The Longship has been Launched

After many delays, the button was finally pushed last night and www.jorn.com is currently migrating to its new host (from Word Press to its new home on Weebly). I am told this process will take 24-48 hours to complete. Consequently, this is the last post I will have here.

The URL (www.jorn.com) will remain the same and those following me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Etsy, etc. will likewise be unaffected by the change. It is only those who chose to follow me directly on this blog that will need to re-opt in once the newly designed site has propagated in order to continue receiving email alerts when I have a new blog posted.

My first blog entry on the new platform will be posted on Friday and will be titled “A Journey of Self Discovery.” So, if this pops up in your email box on Friday, you don’t need to do anything. If it doesn’t, simply go to www.jorn.com and re-follow the blog and that should fix it for you.

My reason for the switch is simple – I wanted to add a free-standing storefront, membership/subscription functions and an integrated newsletter as well as several other exciting new features that WordPress does not currently offer.

I am extremely excited about the new site and have many plans for it in 2018. It will offer many new opportunities for those who follow and collect my work as well as those with a general interest in Norse mythology and the Viking Age. I hope you will all join me on this journey.

~Aric

No Viking Left Behind

Following an extremely busy art show season and struggling with the limitations of my current Web site, I have decided to switch Web platforms to better serve my growing tribe of patrons, collectors and supporters.

What does this mean for you?  If you currently follow my blog at http://www.jorn.com and want to continue doing so, you will need to journey with me to my new web platform. The domain name (www.jorn.com) will actually remain the same, but you will no longer receive updates from the previous platform (WordPress) once this switch is made and will need to re-follow me on the new platform to ensure you continue to receive my communications.

The transition will happen in about a week and I am sharing this with you all now to ensure no viking is left behind.  I will post here again once the site and the blog have landed in their new home and share with you all the exciting new features that will be available.

Skål,
~Aric Jorn

Viking Prow: Drakkar

After a long delay and many requests from collectors, the second piece in my Viking Prow series is now in production and available for order.

This series was originally conceived as a tribute to the mystery and majesty of ancient Scandinavian culture during the Viking Era in general, and specifically to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings. These twin battles mark what many consider to be the end the Viking Era. However, since the Normans (or North Men) who ultimately conquered England by defeating Harold II’s Anglo-Saxon army at Hastings in 1066 were themselves the descendants of Vikings, it is also the completion of a great story arc.

Like the first in the series released in 2015 (Viking Prow: Coiled Serpent), this second piece in the series stands an impressive 17 inches tall (slightly taller than the first) and is also a bit beefier overall with bolder lines and details. This is meant to reflect the brute power of the drakkar (dragon). Weighing about 4 pounds, it is a solid piece meant to stand on desk, shelf or pedestal.

Each sculpture in this series is strictly limited to 95 signed and numbered castings along with a handful of artist proofs. They are cast, assembled and painted by hand, then clear-coated for a long life.

When this bold and brutish Viking Prow: Drakkar is placed beside the smoother lines and fine detail of the Serpent Prow, they are a wonderful pair. I am keen to make enough difference between each prow in this series that, were one to collect them all, they would have enough variety to represent a fleet of individually crafted ships.

An extremely limited number (10 to be exact) of these prows have been reserved as matched pairs, allowing you to have the corresponding edition number in both pieces. You can discover more about this opportunity here.

As always, I thank my patrons who allow me to continue doing what I love.

~Aric Jorn

Moving Pictures

No, this isn’t a post about my favorite Rush album nor a piece on early American cinema, but rather a quick year end announcement. Last Tuesday, I packed up my car to deliver half a dozen pieces for two public exhibitions in which I am involved.

The first is the premier exhibit at The Gallery, a new fine art venue in Saginaw (the Grand Opening of which was this past Friday night). Hanging alongside other noted Michigan artists, several of my pieces will be on display in rotation now through June 2017. The gallery is housed in the historic Bancroft building at E. Genesee and S. Water Street on the banks of the Saginaw River. This latest cultural attraction boasts 5,000 square feet of gallery space and I am delighted to be a part of it.

Two of my pieces were also selected as part of the Farmington Hills Public Art Program. They will be on display at the City Hall of Farmington Hills now through December 2018. Having had a sneak preview of the other 70 works to be included during this two-year exhibit, I highly encourage you to check it out if you are in the area. City Hall is located at 31555, 11 Mile road in Farmington Hills, MI 48336.

