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I will reserve this section for monographs on contemporary art.

The question is, what distinguishes the good life in a post apocalyptic era?

The artist and its patrons are the community--as well as other interested parties.

What does well being look like?

Who can attain a life of Grace and Ease?

Or a graceful easel--or Edsel?

Really though. Who can attain and does it cost money?

'Just a little bit a month' said The Big O*

_______

*iconic Austin furniture salesman, admired by all.  It wont cost you money, just a little bit a month, paraphrases what I recollect in the dim past.  Astute researchers could run that 'fact' down and correct it to what Oscar Snowdon really said

DISCOVERY GREEN FLEA BY NIGHT CANCELLED FOR DEC 8

When it rains, it floods in Houston. Show cancelled. I wanted to show some of the quartz pieces I just made up for the event.

I am excited because I got to pick off the top of a fresh shipment to Crystal Works in Austin this past week. If you are in Austin, you owe to yourself to visit this fine store located in a very interesting strip of Old Austin at 11th and Lamar. 

I will return with an exciting array of crystals, prismatic mobiles and earrings on Saturday December 15, 2018. 

$30 - special show price

Each piece of quartz is unique. I have just 3 pairs of earrings plus 3 pendants 

$36

$36

SPRING 2018 SHOW SEASON BEGINS

The Spring 2018 show season lasts from March 17 through June 17.  It is bookended by two wonderful nights at Discovery Green and highlighted by the Bayou City Arts Festival in Houston and the King William Fair in San Antonio.  

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PASEO DEL RIO - INSPIRED BY THE RIPPLES ON THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER

The frames pictured introduce a new technique,  using  a rolling mill to flatten the copper wire in the Paseo Del Rio Rear View Mirror Hanger.  Most people, by the way, hand them in a window in their house, studio or office. 

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GRAINY IMAGE OF WOOD GRAIN SURFACE TREATMENT WHICH I OFTEN APPLY

Men's (and women's) bracelets $65-$110

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DISCO FLEA - Discovery Green Flea By Night - really elegant

The first book end was a spectacular night at the Discovery Green Flea by Night in downtown Houston.    The place was electric.

CENTRAL TEXAS SCENERY 

It was a foggy morning on the way home.  Here I captured a spooky image of a power plant pixilated by the iPhone lens.

Production Ramps Up for Spring Shows

The Spring Show schedule includes the Bayou City Art Fair at Houston Memorial Park, 4 events at  the Discovery Green Flea by Night, Houston Mid-Town Art in the Park,  and the King William Fair in San Antonio.

Red Studio runs late in February

You can call it production, I call it Zen or an almost spiritual meditation to make, individually by hand, 150 crystal mobiles.  As an exercise it focuses the mind to creating something new.  

Moon Lander Mobiles made in the past 4 days

As an artist, I have a choice of whether to make one grand statement, or shall I invite hundreds or even thousands of people into one grand conversation.  That conversation remains, persistently,  what makes a world of joy and wonder?  Do we stand  for that, or for something else?  These mobiles in the $20-$40 price range are accessible, widely, as intended.

Flame in polished bronze with a flame painted background $60.

Part of the process in the Winter, beside studio upgrades and study, is the go through the collection of previously made components and bring them up to a higher level. As Picasso observed, no piece is completed until it's purchased.  Art is a way of speaking.  It's a conversation.

Eighteen inches across, this moon lander sports elements the size of a tennis ball.

As the production of smaller pieces nears completion I continue to make larger pieces.  As the larger pieces are completed, the more adventurous designs begin to emerge.  While not pictured in this discussion, the larger and more singular pieces always move along and reveal themselves in the days preceeding such events as  the Bayou City Arts Fair and King William Fair.

The BACK of the sea shell is pounded into the back of the bracelet

I picked up a scallop shell off the beach in Corpus Christi, in the morning before a show.   I have been studying this shell for several years through the chasing and repousse process in metal.  I have trace the outline of the shell to chisel into bronze, silver or copper.    This time I have taken a photograph of the back of the shell, and extruded the outline using photoshop, an application originally invented for artists.  Using the hyper real photographic extrusion I  discovered huge irregularity in the form of the shell.     The production mobiles are a lot like seashells.  There are a lot of them.  To the eye, they all look the same.  Only by a very close inspection can we detect that each one is a unique individual.  They may be a bit like human beings, only as with the sea shell imaged in the picture above, in reverse.   We are in their midsts, and up close we detect the differences and detail.  While up in our moon lander, there are only a few models, and they are so similar, they would look about the same.

THE ART OF THE NO

“I got up from the sofa  to put on some background music by Tony Fruscella, Another of my favorite artists” p 76 Bartley & Co. By Enrique Vila-Matas. 

I have taken a 6 week hiatus in writing. Cold weather. I’ve hunkered down to read novels.  Bartleby & Co by the Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas is appropriate.  It consists of 176 pages of footnotes about artists, specifically, novelists who do nothing, or at least, they write no novels.  It turns out there have been a spate of famous literary celebrities over the centuries who never actually wrote their magnum opus, yet are somehow remembered.  

1854 WATSON HOUSE ON UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS

It’s 10 am and I discovered Tony Fruscella, a one album wonder, this morning in my read before work. The music is just right for the last cold winter morning in Austin. 

Watson House — 1856, one of the oldest structures in Austin. Here resided the headmaster of a country school for boys. Situated on a bluff overlooking the creek, it must have always provided a secluded retreat.  It looks like the work of architect Abner Cook.  Its now overshadowed by the building where I work in between art shows when I am not in my studio.

Once an elegant party house built in the French Country style, the structure is camafauged in the winter oaks by its weathered cypress cladding.

A modern bridge,  itself handsomely designed and which we may examine at another time, cuts away a view into the abandoned back yard.   A cypress gate secludes a rock-walled koi pond  from the hubbub of the highway, I-35, 150 yards away.  Before the Interstate there was East Avenue which would break off into Cameron Road which left the mules with a choice of going to Houston or Nacadoches, Texas.

Health Center Garage

About 125 yards South, behind the Seton-University Teaching Hospital, landscape architects have begun the restoration of the banks back to the condition they were,  in the days of Headmaster Watson.   This structure was designed by the architectural firm of Page Southerlnd Page.  This firm has deep roots in Austin going back almost to the time of Abner Cook, himself.  

One may wonder what relation this meander through architecture, time and a creekbed has to do with Literature of No.   This note rests on the music of Tony Fruscella,mentioned by Enrique Vila-Matas on page 76 of Bartleby & Co.  

SPRING SHOW APPLICATIONS

Yesterday was the final Show of the year.  It was a Discovery Green, one of my favorite spots in Houston.  Immediately I turn to applying for next Spring's Shows.  Here is a sample of some off my jury images with their descriptions.

Augustan Fold Form $175

Copper sheet, fold-formed, then chiseled for surface effect, flipped over for outlining of geometric shapes. After sawing the shapes, in this piece, the letter 'A' appeared. Chain features brass tube beads turned on an improvised flex shaft lathe.

Green Parrot Wing $175

Mobile made from copper sheet, chased into form using collection of steel chisels. Inspired by ferral parrots which reside in Austin, the surfaces are colorized using indelible alcohol inks, then sealed with laquor. Garnished with prismatic crystal

Russian Rose $65

The Russian Rose, as taught to me by Nile G Fahmy is hammered from a single piece of wire, in this case, copper. Process requires several annealings. The Russian Rose is the traditional test piece for blacksmith certification.

Russian Rose Earrings with Malechite Beads, $65 

Russian Rose earrings fabricated from copper, garnished with malachite which is a copper ore. Each rose is fabricated using specialized hammers which result in random outcomes. Sealed and polished with Renaissance Wax.

This is the first set submitted.  I will very likely add to this collection.  The next set is due in 5 days.  The jury is out. I will report on the results.

