Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Fall Color


The rains finally arrived, but we were fortunate to have a summer that lasted late into October. This translates to astounding colors  before the rain and wind pulls the leaves from the trees.


These images are details from my current work, and they reflect my vision of the beautiful fall days.





Wednesday, October 17, 2012

simple pleasures


Most of the time, studio organization takes a back burner. Until the burner starts really burning.

This is one of those projects that I should have completed years ago. When brushes are left to float in the molten wax they will slip to the bottom of the pan. When the bristles touch the metal of the pan, they burn, causing the entire tray of wax to alter color. I purchase pre-mixed medium in bulk from R&F Paints. Not cheap. So every time I discard a pan of tainted medium, a little bit of profit slips away.

I made this simple brush rack out of scraps from my studio and the workshop. The base is a piece of flat plywood. Attached are two metal brackets from one of my industrial shelving systems. I've screwed some scrap filler wood into the brackets, and attached long screws to hang over the tray of wax.

It's not very pretty, and it's incredibly basic. But I'm oddly proud of my modest handiwork.

Special thanks to Larry Calkins for reminding me how easily influenced wax is to foreign material.