I am truly excited for these and all the other opportunities that have come my way this year and cannot wait to share with you all that is in store for 2017. Until then, have a wonderful Winter Solstice, a joyful Yule, a merry Christmas, etc.

~Aric Jorn

In Honor of the Last Viking Invasion

950 years ago, two battles took place that mark what most consider to be the end of the Viking Age. In September 1066 at the battle of Stamford Bridge, an English army under King Harold Godwinson defeated the invading forces of the Norwegian King, Harald Hardrada, and his ally, the English king’s brother, Tostig Godwinson. By battle’s end, both Hardrada and Tostig along with most of the Norwegians lay dead on the field.

Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his Saxon army was defeated in turn by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings just a few short weeks later. Ironically, the Normans (or “North Men”) who ultimately emerged victorious were themselves the descendants of Vikings, so it could fairly be argued that, while Hardrada lost, the Norse ultimately did succeed in conquering all of England.

To celebrate the Viking Age and the sea kings who left their indelible mark throughout Europe, on this 950th anniversary I am offering NINE of my Viking Prows at FIFTY dollars off through OCTOBER 14, 2016. The proceeds from these sales will fund my first official bronze edition in 2017 so you’ll not only get one of these prows at a great price, but you’ll be helping me expand my studio to include .

~Aric

 

 

Bracing for the Maelstrom

June ended on a wonderful note when the Fountain Square Art Festival honored me with the first place award for “Best in 3D Mixed Media & Sculpture.” This was my first show in Chicago as a sculptor and it was great fun to spend some time in my favorite city again.

Since returning home, I have been hard at work preparing for my most ambitious month yet – four shows in four weeks. Apart from all the production, I will also be unveiling a new piece at one of the shows.

So, for those who would like to see my work in person, here’s where to find me over the next month…

Tomorrow I leave for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, July 14-17. Sunshine magazine ranks this 4-day event the top juried art show in the USA and I am honored to be one of the showing artsts. You’ll find me in BOOTH B-39

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Two days after returning home, it’s off to the Ann Arbor Summer Arts Fair. This was one of the most enjoyable shows I did last year (not to mention the largest), and I highly recommend it to anyone in the A2 area July 21-24. You’ll find me in BOOTH 275 on Liberty and Main)

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Next stop will be the Huron Valley Arts Festival. This one-day event (July 30 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) will pack a lot of art in just 7 hours. (You’ll find me in BOOTH 3)

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Finally, August 6 & 7 will find me at Fine Art at the Village. This two-day event is in Rochester Hills and, for those in the area who are not able to make the Art & Apples show in September, this is a great opportunity to see some art in the Rochester Hills area. The fair takes place amidst a high-end outdoor shopping mall (You’ll find me at the South end of the fair by the Whole Foods at BOOTH 6)

I hope to see you at one of these shows.

~Aric Jorn

 

Free Trade from the North

With such a good start to my year, I want to thank all those who follow me and collect my work – both in the USA and around the world – with a rare promotion. For the entire month of June, all domestic orders (of $150 or more) will ship for free to anyone who follows my studio online. International clients will receive an instant $25 shipping reduction at checkout.

Regardless of how you choose to engage with my work – whether through my blog or on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or ETSY – your support and patronage is what allows me to continue sculpting and I sincerely appreciate your support.

To take advantage of this offer, simply follow one of my accounts (and if you’re reading this, you probably follow one already) and use the codes below at checkout on my ETSY store:

Domestic clients:  VikingShip2016
International clients:    VikingLongShip2016

Skål !!
~Aric Jorn

Viking Prows: Setting Sail

It has been extremely exciting to see my VIKING PROW: COILED SERPENT come to fruition after kicking around in my head for several years – and what a joy to hear the response from collectors and fair goers who have brought it into their homes and offices or stopped in to discuss them with me over the summer art show season.

This piece became available in June (after several frustrating production delays). Now, only five (5) remain of the initial batch of twenty and these will be the last ones available until after the holidays. So, if there is a deserving Viking in your life, you can claim one at etsy.com/shop/Jivotica 

For those who may not know about this piece, it is a tribute to the mighty sea kings of ancient Scandinavia (the Vikings) whose reach extended from Constantinople to North America and from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea between the 8th and 11th centuries. It is modeled after one of the most famous archeological finds in Scandinavian history – the Oseberg ship. The piece seeks to capture a sense of the majesty, mystery and artistic flair of ancient Scandinavian culture.

