Three Beasties

Installed

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 25

Ready For Delivery

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 24

One day the Sea Serpent will hang from this wall. For now, he is off to his new home at The Wine Dive.

Sea Serpent in Daylight

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 23

Sea Serpent at Night

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 22

Curves

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 21

Diagonals

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 20

Working on the layered elements, adding lights behind each layer. The first layer is bolted to the frame, the second and third layers are secured with epoxy. The clamps hold the pieces tightly together until the epoxy has fully cured.

This image reminds me of being at the same stage in the Seascape Relief when I took the following picture.

Jellyfish in Snow

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 19

Table

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 18

I find this shot interesting because when I took it, I found the surface of my work table to be busy and full of activity. This was before the full fury of my artistic regeneration  hit, and now when I look at my table just a scant two weeks later, I find it to be chaotic and full of an almost overwhelming sense of passionate creation. And much messier.

Daylight View

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 17

Testing the Lights

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 16

Eyeing the Prize

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 15

Painting the Head

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 14

Ship

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 13

Daylight View

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 12

Layering Elements

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 11

Painting the Background

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 10

Back on the Floor

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 9

Waves

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 8

In the Frame

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 7

Silver Serpent

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 6

Sea Serpent Helpers

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 5

 

Cutting

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 4

Four Frames

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 3

We built one 4 x 4 frame and three 2 x 2 frames. Kelly did her own grinding and was very proud of the finished result.

Fabricating the Frame

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 2

Having built one 4 x 4 relief, we started the second by fabricating an identical frame. As promised, I rewarded my three assistants by fabricating three smaller frames for their own reliefs.

As the first relief was built during summer break, the beasties got to see the artistic process from the very beginning stages of design and pencil drawings, all the way through the various stages of fabrication, right up to delivery and installation of the completed work. They were integral in solving design issues, critiquing work in progress, and supplying much-needed pairs of steady hands. 

I talked out loud for weeks, walking them through my thought process. Even while I was standing still and just staring at the material I tried to verbalize the various issues I was contemplating, asking questions: 'If we don't put the backing board into the frame before we weld the tabs in place on the back, then we're never going to be able to get the board into the frame - it doesn't bend, right? But if we put the wood in first and try to weld, we're going to char the board - and we have to paint the background on it, right? So how do we get the board in place and protect it from the flame and heat while we weld the securing tabs in place?"

Then I encouraged them to solve the problems, and asked further questions until they came up with a workable solution.

All three were very interested in designing their own reliefs  drawing dozens of proposals, working on mockups with bits of steel and wood . And of course, they enjoyed painting and working on their stone carvings. As the oldest, Kelly had the best focus, able to shift her attention from her own design work back to the Seascape design over and over again during the course of a day. I think some days she was painting a canvas, pausing to help me, then drawing a bit, then assisting the little ones, then back to painting her canvas again - all at the same time.

During the busiest days, all three would stop their own projects to help me and we worked as a real team. Very precious days . . .

Relief Number Two

Sea Serpent Relief: Update 1

The second piece for my friend who opened a wine bar this summer is nearly complete, so I thought I'd give you a visual tour of the steps we've gone through to complete this piece of art.

Three of the four pieces needed to create the steel frame sit on the work bench. The edges will be finished with the grinding wheel so that I have four identical pieces, each with 45 degree angle cuts on both ends.