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| | From:  Rhumour (Original Message) | Sent: 11/27/2008 2:33 AM |
A work in progress.........
An Artist by any other name
It was now sealed, and momentarily the thought crossed his mind, possibly his fate was also. Bureaucracy was a perpetual thorn in his side �?he was an artist, a creative mind, he had little time for, or understanding of paper shuffling as he called it.
He tossed the brown envelope onto a small shelf near the door. If he managed to glance that way later he might just remember to take it to the post box, though maybe not........
These were distractions from the creative processes that drove him, from his very raison d'etre and he could ill afford to be any later than the next day to finish the project �?really it was supposed to be there that afternoon, but a begging phone call had secured him a small extension and he was now planning on a 300 mile car journey in the morning to deliver his piece. Fingers crossed that it would squeeze into his car without damage.
Hmm, what about petrol money he thought �?better raid the reserves as it would be a good few quid to get there and back. The freezer door resisted his first efforts to open it �?a slightly perished sealing strip had bonded firmly to the frame so he searched the nearest drawer and found a knife to prise it open. The thick plastic bag was wound round with elastic bands �?that too needed freeing up from the ice at the back of the compartment.
With the door slammed shut again he strode to the kettle and found it empty as ever. A quick splash of water and the lid crash back on as he hurried to the old Rayburn range that served to warm the kitchen. Drops of water fizzled as they ran down the outside and hit the hot plate. Meanwhile the small bundle lingered on an old chopping board whilst its frosty jacket transformed at leisure from white crystals into clear beads.
These small noises and changes occupied his thoughts for a fleeting moment until he snapped back into concentration mode �?there were still more pieces to cut and smooth and fit into their allotted places. He moved over to an old oak table that was somewhat scarred by previous cutting efforts. A quick wipe over to remove fragments and he was ready to lay the cushion of newspaper on the table - more to protect the sheet of glass he was about to score than the table.
Phweeeeee! The kettle was insistent so although he had already reached for the six millimetre glass sheet standing against the wall he hesitated momentarily as the choice of actions rattled through his mingled thoughts. The kettle won and he managed to avoid kicking the table leg as he turned hastily to shut off the distraction on the stove.
In less than two minutes the steam from his mug was condensing on the cooler surface of the wall and he was back at work measuring and scoring the glass sheet to form the individual sections that would then need smoothing, washing, drying and buffing up before they could be assembled. Within 40 minutes all the preparations were done and the serious business of assembling these final elements began with the tediously careful application of masking tape 4mm in from the long edges of each joint. That task completed he carefully laid out the pieces in their correct order and ensured several pieces of masking tape were pre-cut ready to hold everything together. Each edge was now given a final wipe with methylated spirit to remove any traces of oil from his own skin.
The really tricky part was soon upon him �?applying a steady pressure to the cartridge gun trigger, he guided the nozzle skilfully along the bare edges of glass before laying the tool aside and checking his fingers were cleaned again. Gently he brought the edges together and pressed them until the silicone adhesive was evenly squeezed between the glass pieces �?one at a time he joined another and another until the complete assembly was rising vertically from the table.
He paused to gulp down some of his now lukewarm beverage, then set the mug down again and wiped his fingers dry from those tiny beads of perspiration that always came to pester him when work was nearly finished. A few slight adjustments with the aid of a set square and a level gauge and he was satisfied that it was time to apply the tape pieces that would keep everything in place while the silicone cured.
A deep breath before he tackled the fiddly task of removing the internal masking tape pieces highlighted just how critical this step could be �? but with a firm grip on the doubled over end of the first strip and a thin steel rule in his other hand he began the steady lifting of the tape away from the glass to reveal a smooth straight line of silicone.
Before long the multiple curled pieces of messy tape were covering the far side of the table and he was again checking the structure was true and square. Relief at last �?a few hours and he could remove those last supporting pieces of tape and pack the various sections ready for the journey. His relief needed some support however, so the mug was soon re-filled but this time with the addition of a little shot of whisky �?ok, a generous shot of whisky to help him relax.
Music, must have some music too he thought and he ducked down to the bottom shelf of the TV stand to bring the VHS tape player to life �?he had taped a Pink Floyd concert earlier that week and was in exactly the right mood to hear it at a compelling volume. If he did win the cash prize a chunk would get blown on some seriously decent Hi Fi he chuckled to himself as the TV speakers protested as their cones were stretched violently beyond expected norms...........
His adrenaline levels were falling now, and allowed him to submit gradually to the hypnotic mix of Glenmorangie whisky and Dark Side of the Moon, so it was with little surprise that he found himself closing his eyes for a moment, but after a few weak attempts to shake off their heaviness he lost the fight and could only open them some three hours later!
He shook his head as he slowly eased up from the couch with some slight stiffness in his lower back, so he placed hands on hips as he swayed in a gentle clockwise rotation to loosen up again. As he pottered back to the kitchen he was regretting the whisky maybe a shot too much he thought in retrospect �?he was after all due to drive some distance in a few hours...
On went the kettle again as he prepared for another caffeine intake. It was time to inspect the piece, remove all that tape and polish of all the little streaks and fingerprints. He would need to wrap it all very carefully with bubblewrap if it was to stay safe and clean on route. He laid out the clean burnishing cloths and more newspaper ready then started to peel back the masking tape.
