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Start your holiday shopping early!
Come get a bit of wonderful art for yourself and your friends at the Bath House's Winter Art Mart. Paintings, sculpture, photography, pottery, ceramics, jewelry, cards and other unique creations will be featured along with food, music, a silent auction and much more.
The Art Mart benefits the Bath House Cultural Center's year-round visual and performing arts programs - so it's a purchase that we all benefit from!
2008 Winter Art Mart
Friday, November 21st, 7-9 PM (Preview Reception)
Saturday, November 22nd, 1-7 PM
Sunday, November 23, 11 AM - 6 PM
Bath House Cultural Center
521 E. Lawther Drive
Dallas, TX 75218
category: events
11 / 23 / 2008
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night and day
A career of late nights in the studio has permanently shaped my habits. It's taught me to enjoy the benefits of being a little out of sync with the rhythms of the world.
For the most part, I've befriended the lingering solitude that lives in the shadowy corners of my workshop. Rather than chipping away at my resolve, that ever-quiet companion now brings a meditative focus to my work.
I've always savored that touch of altered awareness that comes with disconnecting from the daily grind. So long as I always return from howling at the moon, I see no real harm in enjoying the creative benefits of a little sanctioned madness.
There's also something to be said for ambiance. The darkness looming outside the window, when combined with the right soundtrack, brings an inescapably cool film noir aesthetic to my "night shift" experience.
That said, people seldom find it shocking to hear that I work regularly into the wee hours. Doubly so in the days leading up to a showing of my work. What actually does seem to surprise folks is the fact that I'm not an exclusively nocturnal creature.
Which is patently ridiculous.
Were the staunch advocates of my mythological status correct, someone would have staked me out of their misery long before now. More importantly, I'd burst inconveniently into flames every time my PDA listed a to-do item with a requirement that I scurry about in the harsh light of ol' Sol.
As fortune would have it, my only Nosferatu-esque habit is sucking the precious vital essences from innocent coffee beans. And they had it coming.
In short, after a mug of french-pressed life force, the afternoon found me decidedly not on fire as I popped by the Bath House Cultural Center to pick up some extra invitations for the upcoming Winter Art Mart.
As I walked in the door without so much as a smolder, I was not greeted by the curator and manager of the facility. That being because they were both head down in the somewhat frantic task of last-minute preparations for the show.
Despite my standing within five feet of them, their focus on getting this event right was so intense that even if I had been on fire they might not have noticed.
Eventually, I did get their attention. In a flash it was business as usual. Which was nice, considering that up there the usual business is a bit like visiting family members you actually like.
But in those seconds before my stage cough, I saw a glimmer of something. Something more than a couple of people just doing their jobs.
It was a touch of madness that bordered on dedication, or perhaps vice versa. They had that quasi-magical focus that I've only experienced late at night. The kind that shuts out the world and helps sort the impossible into tidy piles marked "done".
That it lacked a soundtrack and stars was a small matter. For a brief moment, by the light of the afternoon sun, I recognized them clearly.
It seems I had met the day shift.
category: studio
11 / 19 / 2008
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white rock art festival 2008
I've always been a big supporter of the White Rock Art Festival. It's a solidly established, well-run arts event which benefits children's education. Unfortunately, for a couple of years various scheduling conflicts prevented The Morpheus Company from participating in the show.
Recently, the Hexter PTA voted to move the festival to a new date, which happened to conveniently land on a free weekend for us.
I'm excited to be back.
Hexter Elementary PTA is proud to continue our commitment to support the school in enriching our children's environment and education. Originally started in 2002 to support and maintain the arts programs, the White Rock Art Festival now helps fund a wider variety of projects and programs for the students, faculty and staff of Hexter.
White Rock Art Festival
Saturday, November 8th, 10 AM - 5 PM
Sunday, November 9th, 12 PM - 5 PM
Hexter Elementary
9720 Waterview Drive
Dallas, TX 75218
category: events
11 / 09 / 2008
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three foot marathons
"Time, motion and wine cause sleep."
Ovid
As is often the nightly ritual during the weeks leading up to my releasing a new body of work, it is now "Ugh" in the morning and I've only just stumbled exhaustedly out of the studio.
After scraping a thick layer of jewelry polish and metal grindings off my skin, I've poured a nice glass of wine and collapsed into my favorite overstuffed "evil mastermind" chair.
The Cabernet Sauvignon waiting for me, beyond possessing the expected heart-healthy effects, will be playing the incidental role of celebratory nightcap.
Of course, I fully understand that you can't have a victory dance, even one as pathetic as my lying here in a somnolent heap, without a win to celebrate.
