2 WEEKS TO GO - MA UPDATE

Exciting things are happening - let me fill you in on this weeks progress.

This week in my studio…

I had a really helpful meeting with the gallery technical officer fine tuning my plans for the construction of my art installation.

 After research and various purchases of things I’d never heard of before I am now all set for putting all this art I’ve been making into the space it’s been created for. Metal cable, polyester cord, zip locks, crimps, scaffolding poles, MDF, scaffolding feet, nuts and bolts and concrete, which I’ve mixed and poured into 4 moulds to make feet for my tent pod. Even the builders renovating the windows in the gallery this week got persuaded to help me - hanging string over the ceiling joists whilst up their scaffold tower so I can access that space when I’m ready. My risk assessment has been reviewed, revised and I’m getting super excited about putting this thing together.

Here's my studio visit video from this week...

This week has involved some wonderful help from my studio assistants - from sewing to give my sore wrist a break, to papermache, to whitewashing I’ve set my little eager army to work and seen lots of progress. Even the dog managed to do some painting with her tail and ears!

I’ve added the finishing touches to my ceramic seeds, adding more chaos to some and adding more order to others! They work much better alongside my other seeds now, bringing more cohesion to the whole piece.

How’s it going?

• I was bowled over by the support I received for my fundraising campaign, which finished last Sunday. I ended up succeeding my goal. Thank you so much those of you who contributed. What with those helping me financially and those helping me practically this week I feel really cheered on and encouraged in what I’m doing. My work is about light and life breaking through darkness and death, about hope rising and beauty emerging and people really seem to have caught the vision and enjoy partnering with me in this.
  
• This week I’m daunted and determined to now paint and decorate the 44 papermache seeds that have been whitewashed today as well as hopefully decorating the inside of my tent pod. After focussing on all the black pods for a while, it’s so lovely to be doing something colourful!
• This weekend we are heading to the Edinburgh Fringe to see one my daughters perform, which will be a nice break as a family (I can’t join them on our family holiday this year as it’s the same week I install the show), but being away this week is bound to add a little extra stretch to an already full schedule which I have to admit is making me a little nervous!
  

Facts & figures:

• 2 weeks until I install my show
• 22 pods finished (12 still to do) & 59 seeds finished (166 still to do)!
• 1st September my show opens
• 16th September show comes down + supporting documentation is handed in
• 6 weeks until my holiday!

To find out more about my project/installation I’ve created a new page on my website click HERE to view.

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See you next week for the next instalment!