A THING OF BEAUTY

It's a little hard to tell in this photo but my truck has a 3' x 8' sheet of 32 oz. copper in the back ... spiffy ... new ... no scratches ... no fingerprints ... breathtaking ... absolutely a thing of beauty. Stay tuned for the next post to see what becomes of this piece of metal. Here's a hint....it involves a shear...a notch cutter...and a brake

MICHAEL'S JOURNEY

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Recently my dear friend, Kerry, journeyed from her home in Australia to Port Townsend, WA to visit friends and old haunts. She brought with her an envelope of precious photos that her friend, Michael, sent along with the hope of having one of my skimmer boats made. I've never met Michael but after sorting through the images....scanning....resizing...printing....glueing....I feel as though I now know at least part of his story. We all have a story, unique to us....the checker at the grocery store....the woman who walks her dog everyday at 3pm....the man in the red shirt in the sailboat on the bay. Making this boat was a reminder to me to consider the people around me....the ones I don't know....the ones who I only glance in their direction....and to remember that they, too, have a story....and it is as valid and worthy as my own.

The frame of this skimmer is hammered copper.... I used waxed linen thread to connect the ribs. Using archival inks I printed the photos on gampi paper (a very thin but strong Japanese paper). The paper is glued to the boat frame using an acid free book binders glue. This skimmer measures (with the stand) approximately 9.5" x 4.5" x 2.5". The stand is cherry with copper uprights.

A big thanks to Kerry for hand carrying the boat on the airplane back to Australia and to Michael for the opportunity of making his skimmer.

Here is a portion of a note I included with the boat.
I call this style boat a skimmer. It reminds me of a curled leaf on a pond riding light and high on the water....just skimming the surface. To me a “boat” is a metaphor for our life’s journey...swift water...placid water...a few white caps...the occasional tsunami...we are carried along. I’ve titled this skimmer “Michael’s Journey”. I’m hoping the rest of your journey will be amazing and filled with wonder and that your boat will ride high and dry.

MARK'S FARM POND SKIMMER

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Over Christmas I visited my sister, Mary, and her family in Tennessee. They live on a gorgeous piece of rural property with an amazing 3/4 acre farm pond behind the house. This pond has been the source of much entertainment over many years including ... fishing ...kayaking ...skating (when the pond freezes over) ... watching wild and domestic ducks with their soap opera-ish relationships...and observing a lone heron fishing for breakfast. Even it's perimeter creates a great walking loop for clearing one's head or exercising the dogs. You can never tell what you might find on an adventure around the pond...a large snapping turtle...feathers left from the kestrel's kill...or a baby bird fallen from it's nest. My favorite thing about the pond is the bullfrogs. In the coolness of a spring evening the big bullfrogs call to each other from each end of the pond.....looking for mates or just a good time. It is loud and booming and I can't get enough of that sound. You can feel it reverberating in your inner chambers.

Mary wanted to surprise her husband, Mark, with one of my pond skimmers as a Christmas gift. I mailed my tools to TN and hand carried the boat frame on the airplane. In the evening after Mark went to bed I worked on the skimmer.


I chose this photograph of the pond and dock where so many memories have happened. I took this photo last spring when the trees were leafed out. I love how the reflections look abstract on Mark's skimmer.


Here is Mary having a conversation with one of her domestic muscovy ducks. Her ducks are all characters and could have their own version of a comedy show or sitcom.



This is Jack, one of Mary's King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, just about to get too close to a snapping turtle.


The pellucid skimmer is about 15" long and is made from archival inkjet printed gampi paper and copper. The ribs are attached with waxed linen string.

AWED BY THE MILKY WAY

It's a prestigious job being the keeper of moonlight, but even the man in the moon is awed by the vastness of the Milky Way.

From January 7th through the 31st I am part of a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called THE MOON. Bainbridge Arts and Crafts is located on Bainbridge Island in Washington.

I created a box for this show titled AWED BY THE MILKY WAY. It measures 20" x 11.25" x 2" and is made of photo etched nickel, copper and cherry. Technically this box is a little more simple than most of my other boxes but, in this case, I think it works. AWED BY THE MILKY WAY has an elegance that is sometimes missing from my more complicated boxes.

The man in the moon, backed by an astrolabe of copper, stares longingly at the Milky Way from his small doorway in the moon. His job is to be the keeper of moonlight and to keep track of the moon phases with his calendar etched on the inside of the door. It's a great job...he's the envy of all his friends....still he wonders what it would be like to orchestrate the stars in the Milky Way.

This moon show was one of the best that I have attended at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. The artwork was superb and the public was very generous with their comments and their wallets. It was also a great chance to get to visit with fellow artists....including Donna Snow and Morgan Brig. Check out their work....it's exceptional. I am grateful to my friends who came to the opening to support me and to my dear friend, Kristi, who took these photos....of course, I forgot my camera and didn't have a chance to take studio images of this piece before I had to deliver it. This box sold on the opening night but because it is an edition of 5 there is still a chance to own AWED BY THE MILKY WAY.

SEEKING POWER

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I am participating in a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called "PLAY OF LIGHT." It runs December 3rd through January 3rd. The opening, this past Friday night, was a lot of fun and well attended. It's a great time to see friends, new art work and fellow artists.

My box for this show is called SEEKING POWER. For over 2 years I've wanted to make this piece and have drawn it repeatedly in my sketchbook. It measures 16 inches wide by 18 inches tall by 1.75 inches deep. It is one of a limited edition of 5 and is made of photo etched brass, nickel silver, copper, cherry, mica and a small 12V battery with an LED bulb.

The brass background is one of the larger pieces of metal I have ever etched. It took a while to get all the right sized containers and tanks to do the etching. I have recently switched from etching with acid to using a salt water etching technique that incorporates a car battery charger with a strong solution of salt water. Soon, I will publish a new post having to do with this technique.

I really like this background....an image of a roof top with all kinds of weather related gadgets. The man, in his turn of the century three piece power suit, is equipped with a lot of attitude and a 3-d copper helmet with a lightning rod attached to the top. I left fire scale on the copper helmet and lightning rod showing that this is not the first time that he has participated in this kind of activity. He is more than ready for the surge of power that will come to him with the first lightning strike...which can be seen by gently pulling the chain at the bottom of the box. Some people will do anything to seek and obtain power.