MIND OF A BLACK WOODWORKER IN ARIZONA

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...

Pistachio burl with inlays of stone. The base is Burmese Blackwood. Close to completion  This piece has been most difficult. let me tell you some of the difficulties. The first was at the beginning, when I first mounted it on the lathe. It was so dry, "how dry was it" you say. It was so dry, as it was turning, and I was attempting to chisel away. Instead of streams of chips, flying through the air, all I got was dust, choking me in every way. I put it aside until, I thought I would add a mixer of shellac and alcohol. This worked well. I then had the shape I was after.  I decided to added some color and minerals in a resin base. Well here is problem #2, the resin never harden, the hardener was out dated. Who knew. What a mess. Problem #3, how to remove sticky mess.  With out inlays Sticky mess, I tried soaking in alcohol, (oh I need more alcohol), That really helped, but as you can imagine, the resin filled with copper dust, malachite, turquoise, and much ...

Willow Acacia; The turning process of wet/green wood. From the pictures at the bottom. You can see the amount of cracks I needed to attend to. After  the first turning and each time I finish a turning, I add a mixture of shellac, walnut oil (which I didn't like, and used lest of each time.) I also tried tung oil mixed with shellac and two parts alcohol. I can say, as you can see, no other cracks or larger cracks developed. I consider my process a success. the moisture meter is now reading 7.5 to 10% .                            The third picture from the top shows a clear coat finish of cyanoacrylate, sanded to 1200.   Filling with azurite, gold dust,silver dust, turquoise .  Carving out the existing cracks.  Covering, with excess fall off, to help slow the drying process.  My hollowing method used.  All tooling handmade  LED LIGHT,...