upset because of course Ellen was nude, and a beautiful woman naked she was! An upsetting subject for their 16-year-old daughter. What a beauty, and what a beautiful sculpture you made of her.

    xoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

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  2. Wow, what a great trip your story provided.

    I think this is my first time by here (if not, it has been too long.) Love the variety of work -- impressive!

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  3. Marcia, Beautiful gesture and balance. Would love to see this from other angles. Looks like lots going on from the side.

    Walking through a museum this weekend, I was thinking how nice with sculpture to have a choice of viewing angles...gives you unlimited "images". With a painting, there's just the one.

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  4. Fabulous model, great sculpture! I love her stance and confidence. And, what a good story. Thank you for sharing it.

    Yes, it would be great to see other angles of this too.

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  5. Barbara, Thank you for your reminiscence of Ellen – like all truly beautiful women, Ellen was ageless. Do you think you and I will fit that category? My voice rises on the inflection of the question mark – purely rhetorical.

    xoxoxoxoxoMarcia

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  6. Edgar
    What a treat to have you visit. Would you like a Luckies – we could sneak one in the back yard.
    I think right now I like to gather up odds and ends of older work – I’m like my own librarian, card cataloguing random pieces of previous output. Btw I hope librarians don’t become an extinct species. In the fervor for technological progress, libraries with real books are at risk.
    I throw this in because I can see from reading your blog that you have a heightened awareness of issues, trends and social change.
    It’s quite lovely to visit your blog and I intend to do so on a regular basis!
    Marcia

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  7. Hi Candace - I thought I had a side angle shot as well as one from the back, as soon as I can put my hands on it I will post it. Anyway – thanks for your comment!
    You are drawing and painting I hope! – both I hope!!

    Take care,
    Marcia

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  8. Hi Melinda
    Thank you thank you!
    There's probably another angle buried somewhere - if memory serves. At the moment the stacks are unattended

    XO
    Marcia

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  9. cohen,
    beautiful anatomy...
    wonderfully done sculpture...
    story also is good...
    like candace, i would also like to have a look at the other angles of her...

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  10. a beautiful piece Marcia.

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  11. Yes, truly a beautiful piece! Enjoyed your story too.

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  12. My eyes were watering too just reading this - and I can hear the cool/hot tones of Miles Davis' trumpet...

    Beautiful figure. Puts me a bit in mind of Gaston Lachaise.

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