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Friday, February 17, 2012

Sculpture and Paper Cuts

At this point this project leaves my hands. I love that.
I also get freaked out because it's out of my control, but it requires skills I will never have.
David Bales photographing Sunflower World.
David Bales translates the photo into a DXF file that the laser cutting computer can read. He also prepares shop drawings that translate my little paper cut into a working plan to transform it into a large metal screen.
David designed a return on the metal panel to stiffen it and make it hold it's shape.
The files were sent to Laser Cutting Services in Tualatin, Oregon. Their price was good as it included both metal, 14 gague mild steel, and all the laser cutting.
Too big to fit inside the van meant a quick trip to the hardware store to buy tie down straps.
I love working on an architecutral scale.

What's strange is how a project keeps changing size, both in my head and in reality.
The paper cut is 24 inches x 16 inches wide. The photos and plans are really small on my computer. We go to Laser Cutting Services to pick up the art and "suddenly" it's enormous! It's on a pallete too big to fit in the van! Now it's off to the fabricators for bending and welding.

2 comments:

Theresa Cheek said...

I have loved this journey! This one has been nurtured and "birthed".....what else is in that head of yours to create?

patrickgracewood said...

You know, Theresa, the same (but radically different) urges to MAKE things.