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.

Catch up Post!

Over the last 10 days I have been working on collecting stuff as usual and my next paper....I do remember saying somewhere that I am not fond of writing papers....some more than others.  I write SLOWLY!
I write a paragraph at a time (or a thought at a time) to make the task less overwhelming.

Ok..last weekend I started making and painting my fake bricks, until I ran out of acrylic paint for them, I had not idea how much more I would use when I added in the texture.  I made it out yesterday and picked up 4 times what had gotten...

Now...yesterday I finally grabbed the bull by the horn, so to speak, and started the framework for what these bricks are going to be attached to, and it figures, I ran out of wood.....I used up 16 furring strips!!!

I was still working on the face of it at this time, but I think that you can get the scale of it, this is only the face of it!  Yes I had to clear out my dining room, it is still too cold in my studio and I have to get something done on this or I will run out of time!

Material Trip!

Finally!!!!  I made it to Lowes to pick up some furring strips, sand, china markers and foam board.  Now, I will get to start to make a bigger type of mess...one that I truly love to make.  I am in the process of finding out which glue may work on 2 ltr bottles.  I found one that does work; although I prefer a stronger hold. 

Tonight, I guess I will not start destroying the house with my constructions, and be nice to the family since it is Valentines day. (I was nice) I did take the hubby down to Acropolis for dinner early before the big crowds hit. 

My plans have been sketched out, tomorrow I will take measurements of an actual object, and then enlarge it to have a sounder game plan.

OH!!!  I bought me a new toy, not to pricey, but definitely will have some fun with it.  YES, I got a penpad for my pc..

Now to really figure out how to use it.....

Book- Home

I just finished "Home: A Short History of an Idea" by Witold Rybczynski.  I am going to use this post as a record of a few sentences out of the book that I may need later for quoting.

pg 125  "Comfort was a generalized feeling of well-being, not something that could be studied or quantified."

pg 214  "Nostalgia for the past is often a sign of dissatisfaction with the present."

pg 217  "Domestic well-being is a fundamental human need that is deeply rooted in us, and that must be satisfied.  If this need is not met in the present, it is not unnatural to look for comfort in tradition.

pg 231  "It may be enough to realize that domestic comfort involves a range of attributes-convenience, efficiency, leisure, ease, pleasure, domesticity, intimacy, and privacy- all of which contribute to the experience; common sense will do the rest."

Christopher Alexander in footnote: "A Pattern Language"  (may need to read)

Great Meeting with Mentor!

I was extremely delighted to have had the opportunity today to meet with Danielle at her lovely home!  We had a lengthy discussion as to how I should proceed with my installation, and my first step is the creation of the TV.  This is the piece that will have the most impact on the psychological feel of the room which makes it crucial!

I am currently working on technical issues for construction of different pieces which may be included in the installation or in perhaps other installations.  Sometimes I feel that there are an inordinate amount of technicalities to overcome and once these have been ironed out....its all downhill!

Lots of good ideas to process through!