Like the Studio itself, this particular page is under construction.  After many e-mails, I decided to put up something so people could follow my progress.   I will be changing and adding pictures as things begin to happen! Update, Thursday, January 9, 2003:   Just to let people with slower modems know, this page is getting rather long.  While I'm trying to keep each image under 100k in size, they're adding up and I just had a friend time the load for me on her 56k connection.   This page took about 5 minutes to completely load, but with the text to read, she said it's not too bad.   The page with More Pictures is taking 11 - 13 minutes. Update, Thursday, January 12, 2003:   This page was getting too big, so I split it.   For Monday, January 6th to the 28th, go here.   For journal entries after January 28th, click here.

A photo of the studio's concrete pad looking out to the main street.

As many of my clients, friends and family know.  I've been working towards building my own studio for over 3 years.  The actual construction began in the Summer of 2002, with the clearing and leveling of land (by hand) and building a new pump house in order to make way for the future studio.

While much of the work was done by myself and my ex-wife, I MUST mention my good neighbor, Dave Sundburg, owner of Northwest Land Development.   At the moment my stress-level was peaking and my land-level was anything BUT level, Dave brought over his excavator and laser transit and spent the day perfecting my soon-to-be studio!   The only thing missing from the scene was his Super Hero Cape. Thank you Dave! I spent a couple of weeks hand-digging the footer for the building and setting up all the forms for the concrete (a 1st for me), and then in November, the infamous Seattle weather cooperated and gave us two glorious days without rain (a little mist and drizzle, but EVERYONE knows those aren't 'rain').  We jumped at the opportunity and poured 5 trucks worth of concrete!

A photo of the future studio from the street.

Again I have people to thank!  Ruth, Dan . . .   Thank you!!   These two concrete experts bailed me out when I was in a pinch!  You see, the first concrete "company" I hired turned out to not have a license or any of those minor things like insurance, bonding, or even a good work ethic and defrauded me out of $1,300.   At the last second, Dan and Ruth stepped in to save the day.  Once again, there were no Super Hero Capes....  but there should have been.

This picture ISN'T my studio, but it is similar.

DECEMBER 26, 2002 Guess what Santa brought me? Coming in at an entire MONTH early, MY STUDIO ARRIVED by flatbed truck! It's now sitting covered on my pad awaiting a few nice days (hopefully before June).   The building itself is an arched design that goes up in 2 foot sections, and supposedly will go up in a snap.   I like the idea of the overhead crane system that's in this picture and may try to build something like it once I'm up and running.

Believe it or not, the ENTIRE studio is under those blue tarps!

JANUARY 3, 2003 The Studio's arrival brought the Rainy Season with it.   The tarps over the building pieces are just for show.   Anyone from the Great Northwest knows that a mere piece of plastic can't keep out the weather.   As it happened, the two skids were only covered for a couple of days until I could finish up my work with another artist and concentrate all my attention on the task at hand.

I decided to do a second inventory, since I just couldn't believe that the two small skids were carrying it all.  In order to start constructing the individual arches, I had to first remove all 5,500 pounds of steel to get to each component.

Here we are laying out the three uppermost components of the arches.   There are 7 total to each arch.  James is taking a 30 second break so the household documentarian can do her thing.

JANUARY 4, 2003 Misty had to work all day today.   Lucky for ME, it only rained TWO INCHES!   Yes, it was a little wet, but my 3 years of intense training allowed me to rise to the challenge.  Of course, 20 minutes before Misty arrived home, the rain stopped and the clouds parted making for a beautiful redish light and Misty asking why I was dressed up like a Swedish Fisherman.  (I took my Nor'wester off for the pictures, and if you don't know what a nor'wester is, just ask.)

In this photo, I'm tightening the last bolt in what will be the very top of the arch.  Tomorrow Misty is off, so things will go much smoother since the arches are getting too large for one person to handle.  I say that based on their wiggle-factor, not the weight; I would estimate the pieces you see above weighing in at only 80 pounds each.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2003 Hey!   The over-paid weather guy said it was supposed to be NICE Monday through Thursday this week, only, the nice weather came a day early (it only rained for 15 minutes today)!  Misty and got a little late start today since we lounged and chatted over coffee and bird watching.   What's life worth if you can't have coffee-time with your loved one now and again?

Misty and James screwing.

Some of the Completed arches

We hit the arches at 10:00 am and worked for a couple of hours until we decided we couldn't move a full arch on our own.   We needed space to build them, but we had to nestle them so we could get most of them on the pad.   Misty, being the genius she is, suggested we go out and get to furniture dollies.   It was amazing being able to move these huge arches so easily. The arches got tougher to put together in the final form because of their length and trying to line up small holes for the bolts.   We ended up only getting 10 done for the day, but since we're running out of space on the pad, that's not all bad.

The end of Sunday and 10 arches finished.

As I write this Sunday night, and I'm a bit worried.   Misty and I were planning on putting up the arches this Tuesday, but so far there is NO ONE lined up to help us.   We were hoping for that old-fashioned "Barn Raising" day... lots of food, friends, laughter and fun, but I suppose this is the New Millennium and Barn Raisings are truly old fashioned.  It's not that I don't value people, or their time and effort, I DO!   I suppose I just superimposed my own vision of how the world is over the one that it truly is.  It's late, I'm going to bed.   Misty has to work tomorrow, so it'll be me out there.   I've got enough to do for a busy day! Good-night.

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