It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well the Christmas Cards are finally finished. I only have a shot of the interior. The exterior photos didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. Just a greeting printed on vellum attached to the outside anyway.

Thanks to Evermore Designs for the pattern. Probably the hardest part of the whole thing was getting the gold leaf in place and burnished. I am proud of them though. Now it's time to make the envelopes and hope that these babies survive the trip.

Wet Folding

I have read about it in several of my origami books: and many of the more "famous" origami artists use this technique to great effect. So, I thought I would try my hand at a simple abstract model from one of my books. Folded from a large sheet of Strathmore watercolor paper, he came out to about six inches long and about three inches high. I have a few more wet fold projects that I would like to try. One being a Joisel type mask. So if you are reading this and you know where to get the Joisel pamphlet from the 2000 convention, please let me know. I would love to learn how to start with his mask base to create my own paper faces.

Leaf it to the pros

Man, if you ever wanted to figure out a way to spread gold leaf all over hell's-half-acre, try applying it to individual sheets of paper but only in a certain spot. When you go to remove the remaining leaf from the page, it turns to gold dust and sticks to everything. That's fine if you're a stripper. But some of us don't like to twinkle in the twilight.

Longing for a new scanner & printer

The Halloween cards are finished and ready for the mail. I used Kinkos to print the buggers out, thinking that the quality would be better. Plus, by the time I got them printed out, I would have drained the color cartridge in my printer. Well yes they look really nice, and the ink is much better than what my printer uses; but damn, at about two bucks a card, I would have been better off going to Hallmark. I think my cards are great though. I love the fact there is no mistake that mine were made just for friends and family.
I need a new printer and scanner. A good graphics printer for photos and cards, and a good scanner to load years of photos and negatives. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Why do I bother custom making cards? First, I love working with paper. Second, I like to think that the person who receives a custom card knows that extra effort was made to let them know that they were being thought of, and not just part of a robotic holiday mass mailing. But then I could be blowing smoke up my own ass.

What else with paper??...Card Modeling

I just thought I would post this topic since I find it to be interesting. Where have all the cardstock models gone? For years miniature models were made of wood and paper. In the 1940's when materials were scarce during WWII, in the U.S. and throughout the world, hobbyists and children everywhere were making realistic models from cardstock and white glue. After the war, the United States began churning out metal and plastic models for the general public, thanks to a booming economy and the almighty retail engine of the U.S. nuclear age. The rest of the world however, continued to produce excellent cardstock models for the hobbyist. Thanks to the power of the internet, we can find these models more easily, and many are as attractive as a plastic or wood model. But the best would be the "oh my god, you made that out of paper?" factor. The more realistic paper models are infinitely harder to construct than a plastic counterpart. When you consider that you are taking a two dimensional image and warping it into a three dimensional image.
The included picture is included to answer two questions. The first answer is yes, I have tried to make some of these and have come up lacking. As the picture of the MIG-19 can attest. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday though. I even made the stand myself. I'm sure with practice, I will get better over time. The second answer is, when I finish a model, origami, card, or other paper dust catcher, I display it for a while then I give it to my three year old and we play with it. Again with the MIG-19, shortly after this picture was taken, we took it over to my friend Joseph's house and flew it 'til it broke. A fun way to spend a Saturday.
To find cardstock models, there are many resources on the net. Fiddler's Green has many that are nice and reasonably priced. Scale Models International, and cardmodels.com can be good places to start as well. But if ships, cars, and planes aren't your thing, then check out my favorite site Flying Pig. Rob Ives is a genius, and a wonderful guy for sharing his talent with the world.

