Wednesday, January 12, 2011

best laid plans


This week has not gone quite like I planned. My main accomplishments were supposed to be finishing the full size art work for the job we have and meeting with the art consultant to discuss the sketches I emailed him on Monday.

For one thing, I discovered on Monday that I had made an error in my math concerning the width of the three panels and so the enlargement I had had made was not large enough. Small errors like that were just annoying when we lived in the city and I could just dash over to the reprographics place and get it done over. Now, out here in the middle of nowhere it's a major problem. I have to make a trip into the city.

For the other, the art consultant is out of town til tomorrow. And who knows if he will have time to meet with me this week. I'm going to aim for Friday since I have to be there on Saturday for the first meeting for a probable job, a pair of interior doors.

Add into the mix that it is cold and overcast, our coldest weather to date, and I can't think of anything clever for the letter B and I am thoroughly disgruntled.

Also, I found out that our friend who does the fused glass and who I am depending on to complete the job we have and the job the church is getting funded, had a stent put in his heart last week. He had had two instances of serious jaw pain while exercising so went to the doctor who referred him to a cardiologist who did the procedure on him the very next day. He showed up at the clinic at 5:30, was in surgery by 6:30 and home by 1:00 PM. They went in through his wrist he said, no cracked chest, no heart surgery. I don't know about you but I find that frickin' incredible. Through his wrist! And I'm delighted my friend will be here to help me with these jobs (and not just because of that). As we all get older I'm beginning to realize just how dependent I am on others to be able to do my own work.

Speaking of which, as if I'm not slow enough already, this cold weather just isn't helping. But here's another peek at the wren box as it progresses as well as another I'm working on that I refer to in my head as the memory box.

left: wren box, cast with plaster removed but not cleaned
right: memory box, cast, cleaned but still needs excess glass ground off bottom














the two boxes with their respective inlays

I still need to cast the feet for the wren box and the tops to both but I've already cast the feet for the memory box. In it will be half a dozen or so photos that are etched on thin pieces of glass. The inlays don't fit perfectly yet. I'll have to do some grinding on both the inlay and the indentation, sort of like fitting a dental crown.



14 comments:

  1. So frustrating when you have to back track on a project this intricate. Love how the wren boxes are turning out, though.

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  2. I feel your frustrations.

    The boxes are just lovely tho'. Nice work.

    This is going to sound like a silly question but I was wondering - can you make a glass box like that to store ashes?

    Did I say silly - probably sounds macabre but I was curious.

    Thanks. :) and hugs! Now get back to work. hee

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  3. I know what you mean about being dependent on others with your craft. So much of life really is a teamwork of some sorts. I'd always thought of writing as a very solitary endeavor, when in reality, it's so not. It's amazing how many people and steps are involved from idea/concept, to finished product.

    P.S. We got about 20 inches of fresh snowfall overnight, if it makes you feel any better about your cold temps :)

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  4. And you are busy like usual ...

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  5. sometimes, life just is, ya know? Be well, TOB, Linda

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  6. I love your work, I have been drooling over the cup at the top of the blog ever since I first came here.
    Are you very expensive? Could I afford to buy a piece?

    As for the alphabet game. Do you do this on your own? I asked Jane on A New Start, if she minded if I joined in, i.e. started one of my own. She's ok with it. I find the many linked ones a bit mumsy.
    So if I snuck up and did my own, would that be ok with you?

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  7. These are lovely, Ellen. And chalk up the frustrations of the past few days to challenging astrological aspects. It's been a period where things are frustrating and many mistakes are made. Tomorrow is supposed to be a grand day when things run smoothly.

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  8. beautiful! LOVE your work! Amazing placing a stint in the thumper through the wrist! WOW!

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  9. Gorgeous! I'm glad your friend is doing ok - it is pretty amazing what they can do these days.

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  10. Beautiful!

    I hope your friend continues to do well and every thing falls into place for you.

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  11. Very nice work Ellen. The weather's been a bear here in Alabama too. It was 12 degrees last night and when I walked out on the deck a while ago to dump the old coffee grounds, my house shoes crunched on the lingering snow.
    Medicine has come a long way in heart procedures. Before long they'll be doing them in the car as a drive through.
    I'm glad your friend is ok.

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  12. The boxes are cool. Hope the rest of your work comes together smoothly.

    That's a pretty cool procedure they were able to do for your friend. And so quickly. Glad he's OK.

    One piece of me is going ewww, through the wrist and another piece of me is thinking it sure beats cracking open the ribs. My Mom had heart surgery several times during her life. My Dad was kind enough to explain to me what she looked like after the last surgery. I was like gee thanks. I don't need to think about that. So I'm glad they've found a less invasive way to put stents in. Makes you wonder what wonderful medical procedure they'll come up with next.

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  13. You work marvels with glass. These are beautiful pieces.

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  14. I love the inlays on these boxes (well, I love the boxes, too). Will they be lidded?)

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