My latest garden sculpture project is inspired by Romanesque architectural ornament, a Grotesque Corbel.
Corbels are, basically, fancy brackets that extend out from a wall and may support weight. The function of a corbel may also be purely decorative. I am creating this as a decorative piece for a garden setting, but it could be used as a small shelf or shelf bracket as well.
The scale of this corbel is on the small side; 7″ tall, 4″ wide, 4″ deep. The final material will be cast concrete, perfect for any outdoor environment. The image shown here is the clay model in progress. When I’m finished with the sculpting, I will make a rubber mold for casting. I plan to post images and details of the molding process for folks that may be interested in how molds are made.
Below is a front view of the corbel.
I haven’t talked about the word, grotesque here yet. In the simplest terms, a grotesque is similar to a gargoyle, but without a water spout. They are meant to be somewhat ugly caricatures, silly or comic renditions of humans, animals or other mythological beasties. In addition, a grotesque (or a gargoyle) sculpture may include some decorative accents such as flowers, fruit, curly cue designs, etc. Living in San Francisco for many years contributed to my interest, and appreciation for this type of ornate design. (or maybe I’m just a bit off kilter…
I’m working on some new, quirky planters for outside in the garden or an inside table top. Here is the first one. This a hollow cast concrete baby head planter that I have named, Baby Snooks. Yes, I’ll admit he’s a bit creepy looking, but who doesn’t like babies? Perfect for anyone who is tired of the same ole run of the mill planter pots. I planted a succulent in this one, but I will be offering them soon on my Shop page without the succulent so you can plant whatever suits your fancy. This concrete planter is hollow, very light wight, and has is a small drainage hole in the bottom. Feedback is welcome!