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When baking in a Chalon Original Kitchen its a lot of fun but remember to save some cakes for the guests.
Another carver is working on a block sitting cross-legged at his worktable called a Horidai. Artworks from the studio decorate the walls, but I do not recognize any of the images.
Late afternoon September sun, streaming through a prism, sitting forgotten on a windowsill in the studio, transformed the rough leg of the worktable .
Size: 6”x6” framed
Tesserae: Scrap stained glass, wine bottle glass, broken glass bracelet.
The concept of ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’ is one I firmly believe in. My work often includes glass, or other enduring materials, that others would discard. When I’ve finished a mosaic, even the smallest cut-off ‘scrap’ glass is sorted into containers for possible future use. Our recycle bins reside near my workshop space and often glass is diverted from the bin to my worktable. Such interesting colors, curves, textures and shapes!
The initial inspiration for this piece came from a frame found at a local fundraising sale for a sick boy. It was likely a sample from a frame shop as, although it has the same texture throughout, it showcases two different color ways, light and shadow. The realization that my photo of an owl, which lives at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, has this same light/dark split confirmed this direction and decided my portrait subject. Continuing with the cast-off/recycled theme, I fitted the frame with a piece of scrap hardibacker concrete board and pulled out my containers of small scrap glass for his feathers. A broken glass bracelet, ground even thinner, worked perfectly for the outer ring of his eyes and a variety of green circles, nipped from wine bottles, added the feel of leaves to the background, but with contrasting shape and shine vs. the owl and frame. Grout colors (green, cream, wheat, grays…) were chosen and applied to enhance the background and his feather coloring and shading.
He is ready to live at your home with new hanging hardware (no, didn’t recycle here) and his backside is painted and signed.
Linda Pieroth Smith
Website: MosaicSmith.com
Contact: LindaSmith@MosaicSmith.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LindaPierothSmithMosaics
Blog: MosaicSmith.Blogspot.com
Florida, USA
Got this desk top in 5th grade. My Mom and Dad got it for me as a present from Ikea at the King of Prussia in PA when they surprised me by moving my room (then located in the smallest room in our home) to the larger front room which overlooked good old Jefferson Street.. Every homework assignment, book report, long night-all-nighter study-fest for math/english/biology/history/et. all tests were studied at this desk. First date phone call was made from this desk. Drivers license signed here. Pretty much every sketch, doodle, hair brain idea was hatched here. Then through college, then on to work / "professional career", every logo, project, jig, tooling spec, frame drawing. Everything. I shit you not. I've had it close to 3 decades. The original legs sucked and I'd catch them with my chair's wheels every time I'd rollout from under neath it. Just refinished it and mounted it to it's new frame. Can't wait for the next 3 decades of projects to unfold right from this table top.
Lower image shows the wings on my worktable I created for the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, with sketch by Jane Kennedy on upper left and photo of Daniela Braga on the runway on the upper left from Instagram account vsangels.
Worktable, scarves, shawls, bags and yellow re-vamped slip-dress. Blogged about at www.kirsten-fleurdeboheme.blogspot.com/ ; mandarineditalie.blogspot.com/ and tricotandoascores.blogspot.com/2009/07/fleur-de-boheme.html
I just loved the calligraphy in this 1920 French magazine article whose page was lying on my worktable.
My worktable is my old dining room table. Under the table I keep toys for my son to play with while I work. I painted the peg board so I have a framed out chalkboard on it.
boston, massachusetts
january 1971
metalsmith / jewelry maker
meeting house gallery, beacon hill
part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Image-use requests are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
"Captain’s Log Stardate 2315"
“No, that’s not it.”
"Long, long ago in a galaxy, far, far away"
“Quit procrastinating, Richi, you know you will feel better once you write it all down.”
“Your right, Riley, but it doesn’t help when you are reading over my shoulder. I need to be alone for a little while.”
“As, you wish.” Riley climbed down off the table and walked to the door. Before he reached the door, Richi called after him.
“But don’t go too far, Riley. I don’t like it when you are gone.”
“As you wish,” he said with a smile as he left Richi alone with her thoughts.
Richi stared at the blank page before her and began to write.