Tonight, it's the completion of a marathon about 36 inches long.
Roughly speaking, the distance from one side of my workbench to the other.
Back in my apprenticing days, I picked up an organizational habit from my mentor. In order to keep track of large numbers of projects, he would place all of the pieces he was working on in a pile on the left side of his workbench. Then, without looking, he would choose a piece from the pile, perform a single step in his process and shift the piece to a pile on his right. Then, he'd reverse the process, methodically moving each piece back to his left as he inspected his work.
Left-to-right, do. Right-to-left, check.
It never seemed to matter how large the piles were, or how many times the pieces made the pilgrimage across his workspace. At a glance he knew exactly where things stood, and that whenever everything "crossed the bench" for the last time the work would be done.
In my case, the habit has become a calming meditation. I sit at my workbench, I take a deep breath and I give in to the simple rhythm of moving the pieces from left-to-right, and right-to-left.
Along the way, magic happens. The panic-laden, deadline-stricken, never-ending pile of impossibilities slowly disappears.
Left-to-right,
The impossible becomes possible.
Right-to-left,
The possible becomes beautiful.
Tonight, as the hours whipped by, I ran a bunch of excellent three foot marathons. What began the evening as a large pile of completely raw castings now look suspiciously like the beginnings of fine jewelry.
I'll still be "crossing the bench" for another week or two. Soon after, I'll have some amazing new things to show for the journey.
category: studio
10 / 24 / 2008
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out pro-ing the pros
A while back, I used a little non-fictional science to help create something out of science fiction for a client.
Kevin, aka "the patron of many disguises", sent an email my way which confirmed my suspicions that the work we did together was, in fact, bad-ass.
I happened to go to a small con earlier this month as my Minbari Ranger. I received quite a number of compliments on the outfit. The best thing was, I had this one guy that kept staring at me from across the room. He finally came over and said, "I can't believe how f***ing incredible the badge and the belt look. That is what they should have been if we had had a bigger budget."
It was Dark Hoffman - one of the property masters who actually worked on the Babylon 5 series!!!Kevin's Blog
category: playing
10 / 24 / 2008
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the yellow stuff revealed
If you've been reading along, you'll remember that a while back I announced a bit of exciting new alchemy exploding in my studio. My inner mad scientist had been running amuck, and plans to transmute a pile of "new yellow stuff" into works of art was already underway.
Those who were able to drop by The Bath House Cultural Center's Spring Art Mart have already gotten an in-person sneak preview of the secret ingredient in my new work: Silicon Bronze.
In case all of this is news to you, you're still in luck. My good friend, who happens to be a fantastic photographer, offered to collaborate with me on a post-release photo shoot.
In addition to the lovely 'teaser' image above, 'Captain Smashy' has populated the Mitsuro section of my portfolio with a set of amazing photographs.
works in the new silicon bronze:
works in sterling silver and karat gold:
I've snuck a few notes about working with bronze into the descriptions of the new pieces. Speaking of which, as of the time of this posting, these specific pieces are still available. If you'd like to see one in person, please get in touch.
category: studio
05 / 09 / 2008
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2008 Spring Art Mart
Come get a bit of art for yourself (and your friends) at the Bath House's Spring Art Mart. Paintings, sculpture, photography, pottery, ceramics, jewelry, cards and other unique creations will be featured along with food, music, a silent auction and much more.
The Art Mart benefits the Bath House Cultural Center's year-round visual and performing arts programs - so it's a purchase that we all benefit from!
Don't miss the Preview Reception, Friday, April 18, 2008 (7-9 PM), featuring food, drink, merriment, music and a first look at the wonderful wares and auction items being showcased in the Art Mart.
In addition to the art sale, the Bath House Cultural Center is also hosting a Silent Art Auction with the proceeds going to the Bath House Cultural Center Advisory Council, which supports visual and performing arts at the Bath House. All the participating artists have very generously donated art for the silent auction.
The 2008 Spring Art Mart is free and open to the public.
Friday, April 18th, 7-9 PM (Preview Reception)
Saturday, April 19th, 1-8 PM
Sunday, April 20th, 11 AM - 6 PM
Bath House Cultural Center
521 E. Lawther Drive
Dallas, TX 75218
category: events
04 / 20 / 2008
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the new yellow stuff
Over the years, I've asked many of my fellow artisans about their creative process. Specifically, I've inquired as to how they continue to find a seemingly endless well of new inspiration for their work.
