Oh talk about props…Don’t get me started! Being a builder and an artist may be considered by some to be a “Gift”. But to me sometimes it almost seems like a Curse. To be a slave to an idea you dream up in your mind to bring about an EFFECT of some kind in the eye of the viewer.
The thing is though, the only way to find out if the prop you build will bring about the desired effect is of course to build it. And once you begin there is no choice but to continue until the project is complete. Then the classic: “Well what do you think?” The answer may very well be: “I hate it!”
But if the prop is a success, the world is a indeed a better place.
And it was all worth it. Think about the Statue of Liberty. The Washington Monument. Even the pyramids in Egypt.
Let’s talk about scale. Consider this…You might want to down size if you have to move the prop. Otherwise, you have designed a big problem. And believe me…I’ve been there. But if the prop is meant to be stationary, Go For It. Except consider the TIME and Expense. I made a 15 foot eagle on a fence a few years back (See Photos) and every time I added a feather to the eagle, I had to walk away 50 feet or so to see it from a distance to check for artistic perspective. That takes time. Building that eagle took a good part of that summer. But it’s big enough for photo opts and it is the only one of it’s kind in the whole world. It’s so big that it’s armature is cemented into the earth and I have the wings tethered by 3 cables. The severe storms have spared it so far even though nearby trees have fallen by high winds.
(Photo below shows a scaffold I made to reach the height I needed to add feathers.)
