Self Portrait as King Tut
Self Portrait as King Tut
Clay, paint, copper, plastic; H: 22”
• 1996 •
• Circa 2003 •
Raku Mask with Skull
Clay, glaze, raku fired. H: 16”
Raku Mask with Deer Skull
Clay, glaze, raku fired. H: 18”
Bas-Relief Masks
Ceramics Mask with Goat Skull
Clay, glaze, raku fired. H: 18”
Hombre con Dos Ombligos
(Man with two belly Butttons)
Hombre Con Dos Ombligos y Dientes Pick
Clay, paint, copper, mixed media. H: 13”
• 1987 •
With Heart, Hat, & Tattersall Shirt
Jim Chirbas
Jim with his bas-relief sculpture of “The Three Kings.”
Jim, 99 and a good friend called me a few weeks ago- ‘Just checking on me.” Here he is, laughing in front of his bas-releif sculpture “Three Kings.” He smiles and laughs frequently. He would be reluctant to admit it but he is an inspiration to all. He creates art on a daily basis, takes piano lessons, he has been involved in the theatre, has had roles in many movies, loves gardening, tennis and is extremely active. HaHa. He is married to Susie, 103 and they live together in their home. One of my jokes about Jim is that he has been taking classes from me for over 25 years and I have not taught him a thing yet.— and that is a good thing. He has a style that emanates directly from him and it shouldn’t be tinkered with.
Jim is extremely proud of his Greek heritage and his name is carved in Greek on the base of the sculpture along with words he has selected that exemplify his spirit and interests: art, music, gardening, dance, poetry and love.
Thank You Jim
• 2007 •
Freddy Olufemi
Portrait of Freddy Olufemi
Alvin Alley Dancers & The Blue Man Group
Freddy was born in Africa, but adopted and raised in Wisconsin. He is a talented and professional dancer. He danced with the Alvin Alley Dancers in New Your City and the Blue Man Group. I met him at a dance performance in Savannah and aksed if he would model for a figure sculpture class. He did - this is the result.
• 2009 •
Freddy
Back
Freddy Olufemi With Greenware Sculpture
Shirmira Hill: “I’ll Give You Something to Cry About”
Oh Geez - Shirmira, one of our favorites. She is a graduate of Armstrong and the Savannah College of Art & Design. She is now a teacher in Savannah, is an excellent artist, teacher & a wonderful person.
Look at the smile.
2009
Bird of Paradise
Portrait of Libby Green
• 2010 •
Bird of Paradise
Libby is a graduate of Armstrong, the mother of two beautiful children and a professional photographer. She told me that her mother wanted her to be a ballerina - she loves skateboarding, surfing and life. This photo was taken in Costa Rica on a surfing trip.
Bird of Paradise: at night
Novia with Fish
• 2000 •
Photograph: Carol Beckwith
Carol with Friends
This piece was inspired by meeting Carol Beckwith an American photographer who with her photography partner Angela Fisher from Australia, lived in Africa for about 25 years, documenting African ceremonies and rituals. That work was featured in National Geogrphic and culminated in the most beautiful and interesting large, two volume folio titled “African Ceremeonies.” Linda and I were moved by her slide presentation and our conversations with her. Carol loved Linda’s handcolored silver prints and asked if she could trade her two volume set for one of Linda’s pieces. Yes, gladly - an honor for both artists. I began a sculpture modeled after a young Gullah woman named Novia, and the piece morphed into this sculpture - inspired by Novia, Carol and a photograph that Carol had taken that was part of her folio.
Patrick Hamilton (Minotaur)
Patrick Hamilton (Minotaur)
Member of the Band “Gravy”
Clay, paint, hair, glasses. H: 25”
• 2006 •
Working photograph of Patrick Hamilton
“Real” Gravy
The Band “Gravy
Patrick was a student at Armstrong and I met him because he walked by the ceramics room everyday. I stopped him, introduced myself and found out that he was in the band “Gravy.” He played keyboard and “noise.” Interesting guy. He also went by the name “Minotaur.”
