Sketchpad Warrior

"Fly Marines!" Marine Combat Art on Exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum

2012-01-15T10:30:00.001-05:00

If you're ever in the DC area, I strongly recommend you take the time to go see two of the best museums in the world-- namely, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

For the next year, until Jan 2013, you can see an excellent bit of the Marine Corps Combat Art Collection at the NASM, in a show entitled, "Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation 1912-2012." ( See a review of the show in the Washington Post Arts Section here).

The exhibition features more than 90 works of fine art and artifacts, each relating to Marine Corps Aviation history. Artists in the show include Howard Chandler Christy, Felix W. De Weldon, Howard Terpning, Col. Avery Chenoweth, Col. Michael Gish, Col Edward Condra, and James Butcher, to name a few.
Here are some examples of the fine Marine Corps Aviation art on display there:

I, too, am honored to have two paintings in the exhibition, as well as my sketchbook and field art gear in a display case...

Two of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Kristopher Battles sketches on display at the “Fly Marines!” exhibit in the National Air and Space Museum. SHFWire photo by Frank Bumb

Honored!

2012-01-14T20:21:00.001-05:00

What a way to start out the new year!

On January 1st, 2012 I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the Commandant's Reception and Serenade, held annually at the Home of the Commandants, 8th and I, Washington, DC.

My wife, Kelly and I were absolutely delighted to attend, and were looking forward to seeing the residence, which for all Marines is like their White House! The food was absolutely wonderful-- indeed, world class-- and of course the residence was exquisitely decorated.

I had been invited because I had completed a painting for General and Mrs. Amos, a winter portrait of the Home of the Commandants in oil, based on a photo the Commandant himself had taken a couple years prior during the time we had massive snows in the DC area.

I found out, upon arrival, that the painting was going to be brought out and revealed for the guests.
General Amos talked about the painting and of his photograph on which it was based, and he also talked of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program. It was a great honor to be standing there, hearing such words from the Commandant himself. I felt like I was dreaming.

For more photos from the event, click here and here.

Fellow Blogger's Christmas Post

2011-12-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

Check out this excellent Christmas-and-Marine-related post by friend and colleague, Beth Crumley at the Marine Corps Association :

Christmas Greetings!

2011-12-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all Marines and their families!

Click here for the Commandant's Christmas Message:

The Agony of Da Feet

2011-12-09T20:07:00.000-05:00

Here's another painting nearing completion-- "Jellison's Bridgeport Blisters", a painting about a young Marine nursing his feet (as per Corpsman's orders) after a long training exercise in the Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, CA:

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-02T11:27:00.002-05:00

The National Museum of the Marine Corps just decked its halls with all sorts of Christmas cheer last night and this morning, hanging garland all around and decorating several Christmas trees in Leatherneck Gallery.

Today I had the pleasure of helping transport and hang one of our best works from the Art Collection, a painting by WWII combat artist Cpl Tom Lovell of a Marine as Santa (we affectionately call it "the Christmas Lovell").

Here are Alice and Joan, of the Art and Exhibits sections, levelling the Lovell:

Here am I, confirming the level on the Lovell...

May your Christmas be merry, and your holiday season decorated with joy...

Semper Fi!

Triple Seven

2011-12-01T21:19:00.002-05:00

Here's a painting I've been working on for some time, about Artillery Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan:

While visiting Forward Operating Base (FOB) Dwyer, I spent some time out where the "Arty" guys had their battery, taking photos and sketching them as they practiced their profession (see my original post with a sketch I did on site).

I watched the Marines as they were setting in their gun (an M777 155mm Howitzer, called a "Triple Seven"), and felt the scene was perfect for a painting, as the figures were dynamic and the composition interesting. And as artillery doesn't often get featured in combat art, I wanted to give the "cannon cockers" their shot...

Cards at Play

2011-11-28T09:20:00.009-05:00

(UPDATED Dec 6th:)

Here is the painting process:

I started out with a toned gesso on the canvas, and applied the drawing...

To fix the drawing this time, I copied a process I just learned about while attending my MFA course's Fall session, out in Pasadena-- Kenton Nelson showed us his studio, and told us of his process of using clear gesso over the drawing, to fix it to the canvas and to maintain an undisturbed drawing as the paint is applied (drawings can get muddy and disappear during the first wet and brushy paint application. This way, the drawing can be seen if you rub off or sand down misapplied paint, without worrying about loss of detail.

The drawing on the toned gray canvas:

Basic "blocking in"-- applying the lightest lights and darkest darks:

These guys were some colorful fellows, passing time at FOB Delhi in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in July 2009. They were Marines from several units who were either stationed there at Delhi, or recovering from wounds and waiting to ship back out to their units in the field.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T17:45:00.001-05:00

Here's a blast from the past, and one that relates to Thanksgiving.

This is an oil painting entitled, "The Chess Game," and depicts several Marines sitting around playing chess and reading, passing the time.

It's based on a sketch and photos I took at an outpost on Route Michigan in Al Anbar Province on Thanksgiving Day, 2006. The Marines depicted were engineers who had spent their day on a route clearing mission (making sure there were no IEDs on the road)-- they certainly had earned some down time.

I enjoyed watching these Marines relax, and we spent a few moments chatting about Thanksgiving. As the "old man" in the room, I asked the young men to go around the room and mention something they were thankful for, and they obliged. Each expressed thanks for home, family and friends-- and to be alive, of course.

It was a bit of home there in an outpost.

I was thankful to God that America still produces young people like these, willing to serve wherever called. I am still thankful for that today.

Salute to the Veterans

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served our beloved republic!
We salute you.

And Thanks to all the families who've served at home, and to those who have been a part of our nation's war efforts. Without your service, ours would be impossible.

Combat Art from the Field-- a Marine Corps Birthday from the Past

2011-11-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

I got this today in an email from Jack Dyer (Vietnam Marine combat artist and former curator of the Art Collection):

"...drawing shows Marines at the Khe Sanh Combat Base South Vietnam in1968 prepping for a primitive cake cutting ceremony led by COL Wickwire wielding a machete. Steaks were grilled on an inch thick slab of armor plate laid over a shallow charcoal filled trench. To celebrate our 191st U.S. Marine Corps Birthday GEN Brute Krulak lifted his ban of 'beer in the trenches' 'tho I do not know if any current histories carry that story."

Note: this just shows that Marines have to celebrate however and wherever they can!

Happy Birthday, Marines!!

2011-11-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

Semper Fi!

Mule Go 'Round

2011-08-29T13:26:00.006-04:00

Here's a bit of video I took as we circled the mules one day before stepping off on another leg of our 6-day field excursion:

Once the Mules and Marines were in proper train order, we moved out.

I Got the Mountain Feevah, and the Only Cure is More Mule Sketches!

2011-08-29T12:40:00.007-04:00

I was going through my sketchbook this morning, and found some more sketches I'd done in the Animal Packers Course at MWTC out in Bridgeport, CA. I figured it's always best to post them:

Sketches of the Sawbuck saddle & notes from class on the Basket Hitch

Mule with a Mantee Load tied using a Basket Hitch

Jimmy the Mule

Saddlin' Up and a sketch of Panniers in a Box Hitch

Saddlin' Up!

Race! Marine rushing to get his .50 Cal tied up and then put on the mule during a squad competition (and me, rushing to draw him before he ran off!).

Marines talking while in bivouac out in MWTC.

"Draw!"

2011-08-28T19:02:00.001-04:00

More sketches from the rifle range...

"Targets!"

2011-08-27T16:36:00.004-04:00

Here are a few moments from ART 6-11, the Rifle Range I was a part of recently... This is Target Point 27, 2nd Relay (I was Target Point 27, 1st Relay):

This is during the "Stage One, 200 Yard Line Slow Fire (Sitting Position)..."

Table 2 Course of Fire was completed Thursday and Friday. This entailed a different type of shooting, to make the Marine involved a more well-rounded and competent shooter, capable of firing the weapon accurately and confidently in combat.

"Rapid Fire" Sketches on the Range

2011-08-24T19:17:00.000-04:00

Marine in the 200 yard Slow Fire Kneeling Position

Here are a couple more dashed-off ink sketches I did on the rifle range during ART (Annual Rifle Training):

They're a bit rough, as I was using pen without any preliminary pencil lines to denote shapes, edges and proportions (and the Marines would move every several seconds), but they turned out OK...

Marine firing in the 200 yard Slow Fire Standing Position (we used to call it the "Offhand"position)

I had originally planned to spend more time sketching Marines firing, but my mind seemed more focused on what I had to do to score well on the range (I got a 221 Expert today, and now have to qualify Friday on the "Table 2" course of fire in order to see if I maintain my Expert qualification).

ART of a Different Kind

2011-08-20T10:42:00.004-04:00

You've probably heard the phrase, "Every Marine is a Rifleman"...

Well, this is not just a phrase with the Marine Corps.

Each Marine is required annually to train with his most important and necessary piece of gear-- his rifle.

It's been a year since I last qualified with the M16A4, and so it's my turn once again to attend a different kind of "ART" class-- Annual Rifle Training, that is.

ART 6-11 (Annual Rifle Training class #6 of 2011) began this week. We began Thursday and Friday with classes in how to handle the rifle, the effects of weather on shooting, what to expect during the course of fire next week, and "snapping in". We also BZO'd our weapons, to make sure our sights were well-aligned.

A PMI (Primary Marksmanship Instructor) gives a class in firing positions (Prone position shown here)

A Marine demonstrates proper variations of the Prone and Sitting positions

I was able to do a little sketching Thursday during the class in the basic firing positions (always difficult because the "model" moves in a few short minutes, and shifts positions as the instructor tells him to!).

Stay tuned, because all next week I'll take my sketchbook, pencils, and art stool-- as time allows I'll sketch my fellow Marines as they live up to their obligations as well-trained riflemen.

Mule Train!!

2011-08-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

I just returned early this a.m. from the Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, CA, where I attended and passed the Animal Packers Course.

