Category: thinking through fingers

AWW Sample Binders

14 Comments

aw_binders_00_101616

A showroom needs sample binders.

aww_binders_01_101616

I have never liked using wood blanks for book pages, even for volumes that will never be taken from a case. It feels like cheating to me. So I made blank binder book blocks to fill the covers.

aww_binders_02_101616

I did not glue the accordion-style pages together. The resulting sproinginess will help expand the binder covers and hold them in the shelves.

aww_binders_03_101616

However. Making all blank pages also felt like cheating, so I made one binder meant to be opened. I drew a simple grid on the pages and punched eighth-inch (3 mm) circles from wool felt, which were then glued to a spread. So expressive and tactile!

aww_binders_04_101616

Arrayed in the cases and on the work table, with another samples binder, glued closed.

Here in Northern California, we’re having our first rainfall in seven months. The light is damp gray and moody. The cats are waiting out the storm in suspended animation, with one notable difference.

3cats_101616

Before the arrival of Scarlett, the two older boy cats never co-slept, although they are buddies. This seems to have changed, as they unite in weary affront to kittenish enthusiasms. Looks to be a cozy winter coming :)

Starla Argo

8 Comments

starla_00_101016

Introducing Starla Argo, a seven-point celestial, who lives in the semi-autobiographical North Coast community all my builds inhabit.

starla_01_101016

This is a first prototype and is not fully felted or finessed. I’m happy with the proportions, but want to try out some different construction techniques for the star rays, as well as highlight colors.

I also just learned about Paverpol Craft Medium, a liquid textile hardener that seems perfect for preserving details. I want to read a bit more about it, and then check it out!

starla_02_101016

The “tin” sign above the cubbies is this old yarn label I found at the Graphics Fairy, then tinted with watercolor and glued to a flattened wine lead foil.

yarn_label

The pair of porcelain sheep figurines on the back wall bookcases are feves from ValueArtifacts. For which I credit and blame our dear reader Barbara W for my growing obsession. If you’ve not visited the shop, there are some treasures to be had. The tiny fish pitcher on the table is from there, as well as the sleek white and black mid-century cat duo in the front left corner.

Equivalents Homage

Leave a comment

equivalents

Inspired by the great 1938 poster in my wood working class, I was motivated to make my own version for picas and points. It’s the traditional measurement system of graphic design, but it also works really well (as I’ve pointed out before) for 1:12 scale building plans. Six picas to the inch, twelve points to a pica. Enjoy :)

Wroughting Iron, Again

16 Comments

hand_clamp_100216

The human hand often makes the best gluing jig, yes? After considerable deliberation about style, I’m making a salvaged wrought iron railing for the wee balcony off the Argo Wool Works showroom. These are portions of the same laser cut panels from JMG Miniatures used in the Sea House Warming Hut. The best thing about making “vintage” wrought iron is the globbier the glue and the cruddier the paint job, the more scale authenticity.

scarlett_100216-1

Observe my current working conditions. The railing joints are reinforced with black paper brackets and “bolts”, which add tremendous stability to the fragile structure.

scarlett_100216-2

Scarlett was on her way to inspect my suspiciously-tinkling glass of white wine (Layer Cake Sauvignon Blanc, vintage 2015, lovely). Soon after, she sat down on the many 1/16-inch punched bolts (and x-acto knife, etc.) which clung to her fur and trailed after as she sped on to the next investigation. (The dots clung, not the knife :)

porch_100216

The railing installed, with mounting brackets. It appears a bit too “freshly painted”, so I want to hunt down some examples in the wild to see how they oxidize. But not too much. Structural integrity is important :) Also made brackets for the scythe from Sir Thomas Thumb, which will support some sort of sign. Perhaps Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate?

Nah. Probably just Argo Wool Works.

Argo Wool Works, Plastic Litter Collage, Scarlett

5 Comments

shelved_100116

After serious depredation wrought between new kitten and granddaughter, I had to relocate the Argo Wool Works build from my worktable to a higher shelf. This made working on it difficult, and me sad.

aww_100116_3

Frustrated, I’ve moved it back to the worktable, and hope to protect it from marauders by covering with a dropcloth when I’m not present to defend it.

aww_porch_100116

I made small progress with the lights.

aww_interior_100116-2

And spent considerable time thinking anew about the interior.

aww_interior_100116-1

In other news, the plastic litter collage is complete, and made its debut in the Pacifica Beach Coalition booth at the 31st annual Fogfest celebration. I noticed it suffered some depredation of its own, as it came back with some pieces missing. Seriously, who steals trash art?!

plastics_collage_092516

Scarlett is three months old, and thriving. Our older boy cats have resigned themselves to her presence, tolerating, and even initiating play.

voice_092616

Here she is complaining about a recent heat wave, from her in perch in another relocated (and depredated) build, my first-ever Loft (1)961.

aww_100116-4

Wish me luck!

