More bricks...

Had to take a little break and get away from bricking!  This is SO tedious --you can't even imagine.  I had to turn Merriman Park on its end in order to do the side.  I had hoped that I would finish both ends, but at this rate I'll be lucky if I get this side finished tonight.  My gouge seems to be getting a little dull, too.  It just doesn't seem to glide through the paint and gesso like it did at first, but maybe that's just my imagination.  Or maybe I'm just getting tired.


This is how I'm finishing the corners and the quoins.

Pretty cool, huh?  Ugh, of course I broke off one of my urns while working on the second story.  Bull in a china shop. Guess I'll have to pick up some Super Glue tomorrow. 

Ordered my double stairs this weekend!  Actually it's just two straight flights that I'm going to alter.  I'm thinking one or two steps up to a landing with the split going up each side.  Also ordered some more ribbed roofing so I can work on the aforementioned hips. 

It's still snowing out here in Minnesota.  Looks like another five or six inches.  Sure glad we're heading down to Captiva next month!

One Side Down, One to Go

Finished the bricks on the left side tonight.  Tedious but strangely gratifying work. I mean, how many times do you toil at something for hours with nothing tangible to show for all your efforts?  As mind-numbing a task as etching 3/16th by 3/4 inch bricks into gesso is, I have to say, at least when you're done for the night you can pat yourself on the back and say, "Good job."

I ordered coach lamps to flank the front door today.  They are powered by replaceable watch batteries.  (The center component of Merriman Park  lifts out, so there isn't really a way to wire it --at least not by any way that I could figure how to do without electrocuting myself)!  So when I saw these coach lamps I was pretty excited because I had resigned myself to having non-working lamps out front.  I am a little worried about the bulbs being LED, as I find LED lights to be generally too garish.  I flat out REFUSE to use LED Christmas lights.  They're just, I don't know --tacky.  And NOT in a good way. Of course this is from a guy who still uses wax candles on his Christmas tree.

Going Up

This is all the further I got last night.  I started making mistakes so I quit early.  Actually had to paint out a few rows and start over.  It's hard not to want to hurry and get it over with but really, what's the rush?  It's not like there's a deadline or anything.

I think I might mount the whole house on a decorative wooden plinth, stained dark.  I thought it could extend out from the house an inch or two and I'd finish this as a cobblestone walk.  The plinth might have drawers for storage.