Pace of Work Quickens

8/21/08 Thursday, 8/22/08 Friday Together.
You can’t imagine the rush of work that is happening in and out of the studio. I’m essentially managing two separate sculptures and everything must be translated back and forth, the methods, the materials, and the tools used…but some how it all happens and with smiles all around. The stainless piece needs some finer grinding burrs and polishing wheels (again) for the really tight spots and so in the afternoon of both days Chun Hua and I must locate these items, so off on another road trip we go. Searching is half the fun and after many miss-directions and a few wild goose chase, we find what we need. Taking the light rail is a really fun way of getting around (that’s us in the dome mirror).
We make it back to the studio and the flurry of activity is just crazy, the crane is here turning stone sculptures, molds are being made and opened, and fiber glass is stinking up the whole place. Pics, pics and more pics!!!

A Tour to Jilin City

8/20/08 WEDNESDAY
All the artists were informed that we would travel to a beautiful lake (reservoir) about an hour from Changchun near the city of Jilin, which is named after the province. No work at all today, I think they wanted the artists out of the studio so the mold makers can work on getting fiberglass in the plaster molds that are ready. Problem is that most of the artists want to see the process and photo-document it. No matter, sometimes you just go with the flow and besides, the last day trip we went on was a blast, so we expect this one to be the same. Three buses showed up in front of the hotel, this will be fun because our translators and assistants will be with us. Our first stop is in the city of Jilin at a modern park built around an old Buddhist temple (see the images) on a hill with a big yellow sign that says Buddha. It was beautiful and a very quiet place to enjoy, we even burnt incense at the various mini temples within the main complex. The park around and just outside the temple gates had the usual carnival / amusement park attractions that I wished were not there. We spent about 2 hours there and then piled on the bus for about another half hour ride passed a large concrete dam, and up to it’s top where a large three level touring vessel was waiting on the water. It was a lunch cruise around the lake. Before we were all seated the food started coming and coming, does this sound familiar? And oh yes the “wine” with a kick was available and “Snow Beer” as well, we had speeches and then we moved about the three decks freely, taking in the sun. I had a nice time talking with Han Lu the instructor from the Changchun university, she is preparing to participate in a teaching exchange in Holland next fall semester that would be 2009 and is very excited. I learned more about the teaching exchange that I could be part of, and could not help but think what a wonderful way for the sharing of culture, learning and professionally developing individuals in a learning environment. As I looked out across the water toward shore, it reminded me of similar landscapes in Europe near Germany, or the green around the reservoirs in Idaho where I grew up. I felt displaced, else where, and had to look to the people’s faces next to me, only to realize that I was still in China.
Here is a little ditty that we sing, “There’s Snow Beer like Snow Beer”

Stop Action Video of Studio China

Just playing around with the camera...hey I have a little time on my hands waiting for the fiberglass work, so...I'm thinking let's make a movie. If you look closely, you will see me in the picture waving back at you through out the movie...Can you find me?

Walk Through the Studio (Video)

This will give some idea of the activity that is occurring on a day to day bases in the studio. Bringing together this number of artists, translators, assistants and others is really quite an amazing feat.

Opening Piece Molds

8/19/08 Tuesday
Wow! Today was rainy and cold, low 70’s and windy, so when I arrived at the studio I found out that the metal workers didn’t show. This was a bit of a disappointment, I wanted to try out the new tools, but, no matter, inside the main studio it was action in full swing (see image above). My plaster molds were getting some wood reinforcing and one had already been opened (see image), while I waited, having some time, I shot some pics of the progress of various artist’s works. It was a kick bobbing and weaving through all the sculptures and workers, under scaffolds and sliding passed twisted steel armatures.
After lunch all the molds had been opened and all the clay removed from inside (see pics of empty molds) all I needed to do was check the work and ok the piece molds, they basically look good.

Totem-Standing Together (is standing)!!!

