Work had been busy. Finally Friday came along and I really wanted some beach time. Just a walk would be fine, on this breezy, sun-warmed afternoon.
Build number: 98P-1
Date: 1998 February 20
Location: Venice Breakwater, south side
Start: afternoon, building time perhaps 1 hour
Height: 2 feet
Base: 2 feet wide, 1 foot deep
Photography: none, no camera

I ambled south. Sun glinted off the moving water. At the Breakwater, Bruce was on duty watching the beach's few swimmers. We talked for a time. He's classic southern California, one day at a time, but takes his job quite seriously.

Ostensibly the trip was to scout sand for the following day's sculpture. Bruce was getting ready to close up, so I continued exploring. The good sand moves around.

The tide was low. Plenty of daylight was left. The combination finally got through to my work-wearied mind.

Hands are the original tools. The year's first free-pile sculpture took shape, but had some technical problems. Part of it fell off when the poorly compacted base slumped, but the arch remained. It sported a jaunty cap wrapped partway around one leg.

This felt good. Much more relaxed, I started for home. A little way up the beach I found Veronica, one of the regulars, headed the same way. We continued, talking of art and criticism. She's an art dealer. The sun set as we walked north.

Library Human Touch Museum
Catalog Access: 1998 1997 1996 1995

Original: 98 October 31 (direct to HTML)
HTML editing: December 31 (subdirectory and HTML 4.0)

All contents copyright 1998 by Larry Nelson
lord_chaos@compuserve.com

98p01rpt.htm 98-December-31