Yesterday, I made a BIG foldformed sculpture – the whole thing would fit in about an 8″ sphere. I’m thrilled with it except that it’s also flawed in a way that I can’t let it be sold.  I’ll post a photo here, but not until I have another made – I want you all to understand, by seeing the flawed and a (hopefully) perfect piece side-by-side, how the flaw practically ruins the piece. Metal is wonderful, and it’s nearly infinitely workable, but sometimes flaws can be fixed only by starting over – melting it down, rolling it out, and doing it all over.

The large piece is destined for the front display at my studios space (Artisan’s Asylum – check the links!) but I need to make about a dozen more smaller items of various kinds in order to feel like I’ll have a good display – of course I also plan to be making during SOS, but I want a solid collection to start with. As I’ve mentioned before, these are simply practice pieces for the most part, but I hope people like them enough to give me feedback and maybe even to buy a few so I can buy more copper!

I’ll be fashioning some sort of table and display for things too, and I’m not sure just what I’ll do for that, but that’s always the fun part anyway. I’ll keep it small, but professional. Lots of levels. Black with a subtle pattern tablecloth/cover. Maybe a paper-machie bust for the brass necklace if I get to it.  It’s all the fun part!

For anyone on the area, please drop by Artisan’s Asylum at 10 Tyler St. Somerville, MA 02143 on Saturday and Sunday, May 5th and 6th, after noon. I won’t be the only one showing, and I certainly won’t be the “one to see”, so come by and get inspired to create.

I have heard a lot of people say things along the lines of “I’m really good/interested at X, but I can’t seem to get inspired to do X” or “I’m waiting for inspiration to strike” or one of a hundred other, similar quotes that all boil down to the same thing: They are *waiting* for something to happen *to them* in order to be creative. I know exactly what that’s like, but I think by breaking through this, it’s making me a better creator.

Things inspire me every day, but I used to ignore it or, maybe more accurately, I didn’t really know how to pay attention. Then I stopped waiting for something to strike me and say “THIS HERE!” and instead started asking “WHAT IS IN THIS?” Doing this has changed most days from mundane to magical. There wasn’t some particular moment where I changed, it was just recognizing a pattern of behavior in myself and addressing it. Once in a while, I would get back from a walk or a trip to a museum or market or a night out and feel refreshed and excited. Other times I didn’t, and even when I did, I still usually ended up sitting in front of a screen of some kind, allowing that energy to drain away. The first realization I made is that, by and large, the times I was inspired were when I was connecting with the world around me, seeing and hearing and conversing, thinking and sketching and investigating. The second realization is that the difference between the times I connected with the world and those when I did not was largely a state-of-mind, something within myself, and something I can control. This had led me to the strong belief that if I seek inspiration, I will find it. Everywhere. All the time.

And I do.

While in New York, I finally attended MoMA which was a fantastic experience and I have a lot of notes and snapshots to review later. The people, the stores, the smells – it all inspired me in different ways. Architectural elements became jewelry in my head. Plants on the High Line were sculptures and some of the most revered art in the world left me flat from 10 feet away, but woke me up to the amazing minutia in brush strokes.

This morning — a gorgeous, sunny spring day — I looked for inspiration as I walked to my studio. I often find focusing on a single type of stimulus works best for me, and I’m a visual guy, so I was, basically, paying attention to anything that caught my eye. I’m playing with architectural influences so my eye was drawn to buildings and details, like an excellent molding design that I think I can use and an interesting set of arches that attached together a bit too soon and had a wonderful truncated look which should be useful to think about. Since I’m also working with illumination in some of my work, the way the silica flakes in the concrete sidewalks flashed and flickered with reflected sunlight gave me some ideas about random flickering and how to recreate it. Trees, ever a source of inspiration for me, caught my eye more than once and I “found” a new, magnificent oak, five stories tall that brought on a true sense of awe. (I’ve walked that stretch of road dozens of times and never noticed it, but I’m sure to most times in the future!)

