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via Painters' Table - Contemporary Art Magazine: Daily Painting Links on Artist Blogs, Painting Blogs and Art Websites ift.tt/2aiaLKR
www.recyclart.org/2016/04/recycled-art-interview-10-nirit...
We continue our series of posts interviewing "recycled art" crafters & artists. This week, we interviewed Nirit Levav, a designer and a multidisciplinary artist, who deals with the affinity between art and recycling. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
My Name is Nirit, I am 52 years old, from Israel, married and a mother of 4 sons.
How did you become an Upcycled Artist?
I believe my family and the home I grew up in had a major influence on me becoming an Upcycled Artist. Both my parents, each in its own way, contributed this path.
My father was a set designer and worked for the theatre and cinema in Israel. His workshop, where I loved spending time an help out, was the ultimate heaven for experimenting with different materials, and for ideas for how to create the most refine objects out of anything.
My mother, who was an art and crafts teacher, grew up with many siblings, in a home where nothing was thrown away. She recycles everything. If no one eats the chocolate cake, she would add milk or water and make chocolate balls out of it, or a quiche out of pasta’s leftover in the refrigerator. She had sawed our dresses and from the fabric’s leftovers she made quilt blankets. So this approach of recycling is deeply ingrained in how I grew up and who I am. I got used to think it was a shame to throw
Since when are you working with junk materials and in upcycling in general?
A significant part of my adult life was dedicated for my career as a fashion designer, specialized in bridal gowns, until I realized that the creative part of me is less and less present in my work. I decided I need a change and went with my dream to become an artist. When I started working on my art, I realized my passion is to experiment with different materials, especially with the non conventional ones, and with a lot of them :)
I began looking for stuff people don’t need, stuff that was garbage to them. I guess I am an upcycling artist from the beginning of my artistic path.
Your works are mainly done with recycled bike parts, like your series « Unchained ». Could you tell us from where come this choice of materials?
When I started to practice art I was working with many different materials and subjects. I created a duck out of light bulbs, a squirrel out of acorns, a butterfly out of motorcycles plugs, women figures out of gravel, sand, matches, and much more.
One of the works was a dog I created out of bike chains. It was a big Rottweiler, but its expression came out so sweet and tender, it immediately aroused sympathy and made people smile. It was the first piece of this series. In this work I used the entire chains, and immersed them into a material similar to concrete.
While working on this first dog, I was looking at the way the chains tend to drop and it inspired me to create the next piece of that series: an Afghan hound. I was visualizing the chains representing its long hair, and that is why I continued collecting these bicycle chains.
After a while, I have decided to focus on dogs made out of recycled chains, and to create a whole series I later called "Unchained". It felt like the natural thing to do. Chains are rather versatile; it is a material which can be very soft and flexible or very stiff, long or short. As for the dogs- there are so many species and breeds, and each one of them looks so different and allows numerous possibilities for creation.
Where did you find your raw materials for your sculptures, are you searching for them or are there coming to you as you are now well known in the recycled art world?
Occasionally I do buy a material I desire to work with. Not always I create from actual junk, but throughout the years people and friends knew about me being a collector of materials and they kept stuff for me- like old keys, glasses, broken watches, jewelry, and more.
The harsh materials and metals I collect from bike repair shops, garages (of bicycles and motorbikes) ext.
Your pieces of art are very complexes, how long does it take to create one?
Each work takes its own different time. Sometimes it takes two or three days, sometimes a few weeks. It is mainly depends on the size of the work and its complexity.
You sell your pieces of art through ETSY, are you able to live with your recycling art?
It is actually not always easy to make a living out of art.
My Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/niritlevavart?zanpid=215026144250... is new.
I also sell through galleries and by word of mouth and thank god doing quite well.
How is your workspace, how do you make it inspiring? What sorts of things are inspiring you right now? Where do you look for inspiration?
My studio is located in a space that used to be a garage, and is surrounded by more garages. It is loaded with my huge collections and works.
But my inspiration comes almost from anything. From life itself, from everyday life, from my dreams at night, from contemplating, walking in the street, going to the beach, seeing a movie or a play, visiting an exhibition, and off course from within. When I have quiet alone time in my studio my creativity bursts.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand, even if not artistic?
I believe that in this time in particular it is extremely important to go back to hand making, to understand manners of creation and to enjoy the path and not only the outcome.
I think people would appreciate the products more if they get to experiment with materials and touch them.
What is your favorite thing to do (other than art)?
I really love cooking and enjoy dancing, reading books, watching movies.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start recycling art?
I would suggest staring with collecting different stuff and to think twice before throwing away, because maybe you could use it for something else. First comes the inspiration and idea, and then the execution of the art work.
To finish, what is your favorite animal?
Surprisingly – dogs :)
Thanks a lot Nirit for this inspiring interview! :)
To find more about Nirit:
TV interview taking place @ Liverpool Chinatown's 2020 Chinese New Year celebrations & parade.
And WOW - were we all wet - or were we all wet?!
Troopers: "Wanna be a bounty hunter? Show us what you can do."
