Michael Pearce

I tried another method of making the rain sticks by using my chopsaw to cut angled slices into the pipe, then inserting pieces of cardboard into the slots. I think it could work very well if the slots were sealed really well with epoxy resin and using plastic instead of card, but the prototype broke when I dropped it, so I don’t think this is strong enough in its present form; the slots make the pipe too weak. Perhaps a different plastic would be less brittle.

I continued with figuring out the challenges of both building and making the tree fit into the spaces that are available for the performances of the play. It’s going to have seven branches that become the trunk, very simple, with many hooks for peaches, twinkle lights concealed within fabric. The heart of the tree is a glowing ball, perhaps made from rope and resin with translucent lycra fabric covering it, suspended within two heptagons in the trunk that give the tree its strength. I’ll exhibit the tree as an installation once the performance has run its course.

We’re going to need to get at least two ironing boards for the show; these will become tables, factory conveyor belts and whatever else we can turn them into, perhaps a bench, or a boat – the sky’s the limit. We’ll add musical elements to them, perhaps, so that they can be part of the factory.

There’s a scene in the play when a woman arrives in the rain, soaking wet. I wanted to come up with a way to illustrate rain without actually getting water into the performance space, so I made these rainsticks by drilling holes through pvc pipe, then pushing bolts through and tightening the nuts onto them, then capping the ends after filling the pipe half way with maize. When you turn the pipe over the maize cascades down over the bolt shafts, making the sound of rainfall. I only bought enough corn for one of the pipes today, I’ll try some beans in another tomorrow, to see if the sound is louder.

I think they look terrific, almost alien. When there’s a drop of paint on them they’ll look industrial and nasty, which is in the nature of the character of the woman who arrives. Perfect. The ensemble of actors will use them to make the sound of rain falling. I’ll take them to Santa Barbara Tuesday, with the drum and plans for the tree, which I must complete tomorrow!

I’ve done some sketching of the tree, and begun to figure out how the piece might actually look in more detail. It’s all spirals and lights right now, with a hundred hooks for peaches. I think it’s made of aluminium with gauzy fabric wrapped about it. I’m enjoying the simplicity of making a three dimensional object that will feel like a drawing in space.

The truck wheel drum sounds awesome now the head is dry; a booming bass sound that resonates well. The leather is a little softer than I’d really like and won’t stand anything but hand hits, so I’ll need to get some harder skins for the big barrels if they’re to be used for rhythm too. Off to get the pipes for the rain sticks next, then drawing the tree.

I have found it very difficult to remain focused today, perhaps that big full moon has something to do with it? I enjoyed tying the drum head onto the wheel, then found it hard to move on to producing much more. I finally settled into beginning the design for the tree that will be central to the design of the play. I’m drawing spirals at the end of slender branches and imagining lots of points of light, and suspended fabric that gets wrapped about the trunk of the tree, which will have a glowing heart.

I started work this afternoon, after taking the morning easy, running and doing yoga with Rich then moving very slowly toward getting something useful done, finally getting started by putting a leather head onto the aluminium truck wheel I got from the metal yard. I found the leather and line at a great store in Santa Barbara called Art from Scrap that recycles all sorts of interesting stuff, from piano keys to laboratory equipment. The wheel is pretty solid, and resonates well. I’m really looking forward to hearing how this sounds tomorrow; with the leather wet it sounds beautifully bass, I wonder how much it will change.

I’m really pleased that I learned how to make drums with my kids at that workshop, as I think this will be really fun for the actors in the play to work on, whether or not they use drums that they make in the production or not. 

If all goes well I’ll start painting this evening when I’m finished with the head.