Untitled Document

The Acrobat Series: "Effortless" Steel and stainless steel
Photography By Greg Knott 2013

Last week, Chris Erney noticed a new endorsement of his work: forehead prints on his studio window. "I guess that’s a compliment!" he says with a grin, pointing out the gently swaying fish sculptures that Torpedo Factory visitors were apparently straining to see—fine examples of one artist's knack for combining nature’s beauty with mathematics and industrial design.

Erney's studio is a vast, eye-popping place: Among the brushes, clay, and the usual artist's tools, you can't miss the saws and sanders, welding masks, massive wrenches, even flasks of acid—all the rough stuff Erney needs to bring forth works of unexpected grace, from the recently commissioned mobile "Wind and Wings" to angelic sculptures destined for display at the Federal Reserve and a private home in Arlington.

With the coming of spring, Erney's studio is alive with inspiration. On a wall festooned with mythological figures, a satyr celebrates; nearby, stainless-steel seedlings germinate and spread their leaves in an elegant ode to the season. There's math behind their beauty: Erney's seedlings are his latest works based on the Fibonacci series of numbers, and he's busy using various media to explore the branches and spirals they form.

These days, Erney isn't just thinking big; he's working big as well. You've seen his creations on building facades around Washington, and in 2009 he spruced up a dingy section of Alexandria's Mount Vernon Trail with a remarkable 1,200-foot-long mural about the life of George Washington. He's currently brainstorming designs for large monuments, and his background in designing medical devices means that there’s a practical sensibility behind even his new stainless-steel wave-and-fish panels: They can be hung one at a time or connected in endless, modular rows and installed by anyone who can fit two screws into a wall.

Angels, monsters, curling seedlings, of fish—to visit Erney's studio is to see artwork unbounded by subject and scale and to glimpse deep connections between nature and man. "It'd be wrong to think there are gaps between technology, art, and the way a fern in my garden unfurls," Erney says.

In addition to finished works shown in my photo galleries, each month I try to show you something new you might see wandering around my real-world studio. So, even if you are unable to visit Studio 33 as often as you'd like, you can always stop back here and see what's new -Online. I hope you enjoy looking at these sketches, works-in-progress and models. Remember to stop back here frequently to see what's new in Studio 33.

Need Restoration and Repair of Artwork?

I am one of the few people in the VA/DC/MD area who restore damaged work for other artists, collectors and galleries. Don't look at that broken, bent or chipped sculpture for another year! Get it out of the back of the closet! I have a portfolio of repairs and a long list of satisfied clients. In many cases I can give you a range for the repair cost from an emailed photo of the damaged item to save you a trip. Remember, if something breaks -please DO NOT throw away any of the broken pieces!
[Click here to email me]

(Below)
This antique had a previous attempt at a repair with a poor glue-job making things more challenging. My repair is shown on the right.

The city of Alexandria recently launched their new branding campaign "Extraordinary Alexandria" a 2 1/2 minute short film. The film features several local people, restaurateurs, business owners and even a quick glimpse at 1:40 of Chris Erney -grinding steel in a shower of sparks. The video clip is similar to the image shown at the left. Click [HERE] to watch!

This Fort Ethan Allen project has been in the works for about two and a half years. This model below shows one of 68 civil war era forts that were quickly built around the DC to protect it from attack. Fort Ethan Allen guarded the Chain Bridge to Georgetown. As of October the bronze piece has been cast and it has been mounted on it's granite base. It will be the centerpiece of an outdoor exhibit currently under construction. The dedication should be around April 1 2014. I'll have a more photos of it at that time.

