2026 08 Fears Shed, Farewells Uttered and All Forgiveness Granted

 Sometimes when I buy an object I already know how it is going to be used. This was certainly true about this device and so it became a substrate for my latest piece.

This butter knife seemed like a good representative of the domestic life these women probably led. 

Continuing that theme, I decided to use some fabrics on this piece to represent perhaps some of the duties or likes of this pair.

I am not a religious person but it surprises me sometimes how often the iconography of religion gets into my art. For these ladies, it seemed appropriate that they have belief in something greater then how they perceive their own lives. 

Thus we have Fears Shed, Farewells Uttered and All Forgiveness Granted, The title comes from a poem by Kwame Dawes called Undertaker at the Village Cemetery. It is 18"H X 6"W X 4"D. It consists of Wood Roll Kitchen Object, Cotton Glove, Clock Face, Butter Knife, Crucifix, Tin Type, Cloth and Paint.

Of Seas Where Hardly I Exist, Except To Kiss You More

This September I will be teaching a workshop at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI, called Time Is On My Side. The workshop is based on everyone using a clock body. While technically not a clock body, but rather a clock face, it still is within the spirit of the upcoming workshop. 

The substrate for this project is an old wood trim piece. I got it ready by covering the central part of the substrate with pattern paper. 

I have been to Oaxaca, Mexico, a number of times and I cannot tell you how many times I have photographed this work of wall art. For what I decided as my theme, this image is the perfect one and I send my thanks to the wall artist who painted it.

Lately I have been using resin quite a bit and this project was no exception. I wanted the photo to look like it was under water and the resin worked well to do that.

I decided to use resin again on the bottom of the work to create a sea.

This wood airplane propeller works for me as a boat propeller.

This cool old rusty toy boat became the perfect addition to the piece. 

This wood trim piece makes a great top for the project. 

Thus we have Of Seas Where Hardly I Exist, Except To Kiss You More. This title comes from the journals of Leonard Cohen under the title Homage to Rosengarten. It is 31"H X 22"W X 6"D. It consists of Toy Metal Boat, Wood Panel, Clock Face, Wood Trim Decoration, Wood Propeller, Turtle Jewel, Photograph, Washi Tape and Resin.

A Key Recalls the Shape of Its Doorway

This project was started while I was taking an online workshop with Michael deMeng called Latchkey Reliquaries.  I guess the idea of doing something with "a key" got a little out of hand in my house.

I papered over a 36"H X 12"W cradled board

This plastic soldier has been hanging in my basement for years

I auditioned these parts to get going

From my stash I gathered hundreds of keys and screwed them into the board

Some of the parts were attached

Dog tags for decor

The helmet was influenced by samurai warrior style

More building goes on

In order to get the painting going, I started with a total white base coat. This reminded me of one of my favorite assemblage artists, Kris Kuksi. Kuksi's art is enormous and very impressive.

Now the painting begins.

I painted on this work for THREE days, an honestly, I am not sure I am still happy; however, I am going to consider it done.

Thus we have A Key Recalls the Shape of Its Doorway. The title comes from a poem by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha called In Case of Emergency. It is 41"H X 15"W X 8"D. It consists of a Cradled Board, Film Reels, Plastic Soldier, Metal Keys, Plastic Key, Plastic Cone, Wings, Metal Eagle Finial, Metal Round, Jewelry, Industrial Metal Finding, Plastic Toy Figure, Watch Part and a Bell.

2026 08 Whirling In the Circus of the Empty Hope

 I finally managed to finish my project from the Michael deMeng workshop at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI, called Circus of the Curious and the Misbegotten. A previous blog about that experience has already been posted.

Here is the process I went through to participate in the workshop and then complete the project at home. 

First the base. Originally it was supposed to be a record player but that did not work so I went to a lazy susan for the base as I always conceived this as the center ring of a circus--that would spin.

Before I left for Shake Rag I assembled a bunch of stuff to make my circus come to life. 

Now it is time to build the characters who will populate the center ring.

At the base of the circus tent I used a ring of Chinese terracotta soldiers to stand in as the circus clowns. 

Every circus has a Ring Master so I decided to repurpose an Alexander Hamilton bobble doll as mine.

I had to make him a hat...

...which promptly ended his bobbling days and made his head stare at the ground!

The Ring Master of Ceremonies

Some characters either were altered from their original concept or dropped altogether. The Cyclops never made it into the center ring.

Stretch did not get off the drawing board either.

There was a brief moment that Stretch was going to have an elephant head--but I gave a nod to a different character.

L-aerialist

My original idea for this character was to have a tiger act figure.

I'm glad I switched him to a lion act.

Leo the Human Tamer

This character had a more direct route to the center ring.

Iron Hippo

Without Cyclops or Stretch, I had to come up with some new acts for the center ring when I got home from Shake Rag Alley.

Victor Trapeze

...and it spins!

Thus we have Whirling in the Circus of Empty Hope. The title for this piece comes from the poem In The Middle Of This Phrase by Octavio Paz. It is 24"H X 18"W X 18"D. It consists of Wooden Lazy Susan, Lampshade, Circus Rattle, Shaker Rattle, Clock Body, Chinese Terracotta Soldiers Statute,  Wood Post, Alexander Hamilton Bobblehead, Between the Lines Tin Cigar Case, Plastic Elephant, Spiderman Action Figure, Metal Ring, Carved Wood Pilgrim, Plastic Lion, Hulk Figurine, Plastic Hippopotamus, Balls, Nasty Boys Wrestling Figure, Victor Mousetrap, Simpsons The Yes Guy Figure, Plastic Dog, Plastic Wheels, Plastic Signs, Rebar Wire, Clay, Paper and Sari Ribbon.