Descending Ashtray

Well, now that things have settled down post-Labyrinth, I’ve been eager to get out to the shop and start a new project. Well, as it turned out, I ended up spending a bunch of time yesterday working on an old one. I have a habit of picking things up and putting them away in cycles. I last worked on this piece about 6 months ago.

In doing some thinking about this piece, and my work in general, I have had an idea lately of creating a totem-pole-inspired carved sculpture. There is an element of passed time, and organic devolution about my work that I am interested in presenting - something ancient and traditional in nature could help tell the story of the 5×5 world I imagine. I want the real totem to be larger than this piece, but I think this one will be a good study in seeing how tool marks can add to the overall structure of a piece. I’m very pleased with their effect now.

I also have some ideas about gouache paint I want to try out on something small - another good use for this piece. Stay tuned for that. At any rate, it was so nice to spend the day out there with music on and no power tool hum. Just me and the wood chips. I like looking at the tools all laid out like this.

As a totally-unrelated aside, I forgot to purchase tickets for this weekend’s Bonnie Prince Billy shows here in Portland, and now all three dates are sold out. I have looked on eBay and posted on Craigslist, but it seems none are to be found … if anyone can get me two tickets, I will pay handsomely in cash, art, beer or some combination thereof. Essentially, I refused to pay the $6 Ticketmaster fee (on a $15 ticket!!!), thinking I’d just go to the venue and cut out the man. Well, I did, but they were closed, and I never made it back. Stupid, stupid me. Can you help?