This is all to say that I now LOOK for inspiration and I accept it from everything around me. Sure, there will be times when I have blocks in areas or feel uninspired, but there will never have to be a time that I stop and WAIT for inspiration unless I’m choosing to do so. Just this morning, I had seven exciting flashes of inspiration just walking to work, and I have more pages of notes to look through when I’m designing something new.

That references the an entire additional part of this puzzle, and would classify as realization number three: If I don’t *do* anything with the things that inspire me, what’s the point? But that’s an entire post of its own.

Wikipedia has a reasonable summary of the book, which, I’ll note, wasn’t available new from 1966 until 2007, and copies are readily available. This is one to read if you want to understand how marketing shifted from ads featuring bright logos and straightforward claims to sensory bombardment finely tuned with FMRI machines.

Since reading this book and doing more study in these areas, I’ve started to form this picture of a massive decision that was made in this country in the post-WWII era that affects us all today and may be at the root of many of our current social problems. During the war, we built a truly impressive industrial country. At the end of that war, we suddenly had a lot of capability coupled with a lot of pent-up desire for things that had been in short supply during the war. Luxuries were suddenly permissible again, we all felt good having been on the winning side, we wanted to celebrate, and so we did. We chose to make stuff, consume stuff, envy our neighbors the stuff they had, and impress our peers with the stuff we had. The workers and factories (and, importantly, the businesses behind them) were happy with this because they got to keep churning out stuff. Consumers liked it because stuff was cheaper and they could live like kings. So, yes, we chose stuff and money and status. Who’s surprised by this? Certainly not me.

But the other choice, while harder, would have led to long-term security and prosperity. Maybe less stuff now, but everyone could have had what we need instead of a few having everything they want, and the rest of us left wanting what they have all the more for it. But that choice meant willpower to control our consumption, and anyone who’s ever been on a diet will tell you where that path often leads. It also meant ascribing value to things not quantifiable, like happiness, and measuring success in ways other than riches. Those are hard things for people to agree on, so we made a choice and we live with the consequences today.

However, I think that humans are actually smarter than this. I think that we are capable of making good decisions as a society. But I think we are terrible at stopping to think about what those decisions should be. The inertia of an entire society is elephantine, and trying to make that creature stop is a gargantuan task. In fact, until we address the way marketing is handled today, we don’t even have a chance of slowing it down. The rocket boosters that marketing fueled by motivational research and psychological research have strapped to the sides of that elephant make it nearly impossible.

Vance Packard envisioned a future that we are living, and he did so over fifty years ago. He warned of many of the societal problems we have today, and expressed moral concerns over the use of these new marketing strategies. That we collectively chose to ignore his warnings so far is disappointing, but with so many of his warnings borne out, to do so any longer is simple willful stubbornness. We have witnessed changing sentiment already with the Adbusters-initiated Occupy movement, but we’ll need more for long-term change. For now, read this book. I’ll be re-reading it myself, as I continue to delve into marketing and advertising topics here.

I have recently accepted a position with Karen Christians of Cleverwerx as her assistant. This is awesome for me as I get to help her organize things using technology while she teaches new metalsmiting and jewelry creation techniques I haven’t used before. I’m very excited and it’s been going quite well so far. Today, I taught a student how to use electronic soldering methods to connect jewelry components. Solder paste and a butane pencil torch are amazing for this, by the way. (Be sure to use lead & toxin free solder!)

I also forged my first non-fold form piece of metal. I took a bar of brass about 4″ long, 1/4″ wide and 1/8″ thick and ended up with the neck piece below. I’m happy that I was able to control the metal to make the exact shape I was going for, including forcing the sharp curve at the bottom and the sweeping curves up the sides. The sides are the same length and curvature – something I had to continually correct and guide during the process. Once forged, I added the ball peen texture to the front mainly to hide the flaws… There are still many flaws in this item, but it drove home just how much metal is like clay. I’m still smitten.

