Yep well i couldn't stay away, at least not while people are so crazy as they is. Have to share my stories.
Today was one o them work breakfasts u know. Where they lure u in w good free tucker when u sposed to be working & too late u realise u are hooked on a line & they're getting the gaff... Theres an hour worth of speeches to come.
Ok but today was luvverly all pretty in the refectory which has some huge apocalyptic mural across the wall that I love to stare at cos i have absolutely no idea what its about.. But i love it for that very thing i guess. Like why is that naked guy putting a hat on the scarecrow with the head made of a fruit? Why is that other man leaned like that? What is that, an astronaut? A fitting place for a meeting arranged by bosses who are just as mysterious in their mental functioning.
One of their recent tortures has been to inflict upon the serfs to make a presentation to them about what their teams do but without using technology like powerpoint. Pergatory for an IT pro. Like sending out spartacus to fight with a banana. This kind o thing was right up my alley, but, and i even volunteered to do it for my team wd u believe.. but got knocked back by my teem leed, silly man.
Anyway we got a repeat of 2 of the bosses faves.
One was so forgettable that i dunno who it was. The other was so fucking awful that i blocked most of it out, and when i dared to look up from refolding my napkin over n over i could see everyone in the surroundin tables cringing with embarrassment and clutching their heads grimly. but what i remember was it was audio visual team, 3 of, wearing chefs hats on stage, talking utter shit - they are iron chef, they said, as they explained to a room full of IT professionals how important AV are cos they cant always use out of the box solutions for their work and sometimes they have to solve problems! (You mean like every single person in this room does constantly in their jobs cos they work in IT?)
They didn't use big words like those ones, they used the most patronising possible little words way of explaining to 100 granmas how to suck eggs, using kitchen paraphenalia to demnstrate how a pointy stick thing doesnt fit in a rectangular baking tray but it does fit in a round one, thus displaying complete lack of mental capacity or ability to either cook or make up metaphors that make any sense at all.
Sadly they understand so little about IT that they congratulate themselves for solving problems and smugly believe this shows their superiority over the drones. They show us a VGA cable and a cat5 cable and look at the difference!
It was so cringeworthy that nobody could even speak afterwards. Everybody despaired inside. But also, it was like we had a choir of downs syndrome ppl on stage and it'd be mean to criticise.
Our management believe they're great, cos they keep saying they are.
What planet is our management from, again?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Some time later
This eyeball is settled out... awaiting glasses but i kind of got the idea now of what i have. one shortsighted eye (the new un) and one long sighted. This makes me feel like i'm on drugs at all times. hoping glasses will help at least when i walking down the street. Healthwise i been really knocked about by either the insult of the operation or just the fact i stopped struggling for a few weeks after having no break at all for 3 years. Have now had 7 weeks, i think, in stasis. Thus the lack of intrest in writing blog when nothing is happening either in reality or in my imagination. But have come to see i will not get better by accident i have to strike a blow. Its now xmas hols from work, we get 2 weeks. I intend to be vastly improved in 2 weeks time. Comon glasses!
BTW my nephew living with us is now 6 weeks old. He is the same age as my new eyeball, give or take a week. I hope to use him as my model sometime. He is as yet not too entertaining, though i get the rare huge grin just for me that makes my day.
Sculpturally speeking i been informed i got a tender i went for, tho no paperwork yet so i won't go into details. its 3 busts of old poets. Reckon i was the absolute cheapest tender... couldn't see i needed to get paid more than that so thats what i put. starting to think i maybe should have allowed more for foundry in case i decided to get extravagant, but i will just have to work in the confines of the usual bust idea then instead. Should be fun, and a good learnin opp. Doing people's heads is difficult but without the bodies it should be quite a fast thing i hope.
anyway my newest project before starting the real project, is to make real bust armatures, something i've dodged for all these years by making every head off some aluminium bent creation i found in a rubbish bin at art school 20+ years ago. its not ideal, its crooked, and it has bits that always stick out the neck. but it was free, light, tough, and never rust. i'm gonna make some real ones now though as per Lanteri's book. I bought some armature wire at vast expense from the sculpt shop and i found some excellent big bits of ply in a bin at the studio. all i need now is some 5cm x 5cm length of wood for the neck bit and i got all my ingredients. How exciting.
