On the way home I took these shots of the city while riding the ferry. The Sun hadn’t set yet but was low on the Jersey horizon.

I started this new copper vessel about three weeks ago in class at FIT. I started with a 12 inch square of 20 gauge copper from which I cut a 12 inch diameter circle. Having made a vessel with 18 gauge, I knew I needed to have something slightly thinner raising a larger vessel. I started in my usual way which is to sink a shallow bowl before beginning to raise the shape. These large vessels are really difficult to control. I got a pretty good height on the first half of the first round. Then I had to change angles because I couldn’t continue hammering on metal that was gathering too quickly.

On the second round I planished a band of the first round before the break  and then raised it the rest of the way.

Starting the Third round,  I had decided that the bottom part was about where I wanted it, I planished another time just below half way before I began to raise the pot. Gennady stopped me working on the t-stake and suggested I use a mushroom stake instead for the large diameter, saying I would be more comfortable. We searched the stake closet and I found this one, it was more comfortable and I was able to use it on the following rounds.

Almost there One more round to go.

Last round.

In my studio today, I began to work the shapes into the vessel this afternoon.  I began by dividing the surface.

Some of my divisions were off and I had to draw an equator where I could measure with dividers to make the corrections. I attached a sharpie to my surface gauge.

The drawing behind the vessel is one Colman is working on. He calls it Night Scribe, it is the idea behind this vessel. I intend to chase feathers onto raised ribs in this copper pot.

With the  lines corrected, I made a stencil of a feather silhouette to trace around the pot.

Then I took a dapping punch and hammered the beginning dimples at the bottom of the pot. I did this because I was going to hammer the feathers out from the inside and I needed some reference inside to help me strike in the right places.

Lines were drawn inside the vessel so I could manage the sculpture in stages rising from the bottom.

The sand bag was set on my bench and I used the hook hammer to start pushing the feather shapes out.

After working the feathers up about two thirds of the height I wanted to push the grooves between them deeper from the outside. It became apparent that I couldn’t go too high with this activity, some wrinkles started in two places and I knew that I had to complete the feathers before going any further. I used the ball peen end of the chasing hammer to do this work on the outside.

I finished pushing the feathers out to their tops (this isn’t the end of that). At this point I decided to trim the pot. The uneven edge was going to be a problem to cut if I continued to scallop the top edge. So I marked the rim, trimmed it and brought a preliminary groove up to the rim.

While the pot was resting (I wasn’t willing to put it down), I looked to see if I could make the drawing survive the next annealing.  I thought it would be a good idea to scratch the sharpie lines in with a scribe. While I was doing that, it occurred to me that I could do some chasing at the base to start the feather’s pin end. I chased and I saw that I needed to push that part out more, nothing like drawing all over the surface to bring details into focus. I got out a snarling iron and was able to raise the pinions and raise the ends of the feathers that the hook hammer hadn’t been able to reach. It has to be annealed before I can do much more.

Coming back home from an opening, we stopped on Richmond Terrace to take a few photos. It’s a cool, clear, spring night and the view of the city is dazzling. I should have taken a video so you can see the movement and light changes. Next time. . .

All the major landmarks. Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, the Chrysler Building and #1 WTC  with red on some of the work lights.

Today we attended the opening of Meg Whitlock’s photography exhibit at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art.  It was a great day to be out and this is a new part of the island for us.  I have been told that this is the highest point on the east coast, being somewhat south of the Verrazano Bridge and with no leaves on the trees, we could see vast expanses of the Atlantic between houses and over roof tops. The houses on the ocean side of the road were surprising in that the entrance level was often the second or third floor of the building. The drop off is so sheer that additional floors were built down from street level with the farther reaches on stilts, many driveways are like bridges from the street to the house.

Here are some views of the  museum terraces.

The street is about level with the museum’s roof.

Some of my favorite iris were blooming in the terrace garden.

Lhasa on the Hudson is a fine-art photography project that has been funded by the Council of the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and JP Morgan Chase. The focus of the project is a documentary investigation of the life and work of members of the Tibetan  community currently living in New York City, with Staten Island itself having been the home of a major Tibetan cultural institution for over 60 years. Since that time, thousands of Tibetans have emigrated to every borough of New York City, as well as to New Jersey and Long Island. A recent survey by the Government of Tibet estimates that there are 7,000 Tibetans living in the New York metropolitan area-and over 1,000 Tibetan mothers with children.  The project was approached initially from the perspective of  Tibetan mothers who have emigrated to the United States in search of the abundant educational and human rights opportunities necessary for their children to thrive in a globalized modern society.  The goal of this project was the investigation of both the accomplishments and challenges facing the modern Tibetan community in diaspora, while providing the beginnings of a visual record for future generations of Tibetans living in New York-children who will grow up as both American citizens and inheritors of a culture that has survived both the loss of its country and over 50 years of life in exile.

