Does it look any different?

After three weeks of prancing about in a black plastic bag wielding recalcitrant power tools and sanding mightily what have I got to show for it? The rocks are subtly different - smooth faces form the gestures supported on the untouched native rock. Not your standard sculpture where the forms are telling the story.

The work will be named and launched on Friday.

Creating Rubble

The pile of stonechips grows and I think a sculpture is taking shape. We'll see what it looks like in the morning light.

As I was working today l looked up and saw a wallaby browsing - quite unconcerned in spite of the noise of the tools and the generator.

The start of the second week.

Residency-the start

Working so far from the studio is scary and fun! So first we decided to move the big rock to a better place and then we wanted to move a companion rock. Leon turned up with a huge yellow machine - steering on front and back wheels and legs that went down to support an extending bucket - and the skill in driving it was amazing! So there was the project - a complete redesign and food for thought.

So I began- setup the tools, establish the water and power supply and figure out how to make things safe when the performances are on.

Of course the first incident was that a piece feel off - oh dear! well what do you expect after dropping it into position. Such is life with sandstone.

Morning from the Black Queen

The start

Now to work! Establish the rhythm and off we go.

Set up at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

 The well dressed sculptor will wear - plastic - garbage bags to be precise and the latest in rubber boots - but the wet grinder is pretty good. And the shaping came along quite nicely. However there is still quite a bit of equipment and material lacking... a big drill for stainless rods - a piece of granite - lots of little things that Andrew Bryant "just happened" to have lying around - and a generous nature to go with.

Andrew attacking the red gum/iron bark that used to be a railway sleeper

Having set it up there was a lot of finishing  - so back to the studio and sand, sand, sand - a bit of chisel, sand, sand again, water spray.... oh yes a meal or two and say hello.... will it ever be right?

And then to the various hard wares for sealer and oil for the wood... getting exciting - which day are we setting up? St Patrick's Day - the better the day, the better the deed!

And there we were at the show - most of the work was in - people had various shifts so we weren't all there at once. And Mark coped magnificently with getting the paperwork done and everyone in a good spot - more than 100 good spots in an exhibition - only Mark could do it!

And then fussing with the level - and is it quite right here? Can it tell the story of that moment in the Black Queen when Gale's lamp made me so present and aware - of the story of light as we humans love it.

A Moment in the Story of Light - Lightning Ridge sandstone, red gum, stainless steel, granite

The Best Laid Plans....

Well the new wet cutting saw works a charm... my glass casting experiment - well it was a learning experience.

How to turn flag irises in Dutch irises

They were meant to be flag irises - but it was a real loaves and fishes act - I ended up with a lot more off cuts and broken bits than the left over glass I started off with......

Casting in the copper stems seemed like a good idea at the time - but the copper has burned out so that it doesn't hold the thread I cut - not strong enough so I'll have to glue the flowers into place. Back to brass stems for flowers and apples? I'll have to think about this.

In fact there was a break away on the first iris I cast - much food for thought here.
Now out to the garden with you while I use the time to try another approach......

Down with Dust

lining up the core drill

the beast

I've stopped using the dry grinder after seeing Andrew use the core drill. It worked a charm and there's no dust .... I'm about to invest in more tools with a water feed - in the mean time - hand carving is working ok.....

look - no dust!

The hole - just where it's meant to be