Hand forged, this neckpiece started as a 5"x.25"x.125" slab of brass.

I think I owe you all a marketing & advertising post. I think by next week…

I really don’t like things that have been spattered with “blood” in completely unrealistic ways, so I wanted to solve that in this case. I figured that the best way to do that would be to, as close as ethically possible, replicate the acts that would result in the blood splatter. Since I’m not too keen on eating brains myself (and I question whether an appropriate quantity of blood would still be present in any commercially available specimen) I got the idea to substitute a sponge. I figured if I stood in the bathtub and bit down on a sponge filled with blood, the resulting splash would properly color my costume.

Of course, I needed blood. While I could probably have gotten away with a pint of my own, I was planning to have a drink or two so I felt I should keep my strength up. Instead I went web-spelunking and looked at a LOT of fake blood recipes. The one I found that seemed the most promising (and also achievable with items on-hand) is from The Raven’s Fake Blood Recipes. It’s called “Chocolate Blood” and it is absolutely fantastic! The recipe as I used it:

1/2 cup water (warm works best)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3-4 tbsp corn syrup (I used sucrose syrup, but corn syrup would have made for a thicker blood)
3/4 tsp red food coloring
2-3 drops green food coloring (this is important, I think, to get a real blood-looking color)

Mix, skim if necessary, splatter. Also, it's sweet, but tasty!

So I had my blood, I had my costume, I had my sponge and I recruited a cameraman (thanks hubby!!) Into the bathtub and here it is:

If I do it again, I’ll move/tilt my head back a bit to keep more blood on my chest. I ended up dabbing on a bit on the ascot any my face with the sponge later, once the blood was beginning to dry and thicken up. Overall, I’m thrilled with the results.

Zombie Me with Blood (forgive the too-small tux shirt. I had a big dinner. Brrraaaaiiiinzzz...)

Today, I had a professional, therapeutic massage. The experience was one of my best, with a therapist who was not afraid to really lay on the pressure and who had a laser-guided precision in her strokes. While the specific act of having a massage is, I can finally admit, important to my overall well-being, it’s the idea that taking care of my body is a necessary thing for me to do. As I sit here creating today, I find that I am more focused, less distracted, happier, more energetic and generally just more excited to be doing just what I was doing yesterday. I have taken the time to care for my body for a change, and it has highlighted the need for more attention to be paid there.

This has also let me realize that I have other parts of me that need time too. My literary and writing interest has, once again, lay dormant for too long and I am itching to write. I have a lot more desire to be social than I once was, and, believe it or not, I have to make time to go to parties and gatherings. A lot of my life, I’ve kept my sexuality in a bottle, but that, too, is important to embrace and care for as needed. My wardrobe, cleaning around the house, correspondence with friends – you name it.

I used to look at lists like this and become overwhelmed with the time and effort involved just in keeping up, but these days I look at it differently. Taking care of these parts of my life allow me to connect with my primary passions much more fully and effectively. Staying healthy lets me work more. Staying connected with my friends inspires me to create more. Spending time with my sexual partners keeps me more focused when I’m working and dressing the way I want to dress makes me more confident in all aspects of my life. And the feeling of going home to a clean, organized home cannot be understated. Caring for all the facets of my life isn’t a chore, it’s just part of being a fiercely creative person.

Fold forming is a technique that relies on metal’s plastic deformation properties to shape a piece. By folding, hammering, annealing and unfolding, amazing organic shapes can be obtained quickly and satisfy even the newcomer like me. It really is as simple as folding a sheet of brass or copper, hitting it a lot with a hammer, heating it with a blowtorch and unfolding. Of course, with a basic technique like that, only relatively basic results will be achieved. However, after an understanding of the technique and the reaction of the metal is obtained, repeated annealings and workings, foldings and unfoldings, and careful planning, the result can be an absolutely stunning form — many of which would be difficult to create in any other metalsmithing method.