I am now a certified Animal Packer(!)

The course required us to learn several basic and necessary hitches and knots, equine anatomy, loading various types of gear on mules, movement considerations, CASEVAC, etc.

The apex of the course required a week-long excursion out into the wilds of MWTC, over the several ranges and training areas, stopping at certain LZs for nightly bivouac.

GySgt Hutton gives instruction on how to tie a Mantee Load of MREs onto "Norman" using a Basket Hitch.

Sgt Dahl teaches students how to load a rocket launcher to a mule using a Barrel Hitch.

Sgt Southworth teaches the Marines how to tie and load a casualty to the mule ("Rescue Randy" was the mannequin casualty)

"Ozzie" is loaded for bear with two .50 Cals and a 5-gallon water bag.

SGT Withrow (USA) volunteers to demonstrate how to sit on an improvised saddle for transport of wounded .

The train comes over the hill, headed for the last bivouac area near Poor Lake.

(Note about mules-- they've earned their reputation!)

Here are some sketches I did while in the course:

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-04T18:14:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July, everybody!
Take a moment to remember why we celebrate this day...
Now get back to your grills, your soda and beers, and your fireworks-- and remember to do all of those things safely!

& God Bless America!

Promoted!! (Updated, with New Rank Insignia!!)

2011-07-04T18:04:00.005-04:00

Well, I guess the old adage is true, that it you work hard enough, for long enough, something good will happen to you...

BEFORE:

("solid brass" sergeant-- though not "...since 1940"!)

AFTER:

(now I'm "scratch resistant" and "combat hardened" ?)
I was actually promoted Friday, the 1st of July, 2011, to the rank of Staff Sergeant, at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA.

CWO4 Timothy McWilliams reads the warrant:

Sergeant Battles stands at attention (and apprehension) as the warrant transforms him into a Staff NCO!

Gunnery Sergeant Gary Porter and Capt Charles Grow (ret.) pin on the SSgt chevrons:

Relief, as it is accomplished (they even had it framed for me)! Charles Grow, Deputy Director of NMMC and a former Combat Artist and Curator says a few words to the crowd:

It's certainly been a while in coming needless to say, as the last time I stood in formation and heard a promotion warrant read with my name on it was October 1990!

(See one of my earliest posts about coming back into the Corps at the rank of Sergeant, after having spent a decade out...)

Marine Week St. Louis!

2011-06-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

This past week I had the privilege and honor of representing the National Museum of the Marine Corps while attending Marine Week 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri (Go, Mizzou!).

I was in period costume, specifically the 1898 Spanish American War Marine Uniform, complete with blue shirt and white suspenders, tan trousers, brown leggings, black combat shoes, and topped off with a Campaign cover...

I was able to do some quick sketches, in between all the conversations about the Corps and its history, with all the citizens of St. Louey...

Progress Report: "the Rifleman"

2011-04-20T21:07:00.001-04:00

Here are the latest photos of the Marine Rifleman sculpture-- details are starting to appear, and I am beginning to clean up edges, etc. I've added the "Camelbak", begun refining the rifle's hand guards and stock, and started "polishing" the boots, so to speak...

"Ma Deuce" M2 Crew Update

2011-04-17T21:46:00.000-04:00

I worked this weekend on the M2 .50 Cal sculpture (some days I just can't put it down, and I have to take my work home with me). I worked on the belt of mini .50 Cal rounds, spent brass and links, the tripod's latches, and the gun barrel cooling holes...

Here are the latest photos:

The rounds are almost passable-- I was able to cast them using the wire from bread twisty-ties, and that allows me to form it how I think it will lay in the finished piece (they are a bit wobbly still, but that will be worked out when I sculpt the links over the wire:

I also began the glorious pile o' spent brass & links (bigger and more glorious pile still to come!)...

I roughed-in the title, though it's hard to see with the glare in a photo...

...and signed it as well, though it's not quite done (had to see how it's going to look):

Give 'em "Ma Deuce"!

2011-04-14T21:01:00.002-04:00

My latest sculpture project was inspired by a training deployment to "Javelin Thrust" last summer-- I sketched and photographed members of the CAAT Platoon of Weapons Company 3/23, while they were shooting the Browning M2 .50 Cal Machine Gun, affectionately known as "Ma Deuce". They were doing a quick-response drill, wherein they'd dismount the gun, place it on its tripod, feed the thing, and fire while the A-gunner provided spotting advice to more quickly bring rounds onto the target. Then they'd cease fire, disassemble and remount the piece on a Humvee, and displace to another shooting spot... It was exciting to see and hear.

I had done a drawing of the scene some months ago...

I liked the way it looked, and felt it would make an action-filled composition as a sculpture in the round.

I started the sculpting process by the 3-dimensional equivalent of a sketch-- the maquette.

Here are some process photos of the maquette of M2 Crew in action, done to 1/12 of life-size:
Armatures...

Fleshing 'em out and adding helmets...

Adding more bulk to the figures, to finish the "sketch in the round":

From Maquette to Sculpture:

Here are some in-process photos of the "Ma Deuce" sculpture, done slightly bigger, to 1/6 of life-size (the tripod and parts of the weapon are made of wood to maintain strength)...

The whole piece is a bit rough, but near to finish... All that remains is detail on the figures and the weapon & tripod, etc. (and of course a glorious pile of spent brass and ammo links next to the weapon!)
And as for the.50 Cal rounds, I am working on that--
First off, I used the lathe to fashion a mini .50 Cal round...

...from which I'll cast a bunch of wax rounds in this simple mold shown below, and string 'em together ( then I'll really be beltin' it out!) I'll also cut the tips of a bunch of them and use them for the spent brass pile...

More to Come...

Going Outside the Wire

2011-02-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

Patrol Departs Hasan Abad

This piece is an oil on linen mounted to panel, the subject of which is a Marine patrol departing Patrol Base Hasan Abad, Afghanistan in June 2009 (see original post here).

The architecture of the base I found exotic (it was built of HESCO barriers around old adobe walls, and the tower form seemed quite "pagoda-esque", or like a Japanese gateway). This gate metaphor fits well with the image of the figures walking away into the distance, towards fate unknown.

VMFA to Allow Crazy Combat Artist Presentation 28 January!!

2011-01-27T20:17:00.003-05:00

"A Special Evening with Marine Combat Artist Sgt. Kristopher Battles plus Film"

If you are in the greater Richmond area on Friday, the 28th of January, 2011, and you want to hear about contemporary combat art, see a great film about WWII combat art, and see a great collection of Civil War art, then stop by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at 6:30 pm.

I will give a presentation on my work and the combat art of today, followed by a question and answer period, and a screening of the PBS movie, "They Drew Fire". In the Museum itself will be an exhibit, Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection.

Sounds "sketchy" I know, but it promises to be fun!

Combat Artist in Action

2011-01-26T17:26:00.002-05:00

Here's a drawing I did today, featuring a combat artist in action, fulfilling his prime directive-- visual "reportage"!

CWO2 Mike Fay is pictured, sketching while at Mojave Viper out in 29 Palms CA, back in 2008. We'd just gotten done with a hike and the Marines were sitting down for a rest, and CWO2 Fay took advantage of the situation, set up his stool and sketch gear, and recorded what he saw.

I have been wanting for years to do a painting of a combat artist to match the one done by Tom Lovell in the late 40s. Now at least I've done the basic drawing for it, if I never get around to the oil painting!

Evening Parley

2011-01-21T20:38:00.001-05:00

This is a small oil painting nearing completion, showing activity late in the evening at an Entry Control Point (ECP) in the FOB outside Rutbah back in 2007.

In the scene, two local Iraqi gentlemen talk with a Marine officer (back to viewer) about some issue or concern they are having...

The figure on the left is the interpreter, female, assisting the meeting (this ECP had a lot of civilians coming through, and the women had to be inspected by our women Marines-- so she served an interpreter for that activity as well).

I find the subject interesting, as one can have fun guessing what the narrative might be...

& from an artistic standpoint, the harsh floodlights made a dramatic effect that is fun and challenging to depict.

UPDATE Feb 5, 2011:
Finished!! (Well, at least it's signed-- a painting is never really finished...)

A Great Book of Combat Art From the Great War

2011-01-21T19:43:00.004-05:00

Today I was clued in by a friend of mine (Mike Fay ) to this great book of combat art made by an American "Doughboy" in France named C. Leroy Baldridge. It's in the public domain, and free for downloading here. What a great source of authentic, well-crafted art-- and as a bonus, along with the great art, there are many war poems by a soldier named Hilmar R. Baukhage.

C. LEROY BALDRIDGE
PVT. A. E. F.

TOGETHER WITH VERSES
BY
HILMAR R. BAUKHAGE
PVT. A. E. F.

Here are some excerpts from the book:

RELIEF

z-z-z-z-z-z-Z-Z-Z-Z-e-e-e-e-E-E-------------b Boom!

There's another!

God, this pack is heavy.

Glad I pinched the extra willy,

Guess I'll need it.

And the sweater, too,

out there.

-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-Z-Z-Z-Z-E-E-E-EEEEEE- - b Boom!

There's another!

Jesse! that was a close one.

Wonder if......good Christ! Where's Charlie?

Got him clean. God curse those Jerries!

I'll get even,—p'raps—

out there.

z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-Z-Z-Z-E-E-E-E-e-e----------b Boom!

There's another!

Over!

Well, if one has my name on it

Then the guv'ment pays ten thousand.

What's the use? I couldn't spend it.

Leastways not—

out there.

z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-Z-Z-Z-Z-e-e-e-e-e-E-E-E-E----b Boom!

There's another.

Where'd I put that plug of Climax?

Oh, I s'pose somebody swiped it.

Gee, I never thought that Charlie...

Glad I ain't out on the wire.

This damn trench is dark—ouch! Damn it,

Wait a minute.... Hell, I'm coming,

I can't run in this equipment.

What the hell's the rush to get—

out there?