What Are the Prices?

I want each piece that I make to be viewed in the context of a well crafted object of art.   Picasso famously remarked that a work of art is not complete until it is purchased.   I though it would be helpful if I offered prices with some of the pieces that I have been developing, since last May, for the Bayou City Art Festival

$128

40mm Austrian Crystal ball will throw hundreds of rainbows. 40 mm is about the size of a cue ball.

$28 with tapered scroll.  

Clean crystal and window with Windex or Glass Plus for best results.  I snapped this 20mm octagon on account of the next two images.

Rainbow pattern here is 4 inches across

Please forgive rudimentary techniques employed in painting of bio-engineered Agave Parking Lot Illuminator

A Single 20mm octagon, smaller than a nickel, larger than a dime, makes all these rainbows.  This is important to understand when looking at mobiles displayed elsewhere.

$28 Moon Lander

This is one of a collection of three variations priced in the $24-$28 range.  The 16mm octagon will throw rainbows about 8-10 feet.  We saw the 20mm octagon in action above.  The ball throwns hundreds of rainbows.

$24 16mm Arora Borealis Crystals

I do not just favor the Aurora Borealis glaze on the crystals because I grew up on Aurora Street in the Sunset Heights addition of Houston.

$24-$28

On the right day, either piece is utterly dazzling, the bigger the crystal, the bigger the rainbow.  The mobile on the right, $28, has the 20mm octagon featured in the rainbow samples above.  

$95 with Sterling Chain

I pulled one of these stunning cut amethyst specimens from my collection for the Bayou City Arts Fair. .   

$95

The interior is flame painted.  The exterior is hand polished, showing two aspects of the bronze.  

Bronze reflects interior chasing

As I have mentioned in another blog entry,  if a bowl is all you are interested in--and I understand this--they can be had from Goodwill for as little a $3.  The $95 price tag does not reflect the full cost of this piece. I have always wanted to make vessels.  The only way to do it is to do it.  It takes about 100 to achieve the level to which I aim.  In the meantime, this one is signed and cool and someone may appreciate it.  I gave one to a family member who would appreciate it last year

$98 with Sterling Chain

Chased Argentium Silver on Copper.  Half the things I made in August look like hurricanes.  Why?

$48 with chain

Copper, trying out new chasing tools

$48

Herkimer diamond is a quartz found almost exclusively in a single vein in Herkimer New York.  This one is wrapped in Argentium Silver.

$65 - Argentium

I have a lot of spiral-themed work.

$125

Chase and Repoussé.  40mm Aurora Borealis Crystal will throw rainbows 50 feet from the window,  makes big rainbows.

$98

This is ruby glass under a chased copper pendant, on a 14kt gold filled chain.

$65 on chain

Chase and repousse, Argentium-copper-argentium on sterling chain, a cubist work. 

$158

Hammer forged leaves, alcohol ink color, 40mm Octagon

$65 with chain

A free-hand chased scenarios, a bit like plain air painting, a bit abstract expressionism.

$65 - Rubelite Tourmaline wrapped in Argentium

This is a rare and valuable stone, priced with chain. 

Bronze Rose Bowl

A show director asks me, do those things sell?

Bottom of Bronze Bowl

I had just explained, when Im in the studio and I need a Bowl, I just hammer one out of flat sheet metal  

Flame Patina Interior

I find vessels handy to put stuff in. When it comes time to pack up for the show, I pick up all bowls and bring them along

Rose  

This particular vessel has a rose chased into the bottom using a recently acquired set of tools. I make bowls because I make bowls.   I don’t mean to be tautological.  The object is the end in itself. I find it convenient to use them as vessels for small stuff.

Copper  

Sometimes I’m really in a hurry.  The bronze loops pictured above are connectors for my mobiles. I punched the vessel out then threw the o-rings in there to keep them handy. I will keep working on the vessel until it’s ‘finished.’  It’s finished when someone buys it.  

Martini - Not A Bowl - a celebration when someone buys one. 