Asuka: "I just beated Boba Fett. See his helmet?"
www.1001pallets.com/2016/01/pallet-crafter-interview-8-ma...
For our first interview of 2016, we had the chance to ask some questions to Marc Anthony called "Pallet Man", founder of The Green Palette, a New-York based company that represents the art in reclaimed pallet furniture and the design in resourcing recyclable materials. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
My name is Marc Anthony I'm from New Paltz NY, I went to FIT for sustainable design and was a sales designer for Crate & Barrel & Restoration Hardware & Environment Furniture. In 2008 I decided to go at it on my own and after a failed attempt with a store in the East Village I went at it again in 2010 with The Green Palette in New Paltz, NY.
Why do you craft?
In 2008 I was importing from Indonesia and sending my auto-cad drawings there and went to visit the factory in Jakarta. I lived with a family for a month assisting them with my order and it was there I began to learn about woodworking and using salvaged materials to make furniture from. They were using reclaimed teak and carving into it making beautiful cabinetry.
Since when are you working with pallets? Why do you choose to work with wooden pallets?
Then in 2010 After the collapse of the economy I found it hypocritical to charge such high prices for reclaimed/recycled furnishings. So I thought about other ways to make furniture inexpensive yet recycled. I saw some pallets at a hardware store by my home and thought this could make some cool furniture. I taught myself the tricks and trades to building furniture with pallets there were some painful lessons in the beginning.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
I can't live without my sawzall I use it to take every pallet apart so I can use every square inch of the pallet to make something from. The demo blades last about 30-40 pallets before changing them.
How would you describe your style? Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
I love Tom Bina he designed for Environment Furniture years ago and now designs for Four Hands Furniture. He has a Franklin Lloyd Wright design sense to him where he adds the natural element of nature into his design aesthetic.
How is your workspace, how do you make it inspiring?
Our space is set up like an art studio we feel we are not a furniture factory, we are artists collaborating together making unique pieces everytime we build something. We hear our clients needs and we begin painting the scene they wish to envision their furnishing in.
What sorts of things are inspiring you right now? Where do you look for inspiration?
Anything with plumbing pipe is inspiring me these days, it adds an industrial element to the pallet and gives the pallet a more aesthetic design to it. I love going to Brimfield antique show in MA to get my inspiration and other antique trade market shows.
When do you feel the most creative?
Whenever I see garbage on the side of the road I begin rambling in my head thinking what can I make out of that.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
We have show people that a hand in waste is a hand in our future. The more we show what we can do with pallets the more conscious people become allowing their homes to be furnished in the wastes we failed to consume.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
That would be plumbing pipes or scrap metals.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting?
Find shared spaces that allow you to work their so you don't have to invest in all the tools right away. We have a work with us program letting people come to our facility for the day and work on their own designs. We show them how to use certain tools and then let them go about making their own masterpiece.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Burning and carving wood to make it look a 100 years old I'm getting better at it, they say ;)
What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?
I write alot of Eco-poetry talking about connecting ourselves with nature and the environment. My IG marco_poetically has over 365 posts dealing with the daily struggles of mans greed and pollutants.
What do you recommend that most people do in terms of cleaning pallets and prepping them to become something else?
Whenever I take in pallets I sand them down first with an 80 grit paper. Then I wash them off in case anything is there that could be harmful. Then sawzall time its faster and salvages the wood the most. Using the crow bar cracks or splits the wood and sadly leaves you using maybe 30% of the wood the pallet has to offer.
We found you through Instagram where you are very active and through ETSY where you sell your pallet creations. Is that a full-time job and are you able to earn a decent living out of your recycled pallet works?
I run The Green Palette on Instagram & Etsy its a Corporation and we sell at markets in NYC 77th and Columbus and Brooklyn Artists & Fleas. We custom design for stores and restaurants and the trade as well. We staff right now 5-6 employees full time including myself. I have yet to make a salary from the business but I hope this will be a break out year for us and help me make a living too.
If someone want to start its own job in the pallet world, do you have any advice for him?
Yes start in your garage build crates and simple things watch your time and try to add your own artistic flair to it. Stand out from the rest don't just copy Pinterest designs.
Anything else you would like to tell to pallet community?
We need better press about THT and heat treated pallets so many people fear pallets are unsafe around their children or used for tables and beds. I try to assure them IKEA MDF and veneers are 10-times worse pollutants than a pallet could ever be.
Thanks Marc for this interview :)
To find more on The Green Palette: website, Instagram, Facebook & ETSY.
SF Station TV interviewed yours truly in Mission Dolores Park...my favorite place to lay around in the grass and have little frisbee-chasin' pups run full force into my head. We chatted a bit, I drew a thing, and made some weird faces on accident...Click the link below to watch!
Two Farrah's on Two Interview Covers
Mattel's Black Label Farrah Fawcett Doll... Fawcett played Jill Munroe in Charlie's Angels and went on to garner Emmy & Golden Globe nominations for her work as Francine Hughes in The Burning Bed, she was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her work in Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbra Hutton Story. Fawcett received the Cable Ace Award for her performance in Double Exposure: The Margaret Bourke-White Story along with other nominated works.