--------------------------------------------------------

THE LINE

Form a line!

Get in line!

From the time that I enlisted

And since Jerry armististed

I've been standing, kidding, cussing,

I've been waiting, fuming, fussing,

In a line.

I have stood in line in mud and slime and sleet,

With the dirty water oozing from my feet,

I have soaked and slid and slipped,

While my tacky slicker dripped,

And I wondered what they'd hand me out to eat.

Get in line!

For supplies and for inspections,

With the dust in four directions,

For a chance to scrub the dirt off,

In the winter with my shirt off,

In a line.

I have sweated in an August training camp,

That would make a prohibition town look damp,

Underneath my dinky cap

While the sun burned off my map

And I waited for some gold-fish (and a cramp!).

Get in line!

For rice, pay-day, pills, and ration,

For corned-willy, army fashion,

In Hoboken, in the trenches,

In a station with the Frenchies,

In a line.

I've been standing, freezing, sweating,

Pushing, shoving, wheezing, fretting,

And I won't be soon forgetting

Though I don't say I'm regretting

That I stood there, with my buddies,

In a line.

(Here is a classic drawing which anybody whose ever been in the Service can relate to!):

The job that's never ended—Cleaning up for inspection

"Shot, Out."

2011-01-21T00:36:00.000-05:00

A sketch of the Fire Control Center for the 81 mm mortars of Weapons Company, 2nd Bn 25th Marines during live fire exercises in Mojave Viper, 29 Palms CA.

As We Go By, They Watch

2011-01-21T00:04:00.000-05:00

Once while on a patrol in and around Delaram, Afghanistan back in 2009, as we were nearing the edge of town, I looked over to our left and saw a group of local kids watching us as we passed. They weren't afraid or angry, but seemed interested in these exotic American Marines walking through their neighborhood...! We were the local entertainment, I guess.

The sunlight falling on the adobe buildings and the children's colorful garb stood out to me, and I knew one day I'd try to depict the scene. I applied color with intentionality of stroke, and the buildings lent themselves to palette knife application... almost as if I was spackling real stucko!

Here's a detail...

Burton's Coffee Shop

2011-01-15T21:07:00.004-05:00

A "Slice of Life" in the FOB

When one thinks of life in a combat zone, one thinks of ... well, combat.

And when people envision art depicting such activities, most people probably envision "poster art" or grand depictions of Marines attacking the enemy, and so on.

Of course, Marines do attack the enemy, and some of the finest art out there depicts Marines in combat.

But the majority of a Marine's time is not spent in combat, or in a convoy, or on patrol; but in the FOB or Combat Outpost-- and most people may not be aware of what life is like there: dark spaces, surrounded by dingy cement-block or dusty HESCO walls, stacks of sandbags, wire, & strewn with some rubble or other detritus of war-- hardly "homey" surroundings.

Creature comforts are sparse out where the infantry lives. A good ol’ cup o' Joe or some cocoa can really hit the spot. Anything to make life a little more like home is a relief from the drudgery of a place like Saqlawiyah.

This sketch is of Cpl D. Lee Burton, of 2nd Bn 8th Marines, making himself coffee in his trusty canteen cup (one of the longest-lasting and useful implements in the US inventory, by the way…).

Ahhh... a little closer to home.

Blisters at Bridgeport update...

2011-01-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

The painting of Jellison's Blisters, from the training evolution at MWTC in Bridgeport-- a Movement to Contact in which the subject carried his weapon and gear for ten to twelve "klicks"-- is coming close to full maturity...

Haiti-- one year ago today, the earth shook

2011-01-12T23:14:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it's been a year since the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti, physically and emotionally...

I was deployed there back in February, to assist the humanitarian assistance activities of the 22nd MEU in Operation Unified Response.

I sketched, watercolored, and photographed my way around the affected area, documenting the activities of the Marines as they helped the people (I also helped interpret on occasion, as I once lived there for two years as a missionary and learned Creole)...

I've been working on an oil painting which features the activities at a rice Distribution Point near Carrefour.
The painting in still in process, and much of it is still in the blocking-in phase, but you can still get a sense of the color and composition, as well as the important human element and narrative in the image:


A sea of humanity, a sea of emotions...

Update 1/13/11:
While we're remembering Haiti-- Here's an small painting I did last year, based on experience in Haiti with the people.... Here, a Haitian boy watches us as we provide security at the Rice Distribution Point:

A detail of the work:

Civil Affairs-- Winning the War, One Heart at a Time

2011-01-12T22:46:00.001-05:00

Though not normally something associated with fighting and winning a war, Civil Affairs has played an enormous role in the successes we've seen in Iraq, and it carries on today in Afghanistan. Successful Civil Affairs activity is vital to any victory it today's "asymmetric warfare" (winning the proverbial hearts and minds is important, not only in winning a war but also in winning the peace...).

Here is a drawing I did today, showing a Civil Affairs Marine-- Sergeant Scott Spaulding-- engaging in conversation with a local Afghan farmer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, summer 2009.

These Civil Affairs Marines are the unsung heroes, in my (sketch) book...

Home on the Range

2011-01-12T21:55:00.005-05:00

"Every Marine is a rifleman", as the saying goes, and since its inception, the Marine Corps has instilled in its Marines not only pride in their profession, but also a love of their rifle-- and skill in its employ.

To insure that this tradition continues, each year all Marines must qualify with their weapons on the Known Distance (KD) Course, known by most as the rifle range. Shooters must learn how to hit targets from 200, 300, and 500 meters.

In August, I had the privilege of firing on the range here at Quantico, and qualified "Expert" with the M16A4. Out of that experience came several sketches, as well as this graphite wash drawing:

It depicts a shooting coach giving some helpful pointers to a shooter on the two hundred meter line.

passing on the wisdom, keeping the tradition...

Making and Recording History

2011-01-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

Another drawing of a Marine Historian in action

CWO4 Timothy McWilliams, seen here in Helmand Province, July 2009. He's talking to a DEA agent after the Marines and the DEA raided an Afghan bazaar which was suspected of involvement in the opium trade. The raid yielded chemicals for opium manufacture, as well as thousands of bags of poppy seeds, which were later destroyed by the Marines. See also here .

Two Wars, Two Warriors Meet

2011-01-05T18:49:00.002-05:00

Here is a graphite wash drawing I did today using a "Sketch & Wash" pencil (a pencil with water-soluble graphite, which allows the use of line and watercolor effects with the shading).

The subject is Marine historian, CWO4 Timothy McWilliams, in July 2009, talking with a DEA agent about a patrol and drug raid made that day by Marines working with the DEA to help eradicate poppy seeds being used for opium production.

TBS War Gaming... MOUT City

2010-12-07T20:58:00.001-05:00

I was tasked with covering the M.O.U.T. (Military Operation in Urban Terrain) training of Marine 2nd Lieutenants on the TBS side of Quantico a few weeks back.
Out of this experience has come several sketches and an oil painting so far, each featuring the new officers getting their first practice taste of urban warfare...
One image that really struck me was of a Lieutenant who'd been "killed" in the training, and was lying there, as many others were also doing, probably contemplating the brevity of life, his own mortality, and the would-be permanent consequences of quickly-made temporary decisions...!

("I can't believe I died so quickly! Man, life is short ... I wonder what's for lunch?")

Armed and Ready

2010-12-07T18:51:00.005-05:00

I've been working on the M16A4 rifle for the Marine Rifleman-- since no Marine is really a Marine without his rifle, no sculpted Marine Rifleman can be complete without his sculpted rifle!

I had started with a plywood template, adding wax and wire for details and support, bringing the rifle closer and closer to form. (update: see photo below from 17 September's post):

Here it is in mid-form, without magazine or front sights...

Here it is, very close to finish, with the major shapes blocked in and developed...

Next step is to do the hand guards and ejection port cover details, etc...
UPDATE!
Photos added 12/13:
The details of the site and upper receiver began to be worked out...

I did some refining of the starboard side of the weapon, including the forward assist, deflector, and ejection port, etc (harder to see, being held by the figure...)

Tarawa

2010-11-21T10:47:00.001-05:00

"Marines Fall Forward" by Kerr Eby

"Marines Fall Forward"

67 years ago, from 20-23 November 1943, Marines from the 2nd Marine Division assaulted and captured Tarawa atoll from the Japanese, marking the beginning of the hard amphibious campaign in the Pacific during WWII.

"Landing on Tarawa" by Richard Gibney

"Tarawa-Betio" by Harry Jackson

Great examples of Marine heroism came out of the three day battle, where Marines went forward against terrible opposition-- and the Marine Corps itself gained not only glory, but also hard-gained experience which would prove invaluable in the years ahead.

"Long Thoughts" by Kerr Eby

Some great combat art also came out of the battle, as several artists, like Richard Gibney, Harry Jackson, and Kerr Eby, were witnesses to the battle. These men went through the hell of Tarawa, and created powerful images based on their experiences. They're worth a second (and third and fourth...) look.

Facing Movement

2010-11-20T19:39:00.001-05:00

The Mortar Crew Marines have faces now...

The assistant gunner hanging the round...

The gunner crouching out of the way and bracing the mortar...

The squad leader, preparing to shield his ears...

They may look strange without their bodies-- but don't worry; they will soon be developed. I only have to get some models to pose in the exact positions a mortar crew does while firing rounds, and then I'll build up the figures.

Got it Covered

2010-11-20T19:06:00.001-05:00

Working on the kevlars I'd cast recently in wax--

The basic kevlar form
(I cast this so that I could have a bare kevlar if needed for a particular sculpture, and also so that each "cammie cover" I sculpt will be unique for each individual):

Now comes the "cammie cover"-- I rolled wax and put it on the helmet's front and sides, to make for smooth transitions where the cover stretches over bill and side forms:

Then, I began applying a very thin layer of wax, very much like an actual fabric cammie cover:

Thin wax is applied to the sides:

(pardon the wax in my fingernails!)