I have been making and selling vessels for years.  Sometimes they take years to complete.  

The Coloration Station

Currently I have one at the coloring station that has been on and off the display for two years. it will be ready in two weeks for the Bayou City Art Festival in Downtown Houston.  

Bowl of Menudo from Joe’s Bakery in Austin, Texas.  

My vessels are currently priced anywhere from $45 to $215.  I used to use little salt bowls for stuff. You can get a large bowl of stainless steel at HEB for about $6.  These are good for popcorn.  The vessels which I make are better for diamonds, hearing aid batteries or caugh drops. I find them useful for storing coins. Coins add up.  Get one of my bowls, fill it up with coins three times and it will have paid for itself. 

Random Report

Some things come in dreams: 

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The bronze was raised and then chased into shape with metal stakes

Apparently channeling hurricanes in August, this piece was completed after Hurricane Harvey flooded my home town of Houston  

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Chased Argentium Silver and Bronze

We did a show in Houston, the First Saturday Arts Market, two weeks after the hurricane resulted in sales 21% above average for September at that show. 

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Our Houston intern, Zeinab, photographs the table top layout so she will know how it's supposed to go

I was strolling through the show and happened upon the display of painter, Janice Jackson. She favors dock side, sailing themes among others. But there hanging on her wall was a painting that included a representation of my booth. AWESOME!  She wasn't trying to sell it to me, she just found it appealing as a subject,  like a sailboat or a pelican. THe German shepherd often appears in her workAWESOME!  Of course I had to have it. 

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I made an alter for it with a stirred martini and one of my bowls. 

Finally, my current project is a hand made chain using Argentium Sterling for its property of fusing together without solder. What I am attempting is to perfect the construction of complex pieces with a propane torch rather than a standard jewelers torch.  

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Scroll work.  I will show this when its clean and complete at the Bayou City Arts Fair

Hairy Little Soldering Challenge

We are making a bail for the chain to run through on a piece I have made  

Sterling Tube 2" 

We are attaching two pieces of Argentium wire the ends of which have been fabricated to flare out  

Atmospheric Perturbance

From the Post-Apacolyptic Primitive Collection- A Perturbance

Tropical Perturbance in Argentium

When working this series I let the chasing stakes, or chisels cut their own path guided by my presence, of course, since they were in my hand.  I was thinking maelstrom and Spiral Nebulae. By the time this piece was being pierced (sawn) and polished Hurricane Harvey was dumping on Houston.  The whole collection was made to be introduced at the Bayou City Arts Festival at the Houston City Hall.  I supposed I was channeling that storm.

Weekend Design Summary

A flood of activity in designing for a major National Show. The show I am preparing is the Bayou City Arts Festival. I use the word "flood" because I am quite anxious about my friends and the community in  Houston.  

Winged Transporter, number 1 of a series began on Friday night as the storm was approaching shore.

Post Apocalyptic Primitive design, in the listening of the eye of the storm, caught in a vortex below Interstate 10, in the heart of Stephen F. Austin's country.

Assorted Parts

I've been working on the copper fold-form collection for several weeks

Random Array of Copper fold/form, chisel textured componants

Argentium Collection 

These pieces are coming along,  They originated in a single 6x6 piece of Argentium silver

This one pulled off the display so as to upgrade the bail.  

Fold form completed on Sunday  

And finally. Wing 02, the Wing of Hope, will have a bright crystal designed to produce rainbows for my friends in Houston.  The next step is to file the edges, making them smooth.

Anvil Shine Time

The brighter the shine on the anvils, hammers and stakes, the brighter the jewelry made.  

After 40 minutes with 80 grit paper, a lot of the nicks are polished out.  

Rainbow Studies

Lots of morning rainbows 

from a single 28mm Octagon 

the above design, by the way, is the Paseo Del Rio, named after the San Antonio Riverwalk where the breeze makes constant ripples on the surface of the water 

Little Scenes

I wrote an article earlier about preparing a copper plate to be cut down for jewelry pieces.  Here I have done the same in Argentium Silver,

I combined the fold form technique with free-form chasing using Aquafresca chisels.

