I finished installing my show for the 2012 Artomatic in Crystal City. I am happy with most of the work, I got really stressed the final weekend because I had to finish making about 12 of the door knockers in the last weekend. I wasn’t able to be as creative with the painting because I wanted to have one rusty one, one silver one, and one copper one for each design.  So that one left one each for the creative designs.

But I really learned a lot in the process, I learned that if I’m going to get complicated with the painting I should probably paint them first and then glue them on. I learned that I should probably test the hanging mechanism before I get to the show.  I also learned that paint drys out if you don’t use it for 2 years.

As much as I can relax a little from creating these guys every free minute I have I can’t really take too much time off. I need to have some ready because I think people are going to want custom colors and I’m going to be selling ‘blanks’ so that other artists can design their own.  Which is fine with me because I really like the construction part better anyway.  That would free me up to create more sculptures and worry less about finishing them.

I need to re-evaluate the construction process. I have it pretty much down to a science now, I can order all the parts from McMaster-Carr. But there are two steps that I need to improve, its really annoying to cut the u-bolts shorter with a dremel and I know there has to be a better way to make the knocker hinge then bending a screw eye.  Also I haven’t perfected the attaching it to the door part… which would seem like a major part right?