January – February 2010

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Sashay

Here’s news from Kevin Caron.
In this issue, a January event cancellation,
information about upcoming events, another new gallery affiliation,
a sassy new sculpture, and the magic of steel that likes rust. Enjoy!

Feel free to forward this email newsletter to your
friends and other art lovers.

What’s
New?

What’s
That?

Something Special Just for You

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WHAT’S NEW?

January Event Cancelled

Unfortunately, Kevin’s Artist Brunch at Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn has been cancelled. It was scheduled for this Sunday, January 24. “Lon’s is a lovely place at this time of year,” Kevin says. “Unfortunately, there was a mix-up on dates, but you can still enjoy lunch at this beautiful place.”

Visit the Web site for more information about the Artist Brunch and Lon’s.

Spring Abounds With Events

In February, Kevin’s sculpture After Escher will be included in the Contemporary Forum’s 2010 Art Auction. “I’m honored to have this piece accepted for the 2010 auction,” Kevin says. “Last February, it was such a thrill to see my piece Wild Swiss displayed in an art museum and then auctioned off at the top of its price range,” Kevin says.

The 2010 auction will be held Saturday, February 20 at the Phoenix Art Museum. For more information about the auction and the Contemporary Forum, which is a special interest group of the museum, visit the Contemporary Forum site.

Also in February, Kevin is pleased to host a studio tour for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art docents. “It will be fun to visit with the docents, show them some of the equipment and what it does, as well as share some of the history of the studio,” Kevin says. “People seem to get a kick out of its background.”

In March, Kevin also welcomes members of the Spirit of the Senses for a studio visit. Last January, Kevin spoke to the members of this fascinating organization about his work; now, they can see how he creates it. “People love to get inside the process,” Kevin says.

Enjoy your own virtual tour of Kevin’s studio in the studio photo gallery. If you’d like to visit the studio in person, just contact us.

Finally, on Friday, April 9, Kevin is participating in Masterpieces and Martinis, a fundraiser for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix, a nonprofit group that enriches the community by connecting business and the arts. ABCGP has come up with a really clever fundraiser – Kevin is looking forward to the event. We’ll keep you posted!

Vision Gallery

Vision Gallery Showing Kevin’s Work

Another gallery is now carry Kevin’s work. Vision Gallery, which is owned and operated by the city of Chandler, Arizona, is now carrying a number of Kevin’s sculptures, including Genome Project and Tink. “I’m honored to have my work available at Vision Gallery,” says Kevin.

The gallery is located in Chandler’s historic San Marcos Square at 80 S. San Marcos Place in Chandler and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, visit the Vision Gallery Web site or call 480-917-6859.

In the Studio: Sweet and Sassy

Sashay towers over Kevin during fabrication

While he works slowly but steadily on the Klein bottle, another piece took center stage. “She just insisted I work on her,” says Kevin about his 9-foot-tall steel sculpture Sashay.

Building on the form of his piece Torsional Twist, Sashay, which demanded to be seen above as you opened your newsletter, definitely has an attitude. “Her spirit became evident almost immediately,” Kevin observes. “How could I do anything but comply?”

Sashay is made of weathering steel (often known by the brand name Cor-ten), a special metal that has its own entrancing properties (see below).

Find out more about Sashay, including links to movies about her creation, on on her own page on the Web site.

In Video: TIG Welding: Handling the Tungsten

In addition to videos about making the sculpture Sashay, Kevin has been enjoying responding to YouTube requests. His latest video explains some of the intricacies of using the TIG welder – check it out in the Videos section.

WHAT’S THAT?

In this issue, we focus on a special material ….

Rust That Rests

Every type of steel seems to have its own personality. Because of the different alloys used to make it, some steel has more spring to it; some seems to resist grinding; other steel is almost brittle.

Weathering steel, which is often known by one of its popular brand names, Cor-ten, is one of the most unusual types, though: it uses rust to seal its own surface.

When using steel, the goal is almost always to prevent it from rusting. Sculptors, bridge builders and other professionals often use powder coating, special paints and other coatings to protect the surface from rust, which eats away at the metal (as musician Neil Young astutely observed, “Rust never sleeps”).

Originally developed by the steel industry for train coal cars, weathering steel, however, has special alloys, including a high copper content, that lets the steel oxidize uniformly, thereby sealing the surface and simplifying maintenance.

Kevin with Sashay and an untouched piece of weathering steel

According to Wikipedia, this special steel isn’t appropriate for locales with salty air, and it can rust through if water is allowed to puddle on it, but the result is generally a beautiful, warm patina.

Sculptor Richard Serra uses weathering steel for his massive works, and Kevin has used it for his pieces Möbius and now Sashay.

Kevin used his MIG welder to create both of these pieces, and he made sure he used welding wire specifically for weathering steel. “I wanted each sculpture to look like a solid piece of steel,” he explains. “If I used regular wire, it would be obvious where I had joined the pieces to create the form.”

As you see in one of the videos about Sashay, Kevin then just watered the sculpture to give it its velvety patina. “It really is amazing,” Kevin says.

Visit Wikipedia to learn more about weathering steel.

If you’d like to
know more about a specific tool, material or process, let us know. Email
us at info@kevincaron.com

SOMETHING SPECIAL JUST FOR YOU

Looking for a way to
make life more joyful and peaceful for yourself or a
friend who seems to have everything? A sculpture, fountain or
garden bell might just be the answer. Besides, you have an
“in” – you know the artist!

And it’s easy: Just
email info@kevincaron.com or
call 602-952-8767 to arrange for a private complimentary consultation. Or contact us if you would simply like to visit Kevin’s studio – he’d love to give you a personal tour.

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For more frequent
news, sights and sounds, keep an eye on Kevin’s Web site at www.kevincaron.com, which
we update often.

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issue of MUSeINGS, or you know someone who is looking for a
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CONTACT US: Kevin Caron – 5831 N. 46th Pl. –
Phoenix AZ 85018-1236 – 602-952-8767 – info@kevincaron.com –
www.kevincaron.com

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