SHW_12-19

Mike Roig, Sculpture

Spreading Her Wings

Mid-December Progress Update

With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to get in

another progress report today before the campus shuts down for the holiday

recess. The top part of the sculpture has taken shape over the last week, but

you'll have to wait until the new year to see it's first fitting to the base.

Here you see the paper patterns of November's initial report transformed to stainless

steel with the initial sweeping bends rolled into the sheets. Once they are tacked to

the axle assembly I further refined the form with various clamps and spacers. Then it was

back to the butcher paper and cutting out the shapes required to fill in the remaining

surfaces.

In the previous post I mentioned the asymmetry of the paper pattern I had drawn,

saying I would explain that more fully as the form took shape. These forms spin

because of the greater resistence to air flow posed by the concave versus convex

surfaces of the form. Exaggerating the concave side of the shape allows me to put

a deeper bend to that side of the form and thus subtly emphasising the aerodynamic

properties that will impel movement.

While the literal weight of this form is considerably lighter than the visual mass

would suggest, it is still enough that this added wind catching surface will help

it to overcome inertia in lighter winds and get her moving.

By the end of the day yesterday I had the form closed, the edges sanded, and could

I could begin polishing.There's a lot of that to go, but I thought you might enjoy

seeing the start of this process of transformation from cocoon to butterfly.

Merry Christmas to all, and we'll pick this up again in the Happy New Year!