Christopher	E	RNEY
Photo Galleries: Large Project Samples The Human Form As Art Artwork for Sale How To: Commission Artwork Visit Studio 33 Christopher Erney: News and Press Biography Resume
		February 2014 Looking for custom residential or commercial artwork? Contact Chris Erney: Phone 703-362-4416 Email ChrisErney@yahoo.com What type of artwork do you create? Though I often am asked to create works that are more "realistic" and classically styled, as you explore the photo galleries listed at the left, you will find a wide variety of artistic styles. ... You will see classical-styled terra-cotta figures, metal sculptures created in a modern graphic style, and even Trompe L'oeil mural paintings. I create artwork in nearly any material and in all scales of size. The largest artwork I have created was 1,200 feet long and the smallest, a bronze award coin, was just over two inches. So please don't be intimidated, if you have something in mind, no matter what the size or material, stop by the studio and we'll go over the options for your project. Fish! Stop by studio 33 to see the stainless steel fish, ocean-themed panels, and flying fish. Take one home for as little as $59. Groundswell Communications opened a new office space at 101 North Union Street and were excited to find that this stainless steel wave sculpture fit perfectly in their water themed space. I installed three of five fish panels last month, the photo below shows all five panels now in place, 17 feet of waves in their lobby. It looked wonderful! I currentl;y have one tinted wave/fish panel on display and for sale. It is constructed from 1/8" stainless plate and is 40 inches wide, 20 inches tall and and is 4-1/2 inches off the wall to produce wonderful shadows. "Blue Waves" Stainless Steel sculpture sells for $995 shipping included. "Flickering Flames" Install Three new aluminum flame sculptures were delivered to a very cool new multi-family building -Beacon Hill located in Alexandria, VA. (Above) Photo of the new Beacon Hill Residences Are Those ...Carved Skulls?! Yes they are! I have been working with bone carving artist Zane Wylie on designing and casting carved human skulls. My museum-quality replica of the real carved skull sell for $250 each in Studio33. We currently have four designs. Check out the original skulls on his website or stop by my studio to see the replicas ...and which one we are working on next!	Wounded Warrior Center, Bethesda, MD I have started constructing three new sculptural wall pieces for the Wounded Warrior Center located in Bethesda, MD. It is an honor to be selected to create artwork for this facility. I will post photos as they are completed. Torpedo Factory 2014 I was elect to be the TFAA president this year. This is a unusually important year for the Torpedo Factory as Alexandria's waterfront development plan begins to gain momentum. We need a lot of things, one of them is more visibility. Besides traditional advertising, what else could we do? What would actually be FUN to do and make people all over town think "Torpedo Factory?" I think we need a Torpedo Bike. Alexandria's own Velocity Bike Co-Op will lend their bicycle knowledge and I will construct the Torpedo-esque body in metal shop 33. GreenSpeed Bikes Australia has offered us a rock bottom deal on a "reverse trike" recumbent bike. Together we will construct this human powered vehicle. The Torpedo Bike will appear all around town. Residents and tourists will see it zipping through the farmer's market each Saturday, parked along the waterfront and it would be a feature of the large parades Alexandria hosts throughout the year. Who knows? It might even inspire it's own art bike parade. Now that would be cool. "Quality Italian" Boar Mascot A new eatery "Quality Italian," the Italian spin-off of the popular steak house "Quality Meats" opened on 57W 57th street in NYC recently. The image below shows the white-on white boar's head (mascot) that I sculpted for them measuring 18 inches. New Alexandria Hotel The Alexandria Planning Commission approved plans Tuesday to build a six-story hotel at the corner of Prince Street and Daingerfield Road. I am working with the architects on a design for a public art sculpture for the front of the building. (Above) Artist rendering of the planned "Prince Street Hotel." Stainless Steel Seed Series "Potential" One of the newer sets of work you will see in the studio is titled "Potential" -which consists of large steel and stainless steel seeds sprouting. The hammered stainless steel and steel seeds (Below) feature an acid wash patina and hot wax colors. They range from 14 to 18 inches high and are inspired by the mahogany nuts I used to see wash up on the shores of Key Largo, Florida as a child. Photography By Greg Knott 2013	The Acrobat Series: "Effortless" Steel and stainless steel Photography By Greg Knott 2013 "Myth and nature by the numbers: the many media of Chris Erney" Torpedo Factory Blog Post by Jeff Sypeck Last week, Chris Erney noticed a new endorsement of his work: forehead prints on his studio window. "I guess that’s a compliment!" he says with a grin, pointing out the gently swaying fish sculptures that Torpedo Factory visitors were apparently straining to see—fine examples of one artist's knack for combining nature’s beauty with mathematics and industrial design. Erney's studio is a vast, eye-popping place: Among the brushes, clay, and the usual artist's tools, you can't miss the saws and sanders, welding masks, massive wrenches, even flasks of acid—all the rough stuff Erney needs to bring forth works of unexpected grace, from the recently commissioned mobile "Wind and Wings" to angelic sculptures destined for display at the Federal Reserve and a private home in Arlington. With the coming of spring, Erney's studio is alive with inspiration. On a wall festooned with mythological figures, a satyr celebrates; nearby, stainless-steel seedlings germinate and spread their leaves in an elegant ode to the season. There's math behind their beauty: Erney's seedlings are his latest works based on the Fibonacci series of numbers, and he's busy using various media to explore the branches and spirals they form. These days, Erney isn't just thinking big; he's working big as well. You've seen his creations on building facades around Washington, and in 2009 he spruced up a dingy section of Alexandria's Mount Vernon Trail with a remarkable 1,200-foot-long mural about the life of George Washington. He's currently brainstorming designs for large monuments, and his background in designing medical devices means that there’s a practical sensibility behind even his new stainless-steel wave-and-fish panels: They can be hung one at a time or connected in endless, modular rows and installed by anyone who can fit two screws into a wall. Angels, monsters, curling seedlings, of fish—to visit Erney's studio is to see artwork unbounded by subject and scale and to glimpse deep connections between nature and man. "It'd be wrong to think there are gaps between technology, art, and the way a fern in my garden unfurls," Erney says. About My Website In addition to finished works shown in my photo galleries, each month I try to show you something new you might see wandering around my real-world studio. So, even if you are unable to visit Studio 33 as often as you'd like, you can always stop back here and see what's new -Online. I hope you enjoy looking at these sketches, works-in-progress and models. Remember to stop back here frequently to see what's new in Studio 33. Need Restoration and Repair of Artwork? I am one of the few people in the VA/DC/MD area who restore damaged work for other artists, collectors and galleries. Don't look at that broken, bent or chipped sculpture for another year! Get it out of the back of the closet! I have a portfolio of repairs and a long list of satisfied clients. In many cases I can give you a range for the repair cost from an emailed photo of the damaged item to save you a trip. Remember, if something breaks -please DO NOT throw away any of the broken pieces! [Click here to email me] (Below) This antique had a previous attempt at a repair with a poor glue-job making things more challenging. My repair is shown on the right. Extraordinary Alexandria! The city of Alexandria recently launched their new branding campaign "Extraordinary Alexandria" a 2 1/2 minute short film. The film features several local people, restaurateurs, business owners and even a quick glimpse at 1:40 of Chris Erney -grinding steel in a shower of sparks. The video clip is similar to the image shown at the left. Click [HERE] to watch! Fort Ethan Allen Bronze Model UPDATE This Fort Ethan Allen project has been in the works for about two and a half years. This model below shows one of 68 civil war era forts that were quickly built around the DC to protect it from attack. Fort Ethan Allen guarded the Chain Bridge to Georgetown. As of October the bronze piece has been cast and it has been mounted on it's granite base. It will be the centerpiece of an outdoor exhibit currently under construction. The dedication should be around April 1 2014. I'll have a more photos of it at that time.
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