Fine tuning the inside in the dry

A real test for my shelter today as it poured with rain. I worked on the inside again and began to angle the edges. I feel really optimistic about this piece. I am a little surprised and delighted by its simplicity but as the piece progresses I am becoming more sure that it will work really well. The simplest ideas often work better than the more complicated ones in my experience. Perhaps because there is nothing more than the essentials. I wonder if this sculpture would work well bigger than life size? I think it might.

Shelter complete

The news is full of flood warnings for Cornwall so I have been waiting for a serious downpour all day but thankfully it never materialised. You will see in the picture that I have roped my new shelter down in case the rain that is forecast is accompanied by wind. Moving the whole thing around today has not been very encouraging as it is a rather wobbly flimsy structure. I think more work will be needed to stiffen the whole thing up. Tomorrow I shall be able to work on carving whatever the weather.

Shelter under clear skies

Another beautiful day which allowed me to carry on work on the shelter. I had to go off and get more steel for the bracing the whole structure. The whole thing looks very top heavy but it would be great to have that much height. I almost cut the legs shorter but decided to wait until I have put the roofing on. If the whole thing is too unwieldy then I’ll shorten the legs.

 

The other slight concern is that the whole thing might blow over in the wind! Hopefully the open sides will allow the wind to just pass through rather than to sail off into the distance like the house in the ‘ Wizard Of Oz’.

Rain shelter

Today I put the shelter together,welding the legs on and standing it upright. The legs are a bit wobbly and will need some stiffening before I put the roof on it. The roof will be about ten foot off the ground. I want it to be high enough for the gantry to fit underneath. I don’t know how well it will work with the ground being on a slope. I will just have to make it to find out I guess. My photo today is another of Pooch’s as my camera is still not working.

Shelter from the rain

Today brought a great change in the weather. Gone is the crisp, clear, cold weather of the last few days and the warm rain has returned. I spent the day making a shelter to work under. I built the steel frame and will assemble it outside when the rain stops. I am using clear plastic sheeting which will let light pass. Hopefully enough wind will pass through to blow away the dust.

Today I cannot resist posting another picture that Pooch took yesterday.They are so wonderful.

Smoothing the curves

Surely the last full day of working inside the sculpture. Tomorrow I must do something else, as my eyes are smarting from all the dust that has been thrown at them today. I look like I have been crying for a week! The new lights arrived today and it was wonderful to be able to carry on into the dusk even if my eyes were crying out “STOP”. I rang Pooch and he came round to take some photos in the gloom of the evening. Very dramatic shots in the half light. His photography adds so much to the story of my work. The picture shows me blasting out the dust which has settled on the inside of the sculpture with an air hose.Thanks for this one Pooch.

The hole gets deeper

I wish I could say that I have finished digging but there is at least one more day on it. Mostly dust now rather than chips or big lumps. naturally I have to proceed with a little more caution as I near the depths that I want to reach. Although the work is pretty rough and unpleasant I am quite excited about the sculpture which is looking like it might be really interesting. It has been cold and clear again which is lovely for working. The roads are like skating rinks and there was a car on its roof near Morwenstow.