Goodbye Good Street

Etsy forums are devolving. End of January that bit of ether will end. Etsy forums to me are like the street of the internet, real but interactive and fun and interesting. Corporate interests are not the same as the interests of life as this devolution so eloquently demonstrates. Open forum structure supports the individual within the wider construct. Segregation stinks... Remember, the Dow Jones is not Grandma's cookbook. A good cookbook has recipes added and written on, a vitality of interaction and history and always includes apple pie.

One thing this brings home, is how the internet is a corporate owned and controled space. I'm not sure where to go with that.

This video, posted by Barney in the small ghost that still clings of the metalsmith's thread, makes me think "Calm Blue Ocean."



Goodbye Good Street.

Forks and Roads

*I can't think of "forks in the road" without an image of Miss Piggy and Kermit and a Fork in the Road. Thank you Muppets.*

I've done this before. Bailing before the end of a game. And I listen, as I walk home. I live in Providence, RI. Most folks in the area are Patriots and Celtics and Red Sox fans. All I have to do is listen, and I know who won. Tonight was silence. *That wonderful silence you get with the snow. The silence that brings back memories of childhood, and sliding down the snowplow piled embankments holding the glee in your stomach, or singing carols under snow covered umbrellas.* I haven't checked the score, really I don't need to. What I feel like doing is reminding folks how this team exceeded our expectations. And that the Zets will loose to the Packers in the Super Bowl, and play like doormats next year. :)

What amazed me is how well the Pats have done. they have 21-23 (lost count) folks on the roster that are rookies or 2nd year guys. Out of a roster of 53. At one point in the season, there were only 3 guys starting on defense that started the season. When folks all picked the Patriots I was like, don't you know they have only Wilfork as a defensive line? They would move Wilfork around to where the team they played liked to run. In other words, that's the defensive equivalent of "finger in the dike."

"Finger in the dike" defense only takes you so far. So to does the wonderful play of rookies. Neither will win a Super Bowl. Big applause to to the players that took us away from crappy lives for a while and and gave the escapist illusion of success on a shoe string.

This time, there will be a "next year."

GO PATRIOTS!

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*Regarding the title. Well. I'm thinking job troubles and jewelry screw-ups. But. "It is what it is." *lol.**

The Making of a Locket

First comes the design, I suppose. Actually, first might come the financing, the commission, and the many competing ideas on what to do. I'll start with the design that hasn't made the cut. And that's the rose lid. I made this out of silver sheet, and was thinking on making the final piece out of gold wire and gold sheet for the roses. Though, I could do silver sheet for the stems with gold roses. I dunno. Still mulling this over.

The reason i went ahead and made the mock up out of metal was, if I wanted to finish it off I'd sell it. (Try to at least!) Or I could stop with the lid and do what I think I'm going to do and mount it on the top of this black onyx.

*Yikes! Still needs to get cleaned up! Antiquing will soften some of those iffy lines, but shouldn't rely on it that much!*

My father wanted me to make my mother a locket, for Christmas. Uh, this past Christmas that is. I warned him it might take me a while, but would love to do it. Hence the rather conservative rose design. I'm also doing one with a tulip that I might post on flickr, or maybe not. I'm doing that mock up in paper mache. *lol.* Silver is expensive, and the tulip design is a bit less straight forward. *My mother likes flowers.*

A Fun Run!

Sunday's game between the Packers and the Patriots was a nail biter! The Patriots are minus a lot of defensive players, particularly defensive linemen, and Sunday it showed. So it was up to the offensive linemen to step up! Or, uh, run... 71 yards!

Hah! and here is Tedy Bruschi's narration, which I thought perfect, reposted from ESPN's Boston blog:

"OK, here we go, I've got the L5 to block, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Got it. Get ready, here comes the kick. It's a squib! It's coming right at me! I've got this. Wait for the bounce … time the bounce … there it is, it's up in the air. I've just got to get under it. Got it! Now don't fumble!

Get both arms around this bad boy and just run straight ahead. They'll tackle me soon. I see a lot of Packers in front of me, why don't I try to go left. Yeah, good idea. I should be tackled soon anyway.

Wait, where is everybody? I'm still running? They're gonna tackle me soon, right? I'm in the clear! Run faster! I can't believe they haven't tackled me yet! I'm still running! Why am I carrying the ball like a little girl carries her teddy bear? Just keep running! Oh man, so this is what it feels like. I'm pretty good at this!

Here comes somebody. Let me try this stiff-arm. I've seen Benny [BenJarvus Green-Ellis] do this a lot. It worked! I'm still running! I can score! Oooh blockers, sweet! Block the kicker! Good job! Cutback time, baby! I've never run this far in my life! I see it! I can score!

