Middle section complete!

I just finished the middle section tonight, after spending these last two weekends working from the time I got up until bedtime, and another couple of hours during the week totaling about 52.50 hours in just the surface treatment of this section.  Tomorrow I will be picking up some more brick paint (I would run out just as I get to the smallest section).  My goal is to have the last section finished by the next weekend, so that I can get busy with the rug for the room.

 This was just after last weekend, after I had finished making and applying the bricks.  (I had some made, but ran out)

Finished section....Lots of time and caulk!

This has been very labor intensive and highly technical.  This is also my first suspended piece.  Cross your fingers!

Mays Beginnings

I had to take a second job to raise the money to get back to school, and I am beat!  I am going to be able to send in the $ today for my room fees at Massart, YEAH!!  Last weekend I finished the front section on my piece (back side, and front grout painting).  This week I have been preparing another 4x8 foam board into brick strips for the middle section and I am ready to put them on this weekend.  I am afraid that I may run out before I get to the smaller of the 3 sections and will need to by another sheet of foam.

I will post photos after I get going on the middle section.

April Catch up!

I have been feverishly working on my TV.  My brain is totally fried trying to keep it safe, because I am working on it in the middle of my home freeway (the area by the front door and kitchen and living room).  The project is getting heavier and I am getting scared when I need to maneuver it around....almost impossible without any dings on the surface regardless of how careful and stressed out it makes me.

OK, I have been doing my readings on a kindle during my lunch time; although it makes it difficult to remember to take notes, due to my time constraints.  The bottom pic is where I have been painting the caulking to warm it up from the stark white.

Photos.....

First friday +

Last night was not only Good Friday, but first Friday as well for art enthusiasts here in Indy.  I made it to 3 different locations along with Autumn to keep me company.  I was disappointed in the fact that no one was working in a similar manner to me, but needless to say there were a few interesting exhibitions and I got to talk to some old friends. 
Perhaps the best news is that the manager of the Wheeler Arts Center will allow me to install my piece there for documentation.  I did point out that I wanted to do it after the first Friday of May, when the Art school seniors usually want to put on their thesis shows.  No charge for the space!  She has been trying to get some quality in there, and it runs in waves as to when they will have a packed building.
Okay, a new twist kind of hit me like a ton of bricks....pardon the pun, but as I work and think about all of the connections that I am making with my installation....the one that I hadn't connected the dot with is the back and forth rhetoric between male and female components, or the odd relationship I inadvertently created.  The TV is made of simulated bricks in a standard format which is stereotypically a male dominated trade, and opposing that is the couch which is created out of weaving pizza boxes....an old fashioned home craft relating to the female skill set.  Somehow I may have also touched on part of my own issue....without meaning to interject such a personal threat of how a man in his self is overbearing and power ridden to control.......much as a TV in a ritualistic daily life.
Maybe....I am that small couch waiting to be crushed.

ok...... too much thought....photos!

Hard at Work

This has been a very busy studio week for me.  I have been working on the secondary piece for my installation.  A friend is still hedging on letting me use their space for the installation, but I am not worried they usually help out when I need it.  I have been working on my paper as well, besides being the taxi for my kids.  I wish I could get everything out as well as it has been processing in my head on the paper, and I really wish that I had more time because there is another book that I wanted for my research......I guess that it will need to wait until next semester.

Okay here are the photos of my secondary piece.....very close to getting done!

Weaving

I have started doing exactly what the title implies to create a fabric to cover the little couch I am making as another piece for my "living room".  I am just currently waiting for the ok to acquire a space that I can install this huge piece and get it put together into this installation. 
Danielle is going to help me get this documented in a video format so that I can play it in Boston, and we discussed sound and I am getting a looped static sound to play for my TV!!  Excited!
She also thinks that this piece is strong enough for a grant!  I hope that I can get it together and back apart with minimal damages!

Where does the time go?

This last week and a half I have been continuously producing more bricks and building my first large suspended installation piece.  At this point I have finished covering it with cardboard in which I will be applying the fake bricks.  I got the pieces set together and initially placed the brackets that hold them together so that I can be precise about placing the cardboard and the rigging to hang it.

I got the plexy glass today to use as the face.....4x6', our friend that owns the hardware store gave me a $10 discount and was still $55.

The best news is that Dave (hardware store owner)also owns several other business buildings that he rents, and will let me use a place to install my installation!!!  I was so worried about where I was even possibly going to be able to do this.  He was also the person who allowed me to use a building for 2 months prepping for my thesis show!!

This piece requires a lot of technical junk to get it right!  This is the total size of the main piece and will require about a 12 foot ceiling to install it, but if I have to I guess I could use a 10.  There is still so much to do.