No, this isn’t a movie review…I haven’t seen the movie “The Power of the Dog”. Regardless, the title is relevant for me for many reasons. If you’ve ever had a pet, you know how much that animal can change your life. Our dog Bodie definitely changed mine. But this story is about a different dog – or dogs – Otis and Olive, and how they changed my life.
A little backstory . . . a few years ago, I was given the opportunity to create Stan and Otis – sculptures of a man and his dog. As Stan was about eight and a half feet tall, creating these sculptures was a huge challenge for me. I had never worked on anything this big or anything that represented living beings. Trying to get proportions and physical characteristics correct was all new to me, and for some ‘parts’ it was a trial and error process. I cut off Stan’s shoulders more than once, but I ultimately left Stan’s oh so perfectly shaped buttocks. I met this challenge as best I could, and to my surprise, as these sculptures came to life, not only did they give me a huge sense of pride, but they also touched my heart.
As I worked on Stan, I posted progress on social media. Stan’s legs, torso, hands, shoulders, and head – they all came together. As Otis the dog was taking shape, you followed along too. An old 55 gallon barrel drum with a weathered teal-blue hue was perfect for his fur. And Otis, just like Stan, came to life in my studio. When I added the final touch to Stan – the signature teal colored cut out heart – I could feel the collective awwww on social media.
Not only did Stan and Otis touch my heart – they touched yours too.
So, last year, when Otis was stolen from his permanent home in Sacramento, I was heartbroken. I had already given up creating my welded art, so I was resigned to thinking Stan would be alone forever. I had no way to create another sculpture like Otis.
Believe me, those were dark days. Not only because Otis was taken away, but also because my ability to continue my passion was also taken away. One day I had been welding and creating metal art, and the next day I wasn’t. A year later, when I went back to clear out my studio, it was just as I left it – with a project in the middle of creation on my welding table. Life had moved on, but it felt as if my life hadn't.
But the power of the dog stayed with me. For months, Otis was in my thoughts. I knew nothing could replace him, just like nothing truly replaces a dog that we love and lose. But I kept thinking about him. I taped up images of Otis in my studio to keep me thinking. During those days, even though he was gone, Otis stayed with me – as our pets always do.
Through months of battling my own depression, I was determined to figure out how to create a new companion for Stan. He couldn’t live out his existence with his arms outstretched into nothingness.
I took images of Otis and traced his silhouette, adding the patterns of his metal fur. Maybe I was on to something. Maybe I could create a two-dimensional version of a dog that would be a companion for Stan. The idea for Olive was born.
In my college engineering days, I did a little bit of computer-aided design (CAD). But that was over 30 years ago (yikes!). But I’d done enough computer drawing and editing to feel confident I could pick it up again I for something as simple as this. After all, it was just a 2-dimensional drawing. How difficult could that be? I started looking online and found a few virtual CAD classes through the maker space Hacker Lab. Sign me up! In those few sessions, I learned how to draw a 2-dimensional version of a dog like Otis, and my confidence started to grow. Next was figuring out a 3-dimensional base. If this all worked out, Olive would be inside with Stan, so she needed something to stand on. The Hacker Lab CAD classes taught me just enough to successfully model the complete design of Olive standing on her hind legs reaching up to Stan. MicroForm Precision, a local sheet metal shop, cut and fabricated Olive, and I added the finishing touches of color to closely match the color of Otis.
In this “short” version, the process was smooth. In reality, though, it was full of starts and stops, frustration, and yes, depression. I worked on Olive’s design and toyed with other possible creations for new art. I had some good days but honestly, there were a lot of dark days and sadness, even with the glint of a new start of a creative outlet. But that’s another story.
Even before solidifying Olive’s design, I started thinking about what else I could create using similar design concepts. I started using some of my previous pieces and drawings as inspiration. How would these look using cut out metal instead of welded metal? How could I use “cold connections” instead of welded “hot connections”? And what materials lend themselves to this? Olive’s design set me on a new path.
Initially, I tried to work on complex designs, reminiscent of the organic weld patterns in my previous work, but it was a bit too overwhelming for me to figure out. So, I took a step back and decided to work on something simpler that I had worked on in the past – hearts.
I’d already bought a desktop cutting tool that I used to create Olive’s paper prototype. I honed the heart designs using paper and scoured the internet for unique connector hardware (nuts, bolts, spacers, cord). I searched for new material suppliers – but still more fits and starts. I had a lot to learn, and I was disappointed quite a bit.
And when the first successful design finally came together, I loved it. And I couldn’t wait to do a whole series of freelove hearts.
The rest, as they say, is history – or really, just the beginning of this story. Who knew when I created Stan and Otis, the power that Otis, the dog, would have on my life. Because of Otis, I began to understand the emotional connection to my art. And because Otis was stolen, I ventured to create Olive, a new companion for Stan. And because I created Olive, I found a new way to create my art, and more importantly, a new way to bring that passion, and that spark, back into my life.
now that's what I call . . .
the
power
of the
dog.