Today braved the pre-xmas at ikea. silly thing to do, but we made it. with my 6 week old nephew, even. mention this cos i got an apron there for sculpting that's exactly like the one Henry Moore was wearing on the cover of a book i've got about him. That for extra inspiration :)
BTW my nephew living with us is now 6 weeks old. He is the same age as my new eyeball, give or take a week. I hope to use him as my model sometime. He is as yet not too entertaining, though i get the rare huge grin just for me that makes my day.
Sculpturally speeking i been informed i got a tender i went for, tho no paperwork yet so i won't go into details. its 3 busts of old poets. Reckon i was the absolute cheapest tender... couldn't see i needed to get paid more than that so thats what i put. starting to think i maybe should have allowed more for foundry in case i decided to get extravagant, but i will just have to work in the confines of the usual bust idea then instead. Should be fun, and a good learnin opp. Doing people's heads is difficult but without the bodies it should be quite a fast thing i hope.
anyway my newest project before starting the real project, is to make real bust armatures, something i've dodged for all these years by making every head off some aluminium bent creation i found in a rubbish bin at art school 20+ years ago. its not ideal, its crooked, and it has bits that always stick out the neck. but it was free, light, tough, and never rust. i'm gonna make some real ones now though as per Lanteri's book. I bought some armature wire at vast expense from the sculpt shop and i found some excellent big bits of ply in a bin at the studio. all i need now is some 5cm x 5cm length of wood for the neck bit and i got all my ingredients. How exciting.
Today braved the pre-xmas at ikea. silly thing to do, but we made it. with my 6 week old nephew, even. mention this cos i got an apron there for sculpting that's exactly like the one Henry Moore was wearing on the cover of a book i've got about him. That for extra inspiration :)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Post op
It's been a week and 2 days since they sliced my eyeball and slid in a new lens. I wasn't too crash hot happy about it for the past week but it's finally starting to settle a bit. I think. Firstly it was like xtra vivid, like big bright lollyworld, with a purple cast to everything. Like blacks were blue sometimes and I could see a vast difference between the new eye n the old one. It was sharp in the middle sorta, tho too bright to look for long, and blurry round the edges like a vignette which meant I still couldn't cross roads too safe lol. Also it felt rough cos i had a black eye and it wasnt too comfy there. The black eye was from the needle they stuck under the eye to knock out the nerves in back of the eyeball. That sorta worked but then it started to wear off before the end of the op and it hurt a bit when they slid in the lens and twisted it about, but by then it's like yeah , whatever , you're still cutting into my eyeball , sure thing. Old hat it was. I guess I was sedated.
Once the new eye started to be ok to look thru, my brain rapidly decided to jump ship on the old eye and ran over to the left eye n settle there cos it's now sharper than my 'good' old eye. That's loyalty for ya innit. But then that meant my right eye was not bothering to focus anymore which sucked cos I ended up closing that one instead of closing the operated one and that confused the beejezuz out of me and everybody who usually talks to me. I'm hoping my brain will sort it's shit out soon and I'll get to use both eyes. Today they're not too bad actually I have hope. Still got 2 weeks off work to go so in 2 weeks I hope things have got sorted.
Been sleeping heaps for the past week mainly cos my eyes hurt I spose but also just getting over work. Miss my studio. Apparently I'm ok to drive now but don't feel quite like doing it yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll go over to the studio.
Once the new eye started to be ok to look thru, my brain rapidly decided to jump ship on the old eye and ran over to the left eye n settle there cos it's now sharper than my 'good' old eye. That's loyalty for ya innit. But then that meant my right eye was not bothering to focus anymore which sucked cos I ended up closing that one instead of closing the operated one and that confused the beejezuz out of me and everybody who usually talks to me. I'm hoping my brain will sort it's shit out soon and I'll get to use both eyes. Today they're not too bad actually I have hope. Still got 2 weeks off work to go so in 2 weeks I hope things have got sorted.
Been sleeping heaps for the past week mainly cos my eyes hurt I spose but also just getting over work. Miss my studio. Apparently I'm ok to drive now but don't feel quite like doing it yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll go over to the studio.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Poor doggie
Tomorrow going to get my eyeball sliced open. Just a cataract operation, but still, it's freaky. I feel real sad, like cos I can't explain it to my eye.. feel like I'm taking my dog to be put down. Just sad really. Cos th bit I used too look thru is gonna get chucked in a bin eh.