 

 

 

Observation Without Judg(e)ment

6 Comments

pattern24x26_082716-01

I’ve been exploring a system of geometric patterns in both my professional and personal work for a little while now. This is the background, composed in Illustrator at one-quarter scale, for a new piece.

taped_082816.jpg

After penciling in the three-inch grid on a 36 by 24-inch (61 x 94 cm) stretched canvas, I used a compass and straight edge to transfer the background design. Then it was a happy trip down old-school graphic design production memory lane as I wielded eighth-inch (3 mm) black crepe line tape to sketch out the shapes.

firstlayer_082816

I used shades of white, warm gray, brown and green acrylic for the underpainting.

first_wash_082816

After adding a thin ivory wash and letting that dry, I pulled off the black tape. I’ll now add… other background stuff, and paints, and determine what final hue and value of gray to re-stripe (by brush) the outlines. Although I have some definite intentions, as usual, I’m making it up as I go along.

New Project, Poppy, Magnets

6 Comments

cutting_080116

Work is underway on a new mixed media piece, large (for me) at 24 by 36 inches (61 x 91 cm). These letters are about 2.5 inches tall (64 mm) and being cut from foamcore.

punched01_080516.jpg

Poppy the Fairy is being kept busy with her correspondence. These are two accordion books, meant for Ava and Aria to embellish, made from watercolor paper and simple punched shapes. That’s Poppy’s new sigil.

punched02_080516

… As well as Ava’s name rendered in triangles, and another tiny sketchbook for Lynnie (at proper 1:12 scale). Her’s from last week was, um, appropriated by her associates :)

do_book_00_081316

This week, Poppy made a two-inch square book to answer some of the girls’ questions: Can you do ballet, like me? Do you eat snacks? Tucked into the reply scroll are California poppy seed pods, because one of the things fairies do is gather seeds.

do_book_01_081316

Inside the book are quick ink and watercolor illustrations with text. Here are a few of the pages, listing some of the things fairies do:

do_book_02_081316

do_book_03_081316

do_book_04_081316

I can perhaps see a series, as my understanding of the fay way grows :)

MLR_magets_080616

Maddie Lou spent the weekend with us as her parents enjoyed a night in the City to celebrate their anniversary. Here’s Maddie working on a surprising and spontaneous new deployment of her beloved magnetic blocks in the sun room.

MLR_magnets_080616

The final arrangement. Can you tell her favorite color is blue?

So awesome on so many levels :)

Plastic Litter Collage

4 Comments

plastics_collage_072716.jpg

Nearing completion on the plastic litter collage. I bought some two- by quarter-inch wide ply to build a frame, which I’ll paint white.

As more pieces were collected, I re-worked some of the areas. The blue-green section is pretty much filled in.

detail_bluegreen_072716

Red could use a few more bits.

detail_red_072716

And in the lower right corner, a bit of hipster humor and tree hugging :)

detail_brown_072716

 

Plastic Litter Collage

14 Comments

plastics_collage_070416

I’m working on some illustrations to help build awareness about litter. This first piece (28 x 30 inches, 71 x 76 cm) — not yet completed — is made from various hard plastic pieces (not including recyclables) picked up primarily on Linda Mar beach by 14 volunteers, in just one half hour.

Thirty minutes.

Tomorrow we have our multi-site post-July 4 cleanup, and I expect to glean more than enough to finish the board. Sadly.

Collages like this are both fun and horrifying to look at, as we tune in to recognizable artifacts, both familiar fragments and unrecognizable bits of objects that once were ours, and that now litter and pollute our waterways and shorelines.

detail_white_070416

detail_pink_070416

I’ve no intention of using this space — well, not a lot, anyway — for ecological education :) Just want to show what I’m up to and on about.

And encourage you to care. And make art.

Glue, Sneak Peak

4 Comments

gluing_050916

This is a reality shot of miniature landscaping.

bricks_050916.jpg

And this is a super secret in-process shot of a project unrelated to miniatures… 15 x 20-inch (38.21 x 50.7 cm ) watercolor cold process block pages painted in a matte acrylic wash. Pretty! Also, I’m surprised there are no cats sitting on them, dry or otherwise.