Dale M Sumner

Self-taught 3-D Mixed Media/Concept Artist/Sculptor. Current focus is ‘Faces of Humanity’ themed life size faces incorporating plaster facial casting enhanced with iron finishes. The frames are a key component. I’ve used real brick, Mud Cloth and bone from Algeria, Edwardian Leather and Ruffia Leather. I’m currently participating in Redwood Art Shows, in particular, ‘Art Santa Fe’ and ‘Art Dallas’ venue(s). Not affiliated with any gallery but my pieces are for sale.


Portfolio:

Only the Lonely

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale. “Only the Lonely” was selected by Gallery 25N in New York to be exhibited worldwide under the “Faces of Humanity” theme. The exhibition was limited to, what they considered, the top 20 artist in the world representing visual art pertaining to humanity. This particular piece was placed on the cover of the ‘coffee table’ book that was published.

Only the Lonely “Only the Lonely”

1:6 scale using wood / plaster / metal(s) fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Voices in my Head

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Voices in my Head “Voices in my Head”

1:6 scale using plaster / stone / cloth with Paverpol / glass / canvas and Sculpt Nouvea water-based metals

Freak Show

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Freak Show “Freak Show”

1:6 scale using plaster / stone / cloth with Paverpol / Lucite / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Night Crawler

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art a 1:6 scale

Night Crawler “Night Crawler”

1:6 scale with wood / plaster / Canvas / Lucite / fabric with Paverpol and Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Small Talk

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Small Talk “Small Talk”

1:6 scale using Lichtenberg figure / stone / slate / wood / plaster / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouvea water-based metals

Firestorm in Gatlinburg

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art

Firestorm in Gatlinburg “Firestorm in Gatlinburg”

1:6 scale using double photo mounted on metal / plaster / wood / steel / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

POPCORN

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art 1:6 scale

POPCORN “POPCORN”

Moonshiner from Tennessee

POPCORN “POPCORN”

Moonshiner from Tennessee

Loving Earl

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Loving Earl “Loving Earl”

1:6 scale using cotton felt with Paverpol / wood / glass / steel / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Lichtenberg Watcher

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Lichtenberg Watcher “Lichtenberg Watcher”

16 scale using Lichtenberg figure / metal / wood and cork / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouvea with water-based metals

Keeper of the Ammonite

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art in 1:6 scale

Keeper of the Ammonite “Keeper of the Ammonite”

1:6 scale using an actual 65 million year old Ammonite / steel based h-frame cover in plaster and gauze and Paverpol / plaster / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Caught in the Middle

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art at 1:6 scale

Caught in the Middl “Caught in the Middl”

1:6 scale using 2 canvases / plaster / glass / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

Kindle in the Park

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art in 1:6 scale

Kindle in the Park “Kindle in the Park”

1:6 scale using plaster / fabric with Paverpol / frame / Sculpt Nouvea water-based metals

Voices ... looking back

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art in 1:6 scale

Voices ... looking back “Voices ... looking back”

1:6 scale using wood base / plaster / metal / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-base metals

Hope no matter what

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art in 1:6 scale

Hope no matter what “Hope no matter what”

1:6 scale using glass / plaster / wood / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouvea water-based metals

Earth Glow

3-D Mixed Media Concept Art

Earth Glow “Earth Glow”

Plaster / wood / crystal globe / lighting / fabric with Paverpol / Sculpt Nouveau water-based metals

“Voices in my Head” on Canvas

This is augmented photography of my original sculpt, “Voices in my head”. The hand-laid stone frame matches the stone in the original piece. The uniqueness of this piece is the impressionist approach to the focus. Up close it’s distorted but 10 feet away it’s clear.

Voices on Canvas “Voices on Canvas”

Photo on canvas of my sculpture "The Voices in my Head". Features a hand-layed stone frame that matches the stone in the sculpture. The digital image is altered through filters/FX

Inclusion

3-D Mixed Media in 1:6 scale. This piece emphasizes the efforts of many to live their life without limits. It is important to take in the many facets of this art work and what it stands for

Avalanche

Avalanche “Avalanche”

3-D Mixed Media wood and plaster in 1:6 scale

Ride it like you stole it

Plaster, wood and cloth dipped in Paverpol. Vespa was 3-D printed but the rust, color and patina was enhanced by Sculpt Nouvea products

The Hollow

The Hollow stands 6 feet tall and it's very abstract. This represents the perils of what you may come across when least expecting.The accents on the door are real. Brass mail slot from 1908, glass door knob, skeleton key and rusted kick plate are a few examples. Small creature was my imagination and when you lift the mail slot, it reveals the mother's eye looking a you. The small creature features eyes I ordered from a Russian taxidermist. This was a fun piece to create.

