Huge project, almost there. . .

I've been working on a large piece for an exhibit that will take place in Ashville, NC over the summer. I started this several months ago; the day, in fact, that I received a call from John Hill inviting me to the exhibit and telling me that my piece should be about the size of a basketball. That's about 10 times the size scale I usually work in, so I knew it would be a challenge and a long-drawn out process.

Here are some pictures Steve took of me today as I was working on the piece. (It's really great to have a photographer as a spouse. . .) I'm almost done with the carving. After this I need to do some sanding, bleaching, and then I have to decide about whether I'm going to do some sandblasting.



The design motif is a cellular pattern. I don't have a title as of yet.




The detail carving is what takes the most time. Each cell is carved to a wall thickness of about 1/32" or less.




My hands start to hurt after about 4 hours of work, but I've been keeping at it to the tune of 6 hours per weekend day. I've not had the spare time in the evenings for the past few months, so this is taking me much longer than I had originally planned for the project.

Early progress pics can be seen here: progress pics album

Stay tuned - more pics to come.

Iris

Iris, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Last of the iris pics for my garden this year.

Water lily

Water lily , originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Yes, another one. I really adore water lilies, especially if they are still fresh and vibrant. This one was photographed in Gainesville, Florida.

Mud grubbing

Mud grubbing, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Oct 12, 2010. Greater striped swallows collecting mud in the early morning sunlight. Wilderness, South Africa.

Spotted Prinia

Spotted Prinia, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Oct 12, 2010 - an early morning stroll on John and Jane Wessel's property in Wilderness, South Africa. It was a cold, but sunny morning - perfect for doing some nature photography with the low angle of the sun illuminating the birds.

Spotted Prinias are usually so active that it's hard to get a good photo of one. On this particular morning, the temperature was cold enough to keep the bird from flitting away as I approached. I thought that was rather nice of him.

Variable Cracker

Variable Cracker, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

The Florida Natural History Museum has a butterfly exhibit, which is amongst the best I have ever seen. The 'aviary' is not in an enclosed conservatory, but is open to the air. There are mesh screens to keep the butterflies in, but allow the air to circulate. I only had my walkabout lens (Canon 24-105 mm f/4.0 L). I really needed the 70-200 mm zoom for this excursion. This Variable Cracker butterfly was one of the most interesting to see. The docent on duty told me that it is the only butterfly that makes a sound audible to humans, and that it sounds like a taser. I'm not quite sure what a taser sounds like, and I hope I never have the opportunity to learn that sound :-)

More irises

Iris, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Another view of the petite irises growing in my garden. If I had my career to start again, I'd be tempted to work on plants in Iridaceae. I just love this family, especially in the wilds of South Africa.

A sure sign

Iris, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Spring has sprung, at least as far as these early blooming irises are concerned. They are the first flowers to bloom in my garden. They are 4-6 inches tall and a sight for sore eyes - especially after a long winter.

Water lilies

Water lilies, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Last of the series for now. I have an inordinate fondness for beautiful water lilies. If I thought my dachshunds would stay out of a water garden, I'd try to build one in my back yard. However, I can well imagine how Topper would use his enthusiasm for getting into trouble to wreak havoc with such an installation. Sigh.

Ode to better days

Ode to better days, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Another Nymphaea picture from the University of Florida museum garden. This one looks as if it's drowning and has seen better days.

Nymphaea

Nelumbo, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

This is a picture I took yesterday in Florida. I have a real soft spot for water lilies, and I wish I could have a water garden in my yard. I can just imagine the chaos if I had one, though, with three dachshunds to swim in a pond containing pretty flowers.

After the burn

Wildflowers at Jonkershoek, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Wildflowers at Jonkershoek. There was a huge fire in the Stellenbosch region in 2008 or 2009 (I can't remember when it was, but it was recent), which destroyed massive areas of vegetation. However, the biomes of South Africa are fire adapted and it doesn't take long for the ecosystems to bounce back with new growth from the stumps, or from seeds germinating after the stimulation of the residual chemicals left in the soil after a burn. It makes for a beautiful landscape when all the flowers come into bloom during the spring.

Watsonia

Watsonia, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

This plant is so photogenic, so I can't help but post multiple images of it.

Watsonia at Jonkershoek

Watsonia at Jonkershoek, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

Jonkershoek Nature Reserve is a lovely place to hike and to be close to nature. The morning we visited we had planned to hike up the mountain. The weather had other plans for us. The clouds were thick and low hanging, and leaking all over the place. The wind was blowing with great enthusiasm.

However, these conditions are actually great for photography. The thick clouds make for soft lighting. The moisture on the foliage, flowers, and rocks make for lovely saturated colors. The main challenges are to get the camera settings just right, to have the patience to wait for that one moment where the flowers are vertical rather than slanting towards horizontal, and to be willing to get one's bum wet while positioning oneself for a good composition.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Incarceration?

Incarceration?, originally uploaded by andiwolfe.

This young boy was playing in the guard shack at Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He was such an imp, and was also very curious about the tourists his dad was signing in to the reserve.