My VIKING PROW: COILED SERPENT weighs about 3 pounds and stands roughly 16 inches tall. It is strictly limited to 95 signed/numbered castings and a handful of artist proofs. Each piece is hand painted, weathered and sealed (so no two are exactly alike). It comes with a signed COA/story card as well.

Many thanks to all those who have commented on – or purchased – one of these Prows. Your support and patronage is what drives me forward as an artist and allows me to make a living doing so.

~Aric Jorn

Sculpting Myth: Triptych Tile series

Today I’m sharing a new series that I started this spring – I call them Triptych Tiles and each one seeks to capture the essence of a mythological story or idea in three, four-inch tiles. Those who found me at any of my spring/summer shows (Farmington, Birmingham, Ann Arbor or Lansing) got a sneak peek at these as I experimented with various finishes, patinas and framing options. I have been overjoyed at the response they have received so far and both are now available in the Jivotica Gallery Shop.

FISHING FOR JORMUNGAND
This triptych captures the story of Thor as he fishes for the Midgard Serpent, Jormungand (Jörmungandr). Long before Captain Ahab set out to find Moby Dick, Thor was after something vastly larger, for the Midgard Serpent was so large it encircled all of Midgard and was a source of dread for the Aesir Gods themselves. With hammer held aloft, Thor waits for his nemisis to take the bait. When he does, Thor pulls on the line so hard that his feet break through the bottom of the boat. The struggle continues for a time but eventually, Thor is obliged to give up the chase. Although this encounter proves inconclusive, the two are destined to meet once more in combat at the great, world-ending battle of Ragnarok, during which each will die at the hands of the other.

RATATOSK
The second triptych depicts the great world tree, Yggdrasil, and three of its more notable denizens. High in the canopy is Eagle (interestingly, the only important character in Norse mythology never to be identified with a proper name). Eagle represents the positive aspects of creation (the ordered cosmos). Beneath the tree is Nidhoggr (who’s name means “He who strikes with Malice”). He is a dragon who despises creation and is attempting to bring about its destruction by gnawing at the roots of Yggdrasil and drawing the cosmos back into chaos. Between them is Ratatosk the trickster – a squirrel who delights in running up and down the trunk of Yggdrasil, spreading gossip and insults between the Eagle above and the dragon below, ensuring that they will forever be at odds.

Each piece in the Triptych Tile series will be strictly limited to 50 signed & numbered castings in each of three finishes (in the case of these first two piece, the finishes are copper, brass and stone.) Each triptych comes beautifully mounted and framed, accompanied by a signed COA/story card that tells the tale upon which the art is based.

If you are interested in acquiring either of these triptychs, you can find them in the Jivotica Gallery Shop.

A SPECIAL NOTE: Although I will be devoting an entire blog entry to it next week, I would like to acknowledge that the photography for these pieces is the work of my dear friend, wonderful photographer and fellow creative spirit, Donna Kert, of Life in Focus Studio.

Sculpting Myths: Mjölnir

Last year, I made the decision to walk away from several other ventures to concentrate on my sculpting and bring my vision for Jivotica to life.  That vision is to create art that celebrates the human spirit and imagination as it finds expression through culture, myth and story.

Perhaps it is my Scandinavian blood, fired up by Thursday night’s season premier of Vikings but I couldn’t be more excited to introduce the first piece in my new line of relief and free-standing sculptures – Mjölnir: the Hammer of Thor.

My inspiration for this piece is a well-documented artifact found in Skåne, Sweden that is held in the collections at the Historical Museum in Stockholm. Although I put my own spin on this raven-headed hammer, I also wanted to remain true to the original. There have been many attempts to capture Mjolnir as wearable art, but I wanted to create something larger that could be framed and hung on the wall – something that looked like an artifact from an archeological dig.

Initially offered in two finishes – stone and steel – they are produced in durable stone/metal-infused resin, accented with a lowlight painting technique to bring out every detail and sealed to ensure a long life. Each piece is then mounted and showcased in a high-quality shadow box.

This piece is the first of many reliefs and sculptures in this line, a new addition to which will be unveiled at the end of every month along with information on any upcoming shows where you can see my work in person. Each piece will also be available at the Jivotica store on Etsy.

I’d love to hear what you all think of this piece, and welcome comments below.

~Aric Jorn