Open Studio This Weekend

My little shop will be open this weekend--Saturday & Sunday from noon till 6; stop in & say hi :)

Maps of all the artist studios on the tour are in the Boise Weekly or you can download one here:

Map

Look for the BOSCO sign out on the road.

Hope to see ya here :)

Amber

Trucks, Mud, & Sticky Situations....

Soooo, my grand accomplishment yesterday was getting the Mack-Truck stuck in the mud...granted its been raining like crazy & I knew I was risking it...lol, but it was sunny & forecast for more rain the next day, so I decided to go for it...

I wanted to pick up the chicken-house/shed & move it to clean up with the tractor, & then put the shed back into place on some concrete slabs that I have been saving...  Yeah, it didn't quite go that way....

After gathering up the big spreader-bar & all the cables & shackles & rigging everything up, the little crane just wouldn't lift it....so, I thought: hmmm, need to be closer (the closer you are, the more the crane can lift).  Soooo, I unhooked everything & moved the crane; as I was creeping into place, I noticed that I was slipping sideways...not a good sign...but, I was closer, so thought I would give it another try....  And....same result...by this time, I had called in my mother (encase I needed to be pulled out of the mud).  We looked at the shed, & the crane, & thought---there is no way that shed is too heavy...maybe we need hydraulic fluid...  So, I lugged over a 5 gallon bucket (you can buy them at Costco, btw--last time I bought 3 big buckets & 2 bottles of champagne--I got weird looks at the checkout) anyway, the crane was thirsty, & I added probably 2.5 gallons of oil (I think about 1/3 of it ended up on me or in my hair)  & we gave it another try....   No luck, grrrrrr....I think there is something wrong with the main cylindar: shall be calling ICS to check it out...   And I go to move the truck: stuck in to mud, of course...we try putting stuff under the tires, back & forth, cursing, laughing, & looking.  Finally, we gave it up & helped ourselves to grandpa's whiskey stash (they are not home, lol) & toasted to a failed endeavor...lol :)

Today, I did get it unstuck just before the rain started again...  but the chicken house is still in the same spot, lol.  For now, I have decided to just go with it... maybe next spring it will get moved, lol, maybe not...

btw: this is what I looked like before we started playing in the mud...ah, the life of glamour....lol

Open Studio this weekend; hope to see you here :)

Amber

Boise Open Studios Tour

For the first time ever, I am very excited to be a part of the Boise Open Studios Tour....

My little metal shop will be open Saturday & Sunday: the 15th & 16th from noon till 6: stop in anytime & say hi : )

I will have snacks & drinks on hand; & will be doing tours of the shop, property, & artwork...

Download maps & artist info here:

BOSCO

Hope to see you here :)

---Amber----

Hobble Creek Park: Install

We installed "Zephyrus" last week at Hobble Creek Park....

A 28' tall weather vane, we loaded the base & sculptural piece on the Mac-truck & drove it into Boise from Star....Blake Trailers did the heavy fabrication: they made everything look exactly like I had pictured in the beginning (over a  year ago)

The base is a recycled stand from Idaho Power, & the weather vane is made from salvaged steel, left-over copper from another project, stainless steel that I managed to convince ISE Cranes to let me have (for a price), & the spinning part on the top came from a very special friend :) 

once the base was in place, the weather vane was lifted into place...

Montry & I guided in into place....

when it came to torque-ing down the bolts, I let Jeff take over...lol

Jeff & Montry took care of the mounting bolts...

And in about an hour's time, it was done!

The plaque with the story of the design will go on later, along with the directional signage, but I'm so happy to see the piece in place!  It moves with the wind so easily, & the top spinner goes around with the slightest breeze:

 thanks Mike-E : )  It's perfect!

Will update when I get the signage up; for now, I'm so happy with this one: it looks so amazing in person; even better than the plans!  Definitely a contrast for baseball fields, but I think it works :) 

Amber

Hobble Creek Park: update

The next project to be installed: a 28' tall weather vane...inspired by sailing ships & daydreams....

 Steel with copper & stainless accents...

 & lots of rivets & bolts :)

This one will be installed next week: maybe Tuesday; I get back from Minneapolis & the Creative Connection on Sunday evening; so maybe Monday, but probably Tuesday, lol : )

for a look at the original proposal, click here: http://www.refinerii.com/2010/06/hobble-creek-park-project-approved.html

amber

Kleiner Park Install; new pics :)

some new pics from the install....just got them :)

enjoy...



lol; the last one cracks me up...

next week; Hobble Creek Park, & the Creative Connection on Minneapolis...flying out on Wednesday: wish me luck!

Amber

Kleiner Park-Installation Day 2

Yep; I am way up there in the bucket, lol: not quite as scary the 2nd time...

We started out the morning putting the wind turbine on the lake sculpture, then it was onto #3...

Getting lost whilst trying to find a place to access the spot without destroying curbs should have been the first clue that this one was not going to be easy....

The two base pieces slipped over the bolts on the base just fine, but gave Jeff a bit of a hard time when it came to joining them together at the top: there were hammers involved...

and big wrenches, & impact drivers....

Sometime in the afternoon, it was time to lift the top section into place...

The first few bolts went in ok...

But the rest (like 30 of them) were difficult....

The torch came out to help...

Eventually, it was time to add the wind turbine; of course one of the bolts that holds it down had a major issue too; that only took about and hour & a half to fix...lol

But, in the end, it all went together & looks great... We finished around 4:30 (thought we would be done by noon)  I celebrated across the street at Texas Roadhouse with a toast with friends--in my dirty carharts & hardhat hair, lol :) 

 Today, I drove by the park & all three turbines were spinning in the breeze:  they look great--soooo happy :)

Thanks so much to Montry & Jeff at Blake Trailers; it would not have happened without you! Also a big thank you to all the guys (& Tana) at Blake Trailers; you did an amazing fab job: I could not have asked for a better team!

And big thanks to Hugh & Steve & Kenny at ISE Cranes: you guys are the best: there is no one I would I would rather have lift me into the sky while I hold on for dear life, lol :) 

I will have video of the install soon; stay tuned...   

Amber