Noel Cruz not only repaints the dolls but styles/cuts and perfects each dolls hair to resemble the celebrity he has repainted.
Farrah as painted and styled by Noel Cruz for www.myfarrah.com in a beautiful dress by Jason Wu.
See the new YouTube Video featuring Farrah's by Noel Cruz
Photo/Graphic Layout & web sites ncruz.com & myfarrah.com by www.stevemckinnis.com.
via Painters' Table - Contemporary Art Magazine: Daily Painting Links on Artist Blogs, Painting Blogs and Art Websites ift.tt/1MBzjcJ
Ms Skolnick being interviewed by local newscaster about the extension of Shillmans famous January Coat Sale due to the impending snow storms coming to Washington DC.
. Ms Skolnick went to the fur department to borrow this fur piece for the interview. Once again she must stand out.
I've been tagging my dolls, and quite often come across a doll or two I have never photographed. The Interview Silkstone Barbie is one of them.
My interview with Fujifilm for Stocksy United:
fujifilm-blog.com/2018/02/28/introducing-stocksy-photogra...
I know it's sad but this is the most exciting thing I have witnessed since lockdown started. A news reporter came to interview a staff member from the care home behind where I live. So I dusted the cobwebs off a camera and put a long lens on it to record the event.
Ms Skolnick being interviewed by local newscaster about the extension of Shillmans famous January Coat Sale due to the impending snow storms coming to Washington DC.
Ms Skolnick started the interview by saying, "Hello my Shillman customers" as she smiled at the camera. When asked about being a dowdy store and how sales were, Ms Skolnick gave the interviewer kinda a sharp edge of her tounge and went on to say that sales were way up.
If you want to learn all about my creative process and how I got into the whimsical world of building custom LEGO models, check out this month's issue of BrickJournal magazine and read my interview! October is a special video game edition, so naturally my popular electronic Nintendo sprite lamps are prominently featured.
Below is an entire transcription of the interview, which covers my background as an artist, as well as to the technical information on my models:
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If you want to see an assortment of video game themed models, a good place to start is the website Baronvonbrunk.com. “Baron” Julius von Brunk is an artist residing in New York who has been building video game inspired models for more than a few years, with some of his models published in Nintendo Power magazine in 2012. Here, he talks to BrickJournal about his builds.
BrickJournal: What do you do outside of building?
Baron von Brunk: Aside from assembling custom LEGO models, I’m also an independent photographer and aspiring animator. I do in fact make some animations with my LEGO pieces, and hopefully some day I’ll launch some short films of my stop-motion animation. Sometimes I incorporate my various artistic hobbies together, such as using my photography along with my graphic arts for print designs.
Career-wise, I’m a professional graphic artist in New York City, and currently I design images and graphic assets for Goldman Sachs in Manhattan’s Financial District. On a daily basis, I typically develop PowerPoint presentations, including creating covers/section dividers in Photoshop. I also use Illustrator and other vector imaging programs to generate maps for investment bankers. Prior to this job, I’ve worked as a designer in a variety of fields -- including consumer electronics, fashion, and even major league sports. I started off many years ago by designing packages and labels for third-party electronic devices, and I’ve sort of bounced around between industries whilst expanding my portfolio. I’m actually completely self-taught, and never attended college. My career path has been very long and troublesome, but the way I like to describe it, I took the “scenic route” to get where I am!
BJ: How old are you?
BVB: 33 years old, and I’ll be 34 in October.
BJ: When did you start LEGO building?
BVB: “LEGO” was actually the first word I learned how to spell as a kid -- even before my own name! I received Duplo sets at an early age, then around age 3 in the 1980s my parents bought me numerous LEGO sets for Christmas and my birthdays. I’ve consistently been a fan of this toy line since childhood, and even photographed some of my custom creations way back in the 1990s using old film cameras. This passion of mine predated social media by about a decade!
BJ: Did you have a Dark Age? If so, what got you out of it?
BVB: Oh, I definitely had a dark age! Although this is a hobby I’ve liked for most of my life, there was a small moment in my life when I “paused” my fascination with LEGO. I’d say this was during the early-to-mid 2000s, when I was in my late teens. This wasn’t because I grew out of it, but rather because at the time, the dominant models/themes in the 2000s-era LEGO System didn’t fascinate me like in previous years. I personally never liked Bionicle, I was never a fan of Harry Potter, I could never get into Spider-Man comics/movies, and I always despised Spongebob Squarepants. In addition, I could never really get into the Star Wars prequels as much as the originals. With the lack of selection of sets I wanted to buy, I instead focused on occasionally building creations with my preexisting pieces. Also around this time, I didn’t have a job (due to my age and my high school schedule), and the little bit of money I did have I’d use on other things like video games and food.
