Twigs & Leaves

The music was playing, the kids ate pizza and were watching Iron Man 2, ladders were busy, artwork was being hung, pottery was being unwrapped and color was everywhere! We got the cash wrap installed last night at my friend Katie Sevigny’s new Gallery space and it looked great. I'll try and get a better picture when the activity is a bit calmer!

To achieve the finish I wanted on the background panels I first use an orbital sander and evenly hand sand the entire

area. Next, I have a disc sander that I use on my drill, creating circular patterns. Before I weld the steel branches in place, I take a grinder and create long, fluid, sweeping grinder lines over the entire surface. The largest front panel was so long that I had to lay out my design and spot weld on the shop floor so it wouldn’t bow and flex unevenly. After

the layout was spot welded, I could put the entire 10’ strip up on my work table using a couple of extra metal saw horses and finish weld the branches and leaves. It was an easy install thanks to my sweetie and I wasn’t sweating the fit since I had pre fit all of the pieces on Friday. I had 3 pieces of galvi custom cut then embellished all three panels with a Twig & Leaf design. I chose the motif and purposely kept it unpainted to compliment the varied work that will be in the Gallery. I designed the branches and leaves to flow to the right and to pull the customer into the space.

I couldn’t believe the transformation since Friday when I “sailed” into the Gallery to test-fit the counter wrap.

WOW! The artwork is so original and Katie has some incredible new artists lined up. We even saw our friend Dawn Gerety last night who was prepping some large canvas paintings at the new Gallery and AK Starfish Company was scheduled to come today and merchandise an area. That's Katie's sister on the ladder hanging an original Duke Russell -Derek and I have our eye on a couple of his pieces we saw last night... Fresh, bright, happy and a good energy, were just some of the words Daddy-O and I kept saying on the way home last night. Daddy-O helped me mount the galvanized metal panels on Katie’s sales counter. Over the weekend Katie had a crew on hand to move all of the artwork from her old space on 4^th Avenue, East, up to the new space right next door to Cake Studio Bakery and the 4^th Avenue Theater.

I know if I’m ready for the party and grand opening on Friday night I can’t imagine how ready Katie is!!

Me and Katie last night. Katie-girl deserves a pARTy!

Look what the wind storm on Friday blew from one of our huge Spruce trees -a little gift to me!