More about the exhibit at this link Lhasa on the Hudson

Meg Whitlock receiving  a set of prayer flags at the opening of her show from the Museum Director Meg Ventrudo.

Part of the ever changing exhibit of the Marchais collection of Tibetan Art.

Our friends Stephen and Shannon.

More of some of the Museum Collection.

A small altar.

I’ve been thinking about making something like this but to hold candles.

This is one of a pair of chairs set with stones that look like ink painted landscapes.

Colman talking with Farrell.

Beverly

Stephen and Shannon

The photographer Meg Whitlock and  Beverley.

Meg and fiancee Tim.

The lighthouse on Lighthouse Hill, Staten island

It has been very distracting and busy since New Year’s day. This is the first entry this year and it is already half past February.

I am back at school at FIT and I am teaching at the Art Lab here on Staten Island. There have been orders in the studio that have enormous volume with next to no time in which to execute it. I think I see a break and it vanishes almost immediately when an order for 52 sheets of paper comes in that has to be painted in less than a week on top of orders that are almost finished. The whole process seems so sluggish. Materials and items arrive quickly but getting them out again is very difficult. Long term projects for the future need a little work and requires meetings with new people, it’s difficult to arrange that when there’s so much to do in the studio. I feel like I’m being held hostage by my hand work.

This is one of the events I have recently attended. A lot of photos, I will not add too many captions. Enjoy the photos, I enjoyed  a break taking the day at the show.

 

Some bright campanulas at the cash register.

 

Judges

Looking toward the sales area from the displays.

Judges

Judges

 

Judging as visitors begin to arrive.

Amy shopping at Ecuagenera.  Michael Riley on the right.

Colman with noted author and grower, Ray Rodgers.

The Staten Island Orchid Society display.

Our friend Tibor  arrived with Leah,  he took the photos of Colman and me.

Colman with Jimmy Chu.

More Judges

I think this aerangis is my favorite in the whole show.

The sales area.

I like these bright little cats.

And back to the orchid displays.

Back at home with the one blooming plant we bought. Colman got a few orchids and I added two new anthuriums with long leaves to my collection.

 

 

 

 

I’ll be paricipating in two, possibly three shows in the coming weeks. Have just finished a Lapis Lazuli Bracelet that was made from some new, cast sterling bezels.

Here are some shots of the collection and some ‘solo’ shots.

Silver bracelets made with a link I developed for the Yad last June.  The necklace is an attempt to use heavy gauge wire and make something long, quickly. It was still expensive but not as much as the large Shar Sheret necklaces and very heavy twisted links bracelet that I haven’t shown yet.

I made the bezel link with a pierced back and had it cast. I have a good number of stones  in various colors that I can use it for. I didn’t realize that the sterling bezel would have to be hammered into place with a chasing tool. It took some time to figure out how to hold it and be able to get the tool into the space at the angle I needed to set the stone.  My brother Scott had given me an engraver’s vise, a ball shaped affair and with the addition of some chopsticks I was able to work quite well. I took a photo with my iPhone but haven’t figured out how to get those photos into my computer other than to send it to myself in email. I’ll try that and  get the photo of the set up into this entry later.

This is a chrysoprase necklace, I’ve added better grade freshwater pearls and little faceted metal beads that may be silver for a subtle flash. It took me a few days to figure out how to attach the clasp.  I don’t like to see the crimp on the steel wire next to the finding.  I finally decided on a wrap  solution. I had some little  silver cones that allowed me to cover the crimp and wire through it to attach the clasp.  I should figure out something like that to make myself, something that I can sign and will be more like my work.

This necklace is made from Lemon Jade drops  and small faceted lemon jade beads. i surrounded and separated them with two kinds of Garnet, little deep red rondels and larger squares of  grossular garnet. I think the combination looks very nice, greens, translucency, red and brown accents with silver rings that will flash as they move.

This is a collection of  Shar Sheret chain bracelets.  The one on the far right is a new variation that I would like to play with a little more, it has an open lacy feel and people seem to be astonished by it when they lay it on their wrist. The pendant on the top is a bright sun stone pendant.

A final shot with the lot of new silver bracelets.

Wednesday, November 3, 2011

I went into the city earlier than I usually do for two meetings and to do a little shopping. First stop, Broadway and 23rd Street at Madison Square.  The new in-the-street-park has a lot of planters, in this planter I saw what I thought was a tree with unusual leaves.  It had what appeared to be a woody trunk and extraordinary purple palmate leaves, turns out it is a Castor Bean plant, trimmed so that it bushed out instead of taking on its usual taller shape.