Anyway enuff o that. Tonight I rode my big 7-fiddy over to store it in my studio. After much swearing I got it started and had a lovely ride over there in the evening light. Surprising I could see pretty good, tho when mum drove me home in darkness after I couldn't see nuthin. Meh. Anyway got to the studio n a marvel of timing I arrived during a massive movement of very very large sculpture. There was a car sculpture, a 9 ft high block of concrete, and a few extremely large maybe 8 ft high n 6 wide steel fabrications, all totally blocking my passage into my studio. U never known timing like that. Spectacular. Farkinell. Anyway things looking bad but I ended up getting passage thru someone elses studio so it worked out. Amazing tho, itwas the one evening that things were utterly impassable n of course that's when I choose to turn up.. It's a family trait, donchaknow.
So.... I pushed it up a ramp, backed it in 3 times til I got it in the studio, lowered a rolladoor, locked it with a string of electrical cable, n locked 2 unfamiliar gates in complete darkness...all while holding my phone to one ear. Now that's a motorcyclist! Heh. I Have got skillz.
Anyway enuff o that. Tonight I rode my big 7-fiddy over to store it in my studio. After much swearing I got it started and had a lovely ride over there in the evening light. Surprising I could see pretty good, tho when mum drove me home in darkness after I couldn't see nuthin. Meh. Anyway got to the studio n a marvel of timing I arrived during a massive movement of very very large sculpture. There was a car sculpture, a 9 ft high block of concrete, and a few extremely large maybe 8 ft high n 6 wide steel fabrications, all totally blocking my passage into my studio. U never known timing like that. Spectacular. Farkinell. Anyway things looking bad but I ended up getting passage thru someone elses studio so it worked out. Amazing tho, itwas the one evening that things were utterly impassable n of course that's when I choose to turn up.. It's a family trait, donchaknow.
So.... I pushed it up a ramp, backed it in 3 times til I got it in the studio, lowered a rolladoor, locked it with a string of electrical cable, n locked 2 unfamiliar gates in complete darkness...all while holding my phone to one ear. Now that's a motorcyclist! Heh. I Have got skillz.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Apres show der monkey
2 more sold since the show closed, i've made my target exactly. Which is quite inscrutable, and unexplainable, but very welcome. Hopefully more will go over time. But happy with that. The economic climate is crap for selling art, apparently.
Not missing the hard yakka in studio. Am missing having a reason to live though. Have transformed the stinging goal of making art into a pining lust for a fellow office worker in my building. That will have to do til i need to transmute it back into art fuel. Its gotta go somewhere, don't it. And a change of scenery is good.
Went & cleaned up the studio. 2 hours of sweeping & moving bits around. Now the large studio is a vast expanse of uselessness, seems like. But will have a friend come use it now for a few weeks, so its good its big, cos if i wanna do something too its best have enough room eh.
My bro in law put up the fluoro's properly, so now they don't hang 2 ft below the ceiling. I couldn't get em up any higher using a shopping trolley & milk crates, tho i finally clicked how it could be done the other day, and he did it that way & it was mucho easy. (Hooks! Not tying with string.) Much better in there now with the lights higher & the room looks much more inviting.
Think i'll be moving my stuff out of storage now & into there. That'll save some bucks. And i'll have a sofa to sit on...
Not missing the hard yakka in studio. Am missing having a reason to live though. Have transformed the stinging goal of making art into a pining lust for a fellow office worker in my building. That will have to do til i need to transmute it back into art fuel. Its gotta go somewhere, don't it. And a change of scenery is good.
Went & cleaned up the studio. 2 hours of sweeping & moving bits around. Now the large studio is a vast expanse of uselessness, seems like. But will have a friend come use it now for a few weeks, so its good its big, cos if i wanna do something too its best have enough room eh.
My bro in law put up the fluoro's properly, so now they don't hang 2 ft below the ceiling. I couldn't get em up any higher using a shopping trolley & milk crates, tho i finally clicked how it could be done the other day, and he did it that way & it was mucho easy. (Hooks! Not tying with string.) Much better in there now with the lights higher & the room looks much more inviting.
Think i'll be moving my stuff out of storage now & into there. That'll save some bucks. And i'll have a sofa to sit on...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
shows over
Shows over, picked up my sculptures this evening. They have kept about 3/4 of them tho, to put in a cabinet cos they reckon they might be able to sell a few over time. In fact they sold one tonight after i left, would u believe. Thats cool huh.
