Spawning Daughter Particles ...

Two new students have joined WaltArt, and we don't waste much time putting them to work! Susan has started in on a lucite panel and Yuri is building a sculpture.

Meanwhile, Edgar (using his cell phone) documents Alex's completed lucite panel, looking much better now that all the carpenter's tape has been removed. Note: Photo credit of Alex's panel goes to Edgar Escobar.

We are about to insert the panel into one of the boxes.

The panels, with the scintillation material applied to their surfaces, display interesting color changes when exposed to different kinds of light.

Test Installation

We've been hard at work, kicking up a storm of sawdust, lucite dust, metal shavings, and other debris.

It is hard to justify getting out Ross's digital camera to document our progress; I worry all the particles in the air might damage the lens. But who among us goes anywhere without their cell phone?

In the pictures in the following blogs, photos are all from our cells. My Nokia needs loads of light in order for the images to be clear; Edgar's iPod is marginally better....

The first image shows an exciting day in the Gallery: the test installation of our first "box".


What is it? A prototype of one of the box installations.
The idea for each box is to create a dynamic on how the scintillation panels react to being activated by the particles. Right now we are experimenting with black light, daylight, spotlight... any kind of light.




Ross hauls the box up to the ceiling with some help from the rest of the crew. Then we hook up the optics and it's lights out to enjoy the show.

Recycling in Earnest

Over the past few work days, Ross has constructed boxes from recycled plywood and lumber, ripping and cutting materials to size on the table saw. Once completed and fitted with light fixtures, these will be suspended in the air illuminating plates of scintillation material below them. These will become, essentially, "fake" particle collectors (WaltArt style).

Ian and Edgar have been helping to assemble and paint the light boxes.

Andrew works on another plate of scintillation material, to create the design before sand-blasting the material. He has cut his design using a box cutter and is ready for sand-blasting.


Edgar is making traction on his pyramid piece, first making a prototype of the pyramid out of scrap lumber in order to understand the dimensions of the larger piece and how the components will fit together. Eventually this piece will live atop the "brain"; however, at this point that seems like a long way off!


I have taken a flexible shaft drill to both surfaces of a plate of scintillation material. Originally I'd planned to use the sandblaster, then changed to the drill to have more control of the design. I am still digging out the tape that has worked its way into little crevices on the surface.