Doorway

Pretty happy with the result... now I have to find a way to give the opening between the two doors an illuminated space. I'm thinking a thin white tissue paper (or something similar) with a small dowel support. How should the doors open to reveal the light on the other side? Slide apart? Swing forward? Swing inward?

And, off topic, but this picture below shows why the University of Michigan is awesome. This is a prescription anti-inflammatory package that I had shipped to me from Missouri. The pharmacist (who I don't know at all) must be a Maize and Blue fan:

Pictures

Pictures (boring and unpainted):

Floor with cracks/ stone carving

Staircase setup with extended piece and backboard

November is freakishly intimidating

My goals:

1. First Diorama finished and presented at student show (Nov 16th).
2. Second Diorama ("Forgotten Door") finished (without case) by Monday, November 9th (currently, I would call it 30% done)
3. Third Diorama ("Wandering Woods") finished (without case) by December 1st
4. Sketches of remaining dioramas presented at faculty reviews.

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I have plaster-sculpted the floor, stairs, stair extension, and door pieces for the second diorama. Main staircase is fully painted. I would have pictures, but I forgot to take my camera into studio. Tomorrow....

Less Talk, more Pics

The Staircase (I need feedback: does it look refined or sloppy? Stylish or shoddy? Surreal or... not surreal....)

Sweet simulated tree bark that's stylish and aesthetic (in my opinion)....

New Studio Setup with the workbench....

Where The Wild Things Are= Jungian Coping Mechanism

Interesting read on Where the Wild Things are from a Jungian perspective- arguing that Max deals with anger via his imagination/ projections (which would be the land of the Wild Things).

This is eerily similar to the coping mechanism for Balder which drives my narrative dioramas (I loved WTWTA as a kid, but hadn't recently considered it on a psychoanalytic level, though in retrospect I suppose it's not that hard to see). So I was pleasantly surprised to see parallels in the method of WTWTA and the development of my own work.

And, the author parallels WTWTA to Jung's Red Book, which I posted on earlier. (!) I think I'm onto something conceptually with all of these interests of my constantly overlapping.... It reassures me a little bit that my narrative may actually be valid.

Experimenting Results

Smooth plaster carved with a tool (gave a nice cracked effect with the foam base)

Wiping away the paint left an interesting texture

Bark tests (wood dowel from freshman year! and modeling paste). The area just left of the center works the best, I think.

My workzone (note the developing staircase)

Mark Powell

I got an exciting email from the weekend: a reply back from Mark Powell, a diorama artist whose "dream dioramas" are simultaneously surreal, disturbing, macabre, aesthetic, and contain that "so gross I want to look away but can't" aspect about them. He's really polished his craft and I was humbled that he was so helpful in providing me insight, wisdom (and encouragement) into the world of diorama making.

Among the list of things I asked were a couple of technical questions and some inquiries about his creative process and thoughts on the importance of visual storytelling. I got some really great information.

A sample of his work (courtesy of www.markpowellart.com)