Once the cover was fully applied, I worked the surface to begin forming the folds and seams:

Just a bit more work, and the chin straps, and this Marine is covered...!

MCCCA Merit Award

2010-11-20T13:27:00.001-05:00

Col Motsco of History Division presented me with the award 17 November.

They Got Brodie...

2010-11-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

Well, none of us lives forever...

I just found out about the passing of one of the greats in combat art-- Howard Brodie, who sketched his way through several wars, producing some of the best war art in history.

He made some powerful images...

His expressive line, and talent with the pencil, makes him one of the artists I (and I'm sure many combat artists as well) look to for inspiration.

He will be missed. His work, thank God, will continue to inspire..

To Get Ahead...

2010-11-11T22:41:00.007-05:00

As you know, I've been working for some time on a sculpture of two Marines in Belleau Wood. Well, I'd been having trouble sculpting the heads, and decided to start over on them and rework them to a better level of quality.

I figured that today, Veterans Day (originally Armistice Day), would be a good day to work on these WWI figures.

Here was the process involved in making one of the heads:
I started, using the 1/4 scale pre-cast skull I'd made for just such a contingency

Front view

side view

Eyeballs (click, sir!)

I added wax to form muscles and skin around the mouth and chin

...nose and cheek muscles, etc.

I continued the fleshing-out process until the head started taking on lifelike qualities...

With the helmet added, one can see how the finished product might look

The figure really begins to look quite dramatic in the light...

Bridgeport Blisters

2010-11-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

Back in June, I had the privilege (and challenge!) of attending Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, California, where I drew, sketched and photographed my way around the area, covering the training of several of Reserve units, including 1/24, 1/25, and 3/23 during Javelin Thrust.

The two-week exercise took place at both Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, CA; and both Hawthorne Army Depot and Hilton Ranch in Nevada.

One event which will stick in my mind forever, was the "movement to contact" I did with members of 1st Bn 25th Marines in the mountains.

If you've ever humped in the mountains, you know what kind of challenge it can be-- a 4-klick movement to contact in the mountains really means 10 klicks by the time its done!

We finished the movement to contact, attacked the objective, and marched back to camp on the roads. I had an old, loose-fitting pair of boots, which began to give me pains after only a klick or two. By the end of the forced-march back home, which was a lot of down-hill stepping, in which my toes were rammed into the fronts of my boots, over and over, heating them up and forming serious blisters on several toes.

The Corpsman went around after the event and we took off our boots to be inspected.
Most people had survived the day with little or no problems, but several of us had blisters and hot spots on our feet... I was one who had some serious blisters! We were sitting there, with out boots off, letting our feet dry and rest, and being inspected-- and those who needed it, got treatment.

After getting some care, I went around, taking photos of some of the Marines, and saw a young marine sitting with his feet on his boots, his socks draped over his leg, with a sad look on his face.
It stuck out to me as an almost Rockwellian image.

I sketched him, but I also took photos, because I knew I had to capture the color of the scene as well.

Here's the Painting, "Bridgeport Blisters" in process:
Step One-- the Toned "Imprimatura":

After the Imprimatura, I begin the process of "blocking in" the colors, also called "underpainting"...

When blocking-in, it's best to use the general rule of applying my "lightest lights and darkest darks"...

My intent is to have an abstracted area such as the wooded background, stand as an abstracted area of light and color, as well as being a recognizable image.

The underpainting of the figure and objects in the foreground is primarily "Coyote" tan/green (which makes sense, as that color runs throughout the MARPAT woodland pattern! Over that I will scumble and drag color across the undertone, to create the digital look of the cammies and gear.

A few more layers, and some detail on the face and gear, and you'll be able to sympathize with a young Marine who's feet have seen better days..!

The Iron Sergeant Advances

2010-10-17T21:40:00.000-04:00

Working more on the "Sharing the Courage" series, #3:

"The Iron Sergeant, Jesse Leach"

I've begun to color in the scenes from the storyboard...
The sequence where Sgt Leach has grabbed a wounded Marine and drags him to cover:

Sgt Leach provides first aid to his Marine, while the Quick Reaction Force is called...

This was a dramatic event which happened in Iraq, to those Marines involved especially. Yet it showcases the type of day-to-day heroism that typifies Marines in combat-- the kind of thing that people back home need to know more about. That's why we are doing this series.

More to come this week... stay tuned!

I Get a Round, Again

2010-10-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

I worked on the lathe again the other day, to craft a better miniature 81 mm mortar round:

Then I added the tail section, sans fins...

Casting the Clay "Kevlar"

2010-10-12T17:16:00.003-04:00

Layin' on the Latex--
As I mentioned in the previous post, I have built a 1/4-scale "Kevlar" helmet in clay, from which to cast as many helmets as I need for future sculptures of helmeted Marines.

I used latex rubber casting material to begin the mold making for my miniature helmet...

The Latex goes on an opaque, off-white color

First Coat-- the latex dries translucent yellow-tan...


Third Layer...

Sixth Layer... almost there...

Next Step: embedding it in a two-part plaster mold...

Clay Pot

2010-10-12T16:55:00.002-04:00

I've been working on The Marine Rifleman lately, and began work on the Kevlar helmet in 1/4 Scale. This was delicate work, and required a lot of shaping, squinting, smoothing, comparing, cutting, molding, etc. to get it to a workable likeness.

I made the basic "kevlar" out of modeling clay, and plan to use this mini helmet as a template, making a latex mold of it, for replicating the other helmets for the Mortar Crew sculpture I'm working on.

The helmet itself is quite a complex form, with subtle angles and curves. It's not like the "doughboy" helmet of WWI, or even the steel pot of WWII, which were basic ovals and curves. You can almost tell it was designed in a computer (I'll have to research that)!

Here is the helmet, as it looks before casting:

Building up the Uniform and "Flak"
I also began the construction of the uniform and "flak jacket" also, with "broad brushstrokes" of wax:

Next I will use a heat gun and tool to smooth out the rough edges, refine the form, adding folds and wrinkles...

The Iron Sergeant

2010-09-30T16:25:00.001-04:00

I've been working on a two-dimensional piece lately, the latest addition to the "Sharing the Courage" series I've been working on with Public Affairs...

This "episode" features one Jesse Leach, a Sergeant with 2nd Bn 8th Marines who showed rugged, straight-forward heroism in coming to the aid of a wounded comrade hit by a sniper whileon patrol in Karmah, Iraq.

See the great photo slide show by CJ Chivers and Joao Silva of the NY Times("SNIPER I" is the tab to click on to see the correct slide show...)

I made a story board for the project, which I will now enhance and refine by applying watercolor and gouache to it...

More to come...

I Get A Round

2010-09-24T22:18:00.004-04:00

After struggling to make a mortar round for the Mortar Crew sculpture-- using wax, a dremel tool and a hot knife-- I realized that I'd have to use a lathe and wood to create a round with the proper symmetry (I know now why they call it a "round" in the first place)!

So a friend of mine lent me his lathe, and with it I crafted a mortar round. I used a diagram of an M374 81mm HE round to get the basic shape, and used digital calipers to make sure the round was shaved to 20.25 mm (1/4 scale)!

Add some fins, and he's ready to drop that round in the tube...

Next step: making that tube. Stay tuned...

Sculpture SitRep

2010-09-22T19:42:00.008-04:00

The Rifleman...
His feet are fully there, and soon we'll start on his boots.

His legs were also bulking up, and are about ready for his trousers.

The Mortar Crew...
The Mortarmen have their hands and feet, but no ordnance...

So I roughed out a mortar tube and round to hang...

Just like during the pre-World War II era when guys had to practice with wooden weapons, these guys will have to put up with this stand-in until they get the real thing (in wax and at one-quarter scale of course)...

"Hangin' on One!..."

About Faces

2010-09-21T19:23:00.003-04:00

Today, I worked on the faces of the sculpture figures...

Like the mad scientist in a horror movie, I have been building the figures step by step-- and one day, I'll cry out, "IT'S ALIVE!... ALIVE!!!"

For the eyeballs themselves, I dripped wax and let it cool and harden, to make their eyes look very smooth and round. I will then add eyelids, etc over and around them to complete the eyes.

I "skinned" wax onto the skull-like head I'd made, and put a nose and lips on it as well.

I started adding wax to the second figure as well, though he's still smiling and won't be when he's advancing with the bayonet... I tried the helmet on him, just to see what it's going to look like:

The "Marine Rifleman" also got the beginnings of a face, and even started bulking up, so he may one day be Marine infantry, and not just a bean pole...

Update on "Fix Bayonets!"

2010-09-20T20:41:00.003-04:00

I attached the one-quarter scale bayonet to the one-quarter scale rifle, and "issued it" to the advancing Marine in the Belleau Wood sculpture:

(DON'T GET TOO CLOSE-- he will stick you...! )

Now we've just got to report to the S-4 shop to see about that uniform and gear issue!

"Hangin' on Three!" The Mortar Crew Sets Up

2010-09-20T20:24:00.003-04:00

Today's Progress--

I spent some time today working on the latest sculpture: the 81mm mortar crew.

I'd done the armatures for this piece a while back, but was waiting to really start on it until I'd made more progress on the other sculptures-- the Marine Rifleman and Belleau Wood Marines.

Here are the basic mortar crew armatures:

I now had to make the heads, hands and feet for this crew, before I could know their real positions in the composition, and before I could build up their form...

For the heads, I decided that I should make a standard skull form for all three figures, and then adjust it for the individual when finishing. Here is the basic skull, with a penny put in for reference.

"...I knew him, Horatio!" (I'm sure this figure will be a man of infinite jest at well..)

The feet, hands and skull for a figure:

The 'half-heads' I made on the assembly line (I guess you could call it a head shop)--

Then they were ready to assemble and attach to the wire skeletal armatures below...

Here is the crew, with the Assistant Gunner the only one yet with hands and feet... soon he'll have a mortar to drop a round in...

