Sketches by Nate

Little Harbour Seal

2011-07-11T12:34:00.001-07:00

The first sketch for the Little Harbour Seal sculpture was designed so that the forms would be made out of bent metal tubing. However, after some reconsideration of it's placement, I decided to make the shapes into solid forms instead.

Diddy Long Legs

2011-07-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is a proposal sketch for a sculpture show based in Rochester, NH. The theme of the show is folklore, but otherwise it is completely open. And since I have yet to grow tired of making giant bugs, I thought it would be fun to base this piece on the folklore surrounding spiders.

Ode to the Bumblebee

2011-07-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

This sculpture was designed to find a home in a public garden somewhere. It celebrates the symbiotic relationship found in nature. I imagine it to be all sorts of bright, beautiful colors, however I really enjoy the simplicity of the gray tones in the sketch.

Dragonfly Surprise!

2011-07-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

This little guy is waiting eagerly to be built... but the idea is to build a blade of grass to have him perched on, preferably near a pond or lake. Oh, and he'll probably be about 15 feet tall when he's done!

The Metal Mantis

2011-07-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

These were three different poses for the Metal Mantis sculpture I completed in 2010. The clients and I liked all of them for different reasons, but in the end it was the middle guy that won the show.

Nature Inspired

2011-07-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some sculpture ideas for a rotary being built in Santa Cruz, CA. They were all inspired by the natural setting nearby, some more abstracted than others.

Towering Inferno!

2011-07-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

This was a proposed sculpture idea I had for the front of a new fire department that was being built. I imagined it being made out of a golden copper metal, with red lights illuminating it from below.

Westward we go!

2011-07-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

These here sketches were for a proposal out in Utah. I was drawing inspiration from the cross-country trip I took several years ago which brought me straight through Moab, and all of its beautiful rocky landscapes.

School for Tadpoles

2011-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

These tadpole sketches were for a sculpture proposal for a new elementary school in Maine. The school was looking for art to frame the entryway, and I thought these would work well from a design standpoint, and as a metaphor for growth and learning.

Little creatures made BIG!!!

2011-07-11T08:43:00.001-07:00

These were all proposal sketches for a sculpture project in Portsmouth, NH. Using the same technique I employed with the Giant Ant proposal I was able to show how each piece might look in the intended space. (The Giant Crab is the only one that has been finished, and he ended up in front of the Children's Museum of NH, in Dover, NH.)

The First Sculpture...

2011-07-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

So, my first idea for Portsmouth's Overnight Art program was a giant acorn.

But soon after that sketch I decided if this were going to be my first sculpture, I should probably try to make something a bit more interesting...and so the ant was born!

I then took my sketch and colored it. And using photoshop, I placed it "on location" to show how it might look in the real world!

These are some sketches for how I envisioned the possible construction of the ant's body. Some parts of the plan I kept, but when it comes to large scale "recycled art" pieces, a lot of the process is left up to improvisation.

Welcome!!!

2011-06-22T13:39:00.001-07:00

Hey! Thanks for checking out my sketches. Some of these are possible ideas for upcoming sculptures, some are for sculptures currently in the works, and some are for sculptures that have already been created! Who knew?!

Well, I hope you enjoy browsing the sculpture sketchbook! If you have any questions, please feel free to send them along!!!

Best,
Nate