SUSTAINABLE BIRD SCULPTURE: CREATING THE EAGLE

20 Sep 2023

Published in: Member News

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After sharing the process of creating sculptures through my last couple of blogs, this month I am sharing the background process of designing and creating the Eagle sculpture.

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After sharing the process of creating sculptures through my last couple of blogs, this month I am sharing the background process of designing and creating the Eagle sculpture.

If you’ve been in close proximity to a bird of prey, you can easily feel a sense of overwhelming power from the bird’s intense stare. You know they are hearing, seeing and noticing more than you can be aware of as a human due to their powerful senses and the way they are so tuned in to their environment.

Once they take to the air, the pure power and grace of their flight is mesmerizing. I wanted to capture this motion and feeling in the sculpture, to respect the beauty and strength of these awesome animals in my sustainable sculptures.

BUILDING THE EAGLE FROM DESIGN TO COMPLETION

When I embarked on the journey of creating the eagle project, my initial inspiration was to depict the grace and dynamism of an eagle in motion, particularly during the captivating moment of landing to seize its prey.

Achieving this vision necessitated an extensive exploration of eagle footage, meticulously pinpointing the precise juncture I wished to encapsulate.

Upon discovering this pivotal point, my endeavour shifted towards identifying the ideal components that could materialize the sculpture faithfully. Opting for an open-wing design, a deliberate choice resonating with bird-themed projects, I focused on the wings with a specific aim to elevate them as the centrepiece of the artwork.

My ingenuity came to the fore as I meticulously devised distinct feathers, each tailored to various segments of the eagle and its wings. Within this repertoire, three distinctive designs emerged. One design drew its essence from the primary feather of an eagle, wielding authority over the bird’s flight direction and velocity – an embodiment of their precision and control.

CREATING PERSONALITY IN EACH SCULPTURE IS THE KEY

Infusing personality into my sculptures stands as a paramount consideration in my design process. I devote considerable time and effort to meticulously craft facial features as they play a pivotal role in animating the design.

Each head or face sculpture that I create is a testament to my dedication to infusing the sculpture with a tangible sense of character. Employing the artisan touch of handcrafting, I endeavoured to extract the utmost potential for personality to radiate from every piece.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION

A central challenge in realising this design lay in determining the optimal presentation for a sculpture fashioned entirely from 304 Stainless Steel, a material inherently imbued with substantial weight. After careful consideration, I resolved this puzzle by fashioning a looped stand specifically engineered to both support the sculpture’s heft and showcase the eagle in its gripping “catching prey” posture. This choice seamlessly marries functionality and artistry, ensuring that the sculpture not only remains secure but also commands attention in its purposefully designed position.

After designing a smaller owl previously, I wanted to challenge myself and see if it was possible to create a life-sized Eagle. Obviously, this was quite the jump but when working on other projects working on a large bird was always on my mind and thus, I decided to design this eagle and add it to my original collection.