I thought Saturday was going to be a great day; we were going to visit one of Mama’s friends who believes in fairies. For some reason, a lot of adults don’t believe in fairies and Mama always told me that I would have to be careful around them. I would have to pretend to be a doll whenever a non-believer was around. I asked her once wouldn't they believe if they could see me? But she told me no, they would just do everything they could to make you not real and possibly harm you in the process. I shuddered at the thought, but I wasn't worried. Mama usually keeps me safe in her purse when necessary.
We had set up my worktable so that I could help sew when someone new arrived. Riley and I went into “toy” mode, while Mama got to know them. When you are used to being able to move around as you please, it is very hard to sit still and look mindless, but I can do it when I need to. The mother ignored me, but her daughter looked interested. She seemed the careful sort, so I was looking forward to a day of chatting and laughter with her like I do with our Lili. I could not have been more wrong. We should have been more wary when she arrived without a doll or stuffed toy, only electronics. When her mother got busy, the girl came to visit.
“Why do you have a doll?”
“ I like dolls,” Mama replied. “Richi is a fairy….”
“What is this?” the girl said picking up my favorite wand.
“It’s her wand.”
“Why does she have a wand?”
“Richi is a fairy and fairies need wands to direct their magic.”
“Fairies and magic aren’t real,” the girl answered.
I gasped and Riley snorted, but she didn’t hear us. She was too busy explaining to Mama, why we couldn’t be real.
Mama cut her off firmly, “My toys, my world, I will just put her away.”
“But, I want to play with your toys, “the girl said.
I almost got away, but the girl’s mother came with Mama’s friend.
“Bri is a very careful child and will be careful with your things.” The mother looked expectant and Mama’s friend looked pleading. She really needed the woman’s help and they could only stay if the child, Bri was occupied.
Mama stroked my hair in apology, before answering.
“Of course, but I would ask that she not move any of my things from the table.”
“Do you understand the rules, Bri? “
“Yes, Mommy,” the girl said.
Mama stayed with me as long as she could, but finally had to leave me alone with the Bri for the longest afternoon of my life.
Yes I am one of "those" types ~ extremely right brained.
I always have a bunch of projects at once. My ultimate studio space would have a separate table for each technique...I would need a 2,000 plus sq foot loft.
There would be the drawing and painting table. Along with great flat files for the large pastels and paintings on paper I used to do. And storage for all the p[aints and mediums. and a big easel.
The yarn/ cords, and fibers need good organizing...by color. Crochet, knitting needles ...all need a dedicated place too. Along with the specific magazines and books for these crafts
The fabrics and sewing machine table plus a lot of shelf storage. I have fabrics, and three full size sewing machines....all inherited or picked up over 45 years of life.
Beads and buttons...along with the jewelry making work area. That is going to be large and very organized. And all those tools...like the dremel, and vice, and...I would love to get back into enameling agin...so a tiny kiln..and all the powders....ha!
Then wood amd metal working tools...and a table saw, router, and so much more...a dedicated tool shop with a dust free vacumn system. Ha Ha!
Oh, and a safe spray booth for all the chemicals I use. No fun working in my bedroom with a respirator now...
Then I would LOVe to have a large kiln and get back into ceramics...that needs a LOT of space.
My head hurts...but its fun dreaming about all this. If I did have all this...I would not have time...and that would be key. :-) TIME is REALLY what I need.
Or should it be "You wanna piece of me?"
Jester back when he was lolling around on my worktable a couple of weeks ago. How did I miss this one?
Specialist equipment is made available to users of this science lab. Tables are arranged so as to allow group collaborative work. Electricity points are located at convenient points. A white board and a ceiling mounted projector are available. Artificial lighting supplements the natural light in the room. The seating offered suits the needs of the users and the dimensions of the worktables.
This classic Chalon Concave corner kitchen, with a round Worktable was the perfect place to relax and chat.
I left a puka (an opening) at my worktable so I have a spot where I can draw, write, what ever. On the other side of the worktable is where my sewing machine is, and there's a puka there too. I can even tunnel my way to the otherside, should I choose too. And I choose not to. BUT... I do have a nice big cave to hold batting and stuff. More "stuff" then actual batting.
It's also where the dogs hide their bones, tennis balls and chewed up socks.
