Lots of stuff.

So it looks like its been about a week since I last posted and a lot has happened. So the long process has been a grueling one with 2 days of working in the rain and mud, hauling heavy equipment out into the middle of nowhere up a single track trail and 3 days of tracking down welding equipment, supplies and steel. But it's finally done. Its quite nice I have to say. I've been enjoying it by just sitting by it. It makes me happy.

We've been having amazing dinners. On Saturday Boongyi made Korean and on Sunday Eizo and I made Japanese. Both were quite good. For our Japanese dinner, Pat built a chic Japanese dining area with a floor seating, and video projector playing an old Japanese movie on the table and playing Kaji Meiko for ambiance. It was very cool.

It is really amazing here and I look forward to doing many more of these in the future.

A review of the last couple of days

I've decided to add 3 more elements to my sculpture. Each one is between 15 and 20 feet long.  Still only 8 inches around. I spend most of today trying to get gas for the welding and 4 pieces of steel. It was ridiculous but interesting. It was a 20 min. drive to the welding shop and 2 1/2 hours of waiting and talking. I arrived when they were at lunch and they were closed. So I decided to explore the small town the shop was in. I found an interesting antique shop that was very reasonable. I bought and small pocket knife, an old school torch for brazing that works on alcohol and a smoking cabinet with pipes included. It's a neat piece of furniture and I think it will be my souvenir from CT. They like to talk here. I was talking to them for a really long time. Fortunately though they gave me welding tanks for free instead of having to rent them for 18 months for hundreds of dollars. They only charged my for gas, which I would have if I hadn't reminded them that I should probably pay before I left. It was funny.

When I got back to the residency i had to create a metal bender with only what I could find around the barn. I made it out of a tree stump, rebar, a vice grip and a nail. I bent everything by hand. It was insane. 

I was expecting to receive some steel rod today but was otherwise informed around 6 that I would not be able to get it until I went to get it myself from the welding shop, again. So I have to go the shop tomorrow to purchase my materials again. I hope it takes less time. I just want to work on my piece. I hate having to make runs for 3 hours everyday to get some tiny thing, especially when i was just there getting the same thing. Oh well. At least I know my way to the shop very well now. 

I-Park Residency - 9/4/09

I missed yesterday. So I will try and make it up. I'm finding I get up the latest of the group at 9:30. It's crazy.

So I got a welder yesterday but I had to go by parts for it at a local welding shop. I did not realize that dirt roads were still considered active county roads, so I took the scenic route (got lost) and what should have been a 20min drive turned out to be an hour and a half. It was nice to be able to explore a little. Once I got the part I drove back and we all had lunch together. It's really excellent to be able to have lunch with a group and talk, laugh, and inform each other about each other. After lunch I began welding. I've got 4 out of the 9 pieces welded together. I might need more which is a little unsettling but I'll make due. I'm looking forward to carrying out my work to the site as soon as I can.

I took a little break from all the smoke and noise and took a walk to the pond and paddled out onto the water and just drifted there in the center of the lake for a 1/2 hour. It was quite excellent.

My sculpture has been crated and shipped and I have arrived at I-Park in Connecticut

I finished crating my artwork on Monday and shipped it on Tuesday. I began the long journey to  Connecticut the same day as my artwork. 14 hours later I have arrived at the residency. It is beautiful, the food is great, the staff is wonderful and thoughtful, and my fellow artists are great people. I'm excited to start working and really getting a feel for the land. It is definitely out in the woods though but wireless internet still keeps me connected. Attached are some photos of the park, structures, and artwork that has been created in the past. I can't wait for my crate to arrive.