I got back into purchasing new sets around 2005 or 2006, when the then-new medieval themes were released, along with the Vikings series. This reignited my fascination with LEGO, and I soon focused on creating models and vignettes with medieval themes. At this point I was in my early 20s, and working at various jobs which gave me more disposable income. I’d say 2007 was my definite “LEGO Renaissance”, where my love of LEGO was reborn completely, to the point where it became the dominant creative force in my life, completely reshaping my artistic hobbies and creativity.
BJ: What are your favorite themes?
BVB: For me, the best themes are the late-’80s/early-’90s Space or Castle. Although I played with any LEGO theme since I was young, I was always fascinated the most by spaceships and castles. I’ve had a soft spot for the classic Futurons, M:Tron, Blacktron, and Ice Planet -- as well as Black Falcons, Forestmen, Dragon Masters, and Crusaders. To show this, I have two LEGO
BJ: What inspired you to start building video game inspired models?
BVB: With video game themes, I always wanted to create models like these since I was young, but at the time I was too unskilled. As a child, I would often get inspired by Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Probably back when I was 11, I wanted to create a large replica of Dr. Robotnik’s Death Egg, but alas, lacked necessary pieces and skill level. Flash forward to around 2011, after I’ve been living in New York for about a year: I wanted to stake a claim in the geeky/nerd fandom universe by creating some memorable and monumental LEGO creations based on video games. In late 2011, I began production for my massive “Fireflower Airship” -- a large replica of an airship level from Super Mario Bros. 3. Around this time, I also worked on creating the first two transforming Nintendo accessories, Domaster and Plasmashock -- Game Boy and Zapper, respectively. With the positive feedback from these aforementioned models, I would go on to create many others, which eventually led Nintendo of America to contact me to create a sculpture for their flagship store in 2013.
BJ: What led you to building the transforming game consoles?
BVB: An early inspiration for the transforming game consoles came about from seeing the crossover Marvel/Transformer figures from the 2000s. There was a line of toys that featured superheroes and Star Wars characters transforming into vehicles, such as Darth Vader transforming into a TIE Fighter. This inspired me to create models of Mario and Luigi transforming into a Zapper and a Game Boy. In the early Mario games, Fire Flower Mario was dressed in red and white, and in my early concepts, I planned on making the grey and orange Zapper transform into a red and white Mario, whereas the green and grey Game Boy would transform into Fire Flower Luigi. This proved dubious for two major reasons: the first is that due to space limitations, it would be physically impossible to have the robot modes resemble Mario or Luigi with such detail. The other reason of course is that the Game Boy robot ended up looking short and stocky, with the Zapper being tall and narrow -- which would be exact opposite body types of Mario and Luigi! Eventually I just kept the Game Boy and Zapper to be original robots akin to traditional Transformer designs, and then maintained this ascetic theme for subsequent models.
BJ: And what got you into electronic lit models?
BVB: With the electronic models, this started as a byproduct of my Fireflower Airship from early 2012. When I first began construction of the ship in late 2011, I decided to “dazzle” the project by installing lights to give it something special, aside from just being a huge replica. My original plan was to make the back of the ship glow with an illuminated sprite of a Fire Flower, and then to install a sound system to play the Super Mario Bros. 3 airship music on a constant loop. This was because I planned on showcasing the ship at art galleries and conventions, and the idea of a sound system with lights would make the whole ship more interesting to people who’d potentially come to see it at the shows. Sadly, due to stability issues (making it difficult to move without breaking), I never showcased the airship at any shows, and because of this, I scrapped the sound system idea at the last minute. As for the lights, however, I succeeded in installing a very crude light and battery system to output illumination for the rear of the ship. This was prior to when I had any real electrical skills, so my crude circuit barely worked, and the light output was rather dull.
Meanwhile, during downtime of the airship’s construction, I made several Mario-themed models to accompany the ship at potential public art shows. One of the Mario-themed creations was a mosaic sprite lamp, using the same sort of techniques as the glowing Fire Flower sprite from the back of the ship, but to be illuminated via a lamp cord that I could plug into a wall. The design scheme for this lamp contained a cube shape with ? block sprites. The mosaic concept was made entirely with transparent LEGO bricks, thus making the illuminated version resemble a Tiffany Lamp or a stained-glass window. Although the lamps looked cool when glowing, unfortunately the transparent LEGO bricks appeared dull and discolored when the lights were off. This led me to create a new concept of inserting transparent LEGO tiles and plates into Technic bricks, so that when turned off, the lamps would still have their colors visible and vibrant. This new concept was developed by me later in 2013, and I soon created several new illuminated projects based on this “bedazzled” concept. The final designs were reminiscent of the old toy called “Lite Brite”, which allowed people to create glowing mosaic patterns using a dot matrix grid.
Some of my more sophisticated and elaborate electronic creations came about as a result of always trying to outdo myself. For instance, after making projects which lit up, my next logical step would be to make projects that also play sounds in addition to lighting up. With that said, throughout the summer of 2014, I worked tirelessly to learn Arduino and program microchips to allow my LEGO projects to simultaneously glow and play music. Since 2015, I haven’t made too many electronic creations, and instead went into honing my photography skills and eventually getting better with stop-motion animation. I plan on making more electronic LEGO models in the future, but as of lately I’ve mainly focused all of my time and effort into animations.
