We are coming along nicely on Bloom #3. Our top petal is almost fully together, the bottom petal closest to the ground has been assembled and is in the process of being welded together, the side petal is also assembled and tacked in place. We are filling in the gaps and the transitions. We are also continuing to work on the stem and the sepals.

The top petal and the side petal have an interesting movement occuring where they touch. They seem to be pushing against each other and curling away at the same time! It is so exciting to see metal look so graceful!!

The sepals are not working out as well as we'd like. The crew working on the Bloom are constantly getting their feet caught in the overhang of the sepals, an undesirable factor for a public piece. The sepals also seem smaller than the rest of the Bloom. Thinking back to our previous processes, we have always made the sepals last. This makes sense as we can stand back and see the whole thing, then make the sepals in proportion. In any case, it is an area that's in our minds, but is not necessary to work on at the moment.

We made some cuts in the stem on the back of the Bloom and are attempting to heat and bend it closer together. Granted the lower half of it will be buried in the sand, but there are some design and fabrication challenges to overcome so that there is a distinct flow to the whole Bloom. This is why we do what we do! And we love it!!

The top petal has some interesting fluting happening at the top. Two opposing slivers come together in a similar push as to the side, but they make a ridge instead of curls. These ridges are new design elements that came up when Rebecca placed a piece for support on the backside of the top petal. It looked so good that we decided to go with it. Now, we are intentionally adding ridging to the back of the top petal to emphasize theh push of the wind and also to draw out more lof the lines in the petals.

The fourth petal is finally emerging out of the 4' tubing we are using to cut out our main petals. This one will have a variety of curves that compliment and oppose each other. Perhaps the most interesting one yet.

Alot of welding still remains. Great for all the girls that want to have some steady uninterrupted work. It does get tiring after while and you want to watch those welds when you get tired. Suddenly you are going off the seam or heating it too much or not enough. Take a break, have a drink, smoke a cigarette, talk to your friends - then get back to work!

Overall, Bloom #3 is proving to be a challenge and an exciting one at that. We can't wait to see it on the beach with a fire inside and people enjoying it sitting all around it.