I build a nmuber of scenarios wihtin the folds

Cut them out

Hee is one that I like. Inspired by this one I will attempt more little landscapes in the future.

I backed two of the triangles wiht copper to make earings

Assembled, I noticed in the picture a few days later that I have made a design decision whgich I wangsd to corect.

Here are pieces mainly from the copper collection

The little scenario got a contrasting copper frame with a silver backing.

Polishing Tools at Creative Side Academ

We start with and 80lb (per foot) railroad anvil.

It's in pretty bad shape

After 12 minutes of sanding with an 80 grit belt sander, we have begun to make some progress. 

Here is the rig

The first course is complete

Use aluminum oxide sand paper.  We couldn't find the palm sander for the 320 and 600 grit courses, so I will finish this another day. This is as good as the day it arrived by the way. 

The next course will be my ball peen hammer. This is the first tool of the metal smith.  

I use this hammer daily.  

Two Nights Before the Show

2017 White Linen Night in the Heights

Fold forms, chasing and repousse are processes represented in the pieces which I have prepared recently for the 13th annual White Linen Night in the Heights.

The red rubellite tourmaline is wrapped in square sterling wire which I have hammered into a round shape giving the metal a ruggedness tocompliment the ruggedness of the natural, raw crystal.  I filed the tip to a tapered point lending fluidity to the design.

I originally introduced this piece in Juneat the Discovery Green after taking a masters class in the technique of chasing and repousee with Fabrizio Aquafresqua.

I picked up this shell n the beach on Padre Isle

This is the very best rose I've ever made.  Its signed.

Sterling silver wood-grained cuff bracelet for men or for womenn.  I wear them, myself.

I set the display of 25 pieces up in my studio and leave it up for three weeks before an event like the White Linen Night so that I can tweak it to perfection by building new pieces which will stand out.

Building a Fall Collection

I'm playing with fold-forming techniques invented by Brian Lewton-Brain, who coincidentally is in Austin this week to give a 30 hour masters Clsss at the Creative Side Academy. 

The strategy is to prepare a pallet  in copper and one in Silver to cut into smaller pieces to fashion into the Fall Post-Apocalyptic Primitative 'collection.'

Flip it over and outline the forms.  

I cut out the enscribed pieces and there was plenty of left over copper.  So I fashioned it into pieces. There are 15. 

Design is  beginning to take place by riffing on the pieces.   Some readers will recognize this as a jazz idiom. To riff is to explore freely upon a theme. This series is guided by a little known piano player from the 59's and 60's named Elmo Hope.  If I may say, a little Elmo Hope sauce is needed right now, not only in this design, but in the wider world as well. 

Process shown in Silver  

Making Chains

I'm at a place where I have acquired the tools and the space to spend more time on individual pieces.  The commercial flat link sterling chain is perfect for the sparkly $28 Swarovski pendant of a nice little pink tourmaline in a silver swirl wire wrap, but it does not support a large chased copper piece that has taken me several days--not working on it constantly of course--to complete.     Increasingly I have a need for handmade chains to go with the pieces. 

Argentium Silver jump rings

Today I am experimenting with fusing Argentium silver.  One of its properties is that it can be heated to a point where the molecules will flow and mingle together and fuse.

Black swirls on tile are relics of a project from earlier this week.

I studied wire weaving and chain-making for 10 weeks at the Southwest School for Arts in San Antonio some years back.  I have put very little of that training to use. It is probablygood thing that making chains can be addictive.  They do take time and effort.

The Hoops I have to go through to produce a fine chain include producing a not-fine chain and being fine with that.  Actually, when this one is finished it will look pretty good.  The trick is to not become discouraged.  Things happen. Like that big pile of jump rings made of costly silver depicted in the first picture, above, they do not fit together snugly.  I likely will have to set these aside and start over entirely.