Practice pieces from brass and copper

These are some of the practice pieces I created using fold forming. The brass leaf was first and it taught me that very thin brass isn’t as workable as the thicker copper I used for the twist. Brass is less malleable than copper – it moves around less before becoming work hardened – and the thinness of the sheet I used prevented the piece from taking on a lot of character. (Though it is, actually, a very convincing leaf!) The copper was much easer to work and created more profound shapes. I’m likely to keep working in copper for a while as being more forgiving and dramatic, I’ll be able to more easily understand how the folds work. Of course, I love the look of brass, and I will return to it often.

One goal I have for this technique is to learn ways to make metal drape and pool more like a leather. This will take some time to perfect, but each time I practice this technique further, I get more exciting results. Even the practice pieces I don’t care for teach me.

I have had an interactive sculpture in mind for a few years now, and I think I have finally amassed the skills to execute it to the level I want it to be. It will require fold-forming over 200 individual objects, plenty of soldering, and an Arduino, but I’m excited to start the process. In the meantime, I have a couple of opportunities approaching that I would be foolish not to pursue.

A large Rueger fold in copper

In May, Somerville Open Studios will once again bring hundreds of people into the studios of local artists. My studio space, Artisan’s Asylum, will be participating which means I can participate with a display in my studio and, hopefully, place something in the gallery we will have at the front of the house. In addition, Cambridge Center for Adult Education is once again running their CSArt program with an application deadline on April 9. My goal, in light of these opportunities, is to complete at least 50 practice pieces and three “refined” pieces before April 9. I have, so far, 7 which I consider worthy of counting toward that goal of 50. At SoS, I plan to offer these practice pieces for sale on a sliding scale. They are only practice pieces, but they do look fun, and I think it appropriate to offer them in exchange for funds that will allow me to continue my education in this area. Copper sheets, anvils and hammers aren’t terribly cheap, but they are reasonable. However, the more metal I have, the more items I can make, and the better I become at the craft.

Danah Boyd reflects on the recent decision in the Dharun Ravi case. Ravi has been convicted of a list of crimes and, in many ways, blamed for the suicide of his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi. I believe Ravi’s actions are inexcusable and that he should bear some consequences for them, but this decision is extreme, placing the blame on Ravi for an environment of homophobia far beyond Ravi’s control.

“This case is being hailed for its symbolism, but what is the message that it conveys? It says that a brown kid who never intended to hurt anyone because of their sexuality will do jail time, while politicians and pundits who espouse hatred on TV and radio and in stump speeches continue to be celebrated. It says that a teen who invades the privacy of his peer will be condemned, even while companies and media moguls continue to profit off of more invasive invasions.”

I urge you to read this post (and more from Boyd when you can) and see if you think justice was done.

Ads wrap all around this bus - and likely every surface inside. Flickr user hercwad

Why I say Marketing and Advertising

These are different but interconnected activities and phenomenon. I think it’s important to enforce the distinction between them.
The term Advertising, in my book, refers to observable public announcements of a product or service. This can include all manner of physical manifestations, from TV commercials and web ads to sponsorship messages and skywriting. Advertising is a pervasive part of our society. Here in America, we see hundreds advertisements every day.
Marketing, to me, is a larger collection of activities which include creating a desire for a product or service, providing opportunities to act on that desire, managing competition for customers, and communicating publicly and privately with potential (and sometimes current) customers. Marketing includes advertising, but it also includes many other activities – some of which are nearly the exact opposite of advertising, attempting to influence us not publicly but rather very quietly, nearly invisibly. A store display announcing a new brand of soap is clearly advertising. Waxing fruits to make them look brighter and more appealing is not advertising, but is surely still a marketing activity.

I think it’s important to make it clear that Marketing and Advertising are not the same thing, primarily so that we don’t lose sight of what kinds of non-advertising marketing we are subject to. Advertising is (often) easy to spot and, therefore, easier to build some immunity against (but not really – more on that later) but the broader marketing activities which are harder to see nonetheless effect us deeply and have an eery presence in our daily lives.

