What do a squirrel, a hawk and an elephant seal have in common?

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By melisse.
Models, in their likeness, are being sculpted by Ali’s company, Alumni Exhibits. Ali, Bill, Bridgette and I have been creating a model of an elephant seal for Point Reyes Visitor Center and a model of a hawk preying upon a squirrel for Happy Isles Visitor Center in Yosemite. I’ve been overjoyed to be involved in this work again, back with the friends I used to work with when Dave and I lived here. We are just a few of the Academy Studio alumni.

I love making natural history models. It calls into action keen observation, command of a huge range of materials, active problem solving and inventiveness, keeping a vision of the big picture while attending to fine detail, and being systematic but also responsive and flexible. In the process of making models, one learns about nature, not only how it looks, but its context, how it lives, moves, interacts, co-exists. While on the beach or in the woods, all us modelmakers have an ingrained habit of studying the textures, forms and colors of our surroundings (the craggy rocks beneath our feet, the shaggy tree bark) and imagine and discuss how we’d make a model of it. It drives Dave crazy, to hear us go on and on this way. But we derive great pleasure in the process.

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Comments

[Georgia Schmidt]

Melisse, I love this entry. It sounds as though you are enjoying life on the road! Love, Georgia

[Recessionista]

credit where credit's due
Kim, Thanks for the compliment. I made the squirrel. Ali made the hawk. It's painted now and looks beautiful. She does awesome work.