80 degrees, windy, fast moving pregnant clouds, a moment of real sun. A wave of a front passed early morning. there was a break, then a second wave of the front passed in the afternoon right after I had packed up and was about to go home. It is sunny after the second wave passed. This weather report was brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.
Surprise, surprise, I did woodworking on a Friday. I had some stuff I wanted to do in preparation for the art show. I handled today like a Sunday, leaving a bit later than I would on a Saturday. I got to sleep in a little.
One project I had was I wanted pictures of everything on a sheet, so I could write the prices, and then mark what was sold. I started pulling the pictures into my drawing program, then realized this was going to be a big project. I then remembered that my printer will do "contact sheets" of all the pictures. That works. I have to remove some pictures from the sheet as they are from the club or not woodworking related. it will work, though.
I also had taken the time to take pictures of everything so with just a few exceptions, I have everything that will be on display.
I have worked on painting the baby dragon. I am getting close to where I can say it is presentable. I planned only having three colors on it white it was painted over all, a red that I covered much of it, then blue. Well the blue came out really dark and seamed to ruin it, so I added yellow so the blue became a thin line of color. It helped. It is about the best it has been painted so far. I am at the stage where I am correcting corrections. I am not careful with the brush and the paint will go where it does not belong, so I will touch up those parts. it will be right soon. This is a carving I want to make several of. Other than the color, I like the way this carving looks compared to the candle it is based on. I know I can do better too. it helps to have something to go by. I did not want the candle where it can become damaged, so I had to go by guess and by golly a on a few features.
Baby dragon before final touch up painting
I brought all my pieces to be displayed, along with some racks to help display them with me. I saw we were dealing with a front, so I chose not to bring extra boxes for the larger carvings.
After checking the radar after arriving, I set up the tables to practice with my display. Mom had a quarter inch sheet of plywood that I laid on the tables. This was better than the board system I was using as it was more stable and bigger. I got my full eight food by three foot size to practice with. One change I made was I brought a stainless steel dish drainer and silverware basket with me. My wooden silverware went into the basket, and the saucers and a natural edged bowl and a few plates went in the drainer. this freed up space for me to display some of my relief carvings I have.
I did not bring out my big carvings, and I left my small stuff in their baggies. Part of this was because I had no way to really judge when the weather would appear, and partly due to laziness. I did have the rest of the stuff on the table. I don't like my display much. I will work on it some more tomorrow. it will be a full display and I will work to get it right. I will then work out the best way to put things away to speed the project of getting them out quickly on Sunday.
Satisfied with what I had, I then packed things up and took down the tables.
I had been looking all over for my beer stein. I wanted to sand and varnish it. Well, I found it today. It was on a gardening table next to the woodworking shed. It had been outside all week long, in the wind, sun and rain. Some of the glue got a little wet. I let it dry for a few hours, then took time and sanded it really good. I got rid of some problems it had. The handle feels better too.
Once I got home, I stuck that in boiled linseed oil and will soak it for at least three days, likely longer, then let it dry for at least a month before I do any finishing on it. Since the cup of the stein is Norfolk Island Pine, the oil will make it translucent. One will be able to put a light in it and see the light through it.
I had nearly all my knives with me and I took the time to sharpen them. One knife had a few little chips on the edge, so I flattened the edge past the chips, then sharpened it all over again. I tested them out on some yellow pine. they are all nice and sharp now.
This is a practice I do every year before the show. I make sure all my knives are shaving sharp. I carve during the show and have had the knives chip or get dull while working. If I hold off on sharpening too long, it becomes a long process to correct the dullness of the blade. it is faster to just grab another knife and continue carving. Usually, though, I will simply strop the blade when I stop for a moment to do something.
I took some pencil head blanks and worked on them a little. I used one for the knife test and trimmed corners off a couple others. I will do more on them tomorrow so they will be ready to work with.
It was about one, I put everything away and got ready to go. That was when some drops started falling. There was a fairly light drizzle the entire time that the remains of the front passed over us.
I had forgotten some projects at home that I wanted to work on. that will be the main thing for tomorrow. I will work on those projects after I set up my display and work out some details. it will be a full dress rehearsal and I will make sure everything is satisfactory, then will try to put things away so it will make for a quick setup the morning of the show. The sooner things are on the table, the longer time I have to make sure it is presentable.
During the next week, I will sort through my stuff, get them put away, and also get a bin ready of stuff I want to take to the antique shop for display on Friday.
I do know that on Sunday, I will be wore out when I get home.
I will see what I actually do tomorrow.
year 10, Week 11, Day two (week 533) (January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.) 03-27-10 Saturday
60 degrees AM when I got to Mom's house, 80 degrees by noon. Light breeze that just moved the light leaves, blue skies, a bit of white puffs over the everglades most of the day. This Weather report was brought to you by the City of Pompano Beach Department Of Tourism.
The beast came to me in the form of a cat, about five times during the day. He ate each time, but what he really wanted was attention. I sat and petted him for long periods each time, but several times cut the attention short. One problem is that I would sit down and start petting him, then remember several things I needed to get up to do. Even at his worst today, he was a nice kitty. He now PRETENDS to have an attitude.
I got out the tables and set up my display. I examined it as I was setting things up. I looked at it from different sides moved things around. it took a couple hours to have everything on the table. I did not like the way it looked, so I changed it. I did this several times. items swapped, I would line some things up going back, then change them to line on an angle, I would then make an arc around something.
I took stuff off the wire racks I had to prop things up, and put some table covers over the racks. I had picked up white plastic party table covers at the dollar store. Some I cut in half, others I used whole. I would drape the sheet over the table set the racks on top the edge, then pull the sheet over the racks to dangle behind the table. Since I unfolded it the minimum to cover, it did not dangle much. it did improve the appearance.
I had an arrangement that was passable but did not like it. It was all one elevation. I took a couple boxes and did the cover thing on them too. that raised several pieces up above the rest. that was also an improvement.
I have some stepped racks, where they give two or three levels to set things I covered them too. Rather than looking at wire racks, they are a slightly bit more elegant set up. I needed to add a bit more time on them but it showed what can be done to hide the underpinnings.
I touched up the baby dragon carving's paint job. I finally have it acceptable. It is not perfect, but is acceptable. I had the multi color on the top of the muzzle, and it looked like she was wearing a mask. I ended up removing the multi color so that there is color on the side of her head, and the stripes on her bak stop on her eye brows. Big improvement. I won't make any more changes. I have had enough. I will make a new one and paint on that
I had a leaf bowl, where it looks like it was just leaves stitched together to make a bowl. I bumped one thing, that bumped another and it and something else fell to the ground. the bowl, which I was careful with all along, broke into several pieces. I picked them up, compared where they are supposed to go and there appears to be a piece missing. I looked all over and could not see it.
leaf bowl before I broke it
I doubt I can assemble it again, but I will figure out how to make use of it anyway. I might make it part of something else. It was good carving.
Leaf bowl after I broke it.
I finally packed things up. I started at one end of the table and set them in the bin, piece by piece, or for the small stuff, bag by bag. when that bin was full, I then filled the second bin. Finally, my large carvings went into a few boxes.
I have less boxes than I usually take to the art show, but it will still be a big load.
It will take about four trips from the truck to the table to be loaded up.
I painted the ends of the bananas, adding black paint to represent the darkening on the ends. I started adding streaks of black down the side on two, but did not like the effect, so I sanded that off and sprayed it freshly with varnish. After the varnish dried, I did just the ends like I did on the first couple.
When I set up tomorrow, I will make some changes I thought of after I was done. I won't be satisfied with my display, but it won't be horrible. It was better than my first attempt last week.
Tomorrow is the show. I will carve on pencil heads and talk to visitors. I know from experience that I will be wore out when the show is over. I tend not to take breaks.
A perfect show is where you leave with empty boxes and a full wallet.
I will see what happens tomorrow
year 10, Week 11, Day three (week 533) (January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.) 03-28-10 Sunday
Mid 60s in morning, 80 as the high, high humidity, clouds looked pregnant all day long, really brisk breeze. Several people placed outside had to change their arrangements because of the wind. Beyond the threat and the breeze, it as a very good day. Last year, they were complaining about it being so hot.
This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Lighthouse Point Department Of Tourism.
Today was the art show. I started by getting to Mom's house after seven, and loading up the truck. I had every thing set up so loading was easy.
I then gave the beast thing, that resembles a cat, a lot of attention. That was what he needed. He was in a very good mood.
I left and arrived at the art show, about two miles a way, by eight and they were already going in. Three trips, one where I moved the truck where it needed to park for the show, and I had everything at my table.
I use a wooden children's wagon to move things. it works perfectly for moving a lot of stuff safely.
I had my display set up by about ten. I looked around at the other art. some brilliant ideas. it was fun to see that kind of art. I should have taken pictures but for some reason did not. I did not even take enough pictures of my display.
My table display at the art show
We had a brunch which was excellent. I over ate. they had it where I could have gone for a whole lot more, but I just did not have any room for it. Several people mentioned my weight loss. twenty pounds in the past year.
I returned to my table and had to mess with the stuff behind my table before I could settle down and start carving pencil heads.
I ended up carving three pencil heads, these are wood heads on top a pencil. all three were designed to be carved with beards, but I carved one with long hair instead, by placing the beared part in back. I sold one of the new heads a while after I set it out on display.
Children loved the pencil heads, and also the shaving flowers.
The shaving flowers were where you shave down a piece of wood, but you leave the wood attached. you keep shaving around and around until you run out of wood. What you have left resembles a dandelion. We sometimes add color and other times leave them wood.
I also sold a couple ornaments. also to kids.
I had a lot of comments on my work, even by people who know my work. detailed an imaginative were the most common comments. I got a chuckle from most women by lifting the lid on one of my pies and asking them if they wanted some empty calories. The pies are hollow.
Things thinned out, so I took one last glance at the artwork. when I came in, this was about three, everybody was packing up.
It took me a bit to get my act together, but I went and got my truck and pulled it closer, then brought the wagon in. it took a bit to disassemble everything and pack them up. I was able to get everything out of the spot in only two trips.
when I got home, I took out the big carvings first, I found that a couple need repairs. they are minor and will take a few minutes to do once I get set up.
My carving tools went out back. I bothered the cat a while, before heading out to go home.
With the T-shirt I got, the nice meal, and the $33 worth of stuff I sold, I guess I broke even on the entry fee.
These shows are something wonderful to do... once a year.
Me and my table display
For this week, I have to sort through my work and pick out what will be going down to the antique shop to go back on display. I will deliver them Friday.
I have a beer stein soaking in linseed oil. I will take it out about mid week. I will then let that sit and dry for about a month. Unless I made a mistake somewhere in the process, this should look pretty good.
Next weekend, I will make the quick repairs on the big carvings. I will then work on some project that has been on hold the past two months because of the show. I have existing projects I need to finish up.
I will see what I actually do next week.
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