How will I celebrate? Should I dance? Why am I falling? I can't believe they tackled me. Is it over? How close was I? Four-yard line? I should've scored!"

And THAT is a dream come true for any offensive lineman or linebacker who has ever played the infamous "back row."

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lol. GOOOOOOOOO PATS!

When Bad Luck Isn't the Worst, Sometimes

My place is old, and one of the things about old places is plumbing gets tired. Mine "pooped" out this past week. In this photo you see where the plumbers are inching up the building with new pipes. In the effort to save money, I'm doing the demolition/ construction end of the deal. You see the top of the wall to the left is cut away for more access to pipes. and the wall that's minus plaster, but still has some lath has plumbing here and there.

Why this is not a total omg is, the bathroom on top has not been used in 7 years, so there is no damage. I found out about the split in the stack from a plumbing problem below the split. Another positive is, I had to seal off this room to cut away all the plaster gobbledy gook, so I just shelled the adjoining outside wall to re-do with insulation. Might as well. And also, it gave inspiration for the name of my new pendant, the "Plumber's Special." ;)

Hat Trick

*Sigh. There is something about a neglected blog... it is painful and sad somehow. It's like a connection that you want, but there's been a parting... and to reconnect you need to explain or give some accounting to life's drift. But life's drift is an ocean. And, I'm at sea without a compass or map and catching rainwater to maintain.* **Loved the story about those kids from New Zealand surviving after 50 days.**

But getting on to hat tricks.

This New England Patriots season has been most entertaining. And I am not referring to the stuffed toy snake a fellow near me had with him during the Colts game...(yikes.) But the variety of ways the Pats have won, whether the special teams of the Miami game or the defense stepping up against Pittsburgh. Though when all is said and done and Brady starts clicking, the Pats then shed methodical decentness of play and turbo charge into greatness. But it is the Hat Tricks that provide yet another level. Something I missed in the Pittsburgh game (If Brady had been playing Brady, the Pats would have lost that game. Thankfully, there is only one Brady.). What I missed was the fedora Belichick wore ***before the game!*** What a cheeky boy. lol. If the Pats won, Belichick would then tie the NFL win record of Coach Paul Brown, whom BB wore the hat in honor of. In other words, Bellichick did the same thing the Giants did when they showed up for that totally forcefully forgotten Super Bowl, when the Giants wore black. They said, you will loose. Bellichick was saying that to Pittsburgh. What a cheeky cheeky fellow. lol.


Honestly. I wouldn't have thought it of him. Great coaching or game plan? great use of personell? yes yes and yes. But I would think Belichick would have left attitude apparal or appearance to either Jerod Mayo or, in an awesome display of glee, Brady.

Art

*I will entry more on this later. just haven't had great success on saving videos! this one I thought beautiful. "The Silent Evolution by Jason deCaires Taylor." animals are so victimized by humans. this juxtaposition neutralized that antagonism. I've heard reefs are built by sunk battleships. And reefs are killed by human pollution. we all have our living limits. it's nice to see a shared aquarium.*

Football and Hair

*Continuing on with feedback regarding coiffure and the NFL.*

I'm wondering if Brady is jealous of Troy Polamalu's hair...


Hahahahahaha! I just had to use that pic. lol. But. I think Brady is working up to something. A head shave must be on the horizon. Maybe he's saving it should the Pats make it to the play offs. It would definitely confuse folks.... just imagine it. Ray Lewis (of the Ravens) come charging into the back field and say, uh, Where's the Goldilocks dude?

Last week I watched the Patriots game at a place that gave free shots with every touchdown pass by Brady. He threw 3, as I recall. There should have been 2 shots for a kick off return for a touch down, and at least a free beer if Guyton intercepts a pass and runs it back for a touchdown. That would have about covered things, I think. But. Then my memory of the game would have been even more fuzzy.

This week I'm thinking they should give free shots with every Sanchez interception, and Brady touchdown pass. The total might not be as many as last week (maybe 1 and 1,) but as long as the Pats win.

Goooooooooooo Pats!

Gooooooooooo PATS!

hahahaha! And with that title I'll post the Cincinatti fight song *just because it is funny.*


But you have to admit, the New England Patriots song is more to the point...


I was going to write a post expressing angst over tough session ahead and blame it on Tom Brady's hair. lol. Because why not. But Mr GQ is still a great quarterback despite his locks. And while I have my doubts over the Pats abilities to prevail, I do think this season will be entertaining. Brady doesn't need hair like the fellows below to score. ;)


GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PATS!