The Nuts and Bolts of Sockfeet and Chauchats

2010-09-19T19:38:00.004-04:00

I made more progress on the Chauchat, carving the front "nozzle" at the business end of the weapon:

I also created a all-in-one template in 1/4 scale, for hands and feet, putting all my one-quarter scale templates onto one template, including the sock and boot sizes. It's like a little assembly line-- a one-stop armature sweat shop!

The Bayonet is Honed...

2010-09-18T20:33:00.004-04:00

Today, I spent some time working on the bayonet (I know it's Saturday, but I'm "in the zone"...)

I started with the stick from a corn dog my son had eaten (or maybe it was mine-- I love corn dogs!):

I then used my Dremmel and some small tools to "sharpen" the blade, form the handle, and carve the bloodgroove:

I added wire to form the armature for the bayonet's crossguard:

The bayonet and rifle come together. Now all that's needed is the wax details on the pommel, handle, and crossguard:

Next up-- the sling! Here's a basic balsa wood stand-in, which shows how it may ultimately look:

Footy Prints in the Studio

2010-09-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd show you the templates I made with which to create the feet (and soon the boot soles) of the sculpture figures I've been working on...

To make the skeletal feet, I traced and simplified images of feet bones I found:

To get the basic feet size with skin (and socks) on, I actually traced my own sock foot onto paper, and then photocopied it down to 25%! I did the same for my boots... now, I know that the figures in all my sculptures will have around size ten feet!

Sculpture is really where I put my foot down...

Fix Bayonets!

2010-09-17T21:25:00.002-04:00

This week has been a good sculpture week, as I made progress on the Belleau Wood Marines as well as the The Marine Rifleman...

Yesterday and today I used the plaster cloth to give rigidity to the figures-- I'd been having problems with the armature limbs sagging and cracking at the knees and hips. I will use wax to complete it, which should alleviate the problem (I've decided that in the future, I will not use Plasticine clay at all, as wax can do all that I need, and will keep its form better without slumping or being easily smirched)...

It looks like they're wearing "long johns" or WWI-era swim trunks!

And then comes the command, "FIX BAYONETS!" and he does so...
(I used the stick from a corn dog my son was eating for the armature of the M1905 bayonet...)

"Walking Man" goes on Patrol

2010-09-17T21:05:00.001-04:00

Things are cruising along at flank speed, as the sculpture, "The Rifleman" takes shape:

I shaped the hands using a template I made for it:

"Look, Ma... two hands!"

I also made feet armatures to one-quarter life size, and put them on the armature ankles...

front view...

going on... I added wire to the chest and shoulders, as well as the torso-- down through the pelvis into the upper legs:

I joined the wires together in the legs, and they run along the path of the muscles:

Front view of added wires...

"Wait! Wait! I'm not in the car yet!"

I started coating the head with wax...

Adding wax onto the legs...

and the torso...(he still looks like a Giacometti sculpture, but soon he'll look more like a Remington!

In order to know exactly how the arms will lay as the figure carries his weapon, I needed to come up with the proper sized template/armature for his M16A4, which I began to form with balsa wood:

Once I know the size of the pistol grips and hand guards, I can form the hands in place, as well as the arms themselves... suddenly the figure looks like he's on patrol!

Building the "Battle Bowler"

2010-09-14T20:44:00.004-04:00

Some time ago, I made a mold for the WWI "doughboy" helmets, to fit the Marines' heads in the Belleau Wood sculpture. This mold made a good impression of the outside of the helmet, but ultimately I needed a helmet with an interior-- much more like its counterpart in the real world, with room for the head and harness, etc..

In order to do this, I had to create a plug, or core, that would allow wax to come in and form the "metal" of the helmet, while at the same time maintaining the empty space within the helmet also-- thus creating a thin wax helmet which looks like the real thing.

I used an even layer of clay to form a stand-in for the helmet itself, and then poured wax into the empty space to create the core:

I removed the clay piece and set the core back in place--

After pouring wax down in between the cracks and letting it cool, out came the helmet form...

I had to adjust this process several times, reforming and repouring the helmet core, so that the "brim"of the helmet became more fine-tuned and didn't require a lot of carving out when taken out of the mold.

By the end of the day, I had a workable helmet form.

Maquette in "Tree" Dimensions

2010-09-13T20:24:00.011-04:00

The Marines in the Belleau Wood sculpture will soon have the right environment in which to wage war, as I've begun the process of sculpting the base of the sculpture.

I had to determine the piece's exact arrangement in three-dimensions-- especially since I've altered the kneeling figure's pose. I needed to see how it will exist in the round. This required more than just the sketch I had, or the image I'd developed in my mind. It required a three-dimensional drawing, and thus a Maquette.

A maquette enables the artist to "sketch" in 3-D without wasting time or materials, and to lay out the composition so as to be interesting from all sides.

Tree forms will be a major part of the composition, and I had to have a better notion of how individual branches and trunks would move in space, and counter or accent the movement of the figures and their "limbs"...

I started by using my original template for human skeletal armatures, and scaling it down to four inches... I then made two figures to scale, just like their eighteen-inch brethren.

UPDATE: New Photos!

I used wire to build miniature armatures for the Springfield and the Chauchat, and re-took the photos...

Ironically, the above photos are hard to read in the two dimensions of the computer screen! But they give an idea about the rough sketch of the base and how the figures will play in it.

Voila... Chauchat!

2010-09-10T21:37:00.002-04:00

After the model photo shoot of this week, it was up to me to begin putting that information into 3-D form.

Since I decided to change the kneeling character's weapon from a Springfield to a Chauchat, I now had to construct the new weapon, which demands a first step-- the building of its armature.

I used wooden dowel, some balsa wood, some armature wire, and some wood glue, to rough-out the form:

I photocopied the image of the Chauchat, until it was One-quarter scale, and will use this as a template upon which to build the armature for the weapon...(you can see below how I will form and adjust the wood to fit the silhouette, and then build the wax details over it):

I could theoretically build the entire weapon out of the wax, but it'd be very fragile. The wood and wire is lightweight and strong enough to provide good support for the wax as the fine details are worked out, and ultimately put through the sculpting process.

I'll keep you posted as the process continues. Stay tuned!

September 11, 2010:

UPDATE!

I cut out the stock...

I sawed off the barrel to proper length...

I attached the stock...

More to come (it's time to create the curved magazine)...

Here it is!
I used a small plastic lid which had the right diameter to make the magazine, and I poured molten wax into the lid, along with some wire to give it strength. I also dipped the "broomhandle" grip into wax several times to begin its shape:

Soon, it will begin to look more like the weapon than the armature!

The Very Model of a Modern...Belleau Wood Marine

2010-09-08T19:42:00.007-04:00

Sgt Scale, a Marine from the National Museum of the Marine Corps, came to the studio today to pose as the model for my Belleau Wood Marines sculpture:

"Lafayette, we are here!"

I started the adventure by marking off the posing area on the floor of the studio, with pastel and tape... it looked like a big target:

I put the tape at regular intervals to ensure that all the directions of the compass were covered in the reference photos-- so that the model can be seen from all angles and the resulting sculpture will be fully accurate "in the round"

Then, it was time for modeling!

I started off with the model in PT Gear with the weapon, which is important in seeing the form under the uniform and gear...

Then Sgt Scale donned the WWI Marine Forest Green wool uniform, picked up the rifle once more, and continued the posing...

I realized it might be better for the composition, and give a variety of form to the sculpture, to have one of the figures giving supporting fire with a Chauchat ( officially pronounced "sho-shaw", but almost universally pronounced "sho-sho").

So, "like a Recon Daddy, we took a little trip" to the NMMC Armory where Al, the Weapons Curator, let us touch and pose with the Chauchat:

Now that's truly "Gangstah!"

LCpl Reagan Lodge, Combat Cameraman and "Artist Candidate", also posed for a sculpture-- a contemporary archetype of the infantryman, "The Marine Rifleman":

Combat Art Summit- A Mountain Top Experience!

2010-09-07T23:22:00.001-04:00

On the 2nd of September, the Combat Art Program held an "Art Summit" at the National Museum of the Marine Corps here in Quantico.

It was a day in which Marine Combat Artists of all ages and from several eras came together to chart a course for the future of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program.

Artists in attendance included Col Mike Gish, Col Ed Condra, Col Donna Neary, Maj Jack Dyer, Capt Charles Grow, CWO2 Mike Fay, MSgt Jim Fairfax, Sgt Jim Butcher, and Sgt Kristopher Battles.

Also in attendance were NMMC Director, Lin Ezell; Supervisory Art Curator, Joan Thomas; Art Curator, Vickie Stuart-Hill; Curator for the Navy Art Program, Gale Munro; and Marine Field Historian, CWO4 Timothy McWilliams.

It was a great day of looking at our program in its past, and discussing how we could go forward into the future. It was also a day of inspiration for me, just to rub elbows with these legends of Marine Combat Art.

The panel is seated and discussion begins... yes, artists can actually have an organized meeting!

The Build up-- Shaping the (Artistic) Battle Space!

2010-09-07T22:59:00.004-04:00

Greetings, everyone.

I started some new sculptures today, even as I'm still working on the Belleau Wood sculpture (I figure it's like kids... once you have two, adding more isn't that much more difficult!)...

Actually, I completed all the armatures months ago, but hadn't the chance yet to begin placing them into their perspective compositions. Now, it is time.

This is the armature for "The Marine Rifleman", which will be an archetype for the combat infantryman.

This is a more involved piece, which will be a Marine 81mm mortar crew in action. I'll try to show a dynamic composition in the round, at the moment the mortar round is being dropped.

Here the piece is rotated a few degrees... it should, when completed, be an interesting composition from whatever side it is viewed. This subject provides such great kinetic energy for a piece. It'll be really challenging, and I hope fulfilling, to create such a piece in three dimensions.

UPDATE: tomorrow, I'm scheduled to have a Marine or two come into the studio and model in WWI Marine uniform, complete with helmet, gas mask, bayonet, and rifle... from head to toe in period dress. This will be a great aid in the completion of a quality piece of Marine sculpture. OoRah!