But... The Coolest thing happened today, the gallery people told me, that Google Earth "did" the gallery, and went right thru the show. Being the geek i half am, that is totally awesome. So in 3 or 4 months my show will be viewable in Google Freakin Earth. Bugger me, is that not flippin amazin.
But... The Coolest thing happened today, the gallery people told me, that Google Earth "did" the gallery, and went right thru the show. Being the geek i half am, that is totally awesome. So in 3 or 4 months my show will be viewable in Google Freakin Earth. Bugger me, is that not flippin amazin.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
post show
Hey well the show opened, and it was lovely to get some many people coming. Had a great night. Sales weren't massive, sold 5. If i sell another 2 i'll cover expenses. So, well, nu, but thats OK. Nobody makes art to make money. I really like not making a loss though, thats just arse. Its a dignity thing, once you been sculpting 20 years. But i'm sure a few more will go from the gallery over the next 6 months & thats how long they can hang on to em for.
Its a week after the opening & i feel much better. I've had some sitting about time, not too much, but feels really good. Only working one full time job is quite OK. Wouldn't it be nice if you could do one full time job that you really *wanted* to do. Heh. How damn relaxing would that be!
Its a week after the opening & i feel much better. I've had some sitting about time, not too much, but feels really good. Only working one full time job is quite OK. Wouldn't it be nice if you could do one full time job that you really *wanted* to do. Heh. How damn relaxing would that be!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Getting there
Been a hard little track (just about the finish of me) but I might be nearly arrived at the destination i.e. Having the work ready 4 my show.
One positive thing happened today.. I discovered is that I have a huge bruisy lump on my foot, which is way cool cos I thought it was gout again.
Have buggered my right hand from overuse so I'm calling it mostly done.
There's 2 more castings i could easily finish if i had 2 functioning hands but, what the hell. Reckon I got a bunch of stuff, should be ok. Just a bit more colour touch ups on a couple, n we're done.
As usual have lowered my expectations to suit the product I'm able to produce.. Well u got to.. But even then was pleasantly surprised with some of em.
One positive thing happened today.. I discovered is that I have a huge bruisy lump on my foot, which is way cool cos I thought it was gout again.
Have buggered my right hand from overuse so I'm calling it mostly done.
There's 2 more castings i could easily finish if i had 2 functioning hands but, what the hell. Reckon I got a bunch of stuff, should be ok. Just a bit more colour touch ups on a couple, n we're done.
As usual have lowered my expectations to suit the product I'm able to produce.. Well u got to.. But even then was pleasantly surprised with some of em.
Monday, September 6, 2010
One week
One week to set up of show. Think I am in the shit really, cos I'm also sick. Think I'm just exhausted, getting a wisdom tooth pulled last week has set me back a ways I think. The bronzes are coming along ok but the stainless are a pain in the ass. Might need an extra day orf work.
Can't wait till it's all over. Damn I could use a year off..
Can't wait till it's all over. Damn I could use a year off..
Sunday, August 22, 2010
survived another one
Survived another unveiling. there's only 1 left where i have to speechify & that one won't be very well attended cos its a mid week thingy, so it'll be easier, tho of course i'm already starting to dread that one now dammit. it does drain the pleasure away totally when u have to give a speech & sadly thats just the way it is.
anyway it was good, i made everybody laugh with my speech and it was nice & short again. Eh, and they liked the sculpture. I can see all the faults but i done my absolute best, couldn't do any better, thats all you can try to do.
thanks to my sis for dressing me i looked better than usual. better than i deserved probably lol.
anyway it was good, i made everybody laugh with my speech and it was nice & short again. Eh, and they liked the sculpture. I can see all the faults but i done my absolute best, couldn't do any better, thats all you can try to do.
thanks to my sis for dressing me i looked better than usual. better than i deserved probably lol.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
New project
Been approached about doing some very large work.. It's still in proposal stage but very exciting. It's big enough I'd need to employ people to help and probably need an even bigger studio. Cool!
Though these things have a history of not working out, generally, these ppl seem very professional.. Maybe they can push it thru.
Though these things have a history of not working out, generally, these ppl seem very professional.. Maybe they can push it thru.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Diminishing returns
Seems like I've run out of puff far as making new work goes. I spend many hrs in studio and end up with some dead bodies in wax. Its very much a diminishing returns style of working.. Have 1 day left to work, and may not bother. I've been fettling some unfinished ones too so I'm getting a bit done, but as far making new work I seem to need a bit of a rest really. Still I'm pretty happy generally, I think I got some 26 or so for the show, if they all cast well, anyway. That's pretty good. That number includes a few old ones that could use some exposure. I think I have created about 20 in the past little while. It's kinda cool. And about another like 50 or so wax fails. But sometimes they can get recycled, later.