Stephen Fekete
Stephen
Roughing in the sculpture
Photo Shoot: Studio
Handsome, intelligent, talented, quiet. When I met Stephen he was married and the father of a young son, he is now the father of 3 children. Stephen had been Iraq 5 times and Afghanistan 3 times, shot twice and continued to be deployed. He enrolled in ceramics at Armstrong, was involved in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighting and had been an excellent skateboarder and snowboarder. He was an outstanding ceramic artist.
Stephen Fekete
U.S. Army Ranger; Greenware
• 2005 •
Stephen Fekete
Ceramic Sculpture: Life Size
Aco 1ST, 75TH RGR RGT
Shirmira Hill
• 2014 •
Shirmira, a Savannahian, and one of our all-time favorite students is a graduate of Armstrong and an art teacher. Always attractive, friendly, kind and fun, Shirmira has her own special style, not sauce. HaHa. One evening she attended an art opening that Linda and I were part of; we walked into the gallery and her hair was tightly pulled back, showcasing her beautiful skull. She rreminded me of the Egyptian Queen Nefritti. I asked if I could take photos. She replied “Yes” and so I was inspired to create this piece, influenced strongly by the beauty of Shirmira and Egyptian art.
Bad Buddha
With Pizza, Big Mac and Ice Cream Sundae…
This piece celebrates, or laments the mortality of Buddha: replete with Pizza, Big Mac, Ice Cream Sundae, Krispy Kreme Donut, Cupcake with sprinkles, Frostee Twist and a Coke. It may symbolize our everyday challenges and futility when dealing with decisions regarding eating habits and challenges of life.
• 2018 •
Mihwa Hang with Golden Frog
Hanyang Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea
Mihwa Hang
…..with Golden Frog
Mihwa Hang: Greenware
I was a visiting artist at Hanyang Women’s University and Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea for two weeks. Kookmin had 7 faculty in the ceramics program, undergraduate students and 60 graduate students in ceramics.— a huge program. My obligations included Powerpoint presentations on my work, demonstrations sculpting, pottery wheel demonstrations, working individually with students and creating 4 pieces for the university’s collection. I created this piece of Mihwa Hang, a model and student at Hanyang. I was provided a studio, the piece was made solid, hollowed out and then fired and painted. Often, I put something on top of the model’s head; I had two professors suggest a frog, which I was adverse to but after one of the professors gave me the background story I went with it. The story was this: mothers tell their young daughters that if they misbehave they will turn into a frog, that is why when you go down to a pond at night you hear a lot of moaning and croaking. Better Behave. HaHa.
• 2014 •
Beautiful, Beautiful Woman
Yoga: for a number of years, we thoroughly and benefited from it, then Covid hit and our studio closed. Linda has walked an hour plus everyday since we have been married and I swim in the river and bike long distances regularly. This is an important foundation; our physical and psychological health, our sense of discipline and it also provides and opportunity for enjoyment and great joy. We have excellent health and are very thankful. I have made this comment a number of times over the years, “I was (am) a funny looking guy from northern Wisconsin looking for a beautiful woman from Mississippi. It worked out.
As Aunt Yodi says………
“We are the Lucky ones.”
• 2019 •
Evan Jensen
Bas-Relief Sculptures
In Paisley with Cat
Mary Catherine Jensen
With Moon, Stars & Heart
Evan loves all things Cat, he likes paisley patterns and collects the designer brand Robert Graham. May Catherine, a beautiful young woman is wearing a denim jacket. Both sculptures were created with Evan and Mary depicted at night, with the moon illuminating them and the stars and planets whirling in the heavens.
• 2015 •
Elizabeth Rainey
With Medallion of Her Grandmother
Elizabeth in Wet Clay
and carved wooden glasses
The “real” Elizabeth
The Blessed Virgin Mary
One of Elizabeth’s grandmother’s
favorite icons
• 2017 •
Elizabeth Rainey
With the medallion of Her Grandmother
Elizabeth was another one of our favorite students at Armstrong. Full of lie, a beautiful smile and hair is original as it gets - and her hair is alive. What a wonderful personality. Elizabeth was raised by her Grandmother, a devout Christian who recently passed away at 90.
