Here is a brief account of my journey from Dec. 20-26, 2011
Dec. 20, 2011 Tuesday
Sliced a chuck of my right thumb off last night. A great way to start a sculpture when one is right handed and needs to use power tools.
Reclaimed one of my previous sculpture and carved patterns on it. The rough plaster texture reminded me of a moon. A moon means a moon rabbit to me because I'm a Chinese, and rabbits living on the moon is the most ridiculous thing I've heard yet my favorite folklore in the world.
Dec. 21, 2011 Wednesday
Tourists are aimlessly naming what they saw on Hollywood Walk of Fame outside the window. My favorite Meryl Streep is right there, very close to me. That is an auspicious sign.
More carvings today: rabbits x 3 and mushrooms x 2. Seeing through a mushroom cutout, there is the hopping rabbit!
Sanded all rough edges, created enough plaster cloud to bury me.
Dec. 22, 2011 Thursday
There are a lot of movie characters standing in front of Kodak Theatre so tourists can take photos with them. Today I spotted a Bumblebee from the movie Transformers, whose costume probably has stilts built in to elevate him. He walked like he has injured hips... perhaps stung by a real bumble bee!
Back to the studio, finished carving, primed surfaces, started weaving the main rabbit with chicken wire. Oh gee, I left home exhausted, especially after seeing how odd that big head is.
Dec. 23, 2011 Friday
There is an increasing degree of excitement on the streets today. Liquor, Christmas, plus Hollywood Walk of Fame, even a soul will get lost.
For a whole night, I debated between faith and free will. You may think me as silly, of course that big head does not work on that rabbit, but life has played so much tricks on me that I no longer can tell what is natural or unnatural. "Free will" is what I chose this time.
Chopped off the head and made a new one!
Girl: What's this?
Boy: Arts and crafts... engineering...
(Silence.)
Girl: Is that an upside down rabbit she cut out? Look, it is. It's a rabbit on the globe.
Boy: All I see is bubbles of chicken wires, lots of bubbles of chicken wire. (laughter)
Girl: She's making a rabbit, look! look! She's making the ears now! You See?
Boy:...
Girl: Apparently you don't know anything about this.
Dec. 24, 2011 Saturday
Did a lot of art supplies shopping in the morning. I swear I need to have a weekly updated inventory of everything Home Depot, Lowe's and local art/craft supply stores carry so I can be pre-warned if they stop carrying a certain item.
Today's job is to stretch fabric over the rabbit form. Primed the globe more. Tested the lamp base before I left... hm... jolly good! I left the light on for the night so Santa can see some art!
Dec. 25, 2011 Sunday
Cut into the left thumb this morning while sculpting the mushrooms, with 10 fingers left, I returned to work with pressure from the deadline.
Painted the rabbit with iridescent paint, very pearly! Started playing with acrylic paints on the globe. I name the purple-cobalt turquoise-maroon Palette of Urban Winter, perhaps inspired by the Hollywood locomotion.
Dec. 25, 2011 Sunday
Lobbying for husband's help, we installed the mushrooms. Epoxy clay all around and underneath to attach the mushrooms to the globe, I bet they won't budge. Continued painting, glued some fabric cutouts, finished 92% by the time I left.
Thank you, Roosevelt Hotel and Patrón, for a lovely and surprisingly productive time! Thank to all the pedestrians who stopped by, offered encouragement and/or entertained me with your conversations! Yes, I can hear you!
More updates on where to bid for this sculptural lantern, stay tuned!
