The Temple Gets Paint and a Railing

Last weekend I got a fine surprise when I came up to install the railings on the roof deck of the Temple. There was paint on the walls! Mark had put a coat of white primer on almost all of the exterior walls and the temple, with it's blue roof looked sort of like a little Norwegian chapel.

With the help of Mike and a short visit by Jana, we got the roof deck railings installed by mid-morning on Saturday. Now it feels a lot safer up on top. Thanks to Jana for helping me make all the railing frames and for designing and welding one of the panels. Thanks also to Leslee Oaks and Nita Hull-Carlson for designing panels.

The rest of the day was spent painting more of the walls. We painted until the paint ran out. Then we all went up on the roof deck for sunset. It seemed a lot bigger up there with the new railings. Instead of everyone huddling in the center trying to stay away from the scary edges, we all wanted to lean on the new railings. I counted 16 people up there at one point and there still was room for more.

The remainder of the weekend was spent doing other projects at Gateway Ranch in preparation for the 2013 Arizona Burning Man Decompression event. I remember back when we started the temple project I set a goal to have the temple at least functional by this event. It's been just a hair over one year since we broke ground. Although a year seems like a long time, we only worked on the temple one weekend each month and we skipped August completely.That's actually pretty fast work! Even though it is far from finished, it will be done enough to be useable.

Events in the temple are being scheduled for the Decompression. There will be two workshops where we will make assemblage art for the temple interior. We will be bending license plates to serve as exterior trim. Not sure exactly when that will happen but there are people excited about doing it. There will be a formal wine and cheese social at the temple Saturday evening, and a DJ is scheduled to spin at the temple, too. Not sure what all else will be going on but I know it will be fun.

What we really need next for the temple is someone who likes to work with wood to make window frames. We want to get the windows in so we can get the temple closed against the elements. We also need a door. If you would like to make window frames or even the front door, contact me.

All is proceeding beautifully and the temple is already being used some, even in its unfinished state. Can't ask for more than that!

Roofing, Mosaics and More

 

 Frank, Jana, Bill and Royce at the June work party

Since the last post we have had two work parties. At the June work party, which was held on the 29th to 30th, we put metal roofing on each of the four bays. This work party occurred during record heat in the area so we had to get it all done early in the morning. On Saturday we started putting roofing on at 6AM and had to quit by 10AM due to extreme heat. Sunday was about the same. We also mounted the 24 exterior mosaic panels that were created during the work parties in April and May. In spit of the 100 degree-plus heat, our intrepid crew managed to get it all done. Thanks to Frank, Bill, and Jana!

Jana cuts a can for the roof flashing.

The July work party was last weekend (July 13-14) and we got several little construction things done. We framed the upper windows so they are now ready for glass. We put flashing on the bay roofs where they meet the upper walls on the central tower. Most of the flashing was cut from old Coleman fuel cans.
We cut and mounted wooden panels on the inside that are now ready to be encrusted with assemblage art, and we got the roof deck caulked and ready for the heavy duty roof paint that will be the final surface. We had a small crew this time. It was just Royce, Bill and Jana, with a little help on Sunday from their friend Ray. Thanks!

The weather was much better for the July work party. It started out clear, warmed up considerably, and just when you started thinking that it was getting too hot, clouds moved in and it cooled down. This was followed by an afternoon thunderstorm which really cooled things down. The sunsets were beautiful.

Jana hands a piece of flashing up to Bill on the roof.

We are trying to get far enough along in the building process so that the Temple of Life can be used this October at an event early in the month. We still have a lot to do to get to that point. Here are some of the goals we need to accomplish in the next couple of months:

Fabricate and install roof deck railings. - Jana and Royce will do the fabricating of the steel railings.
Get heavy duty roof paint on the upper deck.
Fabricate the permanent ladder that will be used to access the roof deck.
Create assemblage art panels for the inside entries to each of the bays.
Install drywall on the upper part of the walls in the central tower.

The next work party is not scheduled yet. There may not be one in August due to everyone having so much going on. When we do schedule a work party, one of the main components will be an assemblage art workshop. Assemblage is a multimedia process where panels are painted and then cool stuff is glued and/or screwed onto it to create a collage of sorts using durable small objects.

Bill attaches metal flashing.