Principal Rembert Seaward and Washington Capitals' hockey mascot Slapshot give each other a hug after compare arms-to-wings to see who has more muscles, when U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) People’s Garden Executive Master Gardeners, friends, and family, along with Washington Capitals fans volunteer in District of Columbia Public Schools’ (DCPS) Beautification Day, on Saturday, August 25, 2012, at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, in Washington, D.C. Each year people are invited to help “spruce up” public school facilities in preparation for the first day of school. More the 70 volunteers pitched in at this large school facility. The People’s Garden effort involves building and painting raised planter boxes, then preparing the soil mixture so they are “ready to grow.” Additionally, a team that includes descendants of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall assembles a prefabricated garden toolshed. The Justice’s son, John Marshall leads the team, which includes Brianna the Justice’s great-grand daughter in one of many multi-generational efforts at this school today. Washington Capitals Forward Mike Riberio, his family and mascot Slapshot participated in every project underway at Marshall School. From the outside gardens, to inside murals, and robotics worktable construction, the teams made their goals. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Getting closer to being done with her now. I'm at the detailing stage and I'm having a lot of fun.
After working on this little sea princess I want one of my own. Oh well, maybe one day!
Neutral postcard from bits on my worktable. Acrylic paint on recycled cardboard box, herb bag for soup, vintage meat words
Lots of mushie ideas in my Sketchbook ^_^
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Muchas ideas en mi Sketchbook
Washington Capitals' hockey mascot Slapshot gives his redesign of planter box uprights, a thumbs-up, to the volunteers that happily try to explain that uprights need to be up, and at a right-angle to the base, when U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) People’s Garden Executive Master Gardeners, friends, and family, along with Washington Capitals fans volunteer in District of Columbia Public Schools’ (DCPS) Beautification Day, on Saturday, August 25, 2012, at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, in Washington, D.C. Each year people are invited to help “spruce up” public school facilities in preparation for the first day of school. More the 70 volunteers pitched in at this large school facility. The People’s Garden effort involves building and painting raised planter boxes, then preparing the soil mixture so they are “ready to grow.” Additionally, a team that includes descendants of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall assembles a prefabricated garden toolshed. The Justice’s son, John Marshall leads the team, which includes Brianna the Justice’s great-grand daughter in one of many multi-generational efforts at this school today. Washington Capitals Forward Mike Riberio, his family and mascot Slapshot participated in every project underway at Marshall School. From the outside gardens, to inside murals, and robotics worktable construction, the teams made their goals. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Take one talented nine-year-old with a vivid imagination and love of everything Harry Potter. Add her miniature-making grandmother with a drawer full of woodland supplies and anything might happen.
Once Ellie decided she wanted to do a “Potter” room box, it set me thinking. Her project would have to be something not too large or complicated (Hogwarts was out) and not too expensive (ditto a magic shop). Hagrid’s house -- or hut, as it’s called -- seemed the perfect compromise. So imagine my delight, when asked if she had any ideas, Ellie’s immediate response was “Hagrid’s Hut, Grammy.” There may be 60+ years difference in our ages, but we’re sure on the same wavelength!
Now Ellie has read all the J. K. Rowling books; in fact, some of her favorites she’s read at least three times each. Naturally, she’s a great fan of the films and was adamant we depict the hut from the earlier films, not the latter. Didn’t know there was a difference, did you? Neither did I.
Once Ellie selected the background photo, had it enlarged at a local print shop and glued it on three walls of the box for her, then Ellie took over. She began using paper clay to shape the forest floor so that it sloped down toward the glen where the structure’s located. Also modeled from clay were four large rocks for the house to rest on.
As Ellie stippled three paint colors on the floor, I started shaping walls, using first a paper pattern, then cardboard, finally cutting pieces from foam core, which were taped together. After she painted the exterior walls, Ellie began gluing on fieldstones. I cut a length of ¾” X ¾” wood for the chimney that she also covered with rocks.
Using trees from a Diorama kit, Ellie assembled and painted them. As I worked on producing shapes for the roof, she pressed birdcage gravel into white glue to create a pathway. After a brief lesson in perspective, Ellie realized the path needed to taper as it reached the back wall and smaller trees should be placed behind larger ones.
Ellie built and stained a door while I constructed the stairs. One side note: I had purchased a pair of metal hinges for the front door. “Oh no, Grammy,” she insisted. “It opens in so you won’t see any hinges from the front.” Warning to grandparents everywhere: be prepared for nine-year-old experts.