The Demise of the Bucket Bird

Silence is golden on plane rides and before morning coffee. Not, as now, after trying to save the little maniac, the bucket bird. This afternoon I left him after his latest splat, down from his pot perch in the plum tree. I went out, grab the pot and went after his feathery ass, and he hopped chirping towards my massive holly bush. I should have put him in the branches of the holly from the first. Thing is though, everything likes to hide there, which includes all neighborhood bird seeking cats. But I decided to give him some time or something. I dunno. He wasn't taking to my forceful relocations well. One hour later I came back and heard... nothing.

Well. Almost nothing. There were the quiet questioning chirps of a parent nearby, and I watched as one grabbed a worm and headed to the holly bush. No gap mouthed maniac was there for enthusiastic reception. Nope. Only silence. I don't see evidence of kill. Just silence. And parents who are slowly giving up.

The violent storm on Monday I think knocked him down. I picked him up several times, putting him in a tree. And stood there once, watching a parent stuff that little maniac with worms 4 times as he flopped along belligerently on the ground. I might have bought him 24 more hours. He needed 48. Little birds are such dependent free spirits. I thought of the Calvin quote, when he told Hobbes "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul." Hobbes, "Ah, but of course" (of course.) Calvin then goes on to explain "My mandate also includes weird bugs."

On the Positive Side of Things...

The June challenge of the Metal thread group involved turning a "sow's ear into a silk purse." *Open for interpretation and all that.* It was a fun challenge. I like the attitude of looking for possibilities in discarded or odd items. I might try to do more of these. It suits my brain.

What I used was a steel ball (bearing?) I found in the street. I wrapped it with silver. The silver was going to get further cleaned up after I antiqued it. But I stopped with the piece still looking a bit abused, and unpolished.



More of the Chatty Metalsmiths challenge pieces can be viewed here.

And my hero of fun..

New Post

lol. I was stuck for the name of this post, terminating a long absence. My thought was to babble on about the hiatus, but.

See, sometimes I talk, sometimes I don't. I asked a poor fellow once, who patiently endured a rather content free stream of drivel of mine whether I talked to much. He said, "If you even it out, no." *perfect.* In those days I had more to talk about. I was living in Chicago, in one of those borderline areas where artists congregate. Those areas that are safe enough, but not yet expensive. The ones with the good bars and fun motorcycles. I was balancing inadequately on the nerve endings of an existence that had, like my occasional mind numbing loquaciousness, not too much substance.

But, as I recently said to a co-worker, whom I asked to do a favor which saved on trash produced, what's the point. This is where silence is the cat got my tongue. What's the point. As oil gushes into the gulf killing and killing, why worry about the small acts. Why conserve and be consciousness. *I'm not totally grandizing inarticulateness. There is something about disaster that silences. Silences the wetlands of Louisiana, for sure.* I feel like an aging trick or treater, waddling up to a particularly nice house, and the lights are turned out.

I need to get a motorcycle, and go camping.


*to enlarge the strip, click on it.*

Ocean Creatures

In the 1990's, I had a job where occasionally I'd look out the window to the Boston harbor, and see the cormorants. They'd lift their wings to the air the sun to the environment around them. I may not have been alone in feeling a sadness in that picturesque view. Creatures like those birds have no choice but to exist in the polluted waters, the polluted air. They derive no benefit from all those massive chemicals washing downstream towards them. They must only survive, and spread their wings.

Even before the catastrophe that is now the Gulf of Mexico, (but was already a catastrophe in making as there was a 70 mile wide dead zone created by chemical runoff,) I thought of a very frought design* indicating my tension and sadness about the environment, specifically the Ocean. There is something so intimate about diving or swimming in an ocean to survive. I tried, but could not make any design so loaded with feeling work. I hope at sometime to be able to. I'll call those pieces "Killing the Ocean." The below piece, called "Small Hope" is the only thing I could get going on. It's more designy, and is less about hope than a letting go of total despair. It is the only thing I could do. Hence the name. Not that the design itself says "hope."

I won't be able to get this piece finished in time for the May challenge. The center tentacle area is to be cast in bronze, along with the circle beside it. The 2 side pieces will be in silver.



*This design is for the May challenge on the Metalsmith's thread. It was for an Ocean creature, highly polished. Not sure the tentacle piece will get highly polished, but maybe!

Spring Cleaning

Well, kinda Spring cleaning! Wiping the dust off the blog anyway. Thought I'd post an inspirational video clip, and a photo of a ring I finished last week.

hahahahahaha! Doesn't that look like fun?

The top part is something I carved that never really made it on its own. I just combined it with a band I'd fabricated.

Have a merry May everybody. ;)

Things Not Known

Well. I was given an award by a very nice individual, Almost Precious. This has happened before... but I tend to be struck dumb by the occasion. This time I suspect the lassitude of my brain waves match the occasion and I feel a centrifugal force of expression. The challenge was to talk about 10 things not known about myself. I'm thinking 4.

