Getting pretty wired...

We tightened up the design today and began wiring it up!!!! It is so exciting!  That is Dale, manning the grommeting machine and Marcus is pinning the design more accurately.

We loosely wired one section and removed it from the wall to see how it moved and how the light passed through.  It moved way better than I expected and I love seeing through it to other "stuff."

This Marcus, my neighbor, a member of my dog's "most favorite human" club, a master gardener, an artist in his own right.  AND, he is TALL!  He can reach even farther than Dale can, and we have always teased Dale about his "freakishly" long arms.  We haven't needed to climb the ladder today.  But by tomorrow we will need to climd I am sure.

Here is a photoshopped version of the design at the end of this workday.  The left side of the photo is actually on the wall, the right side is virtual, as I hope you can tell.  Otherwise my wall sure is odd!

Stacks and stacks

The stack of modules grows higher.

There are either 49 or 50 modules completed .  That makes it roughly one third of the projected modules needed for the project.  That feels good.  

The project is moving along steadily.  I have been able to streamline the processes.  I have been able to problem solve all the quirks, so far, of the three sewing machines.  For instance, when the needle is not inserted quite high enough on the embroidery machine, the tension and the stitches go all wonky.

This weekend I will work with clients and volunteers of Habitat for Humanity for the first workshop.  It will be interesting to see how the modules shift their focus with the input from the community.

More problem solving remains, of course.  The known problem involves a crimp!  My plan is to wire these modules together to make a sturdy but flexible "curtain," that can sway with the air movements of the facility, but NOT spin and snarl.  I have fine, plastic coated, flexible picture framing wire.  It is lovely stuff.  It has the nearly invisible look of monofilament line without the stretch.  It needs fine crimps to assemble it.  The crimps made for it are manufactured in China and will not arrive in time!  So the supplier is sending other samples and I have ordered fishing crimp samples to arrive this week.  Bead stores have sterling silver crimps available....But somehow, with up to 5 crimps per module, that just does not seem practical.  The fishing crimps are $14 per 1,000.  I don't know what the sterling would cost, but it would not be $14 per 1,000!  We are not making jewelry here.  We are making 16 feet by 10 feet of permeable wall!  All that silver would be BLINDING!

Remnants and Asthma

Asthma has prevented much progress on ANYTHING! Gad! I hate this stuff. However, a new idea is percolating.

I still have this fascination with suits as symbols of power. I have collected, at 40% off thrift store prices a variety of suit coats that I am now deconstructing. The linear elements of their interior secrets are anatomical, structural and gestural...like a good drawing. I am going to let this construction hang pinned together for a few days while I consider whether to make it more permanent. I am considering a series of "hangings", rather like art quilts...but tacked together and pinned with as much frayed edge showing as humanly possible.

5 pillows, # 6 is in process

I am pleased with the development. The studio has been full of energy since the Surface Design Association conference....and the realization that soon I will have more uninterrupted time in the studio! AH, Joy! These pillows are part of an installation that I am working on. They will be stained, distressed, and generally treated harshly until they have an aged patina sufficient to hold their stories. Stay tuned!