Prelims Are Over

  (Mon. 4/26)

 The most Mysterious Skinamalink, project avatar.

The part where nothing happens keeps not happening. At least, not yet.

Last week, Mary and I celebrated twenty-one years of marriage. So I spent last Friday cleaning up the joint, and Saturday we threw a party. It's one thing we do very well. We've always loved to entertain. Last year, when this evil  came down on all of us, we made entertaining an act of defiance. Social life died, and we watched while more than half the population allowed themselves to be muzzled up like animals, and reduced to slouching pathetic zombies.

We said, fuck this shit. We called our friends, lit a fire in the barbecue, and made our home a bright spot in middle of this soul killing gloom. We started this last Spring, and all through the Summer we had food, drink, smoke, music, and laughter. Our back yard became a refuge. We drank wine, got high, talked 'till after midnight, and created a little joy in the face of a world determined to kill it. It was a tiny effort in defiance of a monstrous evil. Our small gatherings have been a candle in a rainstorm, but you do the best you can with what you have.

And Saturday was our anniversary party. Our friends came, and we gathered again. They brought many gifts, and showed us their appreciation.  Got me all choked up, and stoned out. We stayed up late.

I was on my butt all day Sunday. Today it was back to work.

I've been joking about "the part where nothing happens". Here's what I mean. Of course, the rock needs preparation before I can start carving on it. I have to grind off the quarry scars, decide how it's going to sit, then cut a base. All done. Finally,  I need to  get the whole face smooth enough to draw on with pencil. That's what I did today. It's just grunt work with the big rasps, and chunks of that 80 grit sanding belt. So here we are at last:

(Tue, 4/27)

Working out the design is the part where nothing happens, because it all happens in my head. We're here. This is the sitting, and looking phase, and it can take many days of sketching, sanding, sketching, and mostly just -

sitting and looking...

Actually, I've been working on this part for several weeks, now. I was thinking on the design, and making sketches before I even got started finishing up the last project. Sunday night, I got the flash on how all the ideas I had would fit together. I managed a crude, quick sketch, and knew this was it. 

Today I spent the day sketching and sanding, and sketching, and sanding. The shapes are in my head. I just have to make them cooperate with the shape of the stone. It's going to take some time.