New Craft

In order to get ready for the Baltimore American Craft Council show next week I've developed a new series of geometric tea candle holders and flower vases. For quite a while I've been thinking about how to make a series of inexpensive items I could sell along side my shellac work so that I can have a wider range of price points. Though I have no idea how popular they will be, the price point is certainly within reach of anyone who walks in the building.

Still, the most important thing is that I find the work sculpturally interesting enough to make because if I get bored making something, it just isn't going to get done. Thankfully, I feel that I have covered that issue as well. If I were an art critic, looking "objectively" at them, I think I'd say that the random angles add a level of surprise to the pieces and the minimalistic flat surfaces play well with the contrasting complexity of the natural wood grain.

Most interesting for me, however, is how I find them to be an inspiration for non-functional sculpture. I think it would be fun to make something that is conceptually similar without having to worry about functionality. I can see making a much bigger piece that would have real presence without being overbearing. Maybe I'll play around with some ideas when I get back from Baltimore.

The piece below was the first of the series. I was thrilled to find a use for a small chuck of scrap lumber that was very close to becoming someone else's fire wood.

curly birch tea candle holder
5" x 12" x 6"

This one was made with a scrap I had been carrying around since somewhere around 1999. I remember I used the lumber for a couple of nightstands that I'm still real proud of.

curly maple tea candle holder

5" x 22" x 6"

curly birch tea candle holder

5.5" x 17" x 6"

This one (below) is currently available at Artisans Hand Craft Gallery in Montpelier.

curly maple flower vase

5" x 24" x 3"

cherry flower vase

4.5" x 19.5" x 1.5"

These last too were going to be made with just two sections but they weren't stable enough so I added the third. Sculpturally, I think the third piece works well.

curly birch flower vase

5.5" x 24" x 2.5"

curly maple flower vase

6.5" x 27" x 3"

Holly Tornheim @ Baltimore ACC Show

There were a number of great wood artists at the Baltimore American Craft Council Show but I've decided just to discuss the work of my favorite, Holly Tornheim, or else I'll never get it posted.

I was anxious to see her work in person after seeing her Unfolding Wave sculpture on the cover of a 2010 SOFA catalog. She creates small wood sculptures that are remarkable for both their extreme beauty and technically difficulty. From what I've seen, she often employs sharp edged curves with a recurring theme of both gentle and cresting waves. Though her sculptures stand on their own, she often takes advantage of spectacular lumber like quilted maple and claro walnut to further highlight her designs. At other times, she uses wood that is completely void of figure and grain pattern so that the viewer only sees the form she created.

As with this walnut tray, some of her work is functional but most of what she brought to the show was purely sculptural.

claro walnut tray

This piece, Meander, is playful in that it invites the viewer to rearrange the blocks to create one's own design. It seems to be a very therapeutic piece. I think it would help to create tranquility in someone who took the time to rearrange the work. Very zen.

Meander
holly

The sharp edged curves in this piece remind me somewhat of Sam Maloof's work but, unencumbered by functionality, she is able to take the form to another level.

quilted maple

In showing a wide range of versatility, Holly also creates trompe l'oeil sculptures, like Memory (below). It feels very emotional to the point where it is almost disrespectful to not lingered in silence for a bit.

Memory
spalted maple, yew, African blackwood, holly

And I especially like the contradictions of Black Vessel, black v white, abstract v figurative, contemporary v primitive, functional v purely sculptural, symmetry v asymmetry (I see symmetry but mentally I'm expecting asymmetry). Visually it is very simple but intellectually it is quite complex; you want to think you are looking at some kind of animal but the more you look the more unsure you are of what you are seeing. What is it made for, should you put jelly beans or spare change in it, or is it made for a sacred ritual, or just to observe. Should you touch or just look? Can you play with it? It is interesting how much thought it can evoke. Personally, I think it should be used for a sacred ceremony, perhaps one in which the gods are offered jelly beans.

Black Vessel
holly, African blackwood

And finally, there is this interesting abstract curly maple sculpture that looks like it has gift wrapped itself. I like the interaction of geometric shapes with the amorphous curves.

curly maple

Baltimore American Craft Council Show Debrief

Finally, a decent show after a very disappointing 2010. I don't like to judge a show on floor sales alone but it is always good to come home with less than I left with. This show was also a good opportunity to connect with art consultants and interior designers who I wouldn't expect to hear from for many months later and I could also tell that there were many more serious collectors than I typically see at a show. Though it is a very stressful event, being both physically demanding (standing and talking for at least eight hours a day, six days straight) and emotionally draining (worrying about all the logistics of a show along with the financial concerns) it is something I feel I'll have to do again in order to build on the exposure. Serious collectors don't like to buy work from an artist they just met and developing those relationships is an important aspect of creating a financially self-sustaining art career.

