Basically nothing. I did the work to get it all going then delivered a progress payment invoice to Cath at the Library and nothing for, what, 6 weeks or so. I didn’t really mind because I wanted to do other stuff but it’s getting beyond a joke. I sent an Email to Cath about a week ago and no reply so I guess I’m going to have to go down in person to see what going on.
The thing is that I understand the way I work but I’m fairly sure not many other people do. I get a deposit to pick up a few materials then spend the rest so I’m committed to the project. I owe them. When thats gone, the money, I do some work so I can show some progress so I can get some more money. I still owe them but I’ve shown I’ve started. That kinda goes on until I’ve finished and if the commisionaires are quick with the progress then I’m quick with the work because it keeps me owing them and I always need more money. I only really start to work if I need to. I’m not one of those people who are disciplined enough to do work thats really quite interesting in the formative stages, when its about ideas, but not so interesting when its merely a dull and tiring drudge to the end. Theres much more interesting things to do with hardly any money than work. I am a victim of my own curiousity and unending search for interesting things and ideas that need me to love them.
That said I did go out last week and do a few hours welding and it’s all rusty again, after a clean up, but thats a good thing as the more often its cleaned then goes rusty the deeper the patinas are at the end. So for the artwork this delay is a good thing… but for me and the library patrons it’s merely time passing and nothing happening.
Not really good considering I sent a letter off to Len, the Mayor, the other day with a complaint about the stupidities surrounding how they spend their allocation of arts money… and here I am being the exact thing that has made them so close chested with the cash. Oh well, we are what we are. I’m happy, just sold off a bunch of instruments to keep me in the red.
But I will be welding again quick smart because I’ve now acheived a bit of spare cash to buy nuts and bolts and stuff plus I’ve started working around the house in preparation for Mum gettin’ back from holiday and weldin’ and drillin’, and all the stuff to do with buildin’ the box, is a hellua lot easier than diggin’ and haulin’ dirt, so I’ll be findin’ time of my own for the holiday (from diggin’) that is… bein’ conscientious (paid work).