365 Day 346 -- part two

thinking and sketching and problem solving

Okay -- this is part two of today's post. (Here is part one if you missed it and don't want backtrack.)


So I photographed the parts I needed to think about and started in the sketchbook (in front of tv with a cup of coffee).

I printed out the photos, added them to the sketchbook and started thinking things out and making notes around the photos. I thought I had a few things figured out but I ended up changing my mind a little.











Originally I had figured out to attach the "body" to the tomato cage using the holes I drilled earlier and buttons with wire (instead of thread) to anchor the rods/legs and the join.

The only problem with that when I got into my studio again was that I don't have any large buttons. I figured they'd need to be at least the size of a quarter, if not larger. Then I was thinking about the curve of the inside of the body and how the button would leave a gap. Oh bother.

Then I was pouting just a bit and I spotted a tray full of the smaller, thinner sized MDF blocks (that I use for the Penciled In Art-o-mat series) and I drilled four holes into four blocks and added more holes to the body base.









I was thinking that yeah, there'd be a gap but on the inside it wouldn't really matter if the anchor was big enough and strong enough. I decided not to use one on the outside because of the lip on the body base that gives me an upper/lower area at the bottom of the base.



This is how it looks on the inside.








I used a really really thin galvanized wire (about a yard long) and sort of sewed the block on to the inside of the base.






Inside shot of join #1.










It will all get covered up so it doesn't really matter how kah-ray-zee it looks right now.





Outside shot of join #1.












Here is how it looks from farther back. That is not wet plaster, the base of the upper part of this piece is built on a hard plastic container.









Then I updated the sketchbook and started to troubleshoot some more.

I know that the wire will rust eventually so I added masking tape over the exposed wire on the front and also to the wire on the inside...even though I won't be plaster cloth'ing on the inside of the base.





I don't imagine that will really protect the wire but it makes me feel better. I mean, the tomato cage wires rust...some of the older ones in my stash are already a little rusted in spots.

I think that this piece will really actually be held together by all of the outer plaster cloth anyway.

I was going to start layering on some plaster cloth to the bottom of the base but I have totally run out of steam. Maybe later on before bed I will tackle that...maybe not. Until then I will be thinking about how I am going to get the plaster cloth onto the tomato cage grid area. I have lots of materials around here to choose from...I just need to think about what I am going to do with this guy. I am even wondering if I can make legs for him instead of leaving the base looking like a cone. Hmmm...