Last Week at Osage

 This is it - the last and final week here at Osage. I am excited and sad about this week: excited because when I look back at these three months I have gotten a lot of sculpture done and look forward to the future; sad because I will leave Osage and miss this place and all the friends I have made here. But I am looking forward to getting back to Cincy and catching up with friends. It was also brought to my attention that I have not been giving out proper respects to all the people who made this happen for me and have been there to support me through this adventure. First, let me start out in saying thank you to Osage and all my support in Cincinnati and Washington DC because without that I could have never been here or do what I’m doing. Now, props to CAT and VIC, my crew here at Osage. You are the best and I love hanging with you. You helped me keep my spirits up and always had a smile for me when I saw you. Without you two I don’t think I would be smiling as big as I am now. I think of you two when I think of Osage and I will miss you when I leave, but you will always be in my heart (Like if I had a heart! just saying).My props to Osage, Mark, and Tony for giving me such a great experience here and allowing me to come to such a great place for three months. Also mad props to Core Clay and Laura Davis for looking over me in Cincinnati while I make sculpture for three months. Also to Joni my awesome studio assistant and friend for checking in on me and making me laugh. To my Boy, Death – yep, till death do us part. You my boy and that’s all I got to say because you know the rest! Also to everyone who has supported me and given me Love and Understanding that allowed me to take my artwork to the next level. I could not have done any of these things without your love and support. Yes, you know who you are and I’m not going to list you all because this will be a hell of a long blog.

                On that note I have got my new book out and printed. The book is called Bones and you can view it online or even buy a copy for your art collection. I also have been shutting down the Residency and studio, packing all my bones, molds, waxes, and cleaning the place to make sure I leave everything the way it was and ready for the next artist.  I am getting ready to come back to Cincinnati and prepare for next year. I will be busy as hell but with a new energy! I will be a force to be reckoned with. My art will live on and always make its mark because Art Is a VOICE!  Other than that, I will be shutting down my clay classes and bringing back some pots to my little apartment. Also Ruckus has no clue what’s going on other then where’s my walk and feed me. He will be bumming when he leaves, but he is looking forward to getting back to his pack of greyhounds back in Cincinnati. Till next week thank you for your ongoing support and remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!  

Coming to an end

        I am defiantly feeling the pinch of time here at Osage. I have less then one week left at Osage and all that’s left is shutting down everything and heading back to Cincinnati. So a lot happened this week. First off I finally got my last two installations done here at Osage. They are two suspended installations hung in trees. I personally am in a love hate relationship with them. Visually they look awesome but photographically they disappear into the background because there is so much space in between each bone.  I don’t quite know how to photograph them and I am still working that out. Other then that with these last two installations done my book Bones is on its way to be published. Yes that’s right my fist catalogs is about to be put into print so if you’re a fan of my work this would be a great opportunity to have this in your collection. Also this week I gave a talk to the Belle High School. It went ok but I could always use some more work on public speaking. I had to give four one hour talks and then was invited back for art club. I talked to the art club for another two hours. After that some kids wanted to come back to Osage and see my work or the Bone Installations. So I didn’t get done talking till 7pm. Also as a result from kids looking at my sculpture I ended up with the kids coming back for a Saturday drawing night for about two hours. That went pretty well and I walked away with two drawing that the kids gave me. I was pretty pumped that they were into it that much and they wanted to keep coming back for more. Very hungry minds for art! I loved it! Other then that I am still casting waxes for my bronzes to cast back in Cincinnati but other then that the shut down has begun. I am still taking hand building clay class at Krueger’s and even that is coming to an end. I am trying to glaze and fire what I can so I can get it back to Cincinnati without it breaking.  So everything is in shut down mode and I will have to start packing up my army of bones. I do have two more deer carcasses to clean before Thanksgiving and then the major shut down begins. I am looking forward to coming back to the civilized world and it will be nice to have my friends back in my life and feel wanted again. Till next week thank you for your ongoing support and remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!  