It was her idea to have Harry standing on the top step rapping, which meant cutting a ball from his hand, then painting over it with flesh-colored paint. She also cut a wand from Ron’s hand and a flute from Hermione’s. The latter created a small problem because it left the girl’s hands in a strange position. “She can stand with her back to the front,” Ellie determined. That’s the mark of a true miniaturist, solving problems as they pop up.
What happened next blew me away. I left four bottles of acrylic paint on the worktable and headed off to get dinner. With absolutely no coaching from me, my talented young granddaughter began texturing the rocks.
Finally, we had to make a determination about the roof. Because neither of us was quite sure what it was made from, we decided to create one of “metal”. After file cards were cut to shape, Ellie covered them with copper paint, adding moss once that dried.
Locating the small Potter figures was the most difficult part of this entire project. I spent hours and hours on the Internet trying to find something in the correct scale. And, just as I was about to give up on the entire idea, there they were: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid, the White Owl and Fluffy (the three-headed dog). It was a good thing I grabbed them for I never found anything in that 3” size again.
Ellie was delighted when she discovered the small chair and cart amongst some items left from one of my earlier projects. It was her idea to place bark in the cart.
And so, in her debut as a mini-maker, we proudly present Eleanor’s interpretation of Hagrid’s Hut, a room box in ½” scale, based on the popular Harry Potter series.
we recently re-arranged my 'press corner' into a part of our bedroom for many reasons, but i'm excited, it's now against one wall together, and looks much better. i am so excited and inspired to get going this season! next goal: new worktable!
Woodworking is the activity or skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first material worked by early humans. The development of civilisation was closely tied to the development of increasingly greater degrees of skill in working these materials.
Historically, woodworkers relied upon the woods native to their region, until transportation and trade innovations made more exotic woods available to the craftsman.
With the advances in modern technology and the demands of the industry, woodwork as a field has changed. We are now able to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often more complex in design than ever before.
Rechargeable power tools speed up the creation of many projects and require much less body strength than in the past. Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. There remains a demand for hand-crafted work such as furniture and arts, however with rate and cost of production, the cost for consumers is much higher.
Description source:
View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
Skin: Essences - Jamie in Medium.02 (gift) ♥
Hair: D!va - "Naomi" in Black Amber (comes with/without texture change scarf; past gift)
Eyes: VerseEye - Rhythm in Pink
Shirt: Milk Motion - Queen tee in white (gift)
Pants: MAAI - "Toot" pants in Peach (new!)
Shoes: Insanya - Kat Boots Sport in Black
Glasses: !df - Round Glasses (not available anymore)
Poses: Frakture Poses - Female model/blogger 2 & Male model/blogger 1 (SLFO gift)
Canvas sign: Free Bird - Darker Side Canvas (Erotigacha item)
Table: Soy - worktable (gift)
Folded shirts: Soy - Folded Tee (gift)
Flowers: The Mustard Seed - hydrangeas in vintage vase
Books: BananaN - full perm mesh book (not available anymore)
Coffee: Dutchie - Coffee mug stand (marketplace gift)
Key: EntecMedia - skeleton key 5 (marketplace gift)
Open book: What Next - Alone reading book (wear me)
(Note: I had to remove the links from flickr. This was an older sponsored post that might no longer be available on my blog.)
89th Airlift Wing
Andrews AFB
An unexpected Boeing C-40B VIP was out at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Williams Gateway "Willie") on Saturday. He spent almost two hours in the pattern doing touch-and-go's. He spent so much time in the pattern that Joe and I were able to get right under him for a few of his approaches.
89th Airlift Wing
The 89th Airlift Wing (89 AW) of the United States Air Force is based at Andrews Air Force Base, MD. The 89th Airlift Wing provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications for the President, Vice President, Combat Commanders, senior leaders and the global mobility system as tasked by the White House, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Air Mobility Command.
C-40B
Mission
The C-40B provides safe, comfortable and reliable transportation for U.S. leaders to locations around the world. The C-40B's customers include members of the Cabinet and Congress. The aircraft also perform other operational support missions.
Features
The C-40B is based upon the commercial Boeing 737-700 Business Jet. The body of the C-40 is identical to that of the Boeing 737-700. Both models have state of the art avionics equipment, integrated Global Positioning System and Flight Management System/Electronic Flight Instrument System and a heads up display. Heading the safety equipment list is the Traffic Collision Avoidance System and enhanced weather radar. The aircraft is a variant of the Boeing next generation 737-700, and combines the 737-700 fuselage with the wings and landing gear from the larger and heavier 737-800. The basic aircraft has auxiliary fuel tanks, missionized interior with self-sustainment features and managed passenger communications.