Sweet Beautiful Music

Donation to The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. 3-D Mixed Media in 1:6 scale portrays a street busker

Snow Day

Scale on this piece is life size and the style is referenced as "enigmatic". Snow Day is done in iron and I use 3 different acids to achieve the various patina's.

BLACK TUESDAY ... 1929 stock market crash

This is my largest piece to date completed October 1, 2019. Scale is life-size. BLACK TUESDAY is an enigmatic sculpt as you can see with the portion of the left arm missing that holds the briefcase and the characters entire right arm is missing. This is plaster cast and coated in iron. I applied many chemicals to patina the iron to the shade I wanted. Key to this pieces character is the hand sanding. Started with an 800 grit working to a 3000 grit for the actual polish. Story behind the story: The alligator briefcase ... represents this character was "the best of the best" and in the blink of a day, he lost it all except for his elegant suit and alligator briefcase. Then starts "The Great Depression"

Self(ie) Made Man

This piece is plaster cast and the scale is life-size. The finish is iron except for the over-all's which are finished in Bronze with a traditional blue patina. The cellphone was cast from a block of wood with the plaster hand sculpted around it. Goggles were plaster cast from and actual pair of 1910 welding goggles. The tips on the "Elmer Fudd" had are finished in 24k gold..

Self(ie) Made Man “Self(ie) Made Man”

Full scale and cast in plaster. The finish is iron using various chemicals and acids for the patina. The concept is you’re never too old to take and post selfies.

Anything would help

3-D Mixed Media to bring awareness to COVID-19 and the hardship it has left many Americans in

Anything would help “Anything would help”

1:6 scale. The piece is cast with plaster and ‘Powertex” dipped cloth. The finish is primarily iron. Note the actual 1881 Silver Dollars imbedded into the park bench. This is “COVID-19” related in theme with emphasis on the blue face mask.

Lean into it

When things go bad on a snow board and you don’t lean into it.

Rug man

1:6 scale plaster cast mounted on slate. Note the rugs are actual Chimayo rug samples from the mud 1950’s

The long goodbye

This piece is still in progress. It is dedicated to anyone who died from COVID-19. What I’m capturing is the image of someone’s hopelessness of never leaving the hospital and the lost look on their face

Owambe

3 day celebration of life in Algeria for a woman. An Owambe can be a wedding, a birthday or simply a coming of age. Owambe’s are celebrated wearing a festive head wrap called a Gele. The clothing is very colorful and festive

Owambe “Owambe”

3 day celebration of life

Owambe “Owambe ”

3 day celebration of life

Owambe “Owambe ”

3 day celebration of life

Standing Cloud

The forgotten Sioux from the lower Brule in 1:1 scale.

Toto

Georgia O’Keeffe’s middle name was Toto. 1:1 scale

Toto “Toto”

1:1 scale

Toto “Toto”

1:1 scale

Toto “Toto”

1:1 scale

Enough already

This piece was originally designed to fit the imagination of the person that was viewing it. That changed the very next day upon completion of “Enough already” when the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas took place. The anguish and horror on my characters face was haunting to me. This piece speaks volumes of “ENOUGH ALREADY!”

Hitting ‘The Wall’

Inspired by ‘Pink Floyd’s’ The Wall, my concept evolved into a message about senseless gun violence. Note the air brushed figure in the lower right corner. This is my second piece to address’Enough Alread’. Life-size, plaster cast face finished in iron and faux stone hoodie on a real brick wall.

The Calling

Inspired by the 1922 painting ‘The Gift’ by Earnest L Blumenschein. My piece portrays the central figure. A man watching over the children in Taos. His gift is a ‘calling’. Scale is life size. Plaster cast finished in iron. The frame is vintage from Mexico and the back drop is Edwardian leather.

Amazigh

Inspired by a woman from Marrakech referred to being ‘a foreigner’. The head wrap and colors are distinctive. Scale is life size and the face is plaster cast. Head wrap is faux stone and the dark blue is damask cloth dipped in a hardening agent known as Paverpol. The frame was custom made for me in Marrakech and the backdrop is tan ruffia leather.

Maiden in Mali

Inspired by the ritual of face painting in West Africa. Mali is the reference to where she’s from. The frame came from Nigeria and the black and white edges are real in-laid bone. The back drop is ‘mud cloth’ from from Algeria too. Scale is life size. *Piece is unfinished

Worth the fight

Ukraine piece. The burnt driftwood symbolizes the destruction from the war and the face symbolizes the weariness of the continued fighting.