8/18/08 Monday
The sun rises at 4:00am and blasts in the window, I remember when I used to have retinas. I managed to write some in the journal before breakfast at 7 o’clock. I felt some excitement while riding in the bus to the studio, I would be able to see the stainless steel piece standing once I constructed the temporary base. Right off the bus I headed to the wood pile to pick out the proper 6x6 oak timbers needed for the task. I made sort work of this task with the use of the chainsaw and nailed it together, and then gathered some helping hands to stand the sculpture. Sliding the base pins down into the wood base was a tight fit and presto…there it was Wasai!! This is the first time I have ever seen the piece fully constructed, it is b-e-a-utiful, and it relates on a human scale. Other artists began to gather with positive comments and wanting to take photos. The overcast day softened all the shadows and I really want to see it on a sunny day, maybe tomorrow.
One thing is apparent, it needs some finishing detail work and I needed to go shopping for some grinding burrs and polishing pads, Chun Hua was ready after lunch and we headed out in search of another group of streets loaded with small shops crammed together with hardware. There were a lot of different types, so I picked a sampling to take back to the studio, we’ll find out what works and get more. On the way back I saw a Wal-mart and we had to check it out. It was packed with so many shoppers and I did not recognize many of the products.

Victory Park and Mold Making... Finally!!

Movie of plaster mold making.









(above photos: Mao and small lake at Victory Park,Bronze relief at museum and party. also Lu the art instructor and Mold making and me and you know who.)

8/17/08 Sunday
I was certain today, as we headed to the studio, that we would be making the plaster piece mold of the sculpture, but upon arriving we heard that there was no water for the morning. Gee doesn’t this sound familiar (on Saipan, water and power outages are common), so I moved my attention to the stainless piece out in the yard. I noticed that there were a few grinder nicks in the polished surface and pointed it out along with some others problems to the assistance, and they set to work fixing them. I think that I will build a temporary base for the stainless piece so that I can stand it up and really get a closer look at the whole surface. This I will do tomorrow morning. I spent the rest of the morning talking with other artists helping with problems that they were having. Back on the bus and to the hotel for lunch…this is getting old, but the food is good and free, and it gives me time to work on the computer.
After lunch at the studio a water truck arrived and the water problem is solved. Mold making will proceed, this is important because the longer that the clay sits under the plastic wrap with the sun shining on it, there is a real risk that it will shrink and small surface cracks will appear and become large marring the surface. This has happened to other artist’s clay sculptures, and in some instances large sections of the clay have actually fallen off. Pictured are the three women assistants that are tasked with shimming and applying the plaster to the surface of the clay sculpture. The shim dividers are pressed into the moist clay making the different sections of the piece mold. The plaster is basically thrown on the surface of the clay to keep air bubbles from being trapped on the surface it goes everywhere and is by nature messy. Also check out the movie as well, it should play. The mold will stay on the clay over night to cure properly. That done I feel a real sense that the bronze sculpture project is going well.

8/16/08 Saturday
Finished the clay sculpture yeah!!! Some more very good news as well, Lu, the female Chinese art instructor at Changchun University, was instructed to offer to me a teaching position at Changchun University for a semester in the future. I felt quite pleased to know that they had selected me to participate in this, and that kind of respect and offer is something that I would very interested in.
…day off in the afternoon, so Michael and I went to Victory Park and the Puppet Government Museum (Japanese Occupation period 1930-WWII) …ended with a party back at the studio in the evening.

Just Pictures of Progress

8/15/08 Friday
Today I saw a patch on the stainless pieces surface that is going to be the final finish and it’s going to look b-e-a-utiful. Today, not so much to write, so I’ll just load some photos and try to load a movie of studio life. Some times I give the camera to Chun Hua and turn her loose to shoot what ever she likes, a look through some one else’s eyes, so to speak. What a little ball of energy. That's Michael Warrick's piece, we kid him that he's got a big head since coming to the studio. Al Posimani from Niue up on the scaffold, is carving the largest wood sculpture this year. The top most photo is Etu Ndow of Gambia taking five in the shade of a block of stone viewing his work.