The cabin area is equipped with a crew rest area, distinguished visitor compartment with sleep accommodations, two galleys and business class seating with worktables.
The C-40B is designed to be an "office in the sky" for senior military and government leaders. Communications are paramount aboard the C-40B which provides broadband data/video transmit and receive capability as well as clear and secure voice and data communication. It gives combatant commanders the ability to conduct business anywhere around the world using on-board Internet and local area network connections, improved telephones, satellites, television monitors, and facsimile and copy machines. The C-40B also has a computer-based passenger data system.
I pushed whimsy all the way into making a movie, one of my favorite movies I've ever made....a movie that absolutely changed my life....Push whimsy; that's all I'm gonna say.
Never mind what the marketplace demands. Nobody's looking for a movie about a guy who turns another guy into a walrus except you. Make it the ultimate movie that you wanna watch.
Let's see how weird we can take this.
– Writer/Director Kevin Smith on making Tusk
What kind of movie is this?
In Tusk, a horror movie written and directed by Kevin Smith, controversial podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) gets into a bad situation while looking for a story for next week's episode. He meets old seafaring adventurer Howard Howe (Michael Parks), who has a story to tell and a hidden agenda. Eventually, Mr. Howe reveals that, while trapped on an island, he formed a life-changing connection to a walrus and, since then, intends to find someone to replace his long-lost friend. Wallace's podcast partner (Haley Joel Osment) and girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) become alarmed by phone messages from Wallace, saying that he's in the backwoods of Canada, trapped in a creepy house with a crazy guy who wants to turn him into a walrus. So, they set off to rescue him with the help of a special investigator who's already on the trail.
Why does Johnny have to be in this movie?
I've never been so freaked out about seeing a movie. You might remember that, these days, scary movies really scare me. I must have watched An American Werewolf in London and Poltergeist too many times as a kid.
When Tusk arrived in D.C., I planned to see it in the middle of the afternoon so that I'd be able to go home in broad daylight and have the rest of the day to shake it off. As it happened, however, I was out of town over opening weekend and realized the following Thursday that Tusk wasn't going to last in theaters. I had to go that night, if at all. I texted my dilemma to a friend, who always helps me reason these things out:
- Me: I think Tusk is leaving local theaters today. I might have to see it tonight, in the dark.
- Her: Don't do it! For your own sake!
- Me: Really? Is it THAT bad?
- Her: It depends on your tolerance, but the trailers are not encouraging.
- Me: I know, yet I'm hoping for some Kevin Smith humor to diffuse things...I'm reading moviegoer reviews...
- Me, a little later: Reviews are not helping to make up my mind.
I made it across the street from my apartment before I realized that my friend is right: there is no shame in waiting for the DVD so that I could be freaked out in the comfort of my own apartment with my cat for company. Netflix delivered Tusk to me in January, and I texted my friend the news:
- Me: I just watched Tusk and survived.
- Her: Ewww!
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really like this movie! I started out peeking through my fingers to watch it, waiting for something sudden, awful, and disgusting to happen. I was cozy under a blanket with my cat by my side and found myself entertained, intrigued, and impressed.
See where creativity can lead?
I think most people know Kevin Smith from his popular films Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. As his popularity grew, so did his studio offers. One of the best things about Kevin Smith's work, though, is that he fully immerses himself in it by writing the story and script and filming it as he sees it. When he started getting hired as a director for movies he had nothing to do with developing, he didn't see the point and became disenchanted by the movie business. So, he walked away from Hollywood, content to make a decent living doing other things, like making live appearances about his work and podcasting.
Since 2007, Kevin Smith has been broadcasting podcasts (or SModcasts, as he calls them) through his company, SModCo. During his SModcast, called "The Walrus and The Carpenter," he mentioned an ad that he saw in a British newspaper: someone has a room to rent, and all you have to do to live there is dress up like a walrus for 2 hours every day. "The line that really captured my imagination was, 'I have for some time been constructing a realistic walrus costume.'" The story was a hoax, but by the end of the podcast, Kevin Smith had worked out a horror flick based on the story. He called for the opinions of his listeners: if they want to see this movie, tell him through Twitter by using #WalrusYes. If not, use #WalrusNo. More people responded positively, so he got started on a script. "I could've been stopped any step of the way," he says. "I could've been stopped easily, but I just pushed whimsy every day. I said, 'let me see how far I can take this.'" Along the way, many people encouraged him because they just wanted to see if he could pull off this crazy idea.
Why didn't this horror movie traumatize me as expected?
Apparently, Kevin Smith and I love movies for the same reasons.
Good acting gets us every time; it beats car chases and explosions, hands down. "The movie magic to me is always performance. Acting is the real magic trick of movies to me – that goes beyond even movies, into theater and stuff like that – telling a lie that tells the truth. So for me, the idea of Tusk was a movie about acting. It's an acting movie. It's actor porn. It's like watching people delve so deeply into their character that you forget."
Michael Parks is in some things I've seen, like the Twin Peaks TV series, Kill Bill Volume 1, and Argo, but I don't remember him in those. In Tusk, he's amazing as a calm, creepy psycho. I was hooked very early on by his lengthy conversations with Justin Long, which slowly reveal that he's off his rocker. As Kevin Smith says, this is Michael Parks's movie.
Kevin Smith takes the best approach to horror.
Because this movie is so focused on the actors' performances, you only get suggestions of something disgusting. I appreciate that! This movie only shows a few glimpses of blood and gore and let's your imagination do the rest. Your imagination can probably create something scarier than anything anyone could physically show you. The gross factor is not overplayed in Tusk. It's on film purposefully, though the premise of Tusk does call for a little shock value: after all, this crazy guy has a hostage whom he plans to turn into a walrus. Be prepared: you will see some making of a walrus costume out of disgusting materials. You will see the walrus costume itself, which is disgusting (especially when you think about how it was made and with what).
But don't worry; it's movie magic! Makeup and special effects expert Robert Kurtzman created the walrus costume lovingly, thoughtfully, and with skilled detail. "Where I think Bob really earns his money is in the eyes, Production Designer John D. Kretschmer says. "He created these wonderful imaginary creatures for the show, and for several weeks, we saw the creatures on the worktable, but what really surprised me is how elegantly and seamlessly he can join the actor to the creature. The money's in the eyes – the expression, the emotion, stuff that prevailed in the walrus suit is amazing, and that's truly where I see his genius." I can handle it when you put it that way.
Kevin Smith is a clever writer and makes me laugh.
As I had hoped, Kevin Smith did for Tusk's script what he does for all his scripts. Tusk is infused with smart dialogue and his sense of humor. What you get is a great mix of creepiness and horror with a wink to the over-the-top ridiculousness of this situation. "Tusk is best viewed through a comedic lens," he says. Some lines in this movie made me laugh out loud. One of my favorite conversations follows, courtesy of Hayley Joel Osment as Wallace's best friend Teddy and Johnny Depp as investigator Guy LaPointe:
- Guy: "These are guns."
- Teddy: "I don't want one."
- Guy: "You don't want a gun? What kind of American are you?"
- Teddy: "The kind that's never used a gun before!"
Can you believe I haven't mentioned Johnny until now?
Johnny's involvement in Tusk was kept pretty well under wraps. The credits even say that "Guy LaPointe" is played by Guy LaPointe. I found out about his secret role through other fans and eagerly awaited this collaboration with Kevin Smith, despite my reservations about the genre. Guy LaPointe is a character from one of Kevin Smith's older SModcasts. Originally, Quentin Tarantino was approached to play the part but turned it down to focus on non-acting pursuits. I'm glad because I immediately fell in love with Johnny's performance – the accent, mannerisms, and humor. I should disclose that I was also very relieved to see him and that he offered some laughs after all the stress that Michael Parks was inflicting on me. Some reviewers think that Johnny's performance in Tusk is out of place but most were just surprised by it and his unrecognizable look. Entertainment Weekly's synopsis of Tusk recommended, "Wait until an uncredited A-lister (we won't say who) turns up two-thirds of the way through to hand in his most berserk performance to date (and that's saying something)." I won't ruin it for you, but I agree.
The Kitties are in Canada
The most exciting thing about this movie for me is that Johnny's daughter Lily-Rose makes her screen debut. Kevin Smith's daughter Harley is always in his movies somehow, but Tusk offers her first speaking role as a teenage store clerk. I think Kevin Smith and Johnny have been good friends since their daughters met in kindergarten, and the day Harley shot her scenes, Lily-Rose came to the set. Kevin asked Johnny if he thought she'd want to be in the scenes with Harley, they asked, and stars were born!
