Hamilton, NJ: Grounds for Sculpture

Autin & Shatz Spaceship II
A View from the Members Lounge

View from Members Lounge at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. It's a cloudy and variable afternoon at Hamilton's world class sculpture gardens. Home of numerous works by J. Seward Johnson and an outstanding sculpture collection that is open to the public for an admission fee. The Grounds for Sculpture is a personal passion of the Johnson & Johnson heir. It is relatively close to the Northeast Corridor train line between NYC and DC, which stops at Hamilton, NJ. (Note: the Grounds are about 1 mile from the train Station and a connection will need to arranged if arriving by train.)

This afternoon's sketch features the lifelike sculpture of Autin (dressed as a businessman) and another sculpture (red and silver) Shatz Spaceship II. The Grounds is home to many peacocks. This is Spring and the docile peacocks are strutting their fine feathers to attract the opposite sex. They pose and sun themselves among the hundreds of sculptures and designed landscapes throughout the year.

The model for J. Seward Johnson's Autin statue is a living artist named "Autin" and resident patina specialist for the last 30 years at Grounds for Sculpture. Patina specialist is a sculptors much needed surface finishing collaborator. These skills are in such demand that Autin and the patina crew at the Johnson Atelier are busy with resident sculptor's and outside sculptors work from around the world. Because they specialize in monumental sculptures they use ovens as large as 60 feet in height to cure the finishes.

I couldn't pass by the opportunity to grab a quick photo of this peacock strutting in full display, along side of my just finished painting for today.

You can plan visits, find schedules of exhibitions, and more details at the Official Grounds for Sculpture website.