Making waste

In a book I'm now reading it mentions artist's 'waste'...the willingness to work for hours on an idea and then discard it if it hasn't worked - that part of the process that is often crucial but ultimately invisible - and there has been a fair measure of that this week. It's not really a waste in the accepted sense; it's playing around and accepting that some things work out and some don't...and I do believe that you learn from every new thing you try - it all goes into your reservoir. So - playing around with reduction, I thought this looked sort of interesting...

...but it didn't translate well into a finished object...however, some part of the process may come in useful in the future...

Having finally found a wooden chair in a charity shop last week, I have started on the seated woman sculpture-first job was to strip fabric off the seat and sand the chair.

Whoever stapled the upholstery to the seat should have been given an award for "the most staples it is possible to use" ... there were about 140 - 20 in each corner alone. By misusing a screwdriver and hammer over two days I got most of them out. I reckoned that by the time I'd finished I'd either need medical attention or have arms like a Russian weightlifter.

And the waste? Cutting out paper shapes again and again to work out the body/ corset shape. This is full-size attempt two, and there's a way to go yet...

How to make the moon for the big ship has been on my mind from the beginning and it's possible that this solution may also be discarded - I've attached it temporarily and need to live with it for a bit. It's glue-covered muslin on wire..

...and I think I like the string (also a temporary "see if it works") on the struts. Fits with the ship thing and with women's weaving - as well as possibly helping with the stability of the structure.

At some point I need to work out how to mount this on a base.

And finally, no waste here...  A while ago I was given a shoe box full of old photographs from a house clearance - they date from the 1920's to the 60's ; typical family snapshots - of an Ireland that has disappeared. I have them copied on photo paper and make cards, mounting them in a way that suggests an old photo album.

This one of the girl with the pig is my absolute favourite.