Aside from these girls' convincing performances as teens tied to their cell phones and bored by their after-school jobs, I love the store's Canadian decor with a bunch of flags of all sizes, tourist traps, and a wall of maple syrup. I also love that when Guy LaPointe does his trick with the pad of paper, Teddy (Comet) explains to Wallace's girlfriend (Ashes) that it was done in The Big Lebowski (because that's the first thing I thought of when he started scratching away with that pencil).
Tusk is among Kevin Smith's favorite film experiences for many reasons:
- It gave him the opportunity to share the creative process with his fans from start to finish. The moment of inspiration and brainstorming phase are captured on that infamous SModcast episode. His followers encouraged him from the beginning to move his idea forward, and they watched it grow from there to silver screen.
- The experience of making Tusk was similar to that of Clerks: he was making a movie because he wanted to see it, and he did whatever he could to take his inspiration as far as it could go. The experience reawakened his love for filmmaking.
- He worked with his daughter and witnessed how she and Lily-Rose discovered how much they liked acting. Their few scenes in this movie led him to write another movie, called Yoga Hosers, in which they are central characters. (Guy LaPointe returns in that movie too!) In fact, Kevin Smith was so inspired by Tusk that he turned it into The True North Trilogy. Can you guess what the third installment, Moose Jaws, is about?
- Because of Tusk, he has the money to finance Clerks 3, a sequel that continues Kevin Smith's cult classic.
See what can happen when you get the silliest of ideas and a little encouragement? Kevin Smith is a believer and he hopes we all are too: "It costs you nothing to pat an artist on the back, man, and the potential yield from it: maybe you get your favorite movie, a song that saves your life, or an idea where you get to express yourself through art. Keep doing that! People who are really profoundly affected by the movie, they're going to make some art, and that to me is one of the many reasons the whole journey was worth it, man. That's a cool thing! Art begets art, even weird art." I'm a little late to the party, but #WalrusYes!
Johnny seems more like himself here.
In 2013, Johnny made a quick appearance in a film called Lucky Them. In this movie, a music journalist (Toni Colette), whose musician boyfriend released a spectacular and hugely popular debut album and soon after disappeared, is tasked with trying to find him 10 years later. As I watched this movie, at first, I was unsympathetic toward Toni Collette's unlikeable character until I realized that, if I were traumatized by my boyfriend's disappearance and possible suicide, I'd probably be pretty messed up too. Then, the ending credits turned me into a fan of this movie. It is sweetly dedicated to one of my heros, Paul Newman, and produced by his wife Joanne Woodward! Here's the scoop:
Lucky Them is written by Emily Wachtel, who is great friends with one of Paul Newman's daughters. He read drafts of her script, gave her some advice about it, and even planned to be in the movie. Years went by, he got sick and died, and his wife helped out once the project started to gain momentum. Johnny was the first choice for his role, and I see why the character appeals to him. Besides that, a couple of his old friends are in this movie: Thomas Hayden Church, whom he first met on the set of 21 Jump Street, and Oliver Platt, with whom he costarred in Benny and Joon). For me, Lucky Them is as close as I'm going to get to my dream of having Johnny and Paul Newman work together. I'll take it, even if one of them is only helping out in eternal spirit.
And I think Johnny did this too.
Though they haven't confirmed it, evidence is out that Johnny and Amber Heard, his costar in The Rum Diary, got married last month in a private ceremony at home in Los Angeles on February 3. They followed that with a fancier ceremony and party the following weekend on Johnny's private island in the Caribbean. Congratulations to the happy couple. I'd share photos, but they're not.
What's next?
Let's go Into the Woods, but beware the Big, Bad Wolf! This DVD is set for release on March 24, 2015. A Johnny Kitties tribute to it will soon follow.
To read this original blog post and see images from the movie, visit Melissa's Kitties blog: melissaconnolly.blogspot.com/2015/03/johnny-kitties-celeb.... While there, you can find all other Johnny Kitties blog posts and artwork on Melissa's Kitties' new Johnny Kitties page: melissaconnolly.blogspot.com/p/johnny-kitties-celebrating.... Enjoy!