Booth Shot - February 22, 2011

The big surprise for me was hearing the reaction of the public to Green Chimneys. I really didn't know what to expect and was completely shocked that it was by far the favorite piece in my booth until I sold it on Friday. I have no idea why, and would rather not try to analyze it (if ignorance inspired me to create it, ignorance will inspire me to make something better), but it is encouraging that I should explore my wedge series further. A number of people asked if I could make another one if it sold. Although I can understand the request, it isn't something that I feel comfortable doing. The idea of replicating a piece just isn't very appealing and I'm sure I'll be both disappointed and bored with it. I'm much more interested in seeing what is next and how the series evolves. In thinking about it since the show, and after playing around with some scraps I have laying around, I've decided I want to do something with double-sided wedges. I'm sure they will be much more interesting and fun than retreading paths I've already been down. The show also piqued my curiosity as to what the public's reaction will be to my most recent wedge, Carolina Spring, which I didn't bring with me for packing and display limitations.

I also (finally!!!) sold Frozen Flame after having listened to literally hundreds of people tell me how much they loved it over the last year and a half. I really couldn't understand why it didn't sell but some pieces tend to be like that, much praised and unpurchased, while others seem to move unexpectedly and without much fuss. I know it wasn't priced too high, perhaps it was too low. I don't know, the sale of art and the reactions people have to it are a complete mystery to me. As an added benefit, it was purchased for public display at Johns Hopkins University's Berman Institute of Bioethics.

In addition, I sold an older piece, Eleven Rectangles w/Blue, as well as all three of the new birch ribbon sculptures that I brought with me (pictured on the right side of my booth). Although I know I could easily continue making and selling pieces in the ribbon series without much modification, I need to explore ideas about taking to the next level to keep it interesting. I want to bring one with me to CraftNewYork so I decided to add some walnut veneer fractures, similar to the recent Forever Holiday piece.

On other news from the show:

One woman stopped by my booth, looked briefly at the work, turned to me and said only "Don't give up" before walking away. I don't think I was looking particularly despondent at the time, so I take her reaction to mean that she thought I was heading in an useful direction and should keep on plugging away at it. I'd be interested to learn whether she stopped by other artists' booths and told them "Give up" in a similar manner.

One well know magazine publisher was adamant that I needed to create shelves and small tables to go with the work in order to help right brained people understand how to display my work. I listened, engaged this person in a discussion, but decided it would be counter-productive. I get enough people asking about making tables, counter tops, and floors (god forbid floors, that would be the least useful thing I could do) without confusing them more with shelves.

One woman entered my booth and couldn't stop smiling. She particularly liked 45 Rectangles but she said they all made her smile.

I was surprised to only count eleven people who said they hadn't seen anything like my work before. At smaller shows I'll typically hear that from around 20 people. Perhaps they felt insecure, as if they should have been more knowledgeable in seeing someone else doing something similar.

One woman, in looking at my prices, said "This one is only $1000!". I told her I could charge her more if it made her feel more comfortable (and no, I didn't make the sale). Yes, I think the work is under-priced too but until there is a significant demand and I have a smaller inventory, what can you do?

I was very impressed with the new American Craft Council Executive Director, Chris Amundsen, who took the time to meet and talk with every artist at the show that he could. It wasn't in a meet and greet rushed manner either. He methodically worked his way, booth to booth, and casually talked with each for an extended period. I must have talked with him for a total of 20 minutes (he caught me twice because I was standing by someone else's booth at one point). He either picked up the pass later in the show or resolved to start at the other end next year because at just 10 min/artist it would have taken him over 14 days to finish. Of course, when he asked for ideas or suggestions, I can't be blamed for pitching the idea that my work be featured on the cover of the magazine. I'm sure he stopped asking well before the end of the show because he likely would have heard the same thing a few hundred times. It may be self-serving but I still think it is a good idea.

Two people I didn't know complemented me on my new eye glasses. I must have done a good job in picking out this last pair. I was trying to find something that made me look like an artist. With the last pair I tried to do the same but one friend said they made me look more like an arts administrator. I think this pair projects more of a risk taking personality without making me look crazy.

I collected 56 email addresses.

And, last but certainly not least, the show was a great opportunity to meet a number of great artists and talk about their work, most notably a number of wood artists that I'll cover in an additional post.

2011 Winter/Spring Show Schedule

As far as I'm concerned, there is only one good reason to leave Vermont, and that is, to sell art. Though it is a wonderful place to live and make art, it is truly a shitty place to sell art. Hence, I have again scheduled out-of-state shows for the winter/spring season so people unable to make it to my Montpelier studio can see my work. For your convenience, I will be at the following venues:

Baltimore American Craft Council Show, February 24 - 27 (Booth 3301)
One of the biggest and best shows in the country. Around 700 top level artists from all over the US and Canada. I will also be participating in the wholesale show on the 22 and 23 because it is attended by several hundred galleries and should help with developing relationships with some established retail venues. I'm going to have to start marathon training to get ready for the six days (eight hours plus per day) of standing and talking.

CraftNewYork, April 1-3
I was a little hesitant to commit to this show because of the expense and the fact that it is a first year show at this location, but the promoters have many years of experience running shows in New York and have a huge mailing list, in addition, I know the show includes many great artists that I'm more than happy to be associated with. At the very least, I look forward to getting a good blog post out of writing about other wood artists at the show. Hopefully, I'll also find some time to checkout some Chelsea galleries.

Paradise City Arts Festival - Northampton, MA, May 28-30
This is always a good show. It is guaranteed to have good attendance and the attendees seem to be particularly appreciative of my work.

I have several exciting new pieces that I'm trying to