8/14/08 Thursday
Not enough sleep, and a long day, was ahead of us. Every morning first thing, I check the progress on the stainless steel piece, it is all assembled and now the continuous seem or joint welds need to be done. As much as I love the process of welding, I’m afraid that I will simply have to sit it out and play the white collier artist, which is not all that bad for today. I’m really feeling the previous nights festivities by lunch time, and sleeping vs. eating are weighing in my mind.
Food was the right choice and the afternoon went smoothly and lots of work was accomplished. I feel that in just a few more days I with be able to finish the clay work and move on to the mold making. We leave the studio today looking forward to watching the Olympics and writing the blog and i-chatting with Maggie and the kids (if they are home).

8/13/08 Wednesday
Today we worked half a day in the studio because there was to be a trek into the city for dinner at a cook your own food restaurant, (hot pot as our hosts refer to it). I was pissed because I left my camera in my hotel room and when I realized it in the lobby, it was too late to go back up to the eighteenth floor and get it. Anyway, pictures of that event will have to wait until I get them from others. The “hot pot” was very fun, all the food arrived in mass, from thinly sliced meats, egg, mushroom of all sort and some things we had know idea what they were…but I ate them anyway (I’m not picky about new foods). ). Afterwards back at the hotel lobby, a party and dancing ensued. Too much fun was had by all, really, I’m serious, too much fun.

Completion in Sight

8/12/08 Tuesday
My team of sheet steel fabricators have completed the tack welds and created the mounting structure at the base of the sculpture. Yesterday, I had to be really persistent, regarding the materials used for the construction of the mounting structure. The team wanted to go the inexpensive route with regular steel, this would lead to rust staining the granite base and eventually to the failure of the structure. I convinced them that we use the same material as the sculpture, for real permanence. The team really does aim to please and follows my instructions, I enjoy that type of mutual respect that is generated here, the can do attitude that just fills the air here. There is no debate, no sense of anyone trying to get into a pissing contest with you, just everyone doing the best that we can, to try and produce the finest works possible, for everyone to enjoy. Shau Yu was a tremendous help today, while I really got into some serious sculpting, he worked diligently to prepare the fourth and final section of the sculpture, making it ready for me to begin cutting it with the design. Although there is plenty of work left after I finish the clay modeling, the plaster mold, the fiberglass replica, and the work that needs to be done at the foundry, I see light at the end of the tunnel. The day ended with Chun Hua nagging me to stop and clean up…”the bus is here, don’t be late” and kidded me that I really was a work-a-holic, something that I believe is admired here.

Work, Play and Food!

8/11/08 Monday
Working in the studio is not as loud now, however, it is filled with the toxic odor of fiberglass resin. Some artists are finished with their clay modeled sculptures and the team of mold makers have come into the studio and have begun pulled the piece molds off of them, and are beginning to lay in the fiber glass. The fiberglass is used to create a mock-up sculpture that will be on display during the symposium while the molds are taken to the foundry and used in the process to cast the bronzes. It is quite a complicated substitution process, and difficult for people to wrap their head around the concepts used to cast bronze. The fumes from the fiberglass resin are really not good for your health, so we are looking for charcoal respirators to filter the air, we should have them by tomorrow. The photos above are some of the activities and goings on in the studio… mostly hard work but, at times there are moments for clowning around. Ryan from Aruba is taking time-out to do a little jump rope, to the delight of the assistants and interpreters. Outside work was in full swing on my second sculpture to be made of stainless steel, WASAI!!!. I have three assistants working on it and they are very competent, I mostly need to inspect their work and make sure that they understand how to assemble it correctly. Already one section had been placed on the wrong side and upside down, this they quickly corrected and so I have made it a point to check their progress every hour. Also pictured are the activities out in the stonecutters yard. About every four days a huge crane comes in and turns stone sculptures over or stands them in the upright position so sculptors can work the different surfaces. It’s a blast to see their progress each day but it’s noisy, dusty, strenuous work and these artists go at it all day in the hot sun.