Bone Installations and Clay

      This week has been very Busy for me here at Osage. I am in my final stretch here and I am trying to get things done and finished up. This week for starters I completed four Bone installations. All the installations are of work done here at Osage as in Bones found, Molds made, Casting made and installations installed. That makes me really happy because it shows I have been busting my ass and keeping to my timeline. I have been getting mad sculpture done and it shows. The first two installations I finished were at Mimi and Ron’s farm in Mimi's Death garden. When I met these people here at Osage they were really warm and welcoming to me. We talked and things happened. I got to see Mimi’s garden and then she show me her awesome Death garden which consisted of a mass of skulls and bones and all around the bones were poisonous plants that have a deadly effect on humans when injested. So the Death garden really grabbed my attention. I asked if I could put a Bone installation in her garden and she agreed. So I got to do two Installations in her Death Garden this week. You can see the Installations on Flicker. I really enjoy my time at the farm with Mimi and Ron as well as getting to be involved in sculpture all day. I was very pleased with the two installations in the Death garden. The shapes and forms they created were just simply beautiful. I always love the stark white bone contrasting with the nature standing out like a sore thumb but yet blending in its own way. I really enjoy how the repetitive form becomes its own shape dependent on the bones for support and structure.  I am also excited because this bone has an inside form as well as its outside form. The light always plays with this and its just breath taking to see the light and darks play on the sculpture. I also this week got a beautiful studio installation done by playing with the new bone. I found a new way the bone seemed to lock together and take form. It was described to me as looking like wings giving a hug which is not my thing but it made me happy that people are connecting with the installation. It was also told to me that when people see something new they tend to relate it to something they know so they can connect with it. I thought that was so cool to hear because I get that a lot in my sculpture. I look at peoples reaction very differently now as people are really getting my sculpture and trying to understand it in there own way. That just warms my heart more then I can tell you.  I feel my madness isn’t so mad and I am really starting to communicate in a way I have always wanted to through art! So with this studio installation turning out so well I broke it down and took it out into the wild. Here at Osage they have a dream studio for meditation. Not my thing, I mean really? Can you imagine me meditating to DevilDriver? But the area around the studio is really cool and nice. I found a nice flat spot in the brush with a couple of rock and trees hanging out. The installation sat nicely in the ground and worked out really nice with its surroundings. I was pleased with this and felt very accomplish for the day. Again you can see all these installations on Flicker.
      Also this week I am still taking my ceramics class at Krueger’s. This week I attempted to make a cow skull bowl in hand building. So I walked in to my coffee shop in the morning before class with a cow skull under my arm and the place flipped out. Guess St. Louis never seen a cow skull before. They asked if I would keep it contained as not to put it on the counter. I just laughed and said large coffee please and walked over to my class. So now I am in class and everyone is looking at me like I just ripped the skull out a cow. I said hi this is my friend Betsy and she died of natural causes. Betsy asked me to make art with her today. Well let’s just say they didn’t quite get my humor.  It’s another quiet day for me in hand building class. So I ended up making a pretty big slab and covered the skull on its side and pressed the clay into the skull to get the detail. Then I had to demold it the next day to let the clay harden and accept the form so it would not collapse in on itself. Demolding it was not easy but it seemed to turn out ok. I am still slowly working on it solo till next Tuesday. I’m excited to be working in clay. Betsy is coming to class with me again so we will see if Betsy gets the same attention she got last week. Maybe I will put a leash on her and drag it behind me so they will be more accepting of Betsy. If I don’t make it back to Cincinnati I’m in jail for creating a disturbance in St. Louis with Betsy. Thank you for your ongoing support and remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!  

Bone Installations and Clay

      I am in my final month here at Osage. I am sad and excited all in one emotion. But life is still really good for me here. I wake up walk my greyhound and then make us both breakfast. Then I go to my studio to make or think about artwork for the rest of my day. It’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me but I still yearn for company and conversation out here on the farm. This week has been pretty busy for me since this is my last month here. I got two of the five installations done this week. I am really happy how they turned out. I have the pictures up on flicker or my facebook page. Either one gives a good visual of the new installations. The one in the rock bed is really cool. I found this spot in the woods down in a creek. It was almost like a sandbar but all rock with the fall leaves leaving parts covered and the high spots uncovered. It was a sweet spot and allowed the installation it settle in quite nicely. Getting the bones to this spot was no joke and the bones are as fragile as thin glass. I made it with no casualties and hiked the bones in box by box. I really like the outcome of this installation because of the shape of this bone. It gave the installation an interior as well as the outer shape. The bones started to cross over one another in shape. You can see it a little in the photos but you really had to interact with it to get the full effect. The second installation was in a field and that installation turned out really nice as well. I had to stomp all the grass down where the bones was going to sit. So technically I was making wheat circles in a hay field. So after I got the ground somewhat settled I started setting the bones up. This was more difficult because I haven’t played with these new bones as much as I have wanted. The stacking or locking of Bone shapes was a bit touchy. But I got a nice form set up and got it photographed before the wind came and blew it down. This was not just a little wind it was pretty rough like you had to lean into it a bit and the bones just couldn’t hold it’s own. So I had to pack it up and get it back to the studio. I will reinstall it again but in a new form and new place. That makes me happy because I have been playing with it’s new shape and I think I have a great installation to look forward to next week.
       I am still taking my ceramics class in St. Louis at Krueger’s. This week I brought in some bones to play with and I ended up with some turtle bowls. I basically made slabs and threw them in the street to pick up the texture of the road on one side. The flipped it over and placed it on top of the turtle shell to pick up the texture of the shell and its shape as well. So the inside of the bowl a turtle design and on the outside the road.  Any symbolism there? Well after driving two hours on back roads you see a lot of speed bumps (dead turtles) so I made a piece in memory of them and also they look really cool. Next week I bring in a cow skull and do a bowl out of it by basically doing the same process. Hope it turns out but I won’t know till next week. Thank you for your ongoing support and remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!  