Few months ago, I made an interview of the excellent french drawer & musician MCBESS.
Interview is available on the inevitable french blog SOME COOL STUFF.
At the end of our long conversation, I asked him if he was ok to make a little dedication... and here it is baby !
Click HERE to view the big size.
See more men's "sweat mag" covers by Bruce Minney in Part 2 of my interview with him at this link - www.menspulpmags.com/2011/11/bruce-minney-interview-part-...
www.1001pallets.com/2016/09/pallet-crafter-interview-12-t...
Today, we had the chance to ask some questions to Tim Steller, Crafter from Sarasota in Florida (USA) who specializes in making all kind of beautiful Artworks mainly from recycled wooden pallets; you can follow the work of Tim on its website: Steller Artworks. If you think you deserve to be featured in the next interview, please, drop us an email.
Tell us a little more about you? Who you are? Where are you from?
My name is Tim Steller and I am a 36-year-old pallet artist that lives in sunny Sarasota Florida. I enjoy my beach-style life with my lovely wife Ashley and my almost 3-year-old boy Camden. Along with our knucklehead dogs Angus & Maverick. They’re goofy and lovable. Or for short we call them Gus and Rick.
Why do you craft?
I craft because, like most of us, I have an appreciation for wood and the characteristics it has and what it becomes. I love being able to look past pallet wood’s original purpose and recreate something new. I also try to express myself with art into everything I make just to give it a new feel.
How did you learn to do wood crafts?
I learned to do wood crafts with a lot of trial and error techniques. Actually, oddly enough, I got inspired from pumpkin carving. It’s one of my favorite things. Then I remember, a long time ago, borrowing a friend’s jigsaw and really got to know that machine so I went and bought my own and got to carving.
How long have you been working with pallets?
I've been working with pallets for about 2 years now and love them. They have the coolest, roughed-up look I can never recreate with chains or hammers. And when I find one by a dumpster it's even better because I know I'm giving it a better purpose.
Why did you choose to work with pallets instead of purchased wood?
I prefer working with pallets for many reasons, but mostly because they already have wear and tear, and natural knots missing. Imperfections are perfect for me. I always try and keep the nail heads in my artwork to give it that raw look.
What are your can’t-live-without essentials?
There's not a lot in my workshop I can't truly live without. My essentials list is short just because I hate being "attached" to any materials. But as far as for my work I can't go without my saws, power drill, hammer, crow bar, blowtorch, and sander. They’re my hard workers. I also can't work without my wireless speaker. That's a must. But more importantly, my family keeps me going every day. They are my world.
Are there any brands that are your favorites?
For tool brands I love DeWalt, Rockwell and Black & Decker. For my wireless speaker, it's the JBL Flip. It’s the best out there.
How would you describe your crafting style?
My crafting style would have to be an "Island Lifestyle". I live by the beach and most of my artwork is sea life inspired. I have also done many custom pieces with other subject matter or styles, but I prefer the tropics.
Are there any crafters/artists/designers that you particularly look up to?
There are so many crafters out there that all inspire me to challenge myself and think outside the box and try to see things from different views. Too many artists to list but Dali has always been my artist I grew up studying and many tattoo artists that work with 3-D effects. It’s amazing what they can do with a needle. Detail is the key to finer artwork.
Where do you do your wood crafts? How would you describe your workspace? How did you make your workspace more functional and/or inspiring?
I do all my wood crafting at my house. I converted my garage into my art gallery where I paint/stain and next to my garage is my car port that I use for my wood working. My workspace is not that typical as you will see everything from fine art to skulls on shelves and everything between. My work space is art to me. Organized confusion is the best way to describe it. I thrive on creative chaos. This makes everything so much easier, because everything I do is from my home. When I want to have family time, I just shut the garage doors, sweep up the car port, dust myself off and I rejoin my normal life.
What types of things inspire you?
Living down here in Southwest Florida, there is inspiration everywhere you look. You just have to be able to stop and look at it and appreciate it without feeling the necessity of taking a selfie to post up. It's just the lifestyle down here that I find inspiring. But I do also get inspired every time somebody says, “Wow, did you cut that out with a laser cutter?” Nope! Just my jigsaw and my hands made that piece.
Where do you look for inspiration for a new woodcraft?
I look at all kinds of artwork all the time and I get inspired from ideas and try to blend them. Also, a lot of times my clients from that past will order a new piece with a theme in mind and that will get me inspired/excited to try something new. Change is always fun.
When do you feel the most creative?
I guess I feel most creative late night, after the little one is down for the day. It’s quiet, and I’m at peace. My toughest critic (besides myself) is my wife, but I’m glad of her input. It’ll get me thinking of ideas – or rethinking them - and then the chemistry starts. I’ll get the music playing and that’s the perfect setting for creativity.
We live in such a mass-produced, buy-it-now society. Why should people continue to make things by hand?
One of my biggest selling features is that every piece is one-of-a-kind and can't be duplicated. But that's mostly because of the wood. They absorb differently and each has its own characteristics and that makes it unique. Just to know it was handpicked, broken apart, sanded, etc., is such a quality in itself. In other words you won't find my artwork on Amazon anytime soon.
What is your favorite medium to work in (other than pallets)?
I also love to work with other related arts such as sketching and painting but I I’m also a bartender at a busy marina where I get to be creative and use local ingredients to make some of the best cocktails in the SW Florida. This is a craft that is taking off around the world and I love being a part of that scene.
What are your tips for people who'd like to start crafting? What are your most important safety tips when woodworking?
Tips for beginners: Try to have fun and don't get discouraged with your first attempts. That's how you learn and the next will be that much better. Also try to make a work space outside, not on your patio. The wood and tools will add up quickly and then your patio is a cluttered workshop with dust everywhere. Your other half won't be thrilled. Lastly be careful. Tearing apart a pallet is tough and dangerous, especially if you’re using saws. Also, know your tools. Practice on something easy first. Pallets have split boards with sharp ends, large nails waiting to pierce you and they're heavy. If you can get that pallet home, then you’re half way there. You can take apart an entire pallet with just a hammer. I've done that. But you can also learn dismantling techniques with saws, but once again, be CAREFUL! Watch some YouTube first.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Guilty pleasures would have to be collecting abstract art, my weird skull collection fascination, Halloween, horror films (old and new), Tattoos, loud music, Jeeps, boating, big dogs, and a few others.
What are some of your other hobbies or favorite things to do (other than crafting)?
A few hobbies I like to do are going to a certain beach with the family and collecting driftwood. I'm working on some cool table tops with using driftwood as the base. Other hobbies would include football, basketball, and soccer to stay active.
What are some of your best tips for breaking down, prepping, and cleaning pallets before you build with them?
The first thing you need to know is if the pallet you found is free for the taking, or does the company recycle them? If they do, you can't take that pallet. But there are plenty more around you can take. Next, make sure there are no chemical spills on it, like from a construction site. You don't want those. Once you break it apart you can either remove the nails by hammering them out in reverse or cut them off with a bolt cutter. Then it's time to sand. 80 grit works to get it down to smooth but finish with a 220.
Have you designed any special tools or jigs for wood crafts?
I don't have any hand-made tools I use but I have a variety of tools I use. I do like using my paints and stains for my projects and I make a lot of my own color combinations along with stain to give it a unique look. I try to imitate wood aging like barn wood or petrified wood. I've used all kinds of brushes that I've made; even using an old sock!
What are some wood working skills you really want to learn?
There are endless skills you can use in wood crafting. This has been going on since the dawn of time, haha! I would like to start working with bamboo soon but that's an entirely different operation I need to learn.
What is the one project you’re the proudest of so far?
I guess the piece I'm most proud of is my first one I ever made, which I still have. I have made many pieces that are hanging in million dollar homes as well as high-end restaurants and businesses and some of my favorites are the hammerhead shark, the hog fish, mermaid and the Marlin but my first one is my favorite. It's a very simple piece made of 7 boards with a song quote on it. I still think it’s very cool.
What else would you like to share with the pallet community?
The one thing I can share is to keep thinking of the possibilities. Take a pallet and turn it around. You have a 6 shelf herb garden you can throw up on a wall outside. You don't need to hammer a thing. Just try looking at things from a different view. Pallets are adult-sized Legos for us to build with. The online fascination is growing each day and now people appreciate it because there's a story behind each one. Let's keep this movement going!
If you’re ever in the Sarasota FL area, I am at the Siesta Key Farmers Market on Sundays displaying my art, and I would love to talk to you.
Editor’s note: Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us, and with our fellow Crafters. Your work is beautiful and inspiring to all of us, and we truly look forward to more from you in the future! Keep those gorgeous pieces coming!
Thanks Tim for this interview :)
To find more on Tim: Steller Artworks website.
Had an interview this morning at the green bus as my shoulder is geting no better so am having to look at going on the buses and forgeting the coach game for now. Seen parked on Hill Street is S881BYJ a Daf ND250 / Optare Spectra . So this week could well be my last week in the coach industry for the time being as time to face up to the fact i am having to stop doing it . Photo taken 10/02/14
Interview with Sam Cox The Doodle Man about his work and plans for world domination. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eml1DZOdWU
-Filmed and Edited by Christina Tsaou
I was interviewed many times during iStockalypse 2015 Tokyo. It was a 3-days event. I'll be on TVs (NHK and ... ) and magazines (at least Shutter Magazine ) in the near future. :)
SHUTTER magazine : www.shutter-mag.com/
I am delighted to be featured in a French blog of Ben, which you can read via the links below. Both French and English versions are available.
English version:
www.tudiscaparcequetesfache.com/james-yeung-2/
French version:
www.tudiscaparcequetesfache.com/james-yeung/
Again thank you for all the inspirations from you guys!
Just opened my Interviewer doll from JHD and I am happy with her.
The box design and quality is superb. Her outfit is fantastic as is her face paint and hair. Love that they have improved the hands. They are still a bit soft but far from the earlier rubber feel. She comes with earrings, a bracelet, a nice folder with inserts of the models' bio, and a stand. And an extra set of hands (BOTH pairs of hands have long nails. No cheapness there!)
At $130, she is amazing. I wish JHD could keep their dolls around the $150 mark. I'd buy more of them and look back even less at others.
Special THANKS to Sandra (trixiefishstabber) for doing a little interview with me and putting my work on her whimsical blog :)))!
So if you wanna know a little more about me, check it out!
trixiefishstabber.blogspot.com/2010/08/vladimir-stankovic...
am Marx-Engels-Denkmal, Berlin - Marx-Engels-Forum
Wegen der U-Bahn-Baustelle mussten die beiden an die Nordwestecke des Forums umziehen
An interview by Steve Turner 1971
We came together to talk about Grapefruit, Yoko's book of poems, and ended up talking about Jesus. Somewhere in between, we mentioned the Beatles. John and Yoko are currently facing the plight of 'super-stardom'. Within two weeks they had become the third set of artists I had met who were complaining of being sold as people rather then for their art or for their music. James Taylor was the first, complaining of being used only as a headline or a photograph to sell more newspapers, and Pete Townsend was equally determined that "he won't get fooled again" into being a "superstar".
"Being misunderstood", John explained, "is being treated as if I'd won the pools and married an Hawaiian dancer. In any other country we're treated with respect as artists, which we are. If I hadn't bought a house in Ascot I'd leave because I'm sick of it. It's only because it's such a nice house that I'm staying. I'm a fantastic patriot for Britain. Ask Yoko - I never stop selling it! But she finds it hard to love England when they never stop shitting on her."
Yoko feels very much the same way and is waiting rather apprehensively for the response to the paperback edition of Grapefruit. She's been feeling misunderstood for the past fifteen years and has come to the conclusion that she must be the supreme optimist to ever carry on. "I just get this feeling that it's going to be the same thing again, but I have to go on knocking on the door."
John says: "An artist is not usually respected in his own village, so he has to go to the next town. It's a bit of that with us really. I think it's also like Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan - they both died of drink. Artists always die of drugs, drink and all that. Like Jimi and Janis -it's just that they're so misunderstood and tortured that they kill themselves. I refuse to do that. I've found the way out. You are here, live for the day, minute by minute. That's the essential way."
"You are here", meaning that this is all we can know of life's purpose, is the pervading message behind the art of both John and Yoko, The message is short but conclusive. In his song God, John lists fifteen people and philosophies that he no longer believes in and claims that he has now arrived at a position where he only believes in, "Yoko and me/that's reality". When I asked him what he considered reality to be, he answered, "Reality is living, breathing, eating and dying". So, outside of the undeniable fact of our own existence they claim that there is no need for questions or answers. As far as any ultimate reason, purpose or meaning to this life is concerned, John states, "There isn't an end product to life or a reason for it, it just is, It's not a game, though," he assured me, "it's very serious."
"You are here", is the statement they offer, and "what you can do while you are here" seems to be the message behind Yoko's poetry. They all take the form of a simple instruction, often of a single line and are divided into sections titled Painting, Event, Dance, Film, Object etc. When life itself has no meaning, there is no reason why the activities we perform during that life should have any ultimate meaning either. This would seem to be the philosophy behind the poem Line Piece, which says "Draw a line/Erase a line" or Map Piece - "Draw a map to get lost". Probably the best poem in this line, once you have an understanding of the underlying philosophy, is the one line ‘Lighting Piece‘. Here it is important to see both the meaninglessness inherent and the allegory between the match and our lives. The poem says simply "Light a match and watch till it goes out" Without purpose we seem to have been brought down to the level of a matchstick, and our lives are as a flame which burns awhile and then extinguishes. The matchstick is then discarded.
Yoko of course, is no newcomer to the art world having been associated with such avant-garde artists and musicians as Andy Warhol and John Cage. Warhol has explained his own art as being, "to stop you thinking about things". Francis Bacon, another contemporary artist who shares the same philosophy, has said, "Man now realises that he is an accident, a completely futile being and that he can only attempt to beguile himself for a time. Art has become a game by which man distracts himself."
In these cases, art has lost its power of Man communicating ideas and emotions to Man. It merely becomes a game to amuse ourselves with while in death's absurd waiting rooms. I feel that it is absolutely necessary to understand the thoughts of John and Yoko before their art becomes understandable.
"People seem to be scared of being put on", says John, commenting on a recent review of Grapefruit."I don't understand people who say they don't understand it because even a seven year old can understand it,"says Yoko. I commented that it's not the how of the instructions that were misunderstood but the why? Yoko explained: "You see, we live and we die. In between that we eat and sleep and walk around - but that's not enough for us. We have to act out our madness in order to be sane."
