St. Andrew Beach Mouse
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Sculpture by
Ellen Woodbury
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Carrara Bianco C. Marble
on Texas Shell Stone
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14 x 8 x 8 inches
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Completed August, 2010
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This piece is a small monument to a brand new species of Beach Mouse which evolved in the last 10 years on an isolated pocket of beach along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida. Massive beach construction of resorts and condo communities has created small areas of native beach cut off from other beaches. The Beach Mice who live on this small acreage developed into a distinct and separate species, already endangered since this is the only beach where these mice live. What is so astounding is that geneticists determined that these mice became a separate species in just 10 years. Until this little mouse, nobody realized that a species could evolve so quickly.
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What better stone for such a monument than Carrara Marble from the famous quarry in Italy? This is the stone of gods and legends--Michaelangelo and Bernini carved their masterpieces from Carrara Statuario, the highest grade of marble from Carrara and not readily available--and then only to those sculptors with good connections in Italy. Bianco C. or Bianco Di Carrara is a white marble with much light grey vein and the stone-of-choice of many professional sculptors. I believe it is also called Bianco Venata for the beautiful vein. It is a reasonably hard marble, very fine-grained. The crystal is minute, the dust feels like silk. It is a decisive stone--by that I mean one must work hard for the exact shape desired. Since it is white, it is unforgiving. Every nuance of form is magnified by the tones and shadows which play across the surface. The tiny crystal requires much diligent shaping. The sculpture has 3 different textures--raw stone for the sand, a matte finish for the mouse at 220-grit sandpaper, an a high polish for the seashell. This marble is wonderfully versatile, and I look forward to carving it again.
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St. Andrew Beach Mouse was the last sculpture to be completed for my show, Sculpture in the Park, held annually here in Loveland, CO. My work was well-received and several pieces found homes quickly. The show is always a great time for me to reconnect with friends and patrons. The exhibiting artists are first-rate and the visitors are very interested in and knowledgeable about sculpture. This 3-day show is fun, exhausting is a really good way, and massively inspiring.
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My next sculpture takes me into the realm of cephalopods, particularly the cuttlefish. This is a private commission I am making for a special family of scientists and art-lovers. This project has been floating around in my mind for many months and I am very excited to begin research and design ideas. The cuttlefish is as smart as (if not smarter than) the octopus, to whom it is related. It has the most amazing skin that can change shape and color in a matter of seconds to blend with it's surroundings. I have a gorgeous Rosso Verona Marble in shades of orange, red, and yellow that will become the cuttlefish. I do love to carve stone!
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Photo by Mel Schockner
All test and images copyright 2010 by Ellen Woodbury