That piercing whistle started to penetrate his thoughts and he spun round to silence it. Coffee was a
welcome aroma to assist his mind in sharpening up, he needed to be sharp as he made final preparations. Doh! He still needed to do a final test of the lighting effects, might need some adjustments that were best done here. He coupled a rubber hose connector onto the cold tap and unwound a length of hose as he walked back to the table. There was a hook shaped curve on the open end of the hose �?meant for those drain pipe on washing machines, but ideal for his purpose too. As he turned towards the sink again his gaze fell upon the now defrosted bundle on the chopping board and he reached out for it, eagerly peeling off the rubber bands to expose the thick plastic freezer bag.
Carefully he dried the bag with a wad of kitchen paper, unrolling the bag to reveal the zip fastening. When all the moisture was soaked up he discarded the damp paper and teased the zip opening gently apart, inserted some fingers to grip the contents and withdraw his reserve funds. The enclosed notes were still a little cold but seemed dry and were quickly flattened out and counted - £250 in mixed five and ten pound notes. He slipped his wallet out from his jeans and found plenty of empty space there to fill �?a mere fiver and a maxed out piece of plastic were the only items occupying the leather.
He smiled broadly as the notes padded out the wallet and then folded it closed before he thrust the now reassuringly fat black cows hide into his left jeans pocket �?that should see him through the return trip ok he figured.
This was he hoped a good investment to make with the cash, his piece was surely original enough and although started rather late, it's gestation in his mind had been threatening to to take over everything else for several days. If he did pull off the major prize it was going to become a real milestone in his career, with a full sized version to be built for permanent outdoor display.
Back to the tidying up tasks now, he started to pull away the masking tape that had kept all in place while the silicone had cured. There was still the pungent, vinegary smell of acetic acid that was emitted during the curing process �?it was in itself a good reason to gulp down mouthfuls of hot coffee to help overcome the penetrating aroma. The doubled over ends of the tape made it a quick and easy job to remove these last few pieces of tape and he was soon checking for any odd traces of surplus silicone, using an old style razor blade to trim away two small beads. The meths vbottle was much colder in his hand than the coffee mug had been, a quick splash onto a muslin cloth and he set about polishing away the worst of the little streaks of adhesive from the tape.
Now a short buffing session with scrunched newspapers to soak up the faints smears meths and he was ready to test the functional aspects of the structure. Carefully he slide his fingers under the glass base and slid them around to ensure all the newspaper wadding was freed before lifting the piece and taking it a few steps over to the laminated stand section where he was relieved to see all slotted down into the slight recess without any problem.
The cable running from the base steered him to the correct power switch on a double socket. Flicked down it caused some flickering from the miniature flourescent lights within the base. At first the multi-coloured filters cast a rather faint and slightly suffused glow onto the ceiling, an abstract pattern that would show more clearly when the blinds were closed.
Time to fill the reservoir section now, so he hooked on the hose pipe to the rear compartment and took a short walk to the tap with the hose attached and a gentle twist to avoid any sudden 'snaking' of the hose �?he didn't wish to have the slightest drop spilt to confuse the water tightness test.
A few litres later and he closed off the tap again �?the moment he always felt most concern had arrived, time to check if any seeps of water had found a way past the joints.
Not a drop had escaped so far, so he grinned broadly and went to fetch the final components. These were soon slid into a divider in the back reservoir section and a small watertight connector was plugged into the socket at the back of the base. A soft hum and some initial gurgling denoted all was well as a gentle flow of water began to pour from the lower front edge of the back section into the adjacent column. Slowly one by one the staggered columns of glass where filled until the lowest column began to overflow back into the reservoir.
Now the light patterns where much clearer as the refraction of the water created the correct optical paths to bring each colour into a shaft of light now clearly visible from various angles as he walked around the structure. A few small adjustments of the angle settings within the base and he was satisfied that all was well. Time to screw the cover plate back onto the rear of the base unit �?where had he left it the other day? A short rummage revealed it half concealed beneath discarded newspaper at the end of the table. Fortunately he had left the screws in their correct holes, so at last he could finish the job.
Well done Ned he thought to himself with satisfied grin - that looks exactly like I planned. He hunted out a camera and took several shots as he slowly circled the table, stepping gingerly over the trailing cable and hose. Each Polaroid was eagerly examined with a critical eye as he peeled away the developing paper, and laid out in sequence. Final shots of the pattern generated on the ceiling were taken for a truly complete record. As glass sculptures went, this would surely stand out!
Next step was to throw a switch that turned off the pump, allowing a slow draining of the columns through the slots in the base of each that fed back into the reservoir. He was satisfied that the flow rate was ok, but a small adjustment was possible with a screw driver at the side near where the power cord came out. The last swig of coffee was decidedly cold, forcing the cheshire grin to abandon his face with a slight start......
A bucket and short hose was soon located and the reservoir syphoned out, then mopped with a cloth before a final drying with paper towel - best not to allow watermarks to spoil the appearance so the last wipe round was with a splash of vinegar on the paper �?a wise old trick his grandmother had shown him on windows to avoid streaks.
to be continued...........
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