I Have A Plan!

So the past couple of months have been a little bit difficult. First of all, our house fell out of escrow because of difficulties with the buyers getting the loan they wanted. I won't get into the details as I just want to put this behind me. But this was really a long (six months) time coming. You could say that some of the trouble was a result of our current economy but there were also problems related directly to the buyers. Whatever. It's over and done. But then so are we. Eric and I have absolutely no desire to re-list the house at this time. We are just going to put our plans on hold for the time being. Regroup and rethink our strategy.

Also adding to the mix was the fact that I have stopped making art behind my friend Chris' barn. Most of the reasons why were out of my control. Basically changes had occurred at the property that made it not a good place for me to continue to work. It's disappointing because 1) I really liked it up there and 2) I am studio-less now and trying to work at home which has been a challenge for me in the past. Having a space to go to, to call my own, really helps me focus. But I am going to figure out a way to make this work for me because it is saving me a lot of money working at home since I don't have to pay studio rent (I didn't at Chris', though) and I don't have to drive to get there (20 minutes one-way to Chris').

Basically I am just trying to make the best of my new situations. I haven't been doing much in the way of artmaking since I got back from Reno in the beginning of September. Oh sure, I made Pink Lady but I haven't moved forward on my wood spirals idea or started carving on the new marble block that I have set up and ready to go in my backyard. I have been really distracted by Life.

I have, however, been putting some energy into my new bottle cap sculpture idea, Bottle Cap Bar. I am actually really excited about this but also have been feeling overwhelmed. As I have been designing the sculpture I have come to realize that this is going to require such a large number of bottle caps and so many labor intensive hours just to build it. I would probably not be able to put any effort into my other art ideas. And I was starting to feel a little bit stressed out about that.

So, here's the idea: It is a ten foot by ten foot by seven foot high enclosed (except for a door and three windows) space. The walls and ceiling are made almost entirely of bottle caps and wire. Inside of the space is a wooded bar and two stools that will be covered in bottle caps. See it's a Bar! And people can go inside and hang out and sit at the bar and have a drink (during operating hours, of course). And, ideally, almost all of the bottle caps come from actual bars. But we are talking about tens of thousands of bottle caps that I will need to punch holes in and string on 10 foot wire lengths and, well, you get the picture: Time Consuming.

And of course my grand plan was to do this for Burning Man 2009. Oh yeah, and apply for an art grant to help with the expense. And basically just devote the next ten months of my life to this thing. A little overwhelming.

So, I came up with a plan. 'Cause I tell you what - the Bottle Cap Bar will exist. I just think it would be more feasible to plan for a 2010 unveiling. Here's the plan. I will finish up with the design and schematics. I'm almost done with that anyway. Then I will get to work on making the back wall of the structure. I already have more then enough bottle caps to make that and have sorted them out according to the back wall design that I have drawn.

I will also design and make the wooden bar and stools. I have more then enough bottle caps right now to cover the bar and stools. I would love to take this to Burning Man next year, maybe get another alcove in the Cafe. It could be a great spot for people to sit at, drink their coffee, write in their journal, watch the Cafe entertainment, whatever.

And I will get moving on my bottle cap collecting. I figure if I extend out the time-frame for this project it will cut out the number of bars that I need to recruit into saving bottle caps for me. This will save me a lot of time and work. If I just have a few bars collecting for me over a longer period of time I should eventually have enough bottle caps for the entire project - hopefully by the time I apply for a grant for the following year. Oh yeah, and I could set up a bottle cap depository box with the bar at next year's Burning Man for anyone that brings bottled beverages to the playa. Maybe get people excited about the idea of the Bottle Cap Bar for 2010. This is much less stressful. And also this will allow me to work on my other art projects simultaneously. Yeah, I feel better already.

You know, I really cannot believe that it is the end of October already. Time goes by so fast and I have no idea where it goes! I am looking at November 1 as being my "get your ass in gear" start date. It's time to instigate the Plan! What am I waiting for?

Bottle Cap Request of the Day: I need 'em!

So, if you work in a bar that sells bottled beverages and would be willing to save them for me (or knows someone who does), let me know. Or maybe you and your friends want to start saving on your own. Whatever. The collecting is on! If you would like to help you can contact me at kittyg@kittygsculpture.com. Metal caps only please. Thanks!

Marble Spirals

Here are images of my two marble sculptures from this summer that I posted to my website last week.

Spiral 1 - front view

Spiral 1 - back view

Spiral 2

Spiral Statement of the Day:

The spiral is, literally, a universal form. It expands by self-accumulation and is a sign of growth and transformation through resistance. If you look closely enough you can see the spiral everywhere. It is in our bodies (the heart, the inner ear), nature (seashells, whirlpools) and the universe (galaxies, planetary rotation). It is a major form in our world. The spiral can also be seen as a symbol of mankind’s journey through life, the path of the soul. I believe that people are instinctively drawn to the spiral because of the fact that it makes up so much of what is all around us as well as within.

Meet Pink Lady

Last weekend Eric and I went to Reno to participate in their regional Decompression. We brought Spin 'Em! and my newest Bottle Cap Bike, Pink Lady. It was for the daytime part of the party that was held at the Mangrove. I really enjoyed being able to expose my bottle cap art to the community and to get people excited about the things they could do with bottle caps. I had instructions on how to make bottle cap flowers and also gave a couple of demos. You can learn how to make your own bottle cap flower here.

It was really satisfying seeing people enjoy my art, especially Spin 'Em! People just love to play with that piece; it's great. The same thing happened at Decompression in San Francisco the weekend before. I especially love that kids seem to have a lot of fun.

Check out some photos from that day.

Me on Pink Lady with Bottle Cap Tree in the background.

Pink Lady up close. Dig the personalized plate?

Kids investigating the base of Bottle Cap Tree.

I really love that children seem to like to walk right into Spin 'Em! to play with it.

Here's Eric putting caps on the spokes of a spare bicycle wheel.

Eric had a lot of fun riding around downtown Reno on Pink Lady.

I have a new bottle cap sculpture that I am currently designing and planning. I am really excited about it though not sure if I'll be able to collect enough bottle caps for it. But I am working on it and if I pull this off I think it'll be my best piece of bottle cap art yet. Stay tuned and save your bottle caps. All donations excepted and appreciated.

Art Explanation of the Day: Here's a little bit of back story on Pink Lady.

I brought home from Burning Man a cruiser bike that had been abandoned on the playa after the event was over. My Trek mountain bike was on its last legs having survived ten years of riding that included going across Ireland and two trips to Burning Man. I was looking for a fun replacement and this cruiser seemed like the perfect fit. So, I stripped my old bike of its bling and I took off the front wheel to keep as a souvenir and loaded the "new" bike into my truck.

After I got the bike home I cleaned it up and tricked it out. I put on new pedals and handle bar grips; added bottle caps to the bike spokes; installed a basket and decorated it with bottle cap flowers and safety tape; and attached bottle cap flowers and pink stripes to the frame. I think it came out great. The gears need a little adjusting but other then that it's all ready for cruising around. No hills though. Despite its seven gears, this baby handles better on flat road. Perfect for the playa!