One was a tree I climbed in first grade. My mother told me not to climb this tree, but it was a perfect tree to climb. It wasn't my fault the limb broke and I fell to the driveway below, breaking a toe. I wouldn't've climbed it if it hadn't been good.

I rode a Suzuki 550 to Sturgis one year, not knowing about the Harley rally happening there. Accidents happen.

Red is my favorite color. But so is green. And orange. Purple black grey white and yellow. I also love pink and turquoise. To me, favorite colors are a list, discussion, debate and relist. I think there is a reason that colors are assigned to politics. If I believed in past lives, I hope I mixed colors for Caravaggio.

And the 4th is for flying. As a kid my most vivid dreams were of flying. One time I remember seeing my mother walk down the hallway from the crack at the top of my partly open door, during a "dream." My poor Suzuki 550 left me one brain fog morning as I flew up over the end of a car. The landing was tough, but the moment of shocking freedom memorable. The glimmer of hope I have for the future is the possibility of jet packs.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,"

hahahaha... well that is known. I love poetry, though sometimes in recent years I have to recreate the personal environment for poetry. It is always worth the experience. Cheers.

*I'll have to think about the passing on of this award! Though I am curious what Suldog might say bad about me.... lol.

Mechanical Beauty

I got into light metals when making masks. The masks I made at the time were paper mache, and I spent an inordinate amount of time on the surface. I used modeling paste with the paper to build them, acrylic gel stuff to seal the back, but left the surface natural (For most of them. Some of the older ones were painted. Most all of the masks are gone.) To get a smooth surface, I had to sand and repair with added modeling paste and sand and repair over and over again. The pay off for all that effort wasn't much. But it got me thinking, that I really had to change mediums. (lol.) So I took a light metals class.

That light metals class was a blast. I loved the metal. During that time I wanted to do some metal mechanical masks. And with one I wanted to make a figure... That mask has stayed in my brain. Perhaps it's better there. It lead me to learn figurative sculpture, to the east coast, and now onto jewelry somehow. Several clips I've seen recently have reminded me of the intriguing beauty of mechanical creations. The first clip is an incredible one of Theo Jansen's Sandbeests.


And this next clip if a fun one of a simple mechanical brooch. It doesn't say where this is from, so sorry, I can't credit it.

Rose Rake Challenge

Here's some pics of my Rose Rake Challenge piece from the Chatty Metalsmiths thread on Etsy. It has a small cobaltian calcite druzy stone. Obviously it isn't set yet! Neither is the ring oxidized to bring out the forms. The 2 sides of the ring are competing forms, with the leaf-like side having holes and the rake side with straighter lines. The druzy sits in an odd shaped cup between the 2. I had thought to do the rake side with square wire, but it didn't turn out that way! Hope you at least get an idea of the piece. Druzy is impractical for rings, but I enjoyed playing with something different.


Here are some of the other responses to the Rose/Rake challenge.

Addendum: here's the finished ring as I posted to the challenge page earlier this week:

Biz Cards

Thank you very much, those of you who have visited. I am not apathetic about blogging, my blog or others'. I'd say more accurately I'm de-energized on life, at the moment. I'm finishing one job, beginning another, and have a mountain of projects I MUST DO NOW TO STAY SANE in my workroom. I also am in desperate need of business cards. I think I knocked off at least the card goal tonight. I've gotten rather tired of apologizing as I hand out my business card. "My card might look kind of silly, but check out my work..." I've ended up with a card that may not be less silly, but. Well. At least it's drawn and painted silliness. And that is the most serious kind. ;)

The card is reference to the avatar I use for my blog. And is from a previously posted drawing of mine. A troll, under a bridge, holding a flower and making the peace sign. (The colors are more vivid than this pic.)

One small project I finished is my Itty Bitty Cool Tree earrings. What I did was cut out the center of the Cool Tree Ring I'd carved, and made it into earrings.

Cliff Notes

*Note the cliff note. Hahahahaha!*

This is what I most strongly saw in a piece of jade bought from BeadersBoutique. I may revise. The stone is a pretty translucent new jade stone. It might do better with form, than relief. But I love the idea of Icarus staring at the ocean before he takes off. Somehow I identify with it. ;)

edit: I think I'll stick with a simple torso for my first carving! lol. I decided the above scene might be just a *tad* complex.

Old Metal Work

I saw this in an old house. I'm not an expert in antiques or anything, but I do enjoy the look of old metalwork. I didn't get up there to see what the green is...(getting closer would have involved me standing on an elderly gentleman's old bed. lol.) Could it be enamel? The fixture is cast, and weighs approximately 30 lbs.