Money, money, money!! Flickr user Tddy's

Advertising costs us money

I believe advertising-supported products and services are some of the most expensive things we have in our society. We have come to rely upon “free” TV, email, magazines, web services and more which are supported by advertising. This model has been working for decades for publishers and content providers and has mushroomed with the pervasive use of the web. Google, one of the richest, most powerful companies on the planet makes nearly 100% of its revenue from advertising while providing numerous “free” services as delivery channels for those ads.
This model works because we, as users of these services and media products, buy things we see in the ads. In fact, we buy enough of that stuff that the content deliverers are able to make enough money to pay for the services they provide to us and turn a nice profit — and the actual manufacturers and sellers of that stuff being advertised STILL make a profit. That means that every time you use, say, $1 of resources from Google, they are making *more* than $1 from the advertising shown to you and the party doing the advertising is *also* making money. This means that, on average, you, personally, are spending well over $1 for every $1 of Google services you use. If it didn’t work like this, no one would be running an ad-supported service or offering ad-supported content. Of course you have generally received other benefit for that $1+ you spent (like a product you purchased) but would you have spent that $1+ at all if you had not been exposed to the advertising for the product?

But the real expense doesn’t come just with the (extremely simplified and extrapolated) dollar-for-dollar concept above. Consider the emotional toll that ads take on each of us – especially considering some of the most effective ads prey on our insecurities and basic instincts to create desire. Consider the amplitude of the marketing messages and how every ad campaign must be loud enough to be heard over the previous campaigns and competitor’s campaigns to be noticed at all. Consider that advertising – messages designed to create desire and crafted to manipulate non-conscious feeling – is considered protected “free speech” because, remember, corporations are people too. And consider many other costs that come with the pervasiveness of advertising and marketing in our society and you can see I have a lot to talk about.

I have recently helped out a local theatre troupe, Theatre@First, on an upcoming show based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s an amazing new adaptation by a local author, Elizabeth Hunter, who has loved the book for years. I’ve helped a bit with publicity planning, and promised to create a commemorative  bookmark to be offered at the door to the show in exchange for a donation. I really didn’t want to just throw something together in Illustrator, and since I am also learning how to create fancy scrollwork and embellished text, I decided I’d draw the thing – or at least most of the components.

This was a big decision for me. I’ve been stupidly private with my artistic pursuits in the past and here I am creating something that hundreds of people are likely to see – and I’m also audacious enough to ask them for money in exchange for a copy! Eeek! I chose not to let that get to me (well, until it was all done and ready to go) but rather to just focus on getting it done.

Initially, I drew out this title plate. It’s about 7×10″ on bristol, carefully laid out and then hand rendered. One way I got over the idea of showing this to people is by leaving it up on my drafting table at my studio for about a week, in plain view to anyone walking by. I’m glad I did – all comments I received were positive and that helped with my confidence.

Next, I tackled a border for the bookmark. I again laid out this piece, loosely based on the Golden Spiral, and finished it by hand. The dappled background took forever, and, ultimately is a bit darker than I would have chosen, but it worked pretty well.

I had intended on creating a straight section of border as well, but it turns out I didn’t need it. After scanning and cleanup, I worked some photoshop magic and pieced together the border quite well. (I also ended up pulling apart the title plate and rearranging it, having changed the layout I wanted – THAT should have been sketched and planned earlier!) I printed the bookmarks 5-up on some excellent Strathmore inkjet-compatible textured paper and trimmed them. I wanted the design to bleed to the edge, so I made sure the border would support such a layout. After trimming, the addition of a small eyelet and length of silver ribbon, this is the result.

I’m honestly thrilled with it. The texture that was preserved in the background is amazing and even though I may have chosen to go with a lighter background in the border, I’m glad I ended up with what I did. The background scrollwork provides a really rich, subtle texture that, I think, makes the whole piece seem rich and crafted.

These will be available at the door to Pride and Prejudice by Theatre@First, opening March 23, 2012 at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts.