Faux Tesla Coil Halloween Project Update

Happy Halloween everyone!

I am sad to say that my project did not finish on time for Halloween.  The tower is complete.  The anthropomorphic pumpkin man is covered in paper clay.  The paper clay is not yet dry.  We have had days of rain from Hurricane Sandy.  The humidity is so high that the paper clay is still damp and cold.  I expect it will take a few more days of drying time before the parts are ready to be painted and assembled.  The good news is that we were in the outer areas of the storm and only received rain and moderate winds.  We did not have any storm damage. 

It is disappointing that the project did not finish on time.  At times like this, it is important to remember the old saying, "It's not the destination, it's the journey."  I would not have traded the trip to the mountains, dinners with friends, or any other aspect in my life just to finish the project sooner.  I possibly could have pulled a couple of all nighters early on and had the project done on time, but is that really worth it for a hobby?  My faux Tesla Coil Halloween project will have a place in next years Halloween decorations. 

My pumpkin man will need a little repair here and there before it is painted. Paper clay sometimes cracks as it dries.  There are a few cracks on the pumpkin man and several on the steam powered generator.  Once the parts are completely dry, the cracks will need to be filled in and allowed to dry before I can paint.  

In the long run, not rushing to finish the project sooner will have a positive effect.  I will have more time to embellish the project.  Once the basic concept is complete, it is time to ask some questions such as:  "Where can I add some embellishments?"  "What can I do to add to the story?"  "What needs to be added to make the scene more  balanced?"  If I declared the piece done because it needed to be done by a deadline, some important elements might have ended up missing.  So, I will be working on a Halloween themed object in November.  That is not all that unusual.  I work on Halloween throughout the year.  It is my favorite holiday.