Taking Shape

2010-09-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

Here's today's update on the figures for the Belleau Wood sculpture, after having added musculature on the arms and legs:

Progress Measured in Feet (and Legs!)

2010-08-31T19:35:00.000-04:00

The Sculpture moves on.... doggedly, stubbornly, forward:

Today I added feet armatures and a little bit of basic leg structure:

notice the foot "bones" for the upcoming clay feet...

Basic leg muscle forms are added to the leg armature wire

This week and next I expect to actually have a couple live Marine "models" in the studio-- that is, live Marines wearing the WWI uniforms and gear, so I can get a realistic look at facial expressions, how the gear hangs, and how the material in the uniforms lays and folds.

I can't wait to see it!

Torso

2010-08-30T20:50:00.000-04:00

The two figures in the Belleau Wood sculpture now have torsos.

As you know, I'm using a modified "Ecorche" technique to build the figures from armature to completion.

Today, I focused on the midriffs of the figures, putting muscles on the rib cages, filling out shoulders and necks.

Tomorrow, if time permits, I will make the arms and legs have their basic musculature.

Before I finish the figures-- putting their uniforms, hair, expressions, etc.- I will put a layer of plaster tape over the muscles as a type of hard "skin", which will serve also as a rigid support for the sculpting wax I'll use to finish.

I started dabbing on clay to make some back muscles

The back and "glutes" becoming more refined

The beginnings of neck muscles

Shoulders, delts, etc...

The kneeling Marine's back also was developed

Kneeling Marine's shoulders, collar bone, etc...

One more phase in the process, and they'll start taking on a living human likeness.

Of ACOGs and Iron Sights...

2010-08-28T23:13:00.005-04:00

Marine sights in through his ACOG on the 200 yard line, in the Sitting position.

The "Offhand" (now known only as"Standing") position

In a proverbial lull in the artistic fighting, last week I attended Annual Rifle Training at the rifle range here at Quantico-- and praise God, I shot "Expert"!

Many things at the Range are just like they've been for years-- the smell of gun smoke, carbon and CLP; the popcorn-staccato sounds of rifle fire as rounds go down range (as well as those rounds cracking overhead while you're down in the butts); and of course the repeated phrases "Shooters on the firing line... You may commence firing when your DAAAAAAAAAWG Target appears....CEEEEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE..."

But a new thing has shown up all across the Corps, which at first perturbed me-- the use of RCOs, the telescopic sights also called ACOGs, while qualifying on the rifle range.

The "Old School" Sergeant in me thought it was a terrible idea to throw away the old "iron sights". It seemed a huge slap in the face to all the crack marksmen that have gone before us, who trained long and hard to become proficient at placing a round into center mass from hundreds of meters away...

And I also felt that it would perhaps destroy the ability to teach fundamentals to new Marines, by somehow making it too easy to shoot with, or making the shooter lazy.

However, once I'd fired with the sight, I felt that it was an excellent addition to the tool kit of the Marine marksman, as it helped the Marine who practiced and applied the fundamentals, and even brought faults and bad habits into stark relief against the magnified target in his sights, so that he could address those problems...

A Shooting Coach discusses fundamentals with his shooter during practice firing

When I was firing with the ACOG, I could see the reticle (the ACOG's version of the front sight post) move all around the black in the center of the target, and could even see my own pulse, throbbing from the tight loop sling on my arm down through my hand guards into to weapon. Also, if I looked too much at the target, which the sight sort of tempts a shooter to do, the round would dance all about the target, around the black, mocking my lack of skill.

Yet I found that if I kept the proven disciplines-- maintained my Natural Point of Aim, rested in the position, concentrated on the reticle instead of the target, and exercised breathing control and trigger squeeze, I could benefit from the magnification of the sight.

Many shooters expressed the same "Old-Salt" doubts about the new way of doing things as I did, but many shooters liked the idea of using the sight that one would use in a combat environment.

By the end of the course of fire, and after Qual Day, I had to admit that the more things change, the more they stay the same... and the Marine Corps will go on making excellent marksmen by adhering to the fundamentals of marksmanship, no matter what the weapon system.

Practice Firing continues on the rifle range, as Coaches and Primary Marksmanship Instructors share their knowledge with the shooters

And years in the future, today's Marines will be the Curmudgeons having the same discussions about their new M25A4 laser weapons...! ("Yeah, in the Old Corps, we actually had to see the target with an optical site to shoot at it...none of this laser range finder stuff..." )

Good Values, Good Read

2010-08-21T13:45:00.000-04:00

I saw on Mike Fay's blog Fire and Ice a blurb for an article by Mark Shields, about Marine Corps Values, and I too thought it was worth sharing.

Expressions, Alla Prima

2010-08-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

I've been painting in small format lately, to maximize my time v. production ratio, and also because small can be better sometimes for "viewing fun".

Two oil sketches are shown here-- both depict men-at-arms seated, but with altogether different expressions.

One image is of an Afghan National Police man sitting, smiling (he was greeting a Marine patrol as it returned to the Police station near Garmsir).

The other image is of a Marine sitting, exhaused, after some good, hard live-fire training in the heat of the Mojave Desert.

I enjoyed creating both paintings, as they show emotion, and the format allowed me to be expressive with the paint application, working quickly and wet-on-wet to achieve a bit of intensity in the form, to accent the emotion of the subject.

Nocturne in Blue and Dust

2010-08-20T22:39:00.003-04:00

Here is my first "nocturne" in my combat art career-- an oil sketch on mounted linen, 14" x 11".

It's from last year in Helmand Province, as a convoy of MRAPs moved at dusk in the distance somewhere west of Garmsir, kicking up dust under a full moon and dark blue sky.

It was one of those scenes that sticks in your head, when artistic and professional sensibilities come together to make an image that should be made into art.

Painting in France!

2010-08-20T21:17:00.006-04:00

In June, after "Javelin Thrust", I took some leave--Kelly and I took a trip "across the Pond" to see Paris (and Belleau Wood, of course) and celebrate our ten-year anniversary, July 1st. We'd always wanted to go, but never actually did, until this summer.

It was wonderful. We got to see the sites, be the ugly Americans, fling dough around like it's going out of style, and generally have the time of our lives!

I sketched the Arc de Triomphe:

I also painted a scene en plein air of the lovely square near our hotel in Le Marais district:

yes the hat is a bit much.... but it's Haitian and quite fittingly eccentric for an artist, I think!

(The crowd that gathered to critique the piece were actually restaurant owners, one of whom bought the painting from me on the spot, and also treated Kelly and me to dinner in his restaurant!)

I spent two days in and around Belleau Wood as well, looking at the battlefield:

The Pavillon de Chasse--the famous Hunting Lodge near the north edge of the Wood (this is facing north, as if going in the direction the Marines were attacking near the end of the Battle...there are more shell holes on this side of the Lodge than the others).

The "Iron Mike" Monument to the Marines at Belleau Wood

An exploded German field piece on display in Belleau Wood

This is a studio painting in casein, in the roughing-in phase, before finishing details are begun...

One day soon, I hope to return to do more sketching, and research for a painting I've long been planning-- my own depiction of the Battle of Belleau Wood, complete with attacking Marines, fighting and dying Germans, machine guns and bayonets-- the whole nine yards...

New York Times Article-- We Made the Paper of Record!

2010-08-20T19:53:00.001-04:00

I still can't believe it's true! Back on July 19, the Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure Section featured the Marine Corps Combat Art Program, in an article entitled, "With Sketchpads and Guns, Semper Fi".

What an honor, to be mentioned in the article. It's a motivating feather in the proverbial cap

(I still have yet to clip it out, frame it, and put it on my "I love me" wall..!).

Gadzooks! A Wiki Page!

2010-08-20T19:44:00.001-04:00

I was just looking for the article about the Combat Art Program that appeared in the New York Times in July, when I found out I have a Wikipedia page(!)

HOLY COW, Martha, what's goin' on here?!

Thanks to the person out there who made the page.

I appreciate it

(Hey-- email me and I'll provide more photos and stuff for my now virtual "'I love me' wall"! Watch out, my artist's ego...!).

Fleshing it Out

2010-08-20T19:38:00.000-04:00

It's been too long since I've posted-- computer issues as well as Operational Tempo have conspired to keep me away from the blog.

I've been a busy beaver lately, with Mountain Warfare Training Center in June and Sergeants' Course in July, and now the rifle range in August.

But the computer issues have been solved, and now I have access to the use of Blogger and a photo card.

I've been trying to finish a lot of projects, as my remaining time in the Corps is in flux (orders and promotions issues). So much to do, so little time!

One project I started months ago, you may remember, was the sculpture of two Belleau Wood Marines-- I'd finished the armatures in wire, and brought the rifles to a moderate level of finish.

This week I was able to begin to "flesh out" the armatures, or rather I should say "bone out" the armatures, to begin the basic Ecorche process of developing the figures from skeleton to flesh and bone to clothing...

Here are the basic armatures I began with:

and the rifles and hands:

And here are the two armatures which will one day become Marines in the fight at Belleau Wood:

The Marine Leaping Forward in the attack

And the second figure, firing to cover his fellow Marine moving forward:

AND NOW, the WEAPONS! (Springfield 1903s-- they'll also have M1905 bayonets)

Bear with me-- I know they look like something out of Jason and the Argonauts, but soon they'll be muscled and fleshed out and in their proper combat uniforms...

STAY TUNED...

Gonna Hitch A Ride ...

2010-06-02T22:56:00.007-04:00

Everywhere you go in the Marine Corps, you can get there in a helicopter (also known as a "helo" or generically, a "bird"...) It sure beats walking, and a convoy just can't compare!

