In Cali

Diorama 6 - the Jester is now stuck on the cliff ledge and you can see a view of how you have to look down into the window to find Balder....

...But I have enough photo updates to do a couple of posts while I'm out here. Artwise, my goals while I'm on this training trip with the Gymnastics team are:

1) Become an expert in electrical sautering (I checked an iron, helping hands, pliers, wire stripper, wire, and about 20 LEDs)

2) Research 12v lighting systems

3) Brainstorm the layout/ construction of the final installation (wall)

4) Do the 3rd draft of my thesis

Otherwise, my main goal is to relax. The hotel we are staying at is awesome - hot tub, free breakfast, HD tv, free internet, and they put out free cookies everyday at the front desk. I think I'm set.

Jester, with Added Mache Base

Lots of work, more photos to post soon, but gotta get packed and out to Cali first....

In Progress shots of Dioramas 5 and 6

View from the window of Diorama 6 looking down, straight view of Diorama 6, and the setup with viewing window of #5....

Jester for Diorama #6

"Jester" - Rapid Prototype/ acrylic paint, 7" H

Rules vs. Principles

The way I see it, a "rule" is something that absolutely must be followed, whereas a "principle" is more of a standard/ method of process/ guiding value, that can itself be bent/ broken.

What are my "rules" and what are my "principles" for this project? After talking with John Marshall after the faculty critique today (very helpful, such a good idea) I realized that I needed to set some more solid ground rules for myself and decide which of the values that define my project are set in stone (rules) or are open for modification/ discarding (principles).

Some RULES for my project (some are obvious):

-Dioramas are made in 3D

-Dioramas are set inside a wall and seen through a small viewing window

-Dioramas are 'read' sequentially across the wall, from left to right

-Dioramas contain repetition of a central character

Some PRINCIPLES for my project:

-There are precisely 7 dioramas that contain the narrative (this is almost a RULE)

-An entire month (March) will be reserved for lighting tests

-Lighting is completely hidden from the viewer

-Surrounding space is created/ suggested by curtains

I don't know how much those make sense, but it was a good exercise for me, if only for the fact that, when making future decisions about my project, I can ask myself "is my decision based upon a RULE or a PRINCIPLE?"

Photo updates (ie a less boring post) is coming tomorrow once I get more layers on the cliff walls

Paper (Mache) Cut

I'm proud to announce that I got my first battle-scar of the year from IP tonight. I cut my finger on paper mache (of all things) that had dried to a nice sharp point while adding layers onto the cliffs. I'm actually surprised I made it this far before injuring myself.

This photo is what I'm showing at my outside-faculty critique tomorrow. Things to note:

1) The 3D prints are done and look sweet

2) I hope those cliffs don't warp more

3) The staircase looks so good in the photo but so horrible in real life (where it connects to the painting). I am remaking the second one- it's going to look a lot better, but I just slapped that much extra work on myself....

Michaels was out of Paper Mache, Rider's was out of Realistic Water, and my 3D prints don't get extracted from the printer until Monday....

So I spent the day taking care of some little things, measuring the dioramas for bookkeeping's sake, and cutting out cardboard windows to test viewing areas with, and applying what little paper mache I had left to the back of the cliff walls to counter some more buckling....

Diorama #6 work

Cliff Doors, segments arranged in their final layout, the window will be near the top right of the front

Backside of the cliffs (paper mache is put on the back to counter the shrinkage/ curling of the foam caused by the paper mache on the front)

Detail shot of the Doors set into the walls

Diorama #4, almost finished

Entire Scene (Center Tapestry exists but isn't well done. It is being reworked):

Closeup of the Lady with the Pedestal (one of the 5 "Lights")

First water pouring (this will drain my wallet, to get this much fake water was $40, and I'm maybe halfway to the height that I want?)

Bear (Bare?) with me

I'll be back to my usual studio updates tomorrow, but this is from the opening of 'O' and, while it can't do the actual thing justice, just imagine how EPIC this was when the theater curtain was literally swept backwards into oblivion before the water appeared in surreal fashion:

Update from Vegas

So obviously I haven't exactly been able to get into my studio while in Vegas, but I do have a couple of related updates:

1)I had an ok day at the prelims session of Winter Cup and was lucky enough to squeak into the finals! USA-Gymnastics posted my floor routine on Youtube here (you can see the most obvious error in my second tumbling pass, where I put my hand down).

2) I got to see Cirque du Soleil's "O" show last night, and it was unbelievable. Given my current art focus, not only was I loving the acrobatics, but the way that set could shift between deep water and platforms in a variety of shapes, and the way the lights came from underneath/ behind/ on top to cast silhouettes and shape the mood was unbelievable. Building these dioramas I really get the sense that people creating this show and these sets didn't let any physical "limitation" stop them from creating a set that could do what they wanted it to do.

Quick Turnaround....

I got a satisfying amount of work done before leaving for my meet in Vegas. My biggest accomplishment was pouring the plaster floor of Diorama #4 and getting a first layer of paint on it. I also did some test dyes with the celluclay and they look pretty good (well, the first batch looked like bad diarrhea, but the blue dyes worked out nicely!) I forgot my camera, though, so no photo updates. Instead, here are final Zbrush models that were sent to the printer this morning: