Ice Feets

Never a dull moment around here. These oddities of nature were dangling in the creek formed during a cold snap here.

Magical Mystery Diving Bird (solved: American Dipper)

This little dear was splashing around in one of our ponds today. I grabbed the binoculars to get a better look.  At first I thought it was a duck, no, too small. Then I thought it was a wren bathing  but it seemed too big.  Then It dove under water.  Wha? 

I quickly got my camera and a sweater and scooted out in my slippers to see if I could snap a few.  The body colouring was plain, grey-brown body dappled with some light streaks and the head and breast were a warmer brown.  It had a pale cream-yellow beak and flesh coloured legs.  It bobbed almost constantly and liked to keep it's tail perked up like a wren. It was about the size of a towhee without the tail.

I was watching it stick it's head under water and swim for short but energetic moments and then it did the most curious thing: It dove under water, flapped it's wings and flew under water for about four feet before hopping back up on a floating branch.  A swimming, diving, flying under water wren?  It later flew into the creek and hunted about for food there as well.

I couldn't get close enough to get any good shots and the telephoto setting pretty sad on my camera

Orb Update

New photos of the Orb-1 in Starfire glass.  This is the smallest version (so far) of the Orb vase.  I don't think Guido could even turn around in this one. Yes, he's grown.  

Orb is created from two pieces of kiln formed glass which are hand lapped, polished and laminated together.

They are available at Dr. Vigari on commecrial drive and through my studio.  Dimensions are 7.5"tall x 10"wide x 3"deep.  $395

Working with Paduk

This is a video I made showing how I remove planing marks and tearout from Paduk.  A card scraper is an excellent alternative to sanding which tears the grain instead of slicing.  Scraping really shows off the alternating grain pattern on paduk.  

New design: Log shelf

These are the first in a series of elemental wood and steel pieces.  Salvaged black locust milled on the bandsaw and seasoned for two years.  Gorgeous colour and contrast between the sap wood, heartwood and the bark.  The hardwood will darken slightly over time.  Black locust is a rare wood to find.  Enjoy.  

Limited edition of five.  

$450 each

20" x 7" x 4" (measurements are approximate)
Mounting holes @ 16" for stud location. Between studs limit load to 25lbs.

Now available at Dr. Vigari Gallery 1312 Commercial Drive
(between Charles & Kitchener Streets)
Vancouver, BC

Dragonfly

Caught this a few days ago. She was so intent on laying her eggs she paid me no mind.

Guido The Orb Dancer

Guido dances to the tune of the O Green World by the Gorillaz. Filmed during the Orb vase photo shoot. If you look carefully you can catch him lip synching. 

WANT!!!1!!

I used to be into fast cars. Porsche being my favourite followed by California style hot-rodded Beetles.  I had a 1971 VW Beetle handed down through our family which I totally tricked out and souped up. 2 litre engine, dual Dellortos, ported, cammed out, 135hp motor. lowered, shaved chrome, Tilt up fibreglass racing front end. I could take a 4 litre Mustang in the 1/4 mile and still get 35 mpg. That's 35 mpg city / highway driving like a twenty something. 

When I started building furniture, I sold my beloved beetle and I lost interest in cars.

Until I got interested in Electric Vehicles.  Then I found the motorcycles. Then these...

These babies have changed everything.

A classic, and electric. I must have one.  See for yourself.

Paduk Mantlepiece

I wanted this piece to be a bit deco in the details. The columns were done mostly on the jointer and I was looking for an Egyptian feel. The piece is solid frame and panel paduk with solid vertical grain zebrano as a trim.  The zebrano required special backing features to allow for seasonal movement.  All of the parts are bookmatched and came from the same board.

 

No stain was used. You are looking at the actual wood colours. In the background you can see the corner cabinet which I made at the same time (well, not exactly at the same time) I will post on that one later.

 

It took a whole lot of very careful measurements to make sure the thing slid into place seamlessly. Luckily the building it's in is the best finished I've seen.  I had to try and one up the place.

New Auranthetic Orange

Keep up to date on all things electric and Orange on my new blog:

http://auranthetic.blogspot.com/

Auranthetic Charger

Meet my new toy.

24 volt, 1 hp, all electric and built in 1974

I'll post more soon.

Spring, Bing, Boing, Doink, Bwaaaang!

Is it finally here?

All signs point to YES!

God is in the details

Base cabinet minus doors.  You can just see the ventilation for the PVR.  I will be installing an infrared repeater so the doors can close but the components will still work.   

Book case on it's side.


A cabinet I am working on in figured maple and wenge veneer. The dark wood face with light interiors is an Art Deco motif. The doors will have a brass border. An important part of the design for me is the orientation of the veneers. The linear pattern of the wenge is meant to run vertically down the front creating a visual flow. The shelves have a graduated spacing to create visual interest and to house different size books, etc. 

Transitions: A Retrospective.

I am currently participating in a group show in Vancouver called "Transitions". It's a reunion show of many of the artists who went through the studios of the 1100 block of Richards street in Yaletown.  The site is now a park for overpriced yuppy pups to crap in.  You can't stop progress! 

It's showing at The Chapel Arts centre. 

No dogs allowed.

Space slugs are OK...

Please keep you slugs on a leash.

Shelf-X

These are some arrangement variations and details of the first three components of the prototype Shelf-X.
Each section mates with any other and requires no tools to interconnect. I am planning square boxes as well.

Two kinds of beauty

Maui envy?

It's only natural.











I've been very busy for the last few months with work and not work, snow and not snow, holidays and not holidays and a birthday or two tossed in there for good measure. So I've had a few nudges to post some more. It's not that i didn't want to post... I guess it's catch up time.

Let's start with the vacation thingy shall we?

Good:









BAD:

Boy, You go away for a couple of weeks and everything changes while you are gone.