Have some ideas tho.. Especially some suggestions from people. Just seem to be a bit tired to make things. Is ok.. U can't got at that speed for too long i guess.
Need a wisdom tooth pulled. And hey it's just starting to hurt tonight. Be a bit unlucky if it caused me conniptions at the next weeks unveiling eh. The timing is umpeccable.
Have some ideas tho.. Especially some suggestions from people. Just seem to be a bit tired to make things. Is ok.. U can't got at that speed for too long i guess.
Need a wisdom tooth pulled. And hey it's just starting to hurt tonight. Be a bit unlucky if it caused me conniptions at the next weeks unveiling eh. The timing is umpeccable.
Monday, August 9, 2010
End of a vein
Got to accept i've reached the end of he old creative vein re managers. Bugger really, cos i'm sure there's just so much more to say. But hey, maybe later it'll come back. But not this week, so i have to move on cos only have a week. Um.. OK...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
David Attenborough.
Lost my manager thread..I need to hang more with the suits, like anthropologically..
The boring crested grebe wears it's plumage with pride. It's gibbering cries make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but only the beta males understand what its calls mean, or at least they pretend to.
(Cut to long slow sweeping shot of bony carcasses half dug into mudflats)
Out here it's survival of the fittest. However, the fittest of this genus is not necessarily strong, nor clever.. It's a different meaning of the word "fittest" and not as we know it Jim.
The boring crested grebe wears it's plumage with pride. It's gibbering cries make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but only the beta males understand what its calls mean, or at least they pretend to.
(Cut to long slow sweeping shot of bony carcasses half dug into mudflats)
Out here it's survival of the fittest. However, the fittest of this genus is not necessarily strong, nor clever.. It's a different meaning of the word "fittest" and not as we know it Jim.
Bit of success
I had 2 choices, either chop up the life sized man in situ (time = 1 full day including clean up.. if i'm lucky) or moving it somehow to the new studio (time= short but painful).
But i put my mind to it & with the help of the shonky studio trolley (a trolley so shonky that nobody admits it exists, even) and 2 pieces of wood on it for height leverage, and the spectacularly timely intervention of the man upstairs who is a bit like the lone ranger, in that he appears, moves like 20 bags of clay for ya & then disappears.... this time he appeared just as i got it stuck in the first doorway, dislodged it for me, then disappeared... the life sized man did get moved to the new studio.
There is nothing you need more in a sculpture studio than an assortment of wood blocks and planks. You can't rely on the man upstairs, but your blocks of wood will save your ass.
But i put my mind to it & with the help of the shonky studio trolley (a trolley so shonky that nobody admits it exists, even) and 2 pieces of wood on it for height leverage, and the spectacularly timely intervention of the man upstairs who is a bit like the lone ranger, in that he appears, moves like 20 bags of clay for ya & then disappears.... this time he appeared just as i got it stuck in the first doorway, dislodged it for me, then disappeared... the life sized man did get moved to the new studio.
There is nothing you need more in a sculpture studio than an assortment of wood blocks and planks. You can't rely on the man upstairs, but your blocks of wood will save your ass.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Progress
Ok it's bin a while.
Times passed and oceans have eroded the coastline etc. The other day I delivered a handful o waxes to the stainless steel casters and a huge mound to the bronze foundry. 6 and 14, tho with repeats and one that won't be in the show it totals at 16. Already have 2 finished bronzes and 2 unfinished bronzes that qualify. So a grand total 20 so far. I feel like a good number for the show is like maybe 30, and so that's my goal.
Bin sick a week and didn't do anything for almost that whole time. Bit of a setback, tho the foundry's gifted me an extra week, so it's even.. Hm I have a week to make 10 sculptures. Well why not. Or else find some old ones round the house, but that's a last resort. Mum sez it may take me longer to find 10 sculptures than make them. I guess she means I'd be picky, tho she may also mean I'm incredibly untidy, but since I'm both..
Moved studio, almost finished, bloody hell what a load of stuff, I really didn't think there was much in there... But there was.
The only thing that didn't move is the life sized man. I thought he'd be easy, just roll him out, but he is too tall to fit thru the door! And requires some thought.