Jeff: Trekkie from Maine
Jeff with Tie Dye Piggly Wiggly Tee shirt
Jeff : Greenware with IPad photo
Bas-relief portrait of Jeff
Jeff’s with Odd Fellow’s accoutrements
Jeff’s Hat
Jeff with Trekkie Hat
and Piggly Wiggly Tie Dye Tee Shirt
Mr. Grant & Mr. James
Mr. Grant with cane
Mr. James Luten
Assistant Master Mason
Working photographs on an iPad
Profile: Mr. Grant
Mr. Gustavus Grant, 82, Master Mason and Mr. James Luten, 62, Assistant Master Mason are lifelong residents of Sandfly, Georgia. At 8, Mr. Grant carried water for masons and has been a mason ever since excepet for the time he served in the United States Marines. We have a long red brick fence that encloses our backyard and there was a section that needed repair. I asked “Bubba",’ a large African American who also lives in Sandfly, if he knew anyone who did brick work. He said that he would send someone over tomorrow. The next day, which was extremely hot and humid, an older pickup truck stopped in front of our house and Mr. Grant got out of the truck and walked up the driveway. He was 82, slight of build and walked with a cane. I wondered if he could make it to the back corner of the lot. He walked back to where the damaged section was located. He looked at it and as he said as we perspired - “I can do this.” The next day, another hot and humid day he showed up with Mr. James, an affable man with a long cigarette hanging out of his mouth - he was Mr. Grant’s assistant. Mr. Grant was definitely the “Boss. They looked at the work and soon they would begin working on it.
“You’ve Gotta Keep Going”
Mr. Gustavus Grant, 82, Master Mason
Mr. James Luten, 62, Assistant Master Mason
Mr. James with cigarette
Mr. Grant & Mr. James with sculptures
Mr. Gustavus Grant
U.S. Marine
• 2019 •
Mr. Grant in plaid shirt
The next day I walked the two of them through my studio. Amazed, or at least surprised they looked at small portraits that I had done and asked how much it would cost to have them created. $3,000 I said. Let me get pictures of y’all, I will think about the possibility of making them for you. We went outside the studio, looking for a neutral backdrop and I positioned them against the siding of the studio. I took the shots, looked at them and realized that accidentally they looked like mugs shots. I decided to create the sculptures and began the work. I finished them in about 3 months and made plans to give them to them. We arranged a meeting in my studio and included Mrs. Grant. They loved them and I considered them one of the bettter things I have done in my life. I have been profoundly influenced by Ruth Bader Ginsberg and this quote …… “The best things I have done in my life have been for no remuneration.” After a few days we talked about our “chance” friendship. I said - I could be the white guy driving through the intersection in Sandfly in the shiny black, new car and they could be the “Black Guys’ sitting in the bus stop shelter. We met, talked and now we are good friends. That night we celebrated with them by having dinner at Cary Hilliard’s Restaurant. I gave them the sculptures
Self Portrait: Biker Dude
The Pink Cupcake Ride
Commemorative Pink Cupcake Mug
Working photo
• 2015 •
Pink Cupcakes: After the Ride
Pink Cupcake Poster
This sculpture commemorates and honors my experiences biking, one of my favorite things to do. Nine years ago I decided to create a birthday ride - twice my age. The first year I was only 62, and 4 of us rode 124 miles. Last year about 25 riders rode 142 miles. The pink cupcakes and a commemorative gift like a coffee mug are given to each biker after the ride. I always tell young people - you better sign up now because every year it is two miles further. My sister Kathryn and her partner Amy, who are the two people on my left, came from Minneapolis a couple years ago to do the ride.
David Russell
1953 - 2018
THE REAL:
Buddha, Fuzzy, Giraffe, Doppler…..FUZZY
A great friend and a man with a lot of nicknames whom I lost touch with for nearly 20 years. We reconnected when his son Kris moved to Savannah from Milwaukee to attend Armstrong, ending up with a Masters degree in Marine Biology from Savannah State University. Dave was a kind and thoughtful man, a chiropractor, a kayaker extraordinaire and into music. His sculpture is the first in a series of miniatures. I gave Dave this sculpture and unfortunately a few months late Dave passed away.
Known for saying …..
“NEVER GIVE UP”
Thanks Dave
“Three Things cannot be long hidden:
the sun, the moon and the truth.”
Portrait of David Russell
“Buddha”
• 2018 •
Sergeant Cary Higginbotham
Cary
Greenware
(Now Captain)
Sergeant E-5, Charlie Co. 1-64, Armor Battalion