Here are two scenes I've done recently, in which the beloved Helo, the CH53 is showcased:

The first is a '53 picking up a bunch of "pax" (passengers) -- in this case some Afghan National Army personnel at PB Jaker in Helmand Province last July (I've included the first step of the process below)...

the "imprimatura" or "veil" has been applied above, and is usually how I start out on these oil sketches...

The second image is from my recent deployment to Haiti for Operation Unified Response...

A column of Marines lug their packs out to the waiting helo, as trees bend and whip in the rotor wash...

One can barely make out the figures in the background at right (a couple of Haitians look on, while a Marine crouches down as part of the security perimeter...)

The CH53 is certainly a workhorse, and it's hard to imagine what operations in today's world would look like, if it weren't for the brilliance and perseverance of Mr. DaVinci and Mr. Sikorsky...!

(note: I'm currently working on a painting which shows the UH-1, for all you "Huey" fans...!)

It's All in the Wrist

2010-05-25T20:46:00.008-04:00

I've been painting with gusto lately, trying to explore the border between abstraction and realism in painting, as well as trying to increase my vocabulary regarding texture and surface.

he subject I've been utilizing is perfect for this, which is Haiti (You may recall that I recently deployed to Haiti for Operation Unified Response, the humanitarian assistance action following the devastating earthquake in January).

Haiti is full of the rough and smooth, the dingy and brilliant, frenetic and restful... it is a land of extremes, and thus, as I've been trying to get more expressive with my "mark making" and brushwork, I've found that my photos and sketches from Haiti are good source material.

Here are some process photos to give a glimpse into technique:

Step One: After the sketch, I applied an Imprimatura, a toned wash/glaze.

Next Step: I began Blocking In basic color, starting with the trees and sky...(I used a big brush to force me to be more loose, and I also used the palette knife...

Further Steps: I began defining edges with tonal darks (this will help keep the drawing going during future layers)...

Texture and Form: I applied paint thickly in some areas, and glazy and thin in others, and alternated using brush and palette knife...

(here is the progress from May 26 2010)

Here is another little oil sketch on paper. the subject is a Haitian boy watching our activity from a tree, as other Haitians gather and pick up bags of rice at a Distribution Point in Carrefour. One thing to note is the fact that less can be more as far as brushwork is concerned-- that is, one stroke well and quickly applied, can say a lot more than several slow, tight strokes. I also made sure that some of the underpainting could show through and that the texture of the paper could help depict foliage...

I'll post more photos tomorrow, as these works progress to completion. More to come...!

UPDATE 26 May 2010: Here's the finished product!

(It's hard to see the depth because of the glare on the surface glazes...)

(A detail of the kid's face).

Glory!

2010-05-16T17:36:00.006-04:00

While at Marine Week in Boston, I finally got to see the Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Memorial to the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, near the State House and Boston Commons.

Face of the monument, across the street from the State House

Reverse side of the monument, facing the Commons

A work of true Glory it is!

I'd seen the plaster duplicate at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, along with the great portrait head studies that Mr. Saint-Gaudens did from live models.

This Sculpture took monuments to another level-- a tour guide I met up with there told the crowd there that this was to be his "leader on a horse" sculpture, but he wanted to memorialize the unit as well as the leader.

The sculpture is bas relief, but has in-the-round elements as well. Some of the rifles, the main figure and horse also, are almost completely separate from the background.

The composition is full of energy and movement, and the faces show intense emotion --even the horse has an expression! An interesting part that the tour guide pointed out is that the soldiers to a man show resolute commitment to their cause, and a firm determination to reach their destination and gain the victory.

The horse shows fear and trepidation, however, as if he didn't sign on to what's about to happen!

Another very intriguing thing about the sculpture is the angelic lady at the top of the image, floating above the action, watching over them and urging them on.

She has been called Lady Liberty, and also Victory-- and yet she's not so easy to decipher.

She carries laurels which represent Victory, yet she also holds poppies which represent blood and Sacrifice (they're slightly hidden and more subtle than the laurels). Her expression is forlorn, as if she knows the coming deaths which will shake the regiment before victory is fully realized-- yet she must urge them on. She thus represents Victory through Sacrifice, and the idea that Liberty isn't free.

The entire monument is an experience in itself. Take the time to go see this monument if you can; whether the original in Boston, or the copy in the National Gallery in DC.

It is not only a breathtaking work of art, but also a great monument to the American struggle for Liberty, and a poignant statement about the human spirit in the face of war and sacrifice.

Marine Week Boston

2010-05-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

Marine Week was held in Boston from the 2nd through 9th of May.

I was there with a group of Marines representing the National Museum of the Marine Corps, showcasing the Museum with a static display which featured Marine Corps history, Combat Art, and a video explaining the NMMC and the Marine Corps itself.

Most of the time I was in a WWII period Marine Uniform, the utilities with leggings and the steel pot...

(L to R) Cpl Miller as Continental Marine, SSgt Rapoza as WWI Marine, Me as WWII, and Sgt Bustamante as Vietnam

Cpl Miller needs a chaperon as he wishes to court the lady...

A static display, the "Triple Seven" 155mm Howitzer

It was quite a time. There were static displays for people to see, and Marines from the local Marine Reserve units where demonstrating and answering questions. They had LAVs, "Triple Sevens", all sorts of small arms, an Osprey or two at various locations for people to climb aboard. The Albany Marine Band played several times, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon performed as well (once interrupted by a severe and sudden hail storm!)...

One honor I had was to have some of my artwork on display at the USS Constitution Museum at the Navy Yard in Boston... I got to talk to people looking at the work, and on the 5th of May there was a reception, where I got to speak as the guest artist. I was thrilled to have the opportunity.

I got to see and go aboard the USS Constitution-- it was like being a kid again! They showed us the whole ship, to include parts that civilians can't go in usually. For a history buff and proud American, it was an incredible thing to experience.

Hey, what year is this, anyway?!(No, Mom-- we're not having severe budget cuts in uniforms and equipment!)

Every once in a while I was able to sketch the happenings-- though it was a real difficulty, due to wind & weather, as well as nice citizens coming around to chat me up...!

I also had the honor and privilege of going to Harvard to have some of my art on display for a day at the Forum in the John F. Kennedy School of Government. (click to view the article in Marines.mil)

Sgt. Kristopher J. Battles, the combat artist with the National Museum of the Marine Corps, talks to retired Army Brig. Gen. Kevin T. Ryan, the senior fellow of the John F. Kennedy School of Government for Harvard University, about his art, May 5, 2010. , Cpl. Alicia R. Giron, 5/5/2010 9:56 AM

Awarded for Combat Art

2010-04-29T19:32:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday night, I was honored to be invited to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's 2010 Awards Dinner, where I was selected to receive the Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. Award for combat art, specifically for my work from deployments to Afghanistan and Haiti.

It's a huge honor, and something that I will be proud of years from now when I look back at my time as a combat artist. To be honored for doing the best you can at what you are called to do, and what you love to do, is truly rewarding.

What We Do

2010-04-28T20:00:00.003-04:00

I was reading excerpts from the PBS program, They Drew Fire, and was once again refreshed in my combat artist's spirit, in drinking from the source well of Marine Combat Art-- the writings of Brigadier General Robert L. Denig, Director of Public Relations for the United States Marine Corps in World War II.

He was the creator of the first iteration of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program, which was part of his "Denig's Demons"-- photographers, journalists and artists recruited and trained as Marines, and put into the action to record reality on the front lines.

In describing the purpose for his new Program, he stated:

"Art at any time is food for spiritual growth. The centuries have proved it so. At peace or at war, man cannot live by bread alone. A special case for art in time of war may be made, for it is then that man's spiritual, as well as physical, being is most severely in need of sustaining strength. Whatever provides the people good cheer, material for reflection and inspiration is an essential contribution to a nation's total effort. This is a people's war. The people want to know, need to know, and have a right to know, what is going on."

Gen. Denig also addressed the value of an artist vs a photographer (perhaps even then the photograph was on the ascendancy, and people may have been wondering why the artist was necessary):

" The combat photographer must snap his picture of an action as it happens. If he is busy taking part in the action, as he so often is; if it happens so fast he is unable to adjust his camera in time; if conditions are not good, the action is never recorded- and the picture is never made. The artist, on the other hand, with his photographic eye, can take part in the action, and then paint any moment of it from memory at his leisure. The painter can provide his own lighting; he can give a picture any degree of intensity he desires. He can reconstruct a scene from whatever angle he considers most dramatic, centering attention wherever he wishes."

These artists, photographers and journalists called "Denig's Demons" provided vital information to the public during the war. The American people also gained a large collection of rich and dramatic imagery which gave them a no-frills picture of a difficult and necessary war-- and perhaps the art gave the nation the "good cheer, material for reflection and inspiration" it was so desperately needing.

We combat artists today hope to walk in their boots.

Sharing the Courage

2010-04-25T16:41:00.005-04:00

Since last fall, I've been working with the folks at HQMC PAO, who asked me to help them create a series of graphic illustration pages, which tell the true heroic stories of Marines who have been decorated for valor. The series is titled "Sharing the Courage-- Stories of Marine Corps Heroism".

We just sent off the second one to be published, and it details the heroism of Cpl Jonathan Yale and LCpl Jordan Haerter, who stood their ground in the face of death and saved the lives of 100 people at Joint Security Station Nasser in Ramadi, Iraq in April 2008.

Here is the art, which we have formatted to be similar to a graphic novel (without looking too "comicky"), so that young Marines and people in the culture can be informed and inspired by the actions of real life heroes.

For more information on what happened that day in Ramadi, go here.

This project has made me better appreciate how, even in this day and age, there are still regular Joes, who when put in dangerous and trying situations, come out as honest-to-goodness heroes.

More Haiti Art

2010-04-06T19:16:00.003-04:00

I was able to find a large enough scanner to scan in two of the bigger watercolors I did when I was down in Haiti in February!

