798 Art District Beijing...8.15.11

Travel during the day by High Speed train from Changchun to Beijing...crashed at the hotel and hit the "Big" art scene in Beijing the next day. Oh the rain, lucky we could duck into galleries and coffee shops. Clear example (world wide) of businesses following art. The area was an abandoned industrial warehouses, artists moved in with studios...then galleries followed and now restaurants and retail shops. There were lots of things to see and we spent the day, Husam from Lebanon showed up today and met us at a coffee shop, where Aragorn and I had been sipping on a beer. Hope the weather clears for the Great Wall tomorrow!!

Fireball - Full Moon Celebration 8.13.11 (night before Beijing)

Aragorn Read, the artist from the British Virgin Is. created a 3 meter steel ball that he cut patterns into. It was loaded with wood and set a blaze on the night of the full moon (the night before we left for Beijing) this a ritual he does at his home, with much smaller sculptures...that is until now!! This was really fantastic to be apart of, it brought the group together in a night of singing, dancing and general bohemian fun. A truly beautiful work of art when glowing with the flame inside. Thanks Aragorn, for sharing this with us all...it was incredible!!

oh wait! I see something...damn!!!

There always something, just when you think you have finished, so I grabbed the brushes and back to work. I really want to finish because in the morning I and six other artists are headed to Beijing for 4 days of fun and seeing the sights (my second time), I'll be the tour guide for some of the group. On our list of to do, 798 Art district, Great Wall, Forbidden City and Summer Palace (I've not seen). We booked the hotel, The Beijing Traditional Hotel in the old Hutong district near the Forbidden City, a nice place. We are taking the high speed train which will take 6 hours hitting speeds of 250 km per hour...should be fun.

Tada!!!! Finito...6:33 pm on 8.12.11

Damn! wish I was finished

Last few minutes of step 4 (highlight)

Step 4...bronze highlight

I'm getting tired

Oxidation application...8.12.11

Still step 3