2017 Progress Report: November/December

We're finally getting to the end of the 2017 Progress Reports. Since only one picture was taken in November, November and December were combined into a single report. With my show out of the way and after getting some much needed rest, what remained of the year, I focused on Autumn Decay, the one piece that I wasn't able to finish in time for my show. The results ended up mostly as I expected. It looks fine, but I don't love it yet. Maybe it's because It looks too similar to some work I made in the past, or maybe it is because I haven't seen it in the show yet. I deliberately decided not to work on anymore projects after that. It allowed me to think more about what I wanted to do in 2018.

Even though it is already March and I'm very late with 2018, I decided that the next post will outline what I have planned for the year. After that, the January and February Progress Reports will be posted. 

11/28/17: I finally applied the last layer of pumice gel on the front.

12/5/17: I finally applied the last layer of pumice gel on the back.

12/7/17: The spray paint work was done.

12/7/17: The spray paint work was done on the back except for the middle because of the name label. I'll have to do some detailed painting on that area later.

12/12/17: The black and white painting work is done. This took longer than expected.

12/12/17: The black painting work on the back is done. As with other similar projects, the back doesn't need as much detail as the front, so white paint wasn't necessary.

12/12/17: The metallic paint work is done. Like always, I applied the metallic paint with a palate knife.

12/12/17: The metallic paint work on the back is finished.

12/13/17: The polymer gloss medium has been applied to the front.

12/13/17: The polymer gloss medium work is done on the back. Autumn Decay is finally finished.

2017 Progress Report: October-Part 4

This is the final October 2017 Progress Report. Since I finished all the drawings and got all the raku firings done, I didn't feel as much pressure to get work done for the show as I normally would right before a show. Still, there was quite a bit of work left to do and very little time to do it. My mixed media piece which would become known as Autumn Decay would not be ready in time for the show because I ran out of pumice gel and by the time it would have taken me to order more, apply it, let it dry and paint it, it wouldn't have gotten done until after the show, so we'll have wait until the next progress report to see it. I should also mention that some of the pictures are of poor quality because I had to do some last minute work in my own bedroom where the lighting isn't very good. 

The next progress report will combine the months of November and December since there weren't enough pictures taken in November to justify it's own progress report. After that, the updates should be coming more quickly. There's a lot that has happened in 2018 so far, both good and bad and I hope to share that information soon.

10/24/17: I applied the second layer of pumice gel.

10/24/17: I started doing the labeling work. 

10/24/17: I started doing the labeling work.

10/24/17: I applied the laminated label.

10/24/17: I applied the laminated label.

10/24/17: I applied the laminated label.

10/24/17: I placed canvas over the wood and the first layer of molding paste around the label.

10/24/17: Canvas has been placed around the wood and the label is glued down.

10/24/17: Canvas has been placed around the wood and the label is glued down.

10/24/17: Canvas has been placed around the wood and the label is glued down.

10/24/17: Canvas has been placed around the wood and the label is glued down.

10/24/17: This piece finally got fired.

10/25/17: I've been falling behind with this mask since several weeks earlier, it was not fired along with the other masks. 

10/25/17: I finally glued down the label for this piece.

10/26/17: I started placing pumice gel around the label.

10/26/17: I started doing the molding paste work.

10/26/17: I started doing the molding paste work.

10/27/17: I started applying the second layer of pumice gel and then I ran out of it. 

10/27/17: I applied the molding paste.

10/27/17: I applied the molding paste.

10/27/17: I applied the molding paste.

10/27/17: I applied the molding paste.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/28/17: I started doing the painting.

10/30/17: The felt has been applied. This piece is done.

10/30/17: The felt has been applied. This piece is done.

2017 Progress Report: October-Part 3

Before I talk about Part 3 of the October Report, I want to apologize for the delay in posting. A lot has happened to me in January and that's why you haven't been seeing updates. Originally, everything from last year was supposed to be posted already. Things have calmed down a bit, so now I can resume the blog at a normal pace.

Now that's out of the way, this is Part 3 of the October 2017 Progress Report. A lot of work was done this week. There was one raku firing for four of my mask pieces while the other one had the glaze work done. There was the completion of the canvas work and the gesso work on the leaf piece as well as the beginning of the pumice gel work on that same piece. I also finally finished a mixed media drawing that had been in development hell since 2005. Overall, it was a very productive week, but I still had quite a bit to do before the show. 

10/17/17: The canvas work is finally done. It got difficult after a while because of the edges and small parts. Sometimes, it is hard to get the canvas on there while still maintaining the proper shape of the piece.

10/17/17: Even though this was the first mask that I made, it ended up being the last one to get bisque fired.  This is why the glaze work is being done this week while the others are getting a raku firing.

10/17/17: The gesso work on the front is finished.

10/17/17: The gesso work on the back is finished.

10/17/17: The raku firing is done. This one turned out pretty good. In fact, this was probably the best one.

10/17/17: The raku firing is done. This one turned out okay.

10/17/17: The raku firing is finished. This one turned out okay, though I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted to see more of the red.

10/17/17: The raku firing is done. This one turned out very good, probably a contender for the best mask piece.

10/18/17: I finally started the pumice gel work. This will take a long time to finish.

10/18/17: I glued the wood piece on the back. This mask will need only one hanging hook.

10/18/17: I glued the wood piece on the back. This mask will need only one hanging hook.

10/18/17: I glued the wood piece on the back. This mask will need only one hanging hook.

10/18/17: I glued the wood piece on the back. This mask will need only one hanging hook.

10/18/17: Because of how I plan on hanging this piece, it required two wooden pieces for  two hooks.

10/19/17: It took a long time, but this piece is just about finished. Normally, I would finish the drawing before doing the painting, but due to some unusual circumstances, I had to do it the other way around. This is why some of the charcoal and pastel ended up on the painted area.

10/19/17: The gloss fixative has been applied. The drawing part is finished.

10/19/17: The painting on the back was done earlier in the day. It took most of the day to get it done.

10/20/17: The polymer gloss has been applied. The front of this piece is finally done.

10/20/17: The polymer gloss has been applied to the back of this piece. After 12 years, this piece is finally complete.

10/20/17: The first layer of pumice gel has been applied to the back of this piece.