Second stop was on 47th Street where I was shopping for silver and burnishing compound.  On the way there from the Broadway line, I saw these policemen with their horses. Don’t think I’ve ever seen this many together at once.

The third horse was standing with its hind foot like this. It didn’t move at all the whole time I was there, hoof tip to pavement.

I saw this bracelet in one of the windows on 47th Street and admired the layout of this filigree design.

Third stop, Canal Street, to Kam Man (Golden Gate) to buy tea. Fall vegetables are in all the sidewalk stands. This was an enormous squash.

Lychee and cactus fruit with chestnuts and  blue grapes.

Okra, asparagus and avocados, a totally green selection.

One of the seafood stores closer to Broadway as I make my way West on Canal.

These guys were alive and rustling in the basket.

Some Canadian tourists deciding on lunch.

Closer to Broadway, I looked south on Center Street toward City Hall.

A telephoto of the City Hall tower and a newer tower with undulating sides.

I remember when this red building was being built, it has had a number of tenants over the years and was starting to look worn, now seems to be under renovation.

Behind the red building, old graffiti and a cluster of water tanks.

Walking West on Walker Street I saw this collection of plants being discarded.  Someone’s roof garden had roses and cotton plants in it for the summer.

Lower Sixth avenue looking northwest.

Some Tribeca cafes.

Looking east to the AT&T Building. Its crown of antennas was built after 9-11 when we lost the aerials on the WTC.

An old building that is marked where it was built. Near my last stop before heading home.

Thursday night, November 4, 2011

After class at FIT, I met Colman, we had dinner and went to an opening in Chelsea. No photos there, it was a art book fair, too many people and exhibits.  We met a friend and a neighbor in the ferry terminal on the way home and had a pleasant ride back to Staten Island.  Here are some  shots in the dark, first as we walked back out of Chelsea to the 1 train on 23rd Street.  A very clear and cool night. The Met Life tower was lit like a beacon to Fifth Avenue.

The Empire State Building, unusually all in white lights.

From the boat as we rode into the harbor.

This is the silver cup I’ve been working on for some time now, other projects and dissatisfaction with the progress have delayed my working on it through the summer. I decided to work on this without pitch for the time being until I need to do final sculptural details. It works much better and I am happier with the progress.

If you go to my channel on YouTube,  you’ll find 7 videos that lead up to this one. I’ll make more as the cup comes to its finish.

This video also introduces snarling irons, these are ones that I made, the traditional irons are much longer. I didn’t need them to be so long to work on my cups. The traditional irons are for working on larger vessels and proved awkward for these comparatively shallow cups.

June

We were going into the city to have dinner with Anja and Austin in Queens.  Adi and Sabine were in New York then too.

The harbor is always hazy in summer.  I keep wanting it to be clear like it is in the Fall when the water and temperatures are closer to each other.  It is a little disappointing to have warm weather, nice to be outside after winter or a cold spring, and be in a perpetual fog.

 

This is the Norwegian Gem  leaving on a cruise.

Coming back from our dinner near midnight. The World Trade Center is growing in height.

July

There’s a summer sculpture in Madison Square. I don’t like it very much.

These are some large architectural elements on the upper East Side.

A view across the harbor from the platform  outside the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

My new camera has an over the top zoom. It compresses space as it telescopes in on things. Here’s the golman Sachs building in New Jersey, a lighthouse and the Statue of Liberty all looking like they’re a stone’s throw away from each other.

One of the dredges  working constantly in the shipping channels.

Another dredge with a gantry and one of the Ferry gunboat escorts.

September

Heading back to  Staten Island on a sunny day after the 11th. The 9-11 Memorial has opened and the WTC #1 has a huge Flag draped on it above the memorial.

The towers rise at the rate of one floor a week.

 

The tower has begun to fill the space left empty by the Twin Towers on our skyline.

 

On September 17th the Staten Island Museum held its annual Art on the Fence Show, a tradition that has been  going on for more than 60 years. This year was unusual as it was held on the grounds of Snug Harbor instead of along the fence that runs around the west side of the park. Temporary fences were erected along the historic front buildings and  the roads near the Neptune Fountain. There were 113 artists and craftsmen showing and selling their work. The day started out sunny and was well attended.

I was situated near the western end of the harbor and next to me was a lady who does cane work on furniture. Here are a couple photos of me and my display. We put a few of Colman’s prints of his drawings up along the back of our tent.

This is a pan looking east toward the Neptune Fountain from a spot about a 50 yards from my spot.

A view from my table looking East.

Looking west again from my space, the cane work lady is immediately to the right.

Stephen talking to Denise.

Diane in the Staten Island Museum Tent.

Our friend Irma at her table.

A Our friend Bill  Higgins with Steve Szoke who made the prints behind them.

Robert and Jenny visited.

A panorama of the eastern end of the show.