Since the first week I have wanted to make this machine that holds a mechanical pencil sharpener over small buildings and sprinkles them in sharpenings. When I first thought of this, it came to me completely; structures, concepts, measurements and requirements. Now two weeks later, I fear this contraption will never be complete. In my mind it was simple yet everyday I seem to find another part that needs complicated joinery that is very small and fiddly. I am beginning to think that I should just scrap it and start again, but with anything that you spend time with, I have become fond of it so am persisting… If I have not finished it by the next blog entry, maybe I'll let it go.
Besides my "simple" mechanical contraption, I have been doing lots of playing. Today I have mostly been sat outside trying to understand feathers, fans and solar panels. . Yesterday I spent along time cutting circles in wood and fitting wire mesh so I could start changing the fan I acquired from Emmaus. Saturday evening, I spent far too long with a strobe light, leafs, feathers and foil. All of these activities have spawned another abundance of inspiration.
On Friday, Bernard (armed with a blank cheque and a better French vocabulary than me) took me to a French DIY shop, the equivalent to a Wickes or B&Q. The original reason to go was to get some hinges. But like a small child in a sweet shop, I accumulated many things (clamps, bungee cords, bright orange tape etc.) I think these objects will assist the environments I want to construct within the suitcases. I have made the first part of one of the structures that is going in the larger case with the jars that I got last week. Please see photograph.
I have also taken apart the organ which to my surprise and delight still works and although I don't think I mentioned it before, I am still managing to do one drawing a day. Phew!
I have multiple tiny cuts on my hands, but today was very sunny so it does not bother me.