Times passed and oceans have eroded the coastline etc. The other day I delivered a handful o waxes to the stainless steel casters and a huge mound to the bronze foundry. 6 and 14, tho with repeats and one that won't be in the show it totals at 16. Already have 2 finished bronzes and 2 unfinished bronzes that qualify. So a grand total 20 so far. I feel like a good number for the show is like maybe 30, and so that's my goal.
Bin sick a week and didn't do anything for almost that whole time. Bit of a setback, tho the foundry's gifted me an extra week, so it's even.. Hm I have a week to make 10 sculptures. Well why not. Or else find some old ones round the house, but that's a last resort. Mum sez it may take me longer to find 10 sculptures than make them. I guess she means I'd be picky, tho she may also mean I'm incredibly untidy, but since I'm both..
Moved studio, almost finished, bloody hell what a load of stuff, I really didn't think there was much in there... But there was.
The only thing that didn't move is the life sized man. I thought he'd be easy, just roll him out, but he is too tall to fit thru the door! And requires some thought.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Shark car
Have a new car, an old magna. I'm going to put a shark fin on the roof. or some teeth on the front. Something anyway. My last car was boring boring boring boring boring. I wanted to be anonymous. But meh, who cares. If they want to book me they'll do it with an automatik camera & being boring won't help me there LOL. Maybe i'll put an arse on the back, for the cameras.
Have the first set of finished detailed waxes ready to take to the foundry. I wanna use 2 foundries, cos i want to do some stainless steel as well as bronze. Not ready yet with the stainless waxes, i been making a mould off one sculpture & i'll pop a set of those out to cast in stainless.
Anyway i'll book a day off work when i get 2 foundries worth o' stuff & deliver them out there. Now thats a PLAN.
Todays sculptures:
One footballer reinvigorated from an old sculpture found in a box
Detailed lots of em
Drawing of a monkey
Have the first set of finished detailed waxes ready to take to the foundry. I wanna use 2 foundries, cos i want to do some stainless steel as well as bronze. Not ready yet with the stainless waxes, i been making a mould off one sculpture & i'll pop a set of those out to cast in stainless.
Anyway i'll book a day off work when i get 2 foundries worth o' stuff & deliver them out there. Now thats a PLAN.
Todays sculptures:
One footballer reinvigorated from an old sculpture found in a box
Detailed lots of em
Drawing of a monkey
Friday, July 23, 2010
Managers managers
Been making tons of managers. its been going well. i aim to do a sculpture every day, and more or less its been working like that. I never quite finish em so each will require a fettle later, but usually by then cos they been maturing a while, i'll decide to either not do much to em or trash em altogether. thats ok, its a 2nd level cull process.
tonight i made one businessman bending over giving a brown eye and called it "business presentation". That could be taking it all a bit far, perhaps. Its a bit too honest. We certainly can't have stuff thats too honest in a show about managers. I'd get sacked, for a start. The wider range of metaphorical escapades could be mistaken for social commentary about the whole world of business/family/humanity/the universality of lost dreams & hopes/pitiful human condition in the 1st world/pursuit of happiness lifelong detour, etc, .....but sledgehammer stuff like that is not very... um... sofistikated.
Still, it was interesting making the dude cos he's pretty twisted up & has his head upside down & that. I'm behind one sculpture in the grand plan but i guess it was a good exercise.
Anyway it could be that the manager theme is already getting towards exhausting itself. Once it bitters up like that u may as well get fresh onto a new theme. Its all fine cos a sprinkle of small themes in this show will be orright.
Todays sculpture:
Business Presentation
tonight i made one businessman bending over giving a brown eye and called it "business presentation". That could be taking it all a bit far, perhaps. Its a bit too honest. We certainly can't have stuff thats too honest in a show about managers. I'd get sacked, for a start. The wider range of metaphorical escapades could be mistaken for social commentary about the whole world of business/family/humanity/the universality of lost dreams & hopes/pitiful human condition in the 1st world/pursuit of happiness lifelong detour, etc, .....but sledgehammer stuff like that is not very... um... sofistikated.
Still, it was interesting making the dude cos he's pretty twisted up & has his head upside down & that. I'm behind one sculpture in the grand plan but i guess it was a good exercise.
Anyway it could be that the manager theme is already getting towards exhausting itself. Once it bitters up like that u may as well get fresh onto a new theme. Its all fine cos a sprinkle of small themes in this show will be orright.