I asked John whether he'd been influenced a lot by Yoko's ideas. "Yeah, it's great, It's amazing that we think so alike coming from different ends of the earth. She's come from a very upper class scene, going to school with the prince and all that shit, and I'm from wherever! It just shows that colour, class and creed don't come in the way of communication. You don't even have to speak the same language. We made a calendar with some Grapefruit quotes on and some from my books. The ideas behind it were quite similar. Yoko was a bit further out than me when we met - and I was pretty far out, you know - but she really opened my head up with all her work."
I wondered whether he found a great difference between the poetry that he puts into his songs and the poetry that Yoko writes. "The last album I made was very much the same as Yoko's poetry, There weren't many words to it. It was pretty simple and so is the one I've just made which is called Imagine. We work well together in music too, except when I'm doing completely straight rock. But things like Revolution Number 9 would make a good background for her voice." John reminded me that his meeting with Yoko hadn't been the factor that made him write his songs of personal statement. He was writing the same kind of song back in his days as a Beatle, but again he was famed for just 'being a Beatle' rather than for the content of his work. "Help was a personal statement, In My Life was a personal statement and so was I'm A Loser. I was always on that kick but they were just considered to be 'pop' songs at that time. That's why I gave it up. It was all Beatles."
Halfway through our interview, John went out of the room for a few minutes and returned with a magazine which had been sent into the Apple offices for him, the cover contained his picture and the inscription 'Dear John', indicating an open letter to him which was inside. "You ought to see this, This is a message to me from the Jesus people. This is the Jesus freaks in America." He then sat down again and began reading aloud:
"Dear John, I've been through a lot of trips with you. When I was down I put your records on and you'd bring me back to life. We've been up mountains together and I know you know where it's at. But the main reason I'm writing to you is to tell you of a friend I met last June. He said that he is the way, the truth and the life. I believed him and gave my life to him. I can see now how he can boast such a claim. Since then I've heard that you don't believe in him, but you can see in your eyes that you need him. Come on home Johnny, Love a friend."
"I think they've got a damn cheek, I think they're madmen. They need looking after." I reminded him that this same suggestion had often been levelled at himself and Yoko. "That's my opinion you know, You asked me what I thought and I think they're crackpots."
As our earlier conversation had been on the topic of prejudice and how to remove it from society, I asked John whether he wasn't himself guilty of prejudice here. "I don't think it's a prejudice I just think it's a lot of bullshit, I think it's the biggest joke on earth that everyone's talking about some imaginary thing in the sky that's going to save you and talking about life after death which nobody has ever proved or shown to be feasible. Why should we follow Jesus? I'll follow Yoko, I'll follow myself." John's opinion of the Jesus Freak cult, is that they are following in the same tradition that he and the rest of the Beatles followed when they enlisted with the Maharishi. "It's the same as I did when I went looking for gurus, It's because you're looking for the answer which everybody is supposedly looking for. You're looking for some kind of super-daddy. The reason for this is because we're never given enough love and touch as children."
On another subject John very much sympathised with the attitude that Spike Milligan had presented when he ended his TV documentary with the question of whether it was he that was insane or the man who drills holes in pieces of wood for fifty years. "That is complete insanity....Don't you see that the society creates insane people to do their insane work, so that they can wank each other off on fucking yachts. That's what it's all about. And everybody's screwing holes in and going to school and going to work so that fifty people in Britain can fuck about on yachts."
After these comments, and as a leg-pull, I suggested to John that he ought to have his very own political TV show. Taking it rather more seriously than I had intended, he stated With firmness, "I am a revolutionary artist, not a politician". At least it gave me an extra understanding of what John Lennon thought about John Lennon rather than what critic and journalist number 5739 thought about John Lennon. It is precisely this assertion that he is an artist, which is the difference between Beatle John and the post-dream John, ("The dream is over... Yesterday I was the walrus/but now I'm John").
Song writing is now just one of his arts as he dabbles further into the field of film, sculpture and happening. Yoko is certainly the person who harnessed and directed the Lennon potential but his talent has been evident for years. His anti-organised religion attitude was evident from his early books and as he himself said, the personal songs go back as early as I'm A Loser on the Beatles For Sale album. Previous to meeting Yoko he seemed to be a philosopher in search of a philosophy and an artist in search of something to say. Now with Yoko, he sings the songs explaining the philosophy which has made Yoko's poetry a possible and indeed valid art form.
John and Yoko are two very warming people to be with. They both speak as if draining knowledge from the same mind, feeding each other with ideas. John hasn't lost the humour which was enjoyed so much in the Beatle days and he pounces on any opportunity to make a crack. When you see a copy of Grapefruit, only laugh at it if you feel that what you are doing that day has more meaning to it than Yoko's instructions. When you get John's albums, use them as reference works to gain an understanding of his wife's poems. And then next time someone tells you that John and Yoko are a couple of crackpots who could do with two years in the army, tell them that they're a couple of misinterpreted but nevertheless brilliant artists who are honest to their beliefs, and tell them that it was I who said so.