Those holding a Peabody Award crafted by Adamson include Maria Shriver, Ladybird Johnson, John Stewart, and Daniel Schorr. Additionally, Adamson constructed a medal given to John Glenn.
Casting bronze is time consuming due to the number of steps involved. An original art piece must be molded first. Adamson rarely works with clay.“ It is quicker to stay in a familiar medium.” Instead, he carves his art in wood.“ This allows for finer details in the finished product. It is stronger and holds up better, though clay has the benefit of twisting and fixing the mold.” The outer mold is pulled off, usually in two pieces, and then put back together before wax is poured into it. Finally, the piece is ready for bronze casting. Adamson has only mixed mediums once, for an unusual combination piece, creating the statue of a white bull made from both bronze and wood.
Requests for bronze slowed as companies shifted toward cheaper plastics. But, Adamson’ s chainsaw carving business took off around the same time. Working from scaffolding, Adamson’ s largest chainsaw piece is at a private estate in Colorado. A 40’ tall, 6’ wide tree was brought to the site where no native trees grew and was set in cement. It is not the size of the artwork that matters.“ You have to figure out the twist, because you have to support the sculpture.”
He claims to“ figure out something new with each and every sculpture.” His chainsaw art includes varied wildlife subjects. Once he completes a carving with power tools, he goes over the sculpture with his hand carving tools for greater detail. Adamson’ s art pieces are natural, stained, burned, or painted.
When asked if he has a favorite wood, Adamson says,“ It depends on what you want to achieve. Some are more brittle than others.”
He does not stain cedar, juniper, or black walnut and he almost always paints pine.
Adamson’ s Brazilian stone sculpture“ requires different tools, but the procedures are the same.” He has sculpted soapstone, alabaster and marble, and would like to try his hand at granite. Most pieces are mounted on a black walnut base, though others stand alone.
A discussion about the many materials Adamson can fashion would not be complete if we did not mention his ice sculpture, though ice is not his favorite medium.“ It’ s cold, your hands freeze, and your art eventually melts.” Using a chainsaw, Adamson has carved a 3’ block of ice that was 18” deep.
You can see Ron Adamson in action at the upcoming The Great Western Living & Design Exhibition in Great Falls, MT March 15-18, 2018.
Adamson has a six-lesson DVD series available for sale, instructing from basic set-up to carving facial features.“ Both the novice and the experienced wood carver can benefit.” The series discusses carving a medicine man, carving a female face, carving a Viking, and some tricks of the trade.
You can follow Adamson’ s work in progress on Facebook https:// www. facebook. com / ron. adamson. 98 and see the natural space he calls his office or purchase your own Adamson sculpture, at www. ronadamson. com
22 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE