MIND OF A BLACK WOODWORKER IN ARIZONA

Wow I can not express the excitement I am enjoying in the creation of this piece. The final is a donated scrap of ivory, hooray. I have never turned ivory before. Truly something special. This vessel, is a song ebony and ivory. With bloodwood ( may represent blood once spilled). Ivory is for purity and a change of sadness. Ebony, once known in ancient Egypt as farrows gold. For me I find that I like the depth of this gaboon ebony, black is also known to  absorb the negativity of evils.         I like the thought of it.                                         This is story about the spirit of joy, housing the special meanings, you wish to keep near. Stay tuned for the next update, there are few more surprises, inside and out, Wow I can't wait. Turning Ivory

Well I just could resist the attempt to complete this chalice. All was great until  I got it home and notice the smallest of cracks at the rim. It must have a cured while I was finishing the bottom. I see another attempt in my future. Turning wet, I soak it with shellac and alcohol. I then turn the interior and coated it with a blend of beeswax, carnuba and walnut oil. I am told that this is the correct finish for a usable goblet or cup.   I then turned the upper portion outside, and inlaid some malachite, turquoise and a couple other minerals. I the sanded and sealed the outside with shellac and then the beeswax mix. Turned out pretty good. I then started the base. Using a rotary tool I carved some decoration just below the cup section. I then used a wire brush attached to the cordless drill. I then mixed some 5 min epoxy with green alumilite dye. Sanded all down to just leave the deepest crevices. I also added some gold dust, (very little), I painted the abstract leaves with...

The  Arizona Association of Woodturners has issued a challenge for the June meeting to turn a lidded box. I have decided to turn it from one of my favorite woods, " Tigre Caspi and Gaboon Ebony .  I first decided that I wanted the shape to mimic female form. The lid maybe the breast area, the start of the ebony, the shoulders and head area with a crown top piece. the head shoulders, and breast area has finish. I need to complete the crown, which will be a challenge. I thought about attempting to insert Lignum Vitae for threading  top and base for the ultimate fit. The bottom is planned to to be rounded and maybe slightly elevated. The crown, pyrite with inlaid gold dust. 

I will start by saying that I had the most interesting evening, last night, meeting and hanging out with Bill Tonneson and some impressive support group of his friends. ( thanks to my friend Chris Hester). Well  the man is first a tall man, and his wife has a great accent. I believe he has three almost full grown kids, that he clearly adores. Some of the people that was aware, but didn't directly meet were, Mr. & Mrs Kitchell, The mayor of Phoenix, the ex-mayor of Phoenix. A couple that where pointed out to me from the Hayden family. I did get mingle with, and pass business cards, to first young designer, living in the neighborhood, a fellow black american, architect and real estate developer, and three other architects, wow what networking success. Below I will share a few pictures from this evening pass. Mr. Kitchel & Bill Tonneson  Giving a brief seminar on vision of urban gentrification, and a brief discussion on commercial financing Bills art Bills...

As I share a bit of whom I might be, through art my mind sees and my hand brings forth. I only reflect a process without many rules, reality not yet witnessed. What is, and has driven me, is a force beyond my control, an energy, manifested heretofore and hereafter my mortal flesh. A glow dimmed by storm clouds directed not by untold path, a beginning and, an end, "I must create". Much is the way of love, a binding force that shapes your ever presence with and without your guiding hand. Love hurts so good, Expressed through despair, loneliness, prosperity and joy. Through the laughter of tears, "I MUST CREATE". In this short expression of whom I might be and what I may SEE AS ME, through the ever changing growth of my heart and sole, I look forward to all that maybe, the only legacy of a presence, once my time is no more. In this writing I may find a hint of the who, you see, that leads me down this wonderfully expressive journey so I might share, be recognized, to ...

Preparation of my creative process to reach a path of manifestation, a new branch, from an old seed. Where do I start? I guess from the first relocation I can muster. From the time of my early 20's. I had a dream, a plan that when I reached an age some where in my mid 50's, my old man stage. Well here I am. I had a vision that would start to develop my skills as a sculptor.  At this age, in my 20's I was drawing a lot, and one of my favorite sketches was that of women torso's. I then had the idea that wouldn't it be just great if I would to carve a woman's torso from purple heart. Well I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I first decided that while I would love to see this torso manifest into reality from purple heart, this wood is very hard, and the difficulty is very high. well I I have not ruled it out. I needed a place to begin, so I have been collecting female nude photos, to form a copulation of different size's and position to form a plan o...

Day 8 I lost track for a couple day. We had a show in Wickenburg AZ.. The temperature was in the low 80's. This bowl, that I suppose to be babying for the best condition for non-cracking. oh well the the hills with that. I had this bowl out in the heat for two days ( in the shaded area of the tent).  Look what happen. For almost three days I forgot it, due to a commercial job, locked away in a plastic storage box, along with other pieces we had for sale. Moisture dropped by 7% Here is the view of the bottom, after I added more shellac/alcohol mixture. While I was at the show, so far so good.  Here is the latest view of the interior with what looks like the same crack as we started with. Well look here the weight has also decreased Day 3.  Held with vacuum chuck. I looked at the bottom and decided it was way too thick. I turn the inside, after remounted it in the chuck, and fond it still to be pretty true. A surprise... This is the first tim...