Update

The meeting went very well with the Museum. Yay! They really do love my work and in the end I will make 9 pieces for the garden for a two year loan and then they will keep three for their permanent collection. So far that is what we have worked out and I am pretty happy with outcome. In addition they were very happy with my model and graphics and in the end the model stayed with them. Drawing of water garden area of sight. Image copyright by Madge Bemmis Architect.

I did get an email yesterday about possibly changing locations. The landscape architect is worried about the young trees blocking views of my work in the original location and wondered if a spot right in the water garden beds might be more appropriate and visible. I kind of like the idea. I love gardening and to see them with in that context would be super. In the end they are leaving the decision to me, so that I, "...feel that the setting honors the concept of your art". Pretty cool I think. I am waiting for some images to be emailed so that I can look at the whole picture and make an informed decision.

In the mean time I an working on layouts for the bench that I am fabricating for artist Martha Ferris for the same art garden. Soon I should have funds in hand to order the stainless for that project and get it going.

Today and over the next few days I will be practicing my tig welding on some other projects as I work out some possible designs for my the pieces in my commission.

Still Working

The museum project is moving along, at least I am pretty sure... I have received digital renderings from the architect, Madge Bemiss, and have a spot designated for my work. I was asked to take my preliminary drawings and merge them into the renderings so we all could begin to get a sense of the scale and space and what the sculpture will look like installed. I am not savvy on the fancy 3D computer programs (yet another skill to learn...) so I did some drawings in Corel and imported the renderings as a background. A little tough to do much manipulation but I was still pretty happy with them. After looking at them for a while I decided the drawings were not giving me enough information so I made a real 3D model and after placing a standard 6' (actually 6") figure next to the works I decided the sculptures in the model were too tall. So I did a few additional quick sketches, scanned them and sent them off to Madge and the museum this morning.

The model is proving to be challenging and fun. The scale images of the sculptures were done out of steel, very small pieces, and tig welded together, not so fun when the studio is only 34F. I then made the background/landscape out of MDF. I only made three steel maquettes and then a handful of simple shapes out of rods and wood that are to be used for placement and height arrangement. The base of the model has a number of holes so the pieces can be moved around and the rods and top pieces can be interchanged so that I can look at every conceivable possibility for arrangements. It has come out pretty well and after taking another look at it Sunday evening I cut down the pieces some so they are a bit lower.

I have another meeting at the museum today and I guess I'll find out more about it then. Maybe I am jumping the gun with making the model so early, but then again it is a working model and I have learned a ton from making it.

Been a While

But, I have not been idle. This time of year is always busy at the university studios, with our major annual iron pour and travel back to NC to pick up my show and participate in the ECU iron pour and before that a trip to Tally to help out with their iron pour at FSU, students joining me both times. At school there has been no lack of drama with my students, in fact this year was a stellar year in the annals of "As the Studio Turns" we could win an Emmy for this past semester.

Phew, I'll be happy when this is over. But all in all I am looking forward to next semester, there have been some strong lessons learned this fall and I am hoping that they will work themselves out into some excellent pieces for the spring.

As for myself, not much rest, yet. I had a visit with the Mississippi Museum of Art to talk about a commission for a piece for the Art Garden. One of the first for the new space that will be built, with ground breaking happening in December. I still have some fabrication work I am doing for another part of the park and will soon learn about the specifics of the commission. They have my proposal and budget and they love my work (they called me!) and liked all three of my drawings. This is very exciting for me and I can't wait to get on with it. But as all of you who deal with public money know, you can't count your pennies until you have the check in hand.

This sketch shows a meager image of the piece I proposed, this is the one (of three) they most liked as it can move and will cover the most ground. I really want to build this.

In the mean time I will be working on the pieces for my new show in Florida in late April. I have much work to do as I plan on a new body of work. Of course it's all related to my ships and villages but these will be new, well most of then anyway. I am very excited but will need to kick my ass into gear to make sure I am making good use of my time. Easier said then done.

Installation Complete

Here are a few images of my work installed at the gallery at the student center at East Carolina in Greenville, NC. It's an awkward space in that it is a three-sided "U" shaped space, but it gets lots of people coming through it, which is what I liked the best. A few last minute adjustments to my plans and the show went up very well. My friend Ed, who came down from NJ to be my art slave for the day, and Andy, the grad student gallery director, were a huge help in getting everything done in a timely manner.

These are a few cell phone shots taken after the installation but prior to lighting. Sorry for the crappy images. There are a number of pieces not represented here but you get the feel for it. I'll take my pro shots when I visit for my lecture and closing reception on November 5th. The show is called, "Ghost Ships and Villages".

New Work

Check out new work on my web site, http://www.jentorres.com/

More Work

Getting closer to installation day. Some new works finished and painted, rust on the new swamp shacks, and some new paint on one of the large boat frames. A few things are in the kiln now for a cone 10 reduction firing and that is it for new stuff. Now comes the work of cleaning, oiling and taking inventory and then packing all the works for the installation. Phew.

Repairs, Re-fits, and Some Remodeling

Working with epoxy resin to do some repairs and alterations of older boat, light areas will be dyed darker when complete. Also wire added in for support and for emphasis on different areas. Also re-figuring some components on smaller new boat, it will be painted red when done. Lots of small things like that to be completed in the next few weeks.