Todays sculpture:
Business Presentation
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Working for show
Since finishing that big bloke, I been feeling quite happy with myself and that. Nothing like finishing 3 years of slog. Now I'm working on work for my show in 2 months. It's kind of close really. But the past few days I've got back into the swing and some nice ideas are coming out. Decided to run with whatever came, and started with the concept of angels, cos having done one angel it was well received and I thought well there u are I can use that as a theme, angels, and devils too maybe. Cos thats as good a theme as any and being a bit mythological u can take it places. But it seems like the old subconscious is changing the devils into managers, blokes in suits. It's "make what u know", thats the old saying. at work there's lots of managers and blokes in suits, and they kinda run the gamut of evil right the way to nice. So u can have blokes in suits with all layers of moral ambiguity and like in real life u can sometimes not know where u stand with em at all, or what theyre thinking, and they can have weird motivations that make no sense. And some of em, well they don't know where they stand either. Lol. And then u got some who even worry about it, I was talking to one yesterday who I get the feeling is a bit sad and feeling maybe a bit shunned. I never talk to him usually but not cos I don't want to, more cos he always looks very serious and very busy. We used to talk before. But hell u know, he's a manager.. it's beyond my ken what managers do, and I don't think it's my place to try to pull one outta his shell. I don't know. So anyway there's a very fertile theme there eh.
It's got no relation to anything I done before, really, feels kinda fresh. Hopefully it'll stay inspiring. Think it's mostly coming from real people and real impressions from work, so that's a good way to keep it feeling fresh.
It's got no relation to anything I done before, really, feels kinda fresh. Hopefully it'll stay inspiring. Think it's mostly coming from real people and real impressions from work, so that's a good way to keep it feeling fresh.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
New week
Well it's Wednesday and the foundry guys have taken their impression and left. Last night I went to the studio and lo n behold the place was empty of big mess. I realized my studio is big when there's nothing in it. Perhaps I don't need to move. However that is an illusion as studios don't work with nothing in them, do they. The more in them the better, and all of it moving.
Feel much happier since last night. Maybe my depression last week was cos someone was using my studio n encroaching on my personal space... It's silly enough to be true. Not that I mind the foundry guys they are lovely people. But yeah I do have a thing with my personal studio space I think... Does it matter, nah probly not. I'll make a note tho :)
Another cool thing.. Have more time than I thought to get stuff cast. So that too make me happier. I thought it needed 8 weeks in the foundry but if they get it in wax ready to go it's 4. Or 2 if you catch the right part of the casting cycle. Awesome. Already did some angel like sculptures last night. It's a start anyway. Angels seem to be some kind of trend at the moment but I'm gonna do it anyway, cos wings are cool. There will always be the problem that anatomically speaking wings AND arms on one creature is just total BS, but there's the challenge, to make it seem like it works.
Have been offered a half time position at work and I think I have to jump at it. My health sucks sitting in front of pc all day and if nothing else thats plenty good reason to do it. Anyway that's still a secret because the big boss is away on hols so nothings gonna happen for a week as far as informing anybody goes. 6 month secondment first so see how I cope with much less income... And a more expensive studio lol. Timing.
Bit of a shame tho as I'm getting rather good at my job now. I can just stroll out and create a new computer lab solo now and not even bother anybody except with maybe double checking I've created every idiotic group and group policy in active directory as the overriding trait with MS AD n SCCM n every other stupid MS server product is that there's 1000 seemingly unconnected irrelevancies u need to adjust to get anything to work. And make sure the policies are reversed , but reversed correctly, not that u can actually tell by looking, mind you, but reversed so they work in the right order. FFS it's like they did that shit deliberately. I won't miss that, actually.
Feel much happier since last night. Maybe my depression last week was cos someone was using my studio n encroaching on my personal space... It's silly enough to be true. Not that I mind the foundry guys they are lovely people. But yeah I do have a thing with my personal studio space I think... Does it matter, nah probly not. I'll make a note tho :)
Another cool thing.. Have more time than I thought to get stuff cast. So that too make me happier. I thought it needed 8 weeks in the foundry but if they get it in wax ready to go it's 4. Or 2 if you catch the right part of the casting cycle. Awesome. Already did some angel like sculptures last night. It's a start anyway. Angels seem to be some kind of trend at the moment but I'm gonna do it anyway, cos wings are cool. There will always be the problem that anatomically speaking wings AND arms on one creature is just total BS, but there's the challenge, to make it seem like it works.
