I finished the applications! The work isn't 100% finished but close enough for the applications, none of the final touches will significantly change the color or sheen of the work. I needed to take a bit of time away from the studio after submitting the nceca deadline so I did not work on anything for days. Then on Sunday I extruded many tubes of centipede body. It felt really good to play with clay instead of spraying oil paint for two weeks straight. I’m planning on using the first centipede built in this new technique to be dedicated to the wood fire but after I feel out how this works in its entirety I want to use this smaller shape to almost make a scene or narrative between two centipede characters. I’m not sure if it's because I’m so excited to build this way or because they are so small but it's already going faster than I thought.
In the upcoming deadlines world, I found this week-long residency in NC that's due on the 31st that sounds perfect, its Wildacres Residency Program. And I’ve decided to give Bernheim another shot. It's not due until the end of November but I’m going to start on it now. I re-read what I submitted last year and, wow, that was a shit pile. I think/hope I’ll have a better shot at it this time. I have a few angles I think could work, either lean into some character/narrative thing or possibly talk to Schot & Matt at the foundry about rushing a bronze piece of mine though, for an example, and try to pull in that like local ties and propose a public foundry workshop? The second one feels like a long shot because it's still fresh in my life but it might be the best shot I have at getting the residency.