We are getting there. We started the project in September of last year and have come a long way. Especially since we only get to work on the temple one weekend each month. All hail to the many volunteers who have contributed time to putting this temple together and special thanks to Mark and Kate who own the property where we are building the temple and have been paying for most of the building materials so far.

We would really like to do some crowd-source funding via Kickstarter or Indiegogo. If anyone reading this blog has experience setting up a campaign, and would like to help out by coordinating, let us know. We are happy to assist. Royce can edit the video, we can come up with cool incentive gifts for donors at different levels, and all of us who have been involved will promote the campaign wherever we can.

The Temple of Life shines in the sun after a storm

Until next time, THANKS ALL!

Grout Grout Grout!

Our mosaic making workshop was fun and productive. Seven people made eleven mosaics at Gateway Ranch for the Temple of life. Royce set up a couple of 10' x 20' shade structures in front of the straw bale building. Tables and chairs were brought out and several crates and boxes of mosaic supplies were laid out so the participants could easily pick their favorite bits to put into their mosaics.

The weather was perfect on Saturday as we used thin-set mortar to attach broken tiles, dishes, stones, glass, mirror and metal onto pre-cut boards. Jana, Bill, and Royce made two mosaics each and Mark, Laura, Matt, Richard and Owen each laid out one mosaic.

We worked until nearly dark, had a wonderful pot-luck dinner and then all of us watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail later in the evening. Several of us knew many of the lines from the movie. It was fun.

Sunday we got a bit of a late start on grouting the mosaics. We had just gotten half to two-thirds of the way through the grouting process when a big wind came up and started to tear the shade structures apart. We had an emergency mosaic evacuation out from under the shaking shade structures and then proceeded to take the shade down so it all wouldn't be ruined by the escalating wind. We managed to finish grouting the mosaic that we started even though we were now exposed to full sun and the wind.

Those of us who made more than one mosaic had to postpone the grouting of our second mosaics to another time. Jana and Bill finished their grouting that evening - easy since they live there. Royce took his second mosaic home and will probably grout it tomorrow.

All the mosaics are awesome! It is great to see the diversity in design and vision represented. Once the last mosaics are grouted, we will have 23 of the 24 mosaics needed for the panels on the outside of the Temple of Life. The last mosaic needed will be created collaboratively by Bill and Jana. We will install them at our next work party which will be held June 29-30th.

There is a lot of space on and in the temple for assemblage art, including mosaic if people want to use that technique. Bill has measured all the walls inside the temple so we can make a map of the panels needed to decorate these walls. We have decided to drywall the upper part of the central tower so we can glue pieces of mirror onto it. The mirror will be applied so as to look like fat organic branches or waves. The idea is that the mirrors will reflect the light from the skylight and upper windows so as to create an infinite light effect as you look up. Around the "mirror branches" there will be space for gluing all sorts of assemblage materials.

We also discussed the roofing for the four wings that surround the central tower. It was decided that we should just buy metal roofing since it is really important to have good solid materials to keep the rain and snow from leaking in.

As mentioned above, the next work party will be June 29-30th. The plan is to put on the metal roofing, put the drywall on the upper inside walls, and run some wiring inside the walls so there can be electrical outlets for interior lighting. We will also attach all of the mosaics that we made at the two mosaic workshops. We have scheduled the July work party for July 13-14.

The temple belongs to the community that builds it. This is YOUR temple. Come on up and help! Many hands will make it go quickly.

Mosaic workshop at Gateway Ranch

Come to the Temple site at Gateway Ranch and make mosaics for the Temple.

 

 

Here are the details:

Mosaic Workshop with Royce Carlson - May 18-19, 2013 at Gateway Ranch, AZ.

 

10AM to 4PM Saturday May 18, and 

noon to 4PM on Sunday May 19

 

Where: Gateway Ranch - about 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff, AZ. Directions are here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gateway-Ranch/349957905035933?ref=ts&fref=ts

 

Donation requested to cover cost of materials: $15

 

We only have room for 12 participants so please email us to sign up. Send your R.S.V.P. to roycenita@gmail.com and tell us you are coming. It will be first come first served. It will take both days to make your mosaic so please be sure you can come for both Saturday and Sunday.

 

The purpose of this workshop is to create mosaics for the Temple of Life, a large-scale art project at Gateway Ranch near Flagstaff, AZ.  Sculptor, Royce Carlson, is coordinating this project which will be encrusted with art created by many different artists. Participants are expected to donate one of their mosaic pieces to the Temple of Life.

 

Nita and Royce are both donating their time (and some of their groovy found mosaic materials) to this project.  Mosaics will be sized at approximately 18” x 20” for the temple. Depending on the complexity of your mosaic design, and if you tend to work quickly, you may have time to make a smaller mosaic to take home. Remember, your real “take home” will be the knowledge and confidence to do mosaic on your own, and that your artwork well be included in a really cool project.

 

Your donated mosaic will become a permanent part of the Temple of Life and we will make sure you get recognition for your mosaic at the Temple, itself, and on the Temple of Life web site.

 

On Saturday we will layout our mosaic materials and attach them to cement board using thin-set.  On Sunday afternoon we will grout our mosaics.

Wear clothes that you can get dirty and close-toed shoes.

Bring mosaic materials – broken dishes, cups, pieces of tile, glass, durable metal objects, small stones, marbles, and any other small, very durable objects that you would like to out into the mosaic.

Bring your lunch.

 

Also visit the Temple of Life Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TempleOfLifeGatewayRanch

 

Remember, RSVP to roycenita@gmail to sign up for this mosaic workshop

 

Mosaics for the Temple

Last weekend twelve people came to our mosaic workshop in Prescott to make mosaics for the Temple of Life and to learn the techniques. The weather was perfect and the company marvelous. It was a good time for all. We now have 12 of the 24 mosaics needed as feature panels on the exterior walls of the four bays. Juanita Hull-Carlson was the instructor. She has years of experience teaching mosaic techniques in schools all over the Southwest. Her unique and entertaining teaching style was enjoyed by all. Royce Carlson assisted her, and learned the technique himself.

The mosaics are all so beautiful and different! It was great to see the diversity of design ideas. Thanks to all the participants in the workshop: Abby Brill; Edessa Carr; James DuFour; Diana Erickson; Shelley Morgan; Kate Rusch; Renne Sechez; Corina Shelton; Sekah Sneller; and Mary Lou Wills
Thanks, also, to Greenlee Tile, in Prescott, for donating materials to the project.
Special thanks to Sekah and Sirius for letting us invade their backyard to do this and for making two of the mosaics.


We will be having another mosaic-making workshop at Gateway Ranch in Flagstaff, May 18-19, 2013. At this workshop we hope to make twelve more mosaics so we will have all of the exterior mosaic panels completed. Royce will be running this workshop, since Nita will be out of town. There will be other artwork going on the temple that weekend, also.

Let the ART continue!

Mosaic Workshop April 20-21

Detail of Nita's mosaic wall at the Raven Cafe in Prescott

Make mosaics with us for the Temple of Life. Here are the details:

Mosaic Workshop with Juanita Hull-Carlson, and Royce Carlson - April 20-21, 2013 in Prescott, AZ.

10AM to 4PM Saturday April 20, and 

noon to 4PM on Sunday April 21

Where: 729 W. Rosser St. in Prescott, Arizona (in the backyard)

Donation requested to cover cost of materials: $15

We only have room for 12 participants so please email us to sign up. Send your R.S.V.P. to roycenita@gmail.com and tell us you are coming. It will be first come first served. It will take both days to make your mosaic so please be sure you can come for both Saturday and Sunday.

The purpose of this workshop is to create mosaics for the Temple of Life, a large-scale art project at Gateway Ranch near Flagstaff, AZ.  Sculptor, Royce Carlson, is coordinating this project which will be encrusted with art created by many different artists. Participants are expected to donate one of their mosaic pieces to the Temple of Life.

You will be instructed in the art and technique of mosaic by Juanita Hull-Carlson who has taught mosaic for many years and has created several large mosaics at schools and communities all over Arizona along with her students. She will be assisted by Royce Carlson.

Nita and Royce are both donating their time (and some of their groovy found mosaic materials) to this project.  Mosaics will be sized at approximately 18” x 20” for the temple. Depending on the complexity of your mosaic design, and if you tend to work quickly, you may have time to make a smaller mosaic to take home. Remember, your real “take home” will be the knowledge and confidence to do mosaic on your own, and that your artwork well be included in a really cool project.

Your donated mosaic will become a permanent part of the Temple of Life and we will make sure you get recognition for your mosaic at the Temple, itself, and on the Temple of Life web site.

On Saturday we will layout our mosaic materials and attach them to cement board using thin-set.  On Sunday afternoon we will grout our mosaics.

Wear clothes that you can get dirty and close-toed shoes.

Bring mosaic materials – broken dishes, cups, pieces of tile, glass, durable metal objects, small stones, marbles, and any other small, very durable objects that you would like to out into the mosaic.

Bring your lunch.

Also visit the Temple of Life Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TempleOfLifeGatewayRanch

Remember, RSVP to roycenita@gmail to sign up for this mosaic workshop.

Nita made this giant raindrop for the city of Chandler AZ.

Structure Complete!

Mark and Kurt attach the sheathing

The weather, once again, proved challenging last weekend as we worked to finish the structural portion of building the temple. It was a little snowy on Saturday and windy, too. In spite of that, we got all the roof framing done for the four bays. We thought that was all we would be able to get done the whole weekend but, by the end of Saturday, we had gotten much farther than expected. Early Sunday morning Royce and Bill did a quick run to get the plywood needed to sheath the new roofs and we got down to it under clear skies, for a change.

Dan, Kurt, and Bill celebrate the completion of the structure

We sawed, hammered, and screwed the sheathing on, one bay at a time. Bill nailed the last board on at about 5:30PM and we were done. The new roofs really changed the look of the temple, in a positive way. Thanks to Bill, Jana, Kurt, Laura, Dan, and Mark for all their hard work.

The next part of the building process is to get the roofing metal on and start affixing artistic stuff to the walls, inside and out. We invite you all to start saving art materials for use on the temple. See the Materials Wish List page for information on what we are looking for.

Mosaic Workshop in Prescott on April 20-21. We will make mosaics for the exterior of the temple. You can learn how to do mosaic at this workshop. Most workshops of this type would cost over $100 but all we request is a donation of $15 to $20 to cover materials plus one of your completed mosaics to decorate the Temple of Life. The instructor is Juanita Hull-Carlson, who has done many mosaic projects all over Arizona. More details on the workshop in the next blog post.

Next Work Party is April 27-28, 2013. We will be starting the artistic part of the project at this work party. We will install the mosaics created at the mosaic workshop, put metal roofing on, install the big skylight up top, and more.

Things are getting more exciting as the project progresses. Come and join us!

Temple Building Progresses

We have had three successful work parties since the last blog post in November, 2012. As a result, the structural portion of building the Temple of Life is nearly complete. We have built the walls, cut in the windows, sheathed it all in plywood and, last weekend, we framed and sheathed the roof deck on top of the central tower. All of this done by cheerful volunteers in less than optimal weather.

At the December work party we built and sheathed all of the walls at the first level. The weather was cold but not windy. We also built the framing of the upper walls and cut the upper windows out of the plywood sheathing. We didn't put the walls up, though. This would take several people so we decided to wait for the January work party for that.

In January we had quite a crew of young strong guys which was just perfect for lifting the pre-framed upper walls up on top of the existing walls. We got them nailed in place and got the sheathing on. All of this was done during a steady drizzle. We were soaked by the time we got it done. But, we got it done! At this point it was starting to look like a temple.

Last weekend, we built the roof deck on top of the central tower. A small and dedicated group of volunteers braved the weather to get this done. On Saturday we framed the upper deck in cold and wind and on Sunday, we put the plywood on the deck while it was even colder and windier. But that's just the way winter is out here. We did what we had planned and stayed in good spirits throughout the process.

The next step, which we will undertake at the March work party, is to frame the gable roofs over each of the four bays that surround the central tower. This work party will be held March 9-10 so come on up and bring your hammers, screw guns, and work gloves.

Coming up on the weekend of April 20-21 is a mosaic and assemblage art workshop which will be held in Prescott. You can learn how to do mosaic while creating a piece that will go on the Temple of Life. There will be no charge for this other than requesting a donation to offset the costs of buying cement board, thin-set and grout. Bring your own mosaic materials - broken dishes, pieces of colored glass, cool stones, and other small but durable items that you will include in your mosaic.

Soon we will begin encrusting the temple with found-object art. If you haven't already started, save can lids, bottle caps, broken dishes, colored glass, even translucent colored plastic, and any other durable junk items that we can incorporate into the art on the temple.

There are great plans developing for the many surfaces and spaces within and without the temple. Join in the fun this spring and summer when we get going on the art part of the process.