Matt and Ben knew this next set of materials for the Arkansas hospital mobile wouldn't fit into the trusty Subaru. But they were surprised that even with a rented pickup truck they were pushing their luck!
And right about now, we're glad we reorganized and tidied up the shop back in March. With three big projects in the queue this summer, we're going to have some seriously tight quarters for awhile. (No complaints, though. It's a good problem to have!)
Right now, we're starting the fabrication process on this mobile. Step one? Acquiring materials.
Pictured here, nestled in the back of Matt's trusty Subaru, is the first set of materials: a bunch of rings, made of rolled stainless steel tubing, that will serve as the mobile's framework.
Ben just got himself a fancy new camera, and he's been snapping shots like crazy to tinker with settings and refine his skills. If you notice a dramatic improvement in images around here, you can thank Ben and the fancy camera.
The kind folks at Leith Honda Dealership in Raleigh sent along images of the mobiles we made hanging in their dealership. Enjoy!
Here are sketches of an exciting project in our queue. Although the project isn't due for a few months, it's already occupying a sizable chunk of our mental real estate. It will be our tallest project to date (40 feet tall!), and one of the many complexities will involve ensuring that its hundreds of polished stainless-steel shapes stay polished throughout the process...
The final piece will be installed in a hospital in Arkansas, where it will hang in the cafeteria's multi-story atrium area. As pictured in the second rendering, visitors will be able to view the mobile from higher floors of the hospital.
And here are images of the project we did for Leith Honda Dealership in Raleigh, North Carolina. In all, we created nine mobiles that will hang in their showroom
The large mobiles hang 6 feet tall by 3 feet wide, and the smaller mobiles hang 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. The shapes are made of a lightweight but durable plastic product that were digitally printed with color and then routed into shapes. Pictured is one of the large version, plus a closeup and rarely seen view from above.
The shop renovations are coming along nicely. All this painting (and contorting to reach the ceiling) has given Matt a deep backache and an even deeper appreciation for Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel.
Next up, reorganizing and spring cleaning. Then we'll return, refreshed and reinvigorated, to our queue of very fun projects.
We interrupt this regularly scheduled mobile making for a few shop improvements.
First up, this ambitious undertaking: painting the shop's 20-foot walls.
