How I do(did) it.

Not that I do a lot of inlay work but this is how I did this project.

Stuck down some painters tape where I wanted the leaves to go and with a couple small drops of super glue on the tips I glued them down.  With an Exacto I traced the outline around the leaf and peeled the leaf off with the help of a chisel.

It left the exact outline of the leaf but also provided a "ledge" almost that allowed the chisels to register against.  I'm finding I'm using the tape and knife method more and more to mark out work. Much much easier to see as well, as opposed to the other methods of layout.

Routed out the shape as close to the line as possible of course.

Mostly used a 1/8" chisel on it's side going downhill on the grain.  The above leaf's point wasn't too sharp so this one was easy but the others where the leaf ended in a very small point I sort of hacked away at with the Exacto knife and an engraving tool I ground down to a very tiny point.

The binocular close-up headgear (can't seem to remember it's real name) of course is paramount for this scale of work.

Glue up and the leaf right after taking off the clamps.

I like to do a rough trim down with a gooseneck Japanese chisel.  Very satisfying to feel the chisel peel off the wood and watch it curl up and away.

This is straight off the chisel work with a bit of moisture to see the grain better.

And that's that.

Archetype Leaf Inlays

I thought I would put some Iron Bark Leaves inlayed into the Iron Bark Kimono.  Have them scattered along the bottom half of the piece, situated around the slow curve that flows from side to front to side.

I don't have a clue as which of the Iron Bark species I have so I combined some of the different leaf shapes into one that is longer and slenderish.  Pointy tips with a bit of curve one way or the other.

Glued up some appropriate end grain from the left overs and hand penciled in shapes.

Arranging on the two lower drawer fronts to determine placement.
I'll real lightly glue them in position so there will be no shifting as I exacto out the shape.  The sharp tips need to steadied somehow to stop any lateral movement when the knife is against them.

Next up...cutting the recesses.

Off the J.O.B.

Took a short break from the J.O.B yesterday to work with Henry and Steve on a promo video featuring the new incoming president of an online airline/car rental/hotel room discounter.
You've heard of them.  I know you have.


Always such a good vibe (read inside jokes, ribbing, riffing, guffawing, no-none-zero ego)  being on the set with Henry and Steve.

Waiting on the corner. They were late! 

HMU

Which stands for Hair and Make Up.

Henry with his requisite pencil in the hat look.

Steve....and his assistant, the phone.

And check it.  It's nice to be in a building right smack dab in the middle of San Francisco that still has sash windows that open up.

And on set.

Back on the J.O.B

As is usual what appears to be a deficit is actually an asset.  Got real busy with photography jobs which pulled me away from the Iron Bark Kimono.  And the first big 3003 party.  So progress stopped on it.

Which is a good thing.

Love doing one thing for a few weeks, then changing horses in midstream to doing something totally different.  And coming back to something after a break is like hooking up with an old lost friend.  You circle each other for a bit and then it's like you've never had a break.

Fitting the drawers to the wooden slides.  Often at a single swipe of a plane on the wooden slide type of fitting.

The backside without the back to allow access to both sides

The Unbroken String

This morning's last night

Tony came over last night for a couple hours of cocktails and talking.  Ice cold and warm and fuzzy at the same time.  Elation and tears of sorrow at the same time.  Past and the Present at the same time.

Everything before leads to everything now.

We started talking about a street in Berkeley that we both lived on, just houses apart but also a couple years apart.  It's a story we talk about quite a bit, how close we were in distance and time before knowing each other.

That led to me talking about a photo I took.  I did a two year photo project and the very last photo I took for the project was how I got to this photo.  Using things I collected on a beach one morning, I tied a string of people to it.

I assisted Alan Krosnick for five years, he often hired a prop stylist...Alyson.  When I struck out on my own I used Alyson almost exclusively as a producer.  She had a good friend, Barbara who was a designer and Barbara gave me a job one time shooting for winery.  That job brought Vicki, the director of marketing for the winery.  Vicki eventually asked me to spend a full year shooting their vineyards during the different seasons.  Vicki also hired Tony to design a label for her and that was when Tony saw my vineyard photography.  He told another wine client of his, Cynthia to hire me for vineyard photography and that is how I came to start a two year art project as Cynthia talked me into it.

Six people tied together with shells and seaweed and driftwood.

And then Tony started in on his story.  He said he wouldn't be sitting right here, right now if he hadn't had sex in Ireland close to 30 years ago.  But that's his story and he'll need to tell that one for you.