Sunday, January 28, 2018

Sailboats.... an update

Today I got all the sailboats constructed and put together.  I'm at an impasse now as I'm not sure if I want to add sails like I first wanted to, or leave the piece just as it is now, like a line drawing.  I've created an extra sail to work on. If I put sails on the piece I still have to decide if I'll put on canvas fabric or metal, perhaps copper. I'll leave the sculpture up and sleep on it for awhile.

This video shows the finished piece as it sits on the wall.  I address some of the issues I have with completing the piece.

Be a Dreamer


Be a dreamer.... this is what I learned from my experience of trying to make a go of a multi-level marketing program.  The program promised riches beyond measure, and for many people it worked.  This post is not about the good, the bad and the ugly of these types of programs, but rather, for me, what I learned from it all.  For me it was the positive thinking that we were taught. Much of it was from books, and the books that I depict are still, in my estimation, great books to read.

I learned such things as, "As a man thinketh; so is he"  What you think about regularly is what you will become. 

I've also learned much from philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.  I believe everyone should read Emerson's essay, "Self Reliance" One passage that I read in 1967 profoundly changed my life.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Out upon your guarded lips! Sew them up with packthread, do. Else, if you would be a man, speak what you think to-day in words as hard as cannon balls, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. Ah, then, exclaim the aged ladies, you shall be sure to be misunderstood. Misunderstood! It is a right fool's word. Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."

During this time of my life I was searching for my identity.  I knew I was a bit different, or as Thoureau would say, I marched to the beat of my own drummer. 

I recommend that you go to your local bookstore and pick up these books and give it a go.  Still terrific reading. 

Thursday, January 25, 2018

A Journey

Where I am is a result of where I've been....

As I look at my life as an artist now I look back at what events brought me to this place. What ports has my ship landed in to get me here, and what ports must I go to to get to where I'm going. In this post I'll mention a few ports and elaborate on one. I'll elaborate on the others on subsequent posts.

1. What I learned while trying to get ahead with a multi-level marketing business.

2. What I learned from my father in regards to a work ethic.

3. Early beginnings in my art career.

4. Toastmasters: what this organization has done for me.

5. Walden Three Studio: where I am right now.

In this post I would like to focus on what Toastmasters has done for me and in particular how it has propelled my business to new heights.  When I first joined Toastmasters several years ago I was very afraid to speak in front of large groups. I had no problem with small informal gatherings, but large formal gatherings scared me.  I knew I wanted to be able to promote my art business in a positive manner so I had to learn to speak in front of large groups.  I said that to the president of our local group and she took my request quite literally and had me chair a contest two weeks after joining. Luckily I had a template to work from.  
I liken the Toastmaster experience to learning a musical instrument. In order to be proficient one must practice on a regular basis. That's just what I did. Over the next few years I gained much confidence and have since been on television, radio, delivered compelling articles to newspapers and presented talks to local organizations, as well as being able to promote my art business.  

This past week I've been asked to present a workshop on journalling to an organization, who was aware that I journalled on a regular basis and asked if I'd come present what I know to the group.  I agreed to this challenge.  I've never presented a workshop before; at my Toastmaster club our speeches generally run from five to seven minutes.  I'm quite excited about this challenge

How does this apply to my art career at Walden Three Studio?  Well I believe that it takes many experiences to complete oneself.  It's more than just taking a course in welding and then Voila, I'm a successful artist. No, it takes many experiences to make the whole.  The ship must land in many ports. 

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Sailboats in the Water


I've embarked on a brand new sculpture in my studio this past week and I must say I'm pretty excited about it. This sculpture is based on this image that I have.  What I wanted to do was to create a line drawing and then shape 1/2"x3/16" flat bar to make all the shapes.  What I find most fascinating about this is that a photograph or a painting is only two dimensional whereas a metal sculpture is three dimensional.  That's what I love about my work.  I began by having the jpeg image put onto an overhead projector sheet, then project the image onto a sheet of plywood to the size of the finished sculpture.

This video shows part of the process in making this sculpture. I show how I use a sheet of paper to make the shape that I need and then transpose that shape onto my welding table.  After that I show how I bend the piece of flat bar using my mig welder, oxygen acetylene torches and grinders.

This sculpture will be six feet wide by twenty inches high. I'm considering using a well weathered sheet of copper, which has a gorgeous patena for the sails, and some sheet metal for the background trees in the background

This sculpture will appeal to the sailing enthusiast.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The Secret

I posted this photo in Facebook today along with this text

Top Five Reasons to Make This
1. No matter what the conditions, just make something.
2. Creativity does not need to wait for inspiration.
3. I'm an artist, therefore I create art.
4. Someone may like this, but it does not matter... I do.
5. Beats sitting on the couch all day.
I call this piece, "Garden Guard". Approximately 15"x30". There is a great story behind this piece. If you want to know, just ask.

The great story is really quite simple.  Just like Nike's catch phrase, "Just Do It", it's a great way to accomplish that what you set out to do. When I went out to my studio this morning I really had no plan in mind, except i knew that I wanted to create something.

The main body of this piece was resting close by for the past few months and I knew that one day I was going to make something out of it. Well, today was the day. 
I started out by making a fire in my wood stove, cleared my table and began. It all came together just as I had imagined many times before. By late afternoon this is what I came up with. For me it's a reminder that I can create. All I have to do is just "do it". 

You may think this is all so anti climatic. You were hoping for some great fabulous story, but all you got was this.  Let me tell you.  This is all you need.  Re-read the top five reasons to make this.  You can do it too.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Shovel Head Bird Feeders

This video features the latest of my shovel head bird feeder sculptures.  Last year as I was getting set up for my show at Kiwi Gardens Laura said, "Why don't you bring your bird feeder?".

I replied, "This is my feeder... I've been feeding the birds for the past two years, and I've never really considered selling it."

She said, "I'm sure many people would like it."

She was right. I sold the feeder the first hour of the show, took commissions for two others, and later in the summer, took a commission to make another one. Had I have brought five, I would have sold all five.  Having said that, I now have five bird feeders to go to the next show.

Over the past week or so as I was building some new feeders I was blessed with many birds coming to the feeder.

Such a simple concept. Take some shovels, weld them to a post, and voila, you have a feeder. It's more than that though. Not only are these functional, they have artistic merit.

I think of a farmers wife saying to her husband, "John... could you make me some kind of bird feeder?"

Instead of going to town and buying some fancy smancy feeder he goes to the shop and notices five or six broken shovels lying there in the corner. He thinks to himself, if I only weld these to a post then I have a feeder. So that's precisely what he does. He brings this up to the house and says to his wife, with a big grin on his face, "there you go darlin', your new bird feeder."

That's my story on how I came upon making these feeders. Sometimes you have a need and then you come up with a way to that meet that which you need.

Functional Art

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

I'm Back....again

Enjoying a tea

I'm Back

Well after another hiatus I've decided to offer content on this blog on a regular basis. I've not always been as diligent in doing this, so I hope to keep it up this time.

I intend to begin by offering posts on working in the studio during the cold winter months. What keeps me motivated. Where do I get my inspiration. Challenges working in a cold environment.

Let me know that you are there... It keeps me pumped.