This sort of question typically inspires a philosophically-charged monologue about desperate importance of taking in new experiences. Sometimes, it covers the need for taking calm, meditative time to process and synthesize new visual input. Occasionally, I'm told it's about escaping the everyday routine in order to see things from a different perspective.
On the whole, I've always felt like these deep responses were little more than brilliant justifications for a posh vacations every couple of months.
Mind you, I've got no problem at all with that. I'm a big believer in getting out of my head whenever I can. If getting a new perspective happens to come with a continental breakfast and a massage, so much the better.
I have noticed, however, that like so much of my life my artisan soul takes a slightly different bent when it comes to the subject of nourishment.
Where most people like to pamper their inner child into playing muse for them, I have a slightly different parenting style. I give the little urchin a periodic opportunity to run amok in exchange for rights to anything he accidentally produces. In short, we skip the beach-side lounging in favor of "mad scientist day" at the studio.
I look at it as a combination of therapy and research. So long as I don't accidentally kill myself, the worst that is going to happen is that I'm going to waste an afternoon here and there cathartically giggling at something bursting into flames.
On the flip side, I might stumble onto something interesting. In my dreary old world, interesting is like opium. A good hit could mess me up for life. One time, I had so much interesting I managed to resurrect a 1300 year old Japanese sculpture technique. Not bad for a kid mucking about with unstable chemicals.
While I've not been punching holes in the space-time continuum this year, I am happy to report that my recent bouts of "mad scientist mojo" have resulted in something more than just a goofy grin on my face.
For my latest trick, I'll be taking a pile of this:
And transforming it into something absolutely awesome. As luck would have it, this mystical alchemy should be complete just in time for my next show.
2008 Spring Art Mart
Bath House Cultural Center
April 18 - 20th
Be sure to pop by and ask me about the new yellow stuff.
category: studio
04 / 11 / 2008
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frickin' laser beams
I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit of a technophile. Give me gadgets, cool software and new tools to play with and I'm generally a very happy boy of tomorrow.
Mind you, I still cling to my Luddite-esque skills when it comes to jewelry making. During my apprenticing years I learned to appreciate the value of hand-filing things, hitting things with hammers and setting things on fire.
While I might kick it "olde skool" most days, any chance I get to add a bit of technical jiggery-pokery to my artistic bag of tricks is a relished opportunity.
Most recently, thanks in no small part to my involvement with a company specializing in 3D prototyping, I can now giddily add "shoot things with laser beams" to my palette of possible techniques for world domination and/or making cool stuff.
For those not geeky enough to already be drooling, the technology we're mucking about with essentially grants the quasi-mystical ability to print highly-accurate 3D models in a casting-ready thermoplastic. It's a bit like an inkjet printer, assuming that printer fires lasers layer-by-layer into a puddle of carefully placed goo.
The upshot of all of this three-dimensional goo and laser insanity is that this new technology blows the doors off what was previously possible with computer-controlled milling, precision hand carving and other "structured" art methods.
While it's definitely not a technique suitable for every project, it certainly will up the ante of what is possible in the way of crisp, iconographic detail.
kicking the tires...
Recently, I got a chance to take this new technology out for a spin. A client brought me this regrettable example of the prop-maker's art:
I swear I did not make this.
He challenged me to re-envision this "vaguely obscure" television costume piece into something that, in his words, "Sucked a little less."
After a bit of back and forth, we hit upon this design:
My concept art, based on the lumpy mess above.
So far, this is pretty typical for my artistic process.
Things took an interesting turn when I fed the same artwork into the rapid prototyping system. Instead of making compromises to the design in order to make the idea possible to produce, reality now bends to my whim and every intended detail appears:
And this was before I knew what I was doing.
That's exactly what the prototyper outputted. The best part was that this model was ready to cast. No intermediate molding or other middle stages were required.
After casting and finishing, the final version of the badge:
Now that's what I call crisp.
Add one tool to my arsenal, and score one for science fiction geekery.
category: studio
03 / 17 / 2008
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getting my year on
I recently looked up and noticed that I was elbow deep in 2008. I normally have to spend weeks shoving against the tuchis-end of a new year in order to get it moving. By some random stroke of luck, this year decided to bust out of the gate at a fair clip and all I can take credit for was being foolish enough to hang on like a suicidal rodeo clown.
I'll be posting more updates from my "wild ride" soon. In the meantime, here's a few "leftover" tidbits from the end of 2007:
- My last project of the holiday season was to finish off this incredible ring.
- I've moved last year's show calendar here for archival purposes, and started a new one.
- At the behest of friends, I've updated my canonical list of collected titles.
category: website
02 / 01 / 2008
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