Have been offered a half time position at work and I think I have to jump at it. My health sucks sitting in front of pc all day and if nothing else thats plenty good reason to do it. Anyway that's still a secret because the big boss is away on hols so nothings gonna happen for a week as far as informing anybody goes. 6 month secondment first so see how I cope with much less income... And a more expensive studio lol. Timing.
Bit of a shame tho as I'm getting rather good at my job now. I can just stroll out and create a new computer lab solo now and not even bother anybody except with maybe double checking I've created every idiotic group and group policy in active directory as the overriding trait with MS AD n SCCM n every other stupid MS server product is that there's 1000 seemingly unconnected irrelevancies u need to adjust to get anything to work. And make sure the policies are reversed , but reversed correctly, not that u can actually tell by looking, mind you, but reversed so they work in the right order. FFS it's like they did that shit deliberately. I won't miss that, actually.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Ta goodness
Yep thx goodness for the weekend. Before I kill or further insult my workmates. I appalled the room by calling a third party a gargoyle yesterday. Crikey - I like gargoyles. But yes I was being a little disparaging at the time, perhaps.
Went to a garage sale briefly n got an array of boxes of pencils, old drafting materials n stuff. Doing lot of drawing lately, using some china graph pencils cos thsts all there was in the pencil dept of the newsagent at work. I got a nice blue one and I like using them. Got two boxes of em at the garage sale. Mostly brown and green. Also some Luna pencils n some Ruwe pencils. Dunno what they're good for, yet.
Then my cap off the week flat tyre on the bike, got that sorted n tried to do some sculpture in the studio. Not going very well but hope I'm just still warming up. Having a deadline for which u need to pump out creativity is about the most crap thing imaginable.. but u get that.
Have decided to move to the newly empty studio next door. From the inside it looks twice as big, tho it's in reality 1.5 times. It's a much nicer one it's not long n skinny like my place, more square n comfy feeling.
That'll be good. A course I've just finished all the big work I got in foreseeable future, but if get any more, ill be ready.
Went to a garage sale briefly n got an array of boxes of pencils, old drafting materials n stuff. Doing lot of drawing lately, using some china graph pencils cos thsts all there was in the pencil dept of the newsagent at work. I got a nice blue one and I like using them. Got two boxes of em at the garage sale. Mostly brown and green. Also some Luna pencils n some Ruwe pencils. Dunno what they're good for, yet.
Then my cap off the week flat tyre on the bike, got that sorted n tried to do some sculpture in the studio. Not going very well but hope I'm just still warming up. Having a deadline for which u need to pump out creativity is about the most crap thing imaginable.. but u get that.
Have decided to move to the newly empty studio next door. From the inside it looks twice as big, tho it's in reality 1.5 times. It's a much nicer one it's not long n skinny like my place, more square n comfy feeling.
That'll be good. A course I've just finished all the big work I got in foreseeable future, but if get any more, ill be ready.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
More boring stuff
Still have the shits, unfortunately. Starting to hate my workmates, cos I haven't had enough to do n everything is on my nerves. Nobody laffs at my jokes till the 11am starter arrives. Since I start at 7.30 I feel lost for most of the day. What am I without anyone to laff? Who would think that was even important anyway. I must be a bit out of sorts..
One of my mates may not be leaving work. He can't decide. So I feel slightly better. But one needs to be independent, so even the fact that this makes me feel better, gives me the shits. I got the gout comin on too, I ate some mandarines last week. Its the bit of my left foot where the gear change is for the bike. Being car free for the moment, that'll suck.
Customers r shitting me too... Deleted all my phone messages this morn cos could not stand to listen to well known fuckwit unravel his tiny mindlet .. I refused to flatten out the folds of my brain comprehending his rubbish. I saw his number on the display, and the sound of his voice would have meant I be takin tomorrow off on mental health grounds.
One of my mates may not be leaving work. He can't decide. So I feel slightly better. But one needs to be independent, so even the fact that this makes me feel better, gives me the shits. I got the gout comin on too, I ate some mandarines last week. Its the bit of my left foot where the gear change is for the bike. Being car free for the moment, that'll suck.
Customers r shitting me too... Deleted all my phone messages this morn cos could not stand to listen to well known fuckwit unravel his tiny mindlet .. I refused to flatten out the folds of my brain comprehending his rubbish. I saw his number on the display, and the sound of his voice would have meant I be takin tomorrow off on mental health grounds.
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