blacksmithing, old-school

ok, maybe not quite old-school, as we used hand-cranked blowers instead of bellows, but the rest was authentic. we heated mild steel in above-ground forges and hammered the heck out of it to make different shapes. with safety in mind, of course.

pour painting

my boss and friend at monroe street studio, yana, is generous with her time and talent. i've now had the oppotunity twice to participate in pour painting at the studio.

the technique is involved and the results mostly random. that pleases me a great deal because i have difficulty with making deliberate decisions when learning and doing art, so this gives me the permission to let go and see what happens.

we mixed acrylic paints with a medium and water and silicone in just the right combinations. then we layered the colors to our heart's desires, hopeful that they would create pleasing effects.

it's a dramatic event to lift the cup and see what comes out.

then there's the drying time, during which movement still happens. what you see upon first pour is not what you will get after setting.

what i don't have shown here, but plan to do with mine, at least, is to add a resin to the top for a shiny smooth finish.

first, ander and i attended one of the art & tea for mom & me workshops. ander was apprehensive and uncertain at first, then fell in love with the process and result.

then jennifer and i brought artemis and ruth in for a private class so we could create our own individual works of art.

 

woodshop: wooden spoon

as i was posting about artemis' experience making a wooden notebook i realized i hadn't posted about his first experience at this woodcraft location with this teacher. her name is nicole and she makes furniture and she teaches woodcrafting to students of a wide range of ages.

so my son went into the class as the only young person (under 18) and came out with a beautiful utensil imagined in his own mind and fashioned by his own hands and a request that i buy him a safety glove and a fancy knife, which i indulged. this is art, after all, and potentially a future career.

and he can use a power sander.

woodshop: wooden notebooks

artemis went to a woodworking workshop at woodcraft and i was invited to participate, as there were space and materials available, and the teacher is super nice.

i used standing/mounted power tools for the first time - heehee! artemis had already used a bandsaw before, but it was my first time. we both learned how to use a drill press and do some artistic, decorative woodburning on our wooden notebooks.

cut covers to size on bandsaw

use an awl to create guides for the holes you measured (twice) and marked

tools of the trade

the drill fits nicely into the guides from the awl

second try - the first one had an irreparable split in the wood

even with the handle, the wood burning tool get HOT

oil for a nice finish

his - for dungeons & dragons

mine - i like how my flower turned out

purely post and beam

steve and artemis attended a week long workshop put on by shelter institute in woolwich, maine to build a timber house frame

room with a view for the week

his cuts are straight and true

building arm strength

pride in his hard work

8 inches deep, chiseled by hand

trying out a player piano

up top

front and center

they brought me dark chocolate caramels with sea salt

he had maine blueberry pie and scones in this portland bakery

they brought me a mixed berry pie from maine