The project that nearly wasn’t is nearing completion. In all this time though, I had never seen it as it was intended, so I decided it was due time. I wanted to see it as “proof of concept” and all in all I couldn’t be happier. It also shows me what details I need to focus on. “The Seven Pagodas” is almost finished. I’ll be making a final post when it is done. Feel free to leave your comments, and be sure to check out the other pics on the Gallery page.
On with the saga… for part 1 click here. Also, at the suggestion of Nicholas DiBiase, I’ve made a PDF version. Now with pictures!
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I decided at some point that I should check out the dating service ‘Costco’ this year, and Thursday morning seemed like a good time. I borrowed Chris’s bike and rode out. My tie and cowboy hat costume of the previous day had provided poor protection, and realizing the extent of my sun burns I decided to sport a Hawaiian shirt. The kind folks at Costco explained that the rule is you bring someone along that is similar to the person you’d like to be matched with. (The right sex, age, and interests perhaps). I figured that I’d run into someone soon enough, so I grabbed my forms and headed back to camp. Shortly after, Laurie arrived back in camp and I managed to *cough* sucker her into filling out the forms and heading back down with me. Riding on a blue bike with pink ribbons this time, I managed to keep up despite the awkward contraption beneath me.
Burning Man 2010: Part 2 – continue reading
Here’s the first installment of my Burning Man story, covering Monday – Wednesday. Stay tuned for the second which will cover the man and temple burn. UPDATE: Read the second half here, or download the PDF.
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We arrived at Black Rock City on Monday around midnight. Waiting in line was actually an enjoyable experience, in contrast with waiting in the mid day sun as I had on the previous trip. It had just rained, so the playa was packed down and the air was cool. The moon was a huge yellow orb just above the horizon, and I heard someone ask if it was an art installation. “Yes!” came the reply from a passing biker. “God’s the artist!”
When we got into the city, the people I rode with drove to their camp at 3:30 & D and parked. They went off to find adventure, while I biked down to Playa Info. I found my friend Elijah’s address posted there, as he promised. 6:15 & H. I made several trips back and forth to get my gear unloaded, then set up my tent, had a bite to eat, and crashed for the night. It was cold, and I wished I had brought more warm clothing, but my sleeping bag and a borrowed long sleeve shirt kept me warm enough.
When I woke up to a beautiful Tuesday morning and decided to give Elijah’s solar cell setup a try at warming my oatmeal. Finding the right switch on the inverter, I flipped it, then turned the knob on the electric burner. A loud buzzing sound notified me that something was wrong, and after tinkering with it for a bit I began to lose hope for warm oatmeal. Fortunately for me, the neighbors were kind enough to let me use their gas burner. Lesson learned – bring low tech backup next time.
Elijah and his girlfriend Nicki eventually stumbled bleary eyed out of his red volvo station wagon. They had spent the night huddled there with the heater on to stay warm, and were contemplating heading back home if their outlooks didn’t improve. I tried to convince them to stick around and try to get some help from fellow burners. Apparently things worked out, because they stuck around for the whole burn.
Burning Man 2010 – Part 1 – continue reading
So it’s been an interesting journey. Creating the mask was a really smooth process. We were on a tight schedule though, and I actually ended up completing the mask my first full day at Burning Man.
If you’re curious to know how the spirit mask was made, you’ll find this video interesting. We used a number of different tools including angle grinders and a plasma cutter, and a torch for the brazing. It doesn’t cover the painting or adding the beads (both of which were done last minute), but you can definitely follow how the mask took shape. Feel free to ask questions!
Making of the Spirit Mask from Brandon Mason on Vimeo.
So awhile back Brandon was talking about creating a wearable piece of artwork that he could take to the Burning Man festival. We talked about it on and off for about four months, and finally we sat down one afternoon and started to hammer out a design. He wanted to incorporate his new bead making skills into the mask, and wanted to make it out of metal. The design wasn’t clear, and there were many possible directions we could go. Drawing from my own experience with mask designs from different countries, and some of his own thoughts on what he wanted the design to convey, we began to sketch out some variations.
One design in particular really stood out, and we both agreed that we were very happy with the numerous things we saw in the design and it’s overall potential. After deciding on the basic design, I felt that the predominant shape was closest to that of a motorcycle fender, and suggested that Brandon find a junkyard that specialized in motorcycle parts. He definitely came through and found exactly what was needed. From there we sketched out the design onto the fender, and employed the use of various tools including the plasma cutter for the eye holes. Most of the metalwork was accomplished in a day.
From there Brandon created the paint scheme, and produced some beautiful beads that were strung into the wire crest. Foam padding was inserted, and cordage was used to affix the mask.
The finished work at Burning Man!
Here’s a treat: a video of me making a bead. It’s been about three weeks since I did this, but it’s taken me a while to figure out the computarmachine and get the video edited.
Making a Bead from Brandon Mason on Vimeo.
Now that I’ve got that figured out, I’ll have another up soon showing how to make a hollow bead.
Here are some examples that Laurie told/showed me how to make. It will probably be a while before I’m able to make these myself. 
I’ll have ample opportunity to practice on my own now that I have my setup at home, so the last few classes I’ve asked for some demonstrations of more advanced projects which I will have to work myself up to. First Laurie showed me how to make a frog. Here’s the one she made:
I plan to practice making some components of that before I jump into the full thing… It looked pretty involved.
She also demonstrated making a bead with a hollow mandrel. My hollow bead didn’t turn out so well – the walls came out pretty uneven and after one side touched the mandrel I had a lot of trouble keeping an even shape. I’d like to get a hollow rod at home so I can practice it some more. It seems like a good way to understand the basic concepts behind glass blowing.
Laurie also explained the techniques behind making a marble. This is one that she made, and you can see the awesome 3D effect she was able to get. This is definitely something I’d like to try out in the future:
I’m a little late posting this up, but just for the record here are the finished murals, and a link to a video. Thanks to all the artists, musicians and sponsors who made it happen! I’m glad you all had a great time!
I’m heading into my second half of Laurie Nessle’s flameworking class. Here are some of the creations from my first four weeks.
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I’m particularly proud of the hollow bead. |
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…and the evil bead. }:) |
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The free form ‘galaxy’ bead shows how much fun I am having with the temperature control on my stringer. |
Enjoy the rest!
So Desert Bloom 2 is coming right up! We’ll be hosting it next Friday the 16th at the new Gangplank location in central Chandler. I’m really excited to see all the activity in that area. Shauna and I went around talking to local merchants about the event and were met with a lot of encouragement and interest.
A few weeks ago Eric helped me design the frames that will hold the murals for this event and last weekend Kyle and I built two frames. Each of them will hold a mural on both sides, for a total of four murals. They were a bit shaky but once I applied some cross supports as Eric recommended, they became quite sturdy. I’m confident that they’ll be useful for this event and many to come.
Today I dropped by the studio to build the last components needed – some braces to put at the ends of the shelves. I’ll put them on this weekend.
The planning crew and I are hoping to head down to Gangplank on Wednesday to test lighting, get the frames constructed, and the murals primed and ready. Not much time left! Can’t wait to see what people create!
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