The first step is to cut the foot of the sculpture flat making it the base, so the stone is upside down. Next, we lop off small sections because I needed to see how the stone was going to split, stones fracture differently. Once the foot was cut the crane was called in and the stones were rolled up right. (see video) I chiseled some lines that later would guide my saw work. I made lots of measurements where I wanted the holes drilled and the splitting pins driven to break off larger sections before we start moving toward the final surface with the 7 inch diamond saws . The holes would take about 20 minutes to drill and we had to drill 20 holes some times, do the math. This part of the process took days and was slow and careful. I could work inside the studio on my second sculpture (bronze) that was just in the clay stage.
Relaxing and the Studio space! Building the Armature for bronze "Auto Pod" in China (video below)
I arrived and the studio was huge, a gigantic ware house that was used to store cars out of the bad weather. Some of the other artists were already working, but I showed up a few days late because of registration at the college. I was ready to work, six weeks is a short time to create two sculptures, so the metal armature for the clay work had to be built (it is cast into bronze later) and besides the stones had not arrived yet.
Harry blowing bubble rings. Saipan's 360 Restaurant is a great place to go to see Saipan in the round.
This turtle is very comfortable with divers (as you can see).
10/03/08 Friday. Hey, who knows what will happen. I've been back 3 weeks now, having had to jump right into teaching my classes at the college the day that I arrived on Sept. 9th. I had a great flight Asiana Air all the way. The Dean of Instruction, welcomed me back and was open to the idea of a visiting Professor exchange, that's cool. I had to catch up the classes and meet the many new students who had waited for my return two weeks into the semester.
I have been Skype-ing alot with my fellow artists from Changchun, who are scattered all across the world, one session was with three of them at the same time, what a hoot. It was as if we were setting across from each other at the dinner table in China, we promised each other that we would prepare better and at least have beers in front of us next time.
I also looked forward to getting in the ocean at my favorite beach, Paupau, just for a snorkel...diving would have to wait. I managed to get a nasty bit from a four foot eel that was hiding under a long section of steel left over from the war. Unbelievable, first time back in the water and bam!! cloud of blood filled the area around my thumb and a jolting pain, anyway I must have tasted bad he spit me out. You know what I thought about? "I won't be throwing any pots until this heals" an artist without a thumb...bad thing. It didn't matter the water felt great, I finished the swim, keeping an eye out for the ever curious shark that would cruse into the lagoon around dusk. It was not until last weekend that I went scuba diving at Laulau Bay with friends Harry and his wife Kelly. (Harry blowing bubble rings under water, pic above). The movie is of a hawk's bill turtle on the first of two dives, too cool (enjoy Marko and Tamara). I hope the weather warms up a bit for you two in Belgrade, before the full onset of winter. =====================================================================================
Said Good bye to all my new friends in Changchun...But I'll be back in 2010.
9/08/08 Monday (Black Monday)
Monday started in the early morning, 0 hundred hour, you guessed it we were still partying not wanting the Symposium to come to an end. This whole time, I knew it was coming... but don’t get me wrong, I missed my family terribly, but the bonds made among these like minded people were something special. I was in my own little artist’s community and speaking the same language on a level that I don’t engage in back on Saipan…pure utopia. I knew I had to pack so the evening/morning would end soon …but not until after many toasts and hugs. A persistence of dread hung heavy as a disbelief that it was most certainly going to end, and that’s where the drinks blurred that reality. There is really no way I can express the profound sadness that I felt knowing that Monday at 10 am I would leave the hotel and all those good people, many whom I would likely never see again. There was some solace knowing that deep in my heart I knew that I would see but a few, Chun hua and Leo, HanLu, Xiao Yu, my closest friends…again.
Sadog Tasi (area), Saipan (Island), Northern Mariana Islands
I teach visual arts at Northern Marianas College on the beautiful island of Saipan , and create art works in my home studio in Sadog Tasi. I have been selected in a juried international competition to represent the Northern Mariana Islands and create four of my sculptures for the 9th, 11th and 12th annual Changchun China International Sculpture Symposium. This blog is in journal format, my observations, reflections and thoughts... most resent at the top.
