Greetings!
Cory here, it's been a long time coming, and we'd thought the opportunity had all but vanished, as our larger than life Fishboy sculpture was finally surrendered to be scrap for other works.
For just under two years he lay in pieces in the woods behind Brian's shop as we sought funding to give him a permanent home to be enjoyed by many.
A temporary version of Fishboy was created by Brian Somerville and I from a small maquette sculpture I made out of clay. We worked at a maddening pace to finish him in two weeks time for my show titled Here Lies Cory Basil, which was put on by the wonderful art lovers at OZ Arts Nashville, a retrospective of sorts featuring a vast array of my creative endeavors.
One month ago I received an unexpected phone call – in short, an opportunity to resurrect Fishboy. After much negotiation and planning I am beyond thrilled to announce that Fishboy, once completed, will have a permanent home in downtown Nashville. He will live at the all new First Tennessee Park, which houses baseball's Nashville Sounds. The Sounds are building a miniature golf course down the right field line and Fishboy will sit in view of the stadium seats at hole number eight, aptly titled, Fishboy's Perilous Putt.
Brian and I are once again under the gun with a small window of time to complete Fishboy before the opening of the putting course. The old wooden frame had to be replaced with a steel one, causing a Frankenstein approach to piecing the styrofoam innards around his new skeleton. Once rebuilt, we must make ready for him to live outside and take a beating from the weather, small children, and adults with putters ... who've most likely consumed too much of the poison.
I am documenting our construction of Fishboy with a GoPro, giving us a fun look at many, many hours of work in just seconds, via time-lapse. Check back with this News Feed and sign up for our mailing list to remain afloat on my creative stream.
And lastly, a question that I've been asked over and again since the release of The Perils of Fishboy: A Tale Split in Two ... WHERE IS BOOK TWO!?!?!
Yes, book two is written. It has been for some time now. Gifting you full disclosure: I made the decision to place it on hold while I sought out a larger platform for the Fishboy series to be released on. I want to give Fishboy the biggest reach possible. I have no problem with a small following of readers, I don't live my life seeking fame, however, as artists may grown on trees, money does not. And in order to continue living my life full throttle as a creative, and in order to continue writing the adventures of Fishboy, it must be financially beneficial. This journey, much like the sculpture, has had many highs, lows, and almosts – yet with perseverance I believe I will get there. And you will finally get book two, which is an incredible part of Fishboy's story. I love it so much and can't wait for you to drink it in.
With that I bid you farewell, it's back to work for me. Thank you all for your love and support of this wild-child life of mine.
Much love,
cB
Post-script: I am happy to be working with Brian Somerville again, his brilliant creativity is matched by his professionalism and kindness. Be sure to visit Brian's website to see his amazing creations!
www.claybeast.com