The first watercolor is of an old wreck at Carrefour, where the Marines of the 22nd MEU had their BLT 3/2 CP --"LZ Argonaut" it was designated. Specifically, the painting depicts a helo- a "Huey"- heading out from LZ Argonaut, passing above the old wreck of a boat, the victim of some past hurricane or tropical storm, while Haitian children play on its deck and swing from its ropes (a mercy ship and an Italian aircraft carrier are also visible in the background):

The second image depicts a Marine providing security near Distribution Point 16 in Carrefour, Haiti.

One of the Shanty towns that sprang up after the Jan 12th earthquake is also featured (poverty like this really is breathtaking):

In a Past Life at Belleau Wood...

2010-03-29T21:08:00.007-04:00

...I was on the wrong side of history!

I was just sent some photos of the cast figures for the upcoming Belleau Wood Immersion which will open in June 2010 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Last year, we were cast by Taylor Studios to be in the Museum's new exhibits... and now they are nearing completion.

I was cast full-figure as one of the dead German machine gunners from Belleau Wood, who stayed to fight the Marines, and ended up the way shown...

Me in Fiberglass as a dead German at Belleau Wood in June 1918

I'm on the left, as the dead assistant gunner, and Mike Fay is on the right as the dead machine gunner

Look at the detail-- down to mud on the uniform and blood on the face, chest and hands.

Lesson-- never get on the wrong side of United States Marines!

To Paint a Picture of a Country

2010-03-27T12:06:00.001-04:00

What an experience.

While I was thrilled to be back in a country I grew to love when I was a missionary there (1999-2001), I was of course shocked and saddened by the new horrific state of the infrastructure of Haiti.

Dilapidation and lack of sanitation were normal parts of the nation before the earthquake of 12 January-- but to see whole buildings collapsed on every block of Carrefour and Port-au-Prince is something hard to describe, and emotionally beyond comprehension.

Yet the Haitian people are a strong and resolute people, and they were very similarly disposed in attitude as they were when I was there before in their normal devastating poverty...! I mean, on the outside they were almost back to normal a month beyond the quake-- though on the inside I'm sure they all have bigger demons to deal with now.

The Marines were there to provide security, and it seemed on the ground that they were very welcome.
If some had their way, according to what I heard there, they would've had us for longer!

Here are some of the sketches and watercolors I did while there:

Marines guard the BLT HQ compound in Carrefour, in a scene that normally would be on a brochure!

a sign on the beach where Marines were bivouaced...

Quick studies in ink, rapidly trying to record details before people moved!

("It's heavy! Let's Go! Don't block the way! Don't stay there.. go now!")

"Rapid Fire" gesture drawings as people moved quickly at the Distribution Point...

A sketch of a UN soldier watching crowds gather across the street from Distribution Point in Carrefour.

Back from Haiti!

2010-02-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

"Point, Counter Point" At the wall at LZ Argonaut in Carrefour, Haiti

I arrived back "in CONUS" late last night, after two weeks Haiti deployed to Operation Unified Response.

We took a helicopter from the USS Bataan off the coast of Haiti, to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where after two days of changing schedules and last-minute cancelled flights, we finally got a plane to Baltimore.

(More to come on the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the colors of Haiti-- and the Marines who were sent to help her...)

Heading to Haiti

2010-02-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

I've got travel orders to Haiti today with the Marine Corps History Division, to document the activities of the Marine Corps as it continues to offer assistance to the people of that earthquake-ravaged nation.

I am taking my camera, as well as my sketchbooks & pencils, watercolors & brushes, to give a feeling for what's going on there.

I used to live in Haiti, as a missionary for two years, and I learned the language well enough to be an interpretor and a teacher while I was there. I hope that comes in handy as we travel around and interact with the people.

I will let you know how it goes, and will continue to post, if I'm able.

Semper Fi.

Hands-On Sculpture

2010-02-03T20:41:00.008-05:00

I've been busy on other projects lately (pics to come), but thought I'd give an update on the sculpture I've been crafting which will depict Marines in Belleau Wood.

I've been forming the hands, as you know, using wax and wire, and have developed them further, so that they are beginning to be able to hold the rifles...

Starting with hands made using a basic template

Molding the fingers and giving gentle curve to the hands, to begin a grasping shape...

The trigger finger becoming more developed...

Fitting the hand to the stock

Left hand soon to hold the weapon!

Soon, I'll refine the hands-- fleshing out the fingers and defining the knuckles & joints. Once the hand postures are definite and properly matched to the figures, I'll join them solidly to the rifles. After that they'll be cast with the rifles as one piece, and then welded on to the bronze figures, which will be cast separately.

Fix Bayonets!

I also began the Model 1905 bayonets, having traced one out on a piece of basswood, from a template I made to 1/4 scale:

template with dimensions

If the basswood carving doesn't prove to be strong enough (the blade will only be 1/16 " thick), I was shown a way to actually shape the bayonet out of a piece of brass, using a high-speed sander(!). I can't wait to find out-- either method promises to be interesting. I'll take a stab at it, regardless...

I fancy myself on the cutting edge of bayonet sculpting...

Happy Birthday, Norman Rockwell

2010-02-03T18:29:00.005-05:00

Today's the birthday of Norman Rockwell, born the 3rd of February, 1894 (died 1978).

Regardless of one's opinion of his status in the art world or his place in art history (or the vain arguments about the differences between illustrator and fine artist), Rockwell is widely seen as one of the most talented and well-known image makers in American history.

Homecoming Marine by Rockwell, 1945 (I met the man who posed for this painting in Dec 2008 at the Museum)...

So, my hat (or as a Marine should say, my cover) is off to him...

Here is an interesting photo I found today while reading a book by and about one of our WWII combat artists, and currently one of the best Western Sculptors around, Harry Jackson.

Harry was on Tarawa and Saipan, wounded in both actions, before being selected as an official combat artist in 1944. After the war he was friends with Jackson Pollock and several others in the Abstract Expressionist movement, painting in similar manner, before moving out west and pursuing a more representational style.

This photo depicts Norman Rockwell and Harry Jackson chatting in Harry's studio in California in 1945, no doubt the topic of discussion is Harry's combat art... (Rockwell himself was an official artist in the Navy in WWI, but never saw action).

I'm sure Harry is thinking here, "Man, this is the best job in the Corps"-- a sentiment with which I heartily agree...

Haiti

2010-02-02T18:37:00.002-05:00

Haiti's on my mind lately, and I hope I can get orders to go help out along with the Marines that are deploying...

Here are some images I made in the past, from my time living as a missionary in Haiti several years ago:

A sketch I did of old man who used to sit outside the mission on the side of the road and beg (he was poorest among the poor)

A drawing in India ink wash I made from photos I took while on a trip up north of Gonaives (most of the houses are mud and thatch out in the provinces...)

Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T16:59:00.001-05:00

In honor of this 2nd day of February, which is customarily called Groundhog Day I felt I should post this drawing I did last year, which is a logo for the History Division's Marine Corps University Press. (HD used to have their offices in a trailer-- or rather a building composed of several trailer segments, under and around which dwelt many ground hogs--thus becoming the mascot in their logo.

By the way, what is his prognosis for this year's winter...? Did he see his shadow or not? (It's like that "Fall Forward Spring Back thing, I never can figure it out... oh I mean of course Spring Forward Fall Back....)

Sketchpad Warrior

"Fly Marines!" Marine Combat Art on Exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum

Honored!

Fellow Blogger's Christmas Post

Christmas Greetings!

The Agony of Da Feet

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Triple Seven

Cards at Play

Giving Thanks

Salute to the Veterans

Combat Art from the Field-- a Marine Corps Birthday from the Past

I got this today in an email from Jack Dyer (Vietnam Marine combat artist and former curator of the Art Collection):

Happy Birthday, Marines!!

Mule Go 'Round

I Got the Mountain Feevah, and the Only Cure is More Mule Sketches!

"Draw!"

"Targets!"

"Rapid Fire" Sketches on the Range

ART of a Different Kind

Mule Train!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Promoted!! (Updated, with New Rank Insignia!!)

Marine Week St. Louis!

Progress Report: "the Rifleman"

"Ma Deuce" M2 Crew Update

Give 'em "Ma Deuce"!

Going Outside the Wire

VMFA to Allow Crazy Combat Artist Presentation 28 January!!

Combat Artist in Action

Evening Parley

A Great Book of Combat Art From the Great War

C. LEROY BALDRIDGEPVT. A. E. F.

TOGETHER WITH VERSESBYHILMAR R. BAUKHAGEPVT. A. E. F.

THE LINE

"Shot, Out."

As We Go By, They Watch

Burton's Coffee Shop

Blisters at Bridgeport update...

Haiti-- one year ago today, the earth shook

Civil Affairs-- Winning the War, One Heart at a Time

Home on the Range

Making and Recording History

Two Wars, Two Warriors Meet

TBS War Gaming... MOUT City

Armed and Ready

Tarawa

Facing Movement

Got it Covered

MCCCA Merit Award

They Got Brodie...

To Get Ahead...

Bridgeport Blisters

The Iron Sergeant Advances

I Get a Round, Again

Casting the Clay "Kevlar"

Clay Pot

The Iron Sergeant

I Get A Round

Sculpture SitRep

About Faces

Update on "Fix Bayonets!"

"Hangin' on Three!" The Mortar Crew Sets Up

The Nuts and Bolts of Sockfeet and Chauchats

The Bayonet is Honed...

Footy Prints in the Studio

Fix Bayonets!

"Walking Man" goes on Patrol

Building the "Battle Bowler"

Maquette in "Tree" Dimensions

Voila... Chauchat!

The Very Model of a Modern...Belleau Wood Marine

Combat Art Summit- A Mountain Top Experience!

The Build up-- Shaping the (Artistic) Battle Space!

Taking Shape

Progress Measured in Feet (and Legs!)

Torso

Of ACOGs and Iron Sights...

Good Values, Good Read

Expressions, Alla Prima

C. LEROY BALDRIDGE
PVT. A. E. F.

TOGETHER WITH VERSES
BY
HILMAR R. BAUKHAGE
PVT. A. E. F.