Casting and working with Clay

      I am still alive here at Osage and making awesome sculpture but my feeling homesick has increased everyday. Not that I’m crying but I really miss my crew and social interaction. I am in a love hate relationship with myself being alone. I am glad I have my Greyhound Ruckus because he keeps my spirits high and give me a smile and a wagging tail telling me it’s another great day and to get off my ass and give him his walk. So my boy Ruckus keeps me in check. Also I got a phone call from my boy Death. That just made my day! I was just so happy to talk to Death and catch up on things. Death is one guy I can always depend on no matter what the circumstance. He is always an uplifting spirit in my life, someone I look up to when I am in my dark place. He is always my light keeping my darkness from taking over my outlook in life. As we say that which doses not kill us just makes us stronger so we can kill it! (Really, I said that but I’m sure he’s shaking his head at me laughing) Other then feeling homesick I am really getting massive work done here at Osage. Right now I have five installations I have to install, plus get photographed.  I also have to publish this book I’m working on of my artwork and recent installations here at Osage. I only have a month to get this all done so I am starting to feel the pinch of time even though I have a ton of it right now. The studio is casting about three to five bones a day and one wax casting a day. So the studio is very productive and the installations are growing everyday. There are three installations that are very exciting to me because I have been watching them form slowly since I’ve been here at Osage. One is very special to me because I collected the bone here at Osage then made the mold here at and have been casting the mold here at Osage. So everything has been done here. So that installation holds a little more excitement for me to see these installations come to life. The other two installations are walrus bone and the shapes that there making are so beautiful and new I am taking back just because I am so unfamiliar with the shape they are making. I can’t wait to get these installations installed. The next problem is how to make these installations saleable to galleries and make them durable as well. But I guess we will get to that soon enough.

        Also this week I started a hand building class at Krugers Clay studio. I am really excited to be taking a class but I don’t thing they were ready for a six foot two inch man dressing in black with horns on his head and rings all over his face. The teacher greeted me and then silence for about two hours until they found out I rescue Greyhounds, then I was ok to talk to. So getting of to a quiet start but I made my first dish from a slab. I will go to class next week with ideas to work with incorporating bones into the objects. We ended up talking a lot about what I could do with bones and properties of clay. I was really glad just to be talking about art really because there is not much idea sharing here at Osage. So I will be bringing in bones and drawing to class or I will be making soap dishes for Christmas presents. Not my thing but I could always use a soap dish. I am still trying to figure out what soap is used for much less a soap dish but all will come with time. Well until next week when I have more work to share with you and thank you for your ongoing support. Remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!  

Casting Restocking and Art Shows

      I am still here at Osage and I am loving it. Even though my love and excitement is flowing big here at Osage I am also still having a bit of trouble with all the isolation here. I really don’t know how to explain it but you end up missing what you have when you don’t have it. But on the up note I am getting a lot of work done and getting massive down time from a busy life which I desperately needed. This week I got more casting work done with the molds. I also started a new sculpture for installation on November 1^st. It’s more of a free hanging installation. I hope to have two of these sculptures done and ready for install by the end of this month. So still working in the studio and slowly starting to run out of space. Amazing how we sculptors use space like it’s going out of style. To make matters worse I still have no idea how I am going to get all these bones back to Cincinnati. But I still have a month to think about that. I am also trying to walk around Osage as much as I can try to find places to install the next installation.  I have no idea how I am going to move these hanging installations into the woods as well as hang them? It will be an interesting adventure. I have a feeling I will need to ask for big time help. I also started to run low on supplies this week. So I had to take a trip into St. Louis to get more Hydrastone and other casting supplies like rubber bands, mold release, glue, and pizza. You can never have enough pizza while casting Bones! I ended up at this Clay shop called Krueger. They were really awesome and took good care of me. I think I might take a class there before my residency with Core Clay. Just so I’m not so green working with clay and will actually know a little something. Plus it will be nice to talk with other artist. I think that is worth a ton of bronze for me right now. I am really craving some social artist contact right now. I ended up with two more of bags Hydrastone which restocked my casting studio I hope for the rest of my time here at Osage. So things are going really well and might have some new experiences to look forward to.

      Also this week I got to go to my first art opening here at Osage. It was in this small town called Bland. The show was about 10 photographers being invited to this restored farm and taking pictures of there experience on this farm. The place where it was held was at the same restored old barn on 120 Acers of land. The barn was totally pimped out. Almost like a condo for barns. Let’s just say this is the first time I have ever seen a hot tub on a farm. The gallery was upstairs in the loft area of the barn and was pretty cool but not what I am use to. No white walls all barn wood with fabricated stalls for the art or artists. Very different from what I am use to but still a nice show all together. The barn the land and the photography all fit together very nicely. The show was nice for me because I have been craving any kind of art. Being around art all the time in Cincinnati and then to have no art around is very different and sometimes a little hard. So it was really nice to be around art and the buzz of the art show. It is always funny how you really take for granted what you have until you don’t have it. Well until next week when I have more work to share with you and thank you for your ongoing support. Remember to check out my website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG Love ya!