It's about time i got laid off. Standing around the shop doing nothing was driving me crazy. I can't not be doing something. On the plus side I'll be getting paid to stay at home untill work picks up. You'd think this would give me time to work on my art, but it doesn't. Now I don't have access to a welder to make my sculptures. Guess I'll have to dust off the old blow torch and re-teach myself how to weld with it.
It's also about time that I found out what my art style is called. Being as I just started doing it on my own, and have had a doozy of a time tracking down any one else that does similar work over the last year. My style of art is referred to as "direct welding sculpture." Finally tracked down a book that teaches the process. "Creating Metal Sculpture," by Nathan Cabot Hale. Now I know what to tell the owners of the various art studios around town. I take a certain level of sattisfaction, after all the difficulty I've had in finding anyone else that does this, in knowing that only a very small group of people do this kind of work. Makes me feel unique. But it's also frustrating not having peers to bounce ideas off of, or get tips and advice from. When it comes to regular welding, I like to find who I think is the best and try to emulate them, kinda have them as a mentor even if they don't realize it.
I have no mentor in my art. Leaves me feeling unsure if I'm tapping my full potential. People think what I do with a weld is amazing. I don't share their enthusiasm. Without some one who actually knows what it's like to do what i do giving me input, I'll always be feeling like... well I'm really not sure. How do you tell if something really is good if you don't have a gauge to compare it to? It's 2:21am. I've had a little to drink. never mind my ramblings.