(go back in the menu to see her on my website under "Gallery" page 2)
...from wires to WOW!
As I've been packing some of the A.R.T.- bots that I have here in the room, I wanted to show you how I put one together. I decided to show you Charlene. Charlene began as all A.R.T-bots do. First comes the BIG idea! Maybe a certain found object could be something else! Sometimes it may seem
weird but I have a BIG imagination and I
can see what could happen. Once you know what it could be, the process begins.
I saw an old fishing bait box (the kind you hang on your belt) in a junk shop and thought that it kinda looks the back of and animal or bug. Hmmm... What could I do with this?
So, I took it home. You can see it in the image above. I usually start gathering wires and objects I already have in my boxes of junk, or go out looking for them at E-cycling places (Electronics) here in Silicon Valley. There are a few places with huge boxes of electronics that go out to be recycled and I love to spend an hour or so, filling my basket. Some places charge by the pound OR you can make a donation which goes to a local charity.
So, by now, I have decided to make a chameleon. And, because I normally name my pieces after people I know, this will be Charlene. I find some silver Pickle forks and these make great feet for Charlene. Just a note here, I want to make the feet similar to a chameleon so these have 2 tines for toes.
I use screws to attach most of the pieces together on all of my A.R.T.-bots. They can't be soldered together because the heat would ruin the colors. So all the parts have to be correctly measured and then drilled in all parts.
Opening the box, I can see endless possibilities for "hidden" items.
In the following images I will add some notes about those "things" and how I found items to add and how I finished her.
I will add images now to show you some additional assemblage on "Charlene, The Chameleon.
Spark plugs!
A color wheel!
A gate chain!
Items I've found to use are:
* A broken automatic gate chain.
* A book about South America where lots of Chameleons are found.
* A branch for her to climb on.
* I "shrunk" some actual books down to her size and copied them to paper. She is studying how to be a very good Chameleon.
* A little pair of glasses so she can read the books.
* A color wheel that actually turns.
* Spark Plugs from various old cars...keeps her going.
* A little bug catcher. You know she has to eat!
* Her head is made from a shoe stretcher.
*...lots more stuff.
* Open the bait box! Electronics!
* ...Keep looking.
KD Hop On Pop ...My final critic
If you are in the Kalispell, Montana area, I'm hoping to teach a couple of classes at FVCC in the fall. Check back and see what evolves!
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Email me if you need to : fetch@blackdogdesignstudio.com