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your biggest production order

updated tue 16 may 00

 

Oooladies@AOL.COM on sun 14 may 00


mine is a little different, but thought i would share it as another story....
i am not a potter, i do one of a kind handbuilt sculptural pieces....
i applied to a call for original art to be given as gifts to music perfomers
at Fiddlers Green, an outdoor concert venue here in Denver. The piece that
was proposed was approx 12" high figure with a box cut out in the chest in
which a billowing piece of sheet music was attatched. there was a metal
'fence' at the foot of the figure that looked like a music staff, with a C
clef in in. the piece was attatched to a round wooden plaque for a base.
Well, they chose my piece, and I was to do 100 of these one of kind pieces.

I made a plaster mold to press in, but found that the waiting time, and
having to still 'mess' with the piece after removing it made it more
frustrating than helpful for me, so i created each piece one at a time, and
detailed them, one at a time. They all were extremely similar, but, each had
their own character. The pieces were 'cold finished' using acrylics and inks
and colorpencil. I had about 4 months to complete the work, I did about 25
to 35 a month. Delivering as each batch was completed.

One of the reasons I applied for this 'job' was to see if I would like and be
able to do multiple pieces of the same piece ..... and to push my envelope so
to speak in producing a large amount of work.

I found out that I could push myself, and duplicate, but... I didn't really
like it much, you see I tend to have A-D-D (attention defiset disorder) when
it comes to my work. haha Although I was extremely pleased with the pieces,
and so was the concert company, there was too much boredom for me doing the
same thing over and over. I ended up treating myself to a 'personal piece'
for every 25 of the commissioned pieces ... that seemed to keep my brain
happy.

This was a very good experience for me, and I was very happy knowing that
some of my favorite musicians would have one of my works... but, not
something I would want to do again, only because of that A-D-D!

Marie Gibbons
www.oooladies.com

the Gallaghers on mon 15 may 00


Marie,
I understand completely!! I had to do multiples when I worked in theatre
and I hated it!! The most I ever had to make of one thing was a couple of
dozen, I couldn't imagine doing 100!!
Now that I am entering shows (and getting accepted) I am rethinking my
production as I too tend to do "one-offs", and that is the way I'd like to
keep it, thank you very much. Still I do need to come up with a
"product" for the shows that is lower in price than what I want to get for
my larger sculptures.
I have come up with an idea that I hope will keep me interested for a while
at least. I can vary each piece after the initial form is constructed in
mass. This way I can push through the basic form, and concentrate my
individual per piece needs on the finishing. Wish me luck, I had so few
pieces for my very first show last fall that I sold out on the second day of
the three day show. This time I hope to make it through the full schedule
of a 3 day July show. A good test for this fall when I will be doing the
same show as last year.

Hope everything is going well with you.
Michelle Clary-Gallagher
In Oregon