Terry Parsons Remembered

From the UK Telegraph
Terry Parsons, who died on September 8 aged 59, played a vital role in ensuring the success of Barnum, a musical loosely based on the life of the circus impresario Phineas T Barnum, by training its star performers in clowning and other circus skills.
Parsons had cut his teeth as a clown with the Ringling-Barnum "Greatest Show on Earth" circuses, and later, with his wife Danuta (famous as "The Spider Goddess"), became a circus trainer with the Big Apple Circus and its New York School for Circus Arts.
They were involved in the original 1980 Broadway production of Barnum, with Jim Dale and Glenn Close, and when the show transferred to London in 1981, they taught Michael Crawford and the rest of the cast. Their responsibilities encompassed not only the training of the performers but also the creation of rigging for aerial stunts and the safety of the artists who were required to juggle, clown, perform acrobatics and even aerial and high wire stunts.
Terry Lee Parsons was born on March 8 1946 and studied Theatre and the Arts at West Virginia State University. He went on to join the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College, from which he graduated to tour with the Ringling-Barnum "Greatest Show on Earth" circuses for some years, often as the character clown "Spike".
He met his Polish-born wife Danuta, a graduate of the Warsaw Circus School, while performing with the show. She became a specialist in aerial choreography and together they brought her Spider Goddess to the BBC Television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show.
Parsons acted as an instructor in the Ringling-Barnum Clown College, in addition to becoming head clown for a unit of the Ringling circus.
Terry and Danuta Parsons were involved in Barnum from 1980 onwards, and assisted various directors on different productions of the musical in America and in other parts of the world, including the Joop van de Ende production with Mike Burstyn in Holland in 1988. They returned to London in 1993 for the show's revival and subsequent tour, with Paul Nicholas in the leading role.
On this occasion, they were not employed only as circus trainers; Danuta acted as circus captain, and Parsons as technical stage manager and resident director for the tour.
Apart from the BBC television production of Barnum with Michael Crawford, they were involved in various American television shows, including Circus of the Stars and Highlights from the Greatest Show on Earth.
They also worked in parks and fairs, sports and trade shows, nightclubs and at conventions and shopping malls. At the time of his death, Terry Parsons was working as operations manager for Celine Dion's New Day show at the Colosseum, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas.
His wife and their son and daughter survive him.

Last night the circus folk and show people got together to remember one of our own who left us way too soon, Mr. Terry Parsons. Everyone who knew Terry was quick to point out what a kind and helpful man he was. The clowns talk about what a great boss clown he had been and how he was both willing to share is knowledge, but knew when to let the younger clowns try their own thing and learn from their mistakes. On the Clown College e-mail list Terry and his wife have been remembered fondly and often.
Peggy King did a wonderful job of bringing everyone together for the event which she held at her home. Peggy is a wonderful host and is warm and welcoming to all who enter her home. Circus clowns spanning four decades were there. Earl Chaney, Danise Payne, Jimmy & Brenda Graham, Joel Heidtman, Skeeter Reese, Bill Whitter, Scott Linker, Ron Severini, Peggy King, Jeff Loseff, Richard Fick (designer of Danuta's spider-goddess costume) made a guest appearance via speakerphone, and others that I am sure I left out, but my memory is bad and I left early. Sweets and Stone of the world famous King Charles Troupe were there, Bulgarian circus families were represented as well as several former members of the talented Ringling dance squad. In short (ahem) every available circus performer showed up last night to swap stories, show movies, and tell Terry's lovely and talented wife Danuta what a wonderful man her husband was to have touched so many lives. Later, the members of Celine Dion's show arrived to also pay tribute to Terry.
Thank you Danuta for sharing your wonderful husband with us. He is loved and will be missed.

Beggar's night/Trick-or-Treat/Dia de los Muertos

I know I haven't posted in a while, but there are Halloween cards in the works. Between those and the fact that I have to work for a living, I have found myself a little short on time. Now I plan to turn my full artistic attention to Halloween.
I haven't come up with a jack-o-lantern design yet, but I'm sure inspiration will hit in time for the big day. If you find yourself stuck for ideas, go to the Zombie Pumpkins site and sign up to be a member. The stencils on that site will truly make you the envy of the block. Don't feel like a lantern? Want to try something a little more sculpture oriented? Then head to the Grumpkins site for an idea of how to get it done.
As for decorations, my wife has to keep me in check to keep from buying out the store. My daughter and I have discussed the idea of a flying crank ghost, but I don't know if this year will be the year.

Halloween approaches

Ahh the smell of cheap plastic holiday novelties. And the scent given off by black and orange plastic make my heart begin to sing. Rivaled only by Christmas, Halloween is my second favorite Christian adopted pagan holiday. I think my daughter and I will be making sugar skulls and an ofrenda this year as well as doing the Anglo-saxon beggars night thing.
There is only one source for molds for sugar skulls that I can find online. My daughter and I went to the library last year so she could learn about Dia de los Muertos. The lady who gave the talk was wonderful. She had loaded a box full of sugar skulls and frosting and brought them in for the children to decorate. The library system in Las Vegas is the only good thing that is offered to the citizens of this town. No museums, two acres of a sorry little zoo, one overcrowded city park, theatre in this town is a joke. If it doesn't start with Cirque you might as well forget it.
Ok, enough ranting. Halloween is coming, get your sh!t together, and have a ball!

Hard at work or hardly working?

Here is a picture of a recent piece I did based on the work of Marivi. Her pop-up and origami achitecture work, like Robert Sabuda's, will even have cyinics agreeing that this truly is a beautiful artform.

All wrapped up with no place to go.

I have been looking into the art of zutsumi. The japanese art of wrapping a gift. However, there are very few books on the subject, and just as few web resources. It fascinates me when a craft or custom that has been done for hundreds of years has no written record. "Grandma did it this way, and she showed me when I was your age, so now I'm showing you." and so it goes generation after generation.

Take the Chinese tradition of folding joss paper on the New Year. For hundreds of years they have been doing this, and I have found two examples in print, and I am still searching for something online. The Same with the Japanese tradition of folding Noshi. There is only one English language book on the topic, and only a few text refrences in origami books.

If you have information on any of these topics, please contact me, I would love to hear about them.

The origami works of Eric Joisel

Artistry and beauty from a single sheet of paper.Creating as he folds. Origami as sculpture.


A true artist.
And lastly, the pangolin.

On a lighter note

So, in an effort to be arty this year, I have embarked on a Christmas card making project. I will be chucking out about 15 handmade holiday greetings this year, and the rest will be sent from my stockpile of “vintage” cards. My vintage cards are boxes of cards that I have bought with the intention of sending over the years. Let me apologize ahead of time to those of you who get a store bought card. But I have already developed a callous from the xacto knife and I am only halfway through the cutting. If I make it to fifteen it will be a miracle.
I am using two designs that I have gleaned off the web; two wonderful reindeer designs, one from Evermore Designs, and one by Robert Sabuda. If I have time I will be trying a couple of secular designs from my book White Christmas by Masahiro Chatani and Keiko Nakazawa.

I have also been working out a Power Point presentation for this origami class that I one day hope to teach; if only to have a reason to order more specialty paper. While we’re in fantasyland, to have my own specialty paper and paper-craft store would be terrific. But to be realistic, I would have to find a place that was big enough to support my little store without Michael’s and Jo Ann’s putting me under. Sigh.

Riders on the storm

My best hopes, wishes, and prayers go out to all the people unfortunate enough to be a victim of this horrible hurricane. If you are a Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Clown College grad from the area and stumble on this, please e-mail me or the onelist and let us know that you are OK.
Also, I am looking for artist and friend Kip Bernadas from Metarie La. If you are him or someone that knows him, please contact me and let me know if he's safe.
A beautiful city, filled with beautiful (although at many times strange and troubled) people, now submerged beneath the muddy waters of lake Ponchatrain. It will never be the same.

Vieux Carre Waterpark

My poor French Quarter. As hurricane Katrina tears through Louisiana, my wife and I can't help but feel anxious about the fate of the city and the residents. New Orleans is where it all started for us. Meeting, falling in love, cheating, fighting, falling in love again. Ah L'amour. I worry about our friend Kip and his wife who live nearby, and about the fate of our beloved little home in the Quarter (see photo). Reports of the eye missing New Orleans are encouraging, as are the reports of absent flooding.
For those of you who have fled, my fingers are crossed for your safe return to a house that is intact, and livable. For those who have family and friends stranded in the city, all of my hopes and prayers go with yours.
I have high hopes though, the French Quarter has survived this long, I feel it will live to fight another day.

In with both feet.

Well, in an effort to connect with other "geeks like me" I'll start this off. Having been a performer, actor, circus clown, artist for years I found myself with in a tight spot. Unemployed, and married with a child on the way. Living in Las Vegas, I figured I'd collect unemployment and audition around town. Six months later in an act of desperation, I become a casino dealer. Flash forward ten years, I am now a Vegas pit boss with the secret life of an artist.