Oh, balls.

I'm carving a hollow ball out of green wax... It is going to be cast into silver. And naturally it is taking an insane amount of time. I don't know why I do this sort of thing. Maybe by focusing on a small detailed whacko project its easier to ignore the larger whacko-ness of the world. Maybe. I do like how its going... just wish it were a tad quicker on finishing.

The first picture is after I've roughed it out. I drew a bit on some paper mache balls I had around to get the feel of what I wanted. My sketches are usually pretty sketchy. I have found one of the problems with translating what I'm thinking about is the same problem with translating dreams. (this is purely subjective. I'm sure others have other experiences.) My brain does not see the negatives. It only sees the positives. Like if you dream about a toilet (for instance), you have an impression of the room the toilet is in, but really you only see the toilet. So if you were to draw the toilet, you have to translate the impression of the room and the dream as well as draw the toilet. In other words, rendering nicely would be so helpful sometimes. Sounds obvious, huh?

When I finally finish the silver ball, it will be worn as a pendant on a silver cord, or cable chain. Or something.

Shadow Shot Monday

I was on the phone... seeking advice about a computer class. Like, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? Or something like that. And I noticed the shadow cast by Mr. Snowman at his usual perch, near my computer. The advice took a while. *Giving me advice is sort of like clearing underbrush in the Amazon jungle.*

I decided to stick with the class. And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought. Soft you now! The wiry Mr. Snowman! Bozo wanna be, in thy orisons be some kind of fun remember'd.

Snowman

This guy usually sits on my tabletop, near my computer. I took him outside for a shadow shot... or an appreciation of all that snow shot... It is good snow for a snowman.

Master Car Mechanic

Well. Not really. I'm not a master car mechanic... but this sort of repair is something I think I could specialize in. The not-just-duct-tape-anymore type repair.

On one of those freezing cold mornings this past week I had to squeeze in my truck through the passenger's door. Not only had I parked too close to the house (because of snow), but for some odd reason I'd locked my truck. Of course the door froze. And in climbing in I shattered the cold old plastic of my rearview mirror with a bump.




*note the nicely rounded corners of the brass plate I made. lol.*

The Positives of the Negatives

*A note of reassurance to those, like me, who view the world with no taste for rose colored glasses, who view the world with the need for yet one more cup of coffee or mug of beer, who dislike weedless yards and neatly trimmed hedges and think a bounce in the step is a waste of energy: I am not usually like this.

Flowers are not natural to my image terrain. Don't know why. But in my desire to make my mother something she might like and enjoy showing off to her mature lady friends I carved her this pin. I'm taking a pic now... though it may be a week before its finished. (Which, is one reason I take interim pics, my stuff takes a while to finish.) I'll antique it (brings out the lines and forms) and set 2 peridot (green) stones. I also have to make a third gold ball for the third little daisy. But. I'm kinda happy with the casting, this thing I wouldn't normally have made.



And. Well. I have to mention the end of the New England Patriots season. This past season was a great one. Really. And that last game against the Bills was amazing. I looked online for a pic of them righting the goal post for Gostkowski's attempted field goal. Between that moment, the passes to Evans, the referee having to hold the ball until the center was ready for it, and Cassel's kick that the wind carried an extra 10 yards... it was definitely a memorable well played game. The whole season was. It would have been nice if they'd made the post season... a recognition of the effort and ability of the team, but. In some ways it ended well. It ended with a win and with them setting another record, as the first team in 23 years to go 11-5 and not make the playoffs. And, after watching some of the Ravens Miami game? Well. The Pats have a more rounded team than Miami, and by the end of the season were doing quite well. But, that Raven's defense is something else. Ed Reed is an escapee from the Matrix movie.

And. Lately out of money insecurity, I have been taking computer classes. *Its what you're suppose to do, right?* Its tough for me because I'm a thing type person. Making stuff is kinda where I'm at. But where I'm at and where money is at is two different spaces. So. But the positive of that is I now have a web site. The form on the contact page DOES NOT WORK. (had to stick it in for a class.) And the pics CANNOT BE CLICKED ON. And the navigation bar wandered on a couple of the pages. So I have to figure out how to go in and fix all this... without any software on my computer. Which I will. After I do everything else including washing dishes and cleaning the toilet. Might even vacuum some.

That's my list of positives for the day and I'm out of coffee. Cheers!