process(es)
A pattern, in focus: I become disenchanted with a medium once the process is poisoned, either by forces internal or external (more often than not the former, especially when they disguise themselves as imaginary external forces). Music, definitely external: the wrong-headed choice to pursue conservatory training killed any enjoyment I got out of performing and left me with scars I'm still struggling to overcome. Film, more of a combo of both. Loved and love editing a film and writing one, but the process of directing just didn't grab me like I'd hoped it would. Writing, definitely internal though some external factors played a role (read: no one gave a fuck which is an external factor that I allowed to masquerade as an internal one). Comics, I simply didn't enjoy the lengthy process of making one myself (aside from my daily Informalities, of course) and loathed the decades-long process of potential collaborations falling into the abyss of communicative ghosting; comics, as they say, broke my heart (doesn't mean I'm giving up, though). Working on antidotes now: the process of writing these daily pieces is an attempt to get me back to loving what writing offers me (mental exploration of questions, etc) and I'll be damned if I let the well of joy in metalwork be poisoned, especially by my own hand.
/202510021212
Weariness continues, though I'm doing far, far better than yesterday. Two sleepless nights took - and continue to take - their toll. A new surprise project has lurched forward and made its mark via a new burn on my wrist (thankfully not from the laser: I can both give cancer and remove it, go me). Had written a thing about another thing but didn't think that thing was worth committing to the digital ether. Not saying this one is either but at least it's more of the moment than the other thing was. A note to myself: "the words still aren't there; were they ever?"
metal_0053
A quick return to my imaginary metal plants with custom-designed 3D pot for a teacher colleague of K's. Nice diversion from the brain-melting of current WIP. Pure creation, one piece leading to another - sculptural jazz, for lack of a better phrase.
buffalo measuring
Today at least is going to be spent flapper-disking the next big metalwork project which has now morphed into one and a half metalwork projects (ad has made the project that it was going to be become something else entirely further on down the road) because, as Brad Bird's favorite axiom goes, Use every part of the buffalo. This one's going to push me further into woodworking, for which I've yet to find a genuine, visceral love: if (my ignorance-fueled iteration of) metalwork is more like cooking, throwing ingredients into a pot to make something new and tasty, then woodwork is more like baking, precise measurements required to make the pieces fit, measure twice cut once, stir stir stir. Then again, 3D printing is very similar to baking – I do, after all, jestingly refer to my printer as an easy-bake oven. I guess it's not so much that I dislike woodworking (I don't, not at all) but that I don't find it as harmonizing with the type of creativity that makes me feel whole. I admire those that do it well and make beautiful things with it, but I get far more creatively turned on by seeing a rusty spring than I ever could a beautiful piece of timber: both have their place but the latter requires a creative vein which I've yet to tap into.
metal_0052 :: WarPig
A shovel, an adze head, and the bottom panel of an electrical box met in my Shed, dug up some lawnmower wheels and, thanks to a bit of FURY ROAD / FURIOSA inspiration and an overflowing scraps of scraps drawer became WarPig, the Wasteland's deadliest pull toy. Because if you’re not making your tetanus booster work overtime, can you really call it playtime?
metal_0051
A little experiment, building on the face I made for the hex nut facehugger and using a single piece of flat steel bar and John Buscema’s stick figures in HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE MARVEL WAY. Might do these as a series of project interregnum exercises and /or just to fiddle about.
metal_0050 (Or, baby’s first laser welding experiment)
Went all Lynda Barry, found a squiggle (a faucet knob), and a bunch of different finishes and materials to see how the laser welder would fare. It fared rather well, I think. If I’m going to do anything bigger, I need more scrap; I sense an obtainium scavenging in my future.
/202509151210
The laser welder is hooked up and emitting lasers and melting things and welding things (except copper because fuck copper). And burning a hole into the side of The Shed. Oops. All good, clear, etc. Turns out my old argon tank was borked, so I got one of those big ones that a little shorter than me and all was well. Repaired an earlier lamp project, so it's back to a full strength weld. Also learned that the cleaner function on this thing is insane – though I'll still use the flapper disc and angle grinder for larger cleans and the laser for details and those hard-to-reach spaces, as the soap commercials would say. Might do a little metal piece this afternoon to get acquainted with the thing, then see how I'll use it in conjunction with my baby MIG welder. Probably the MIG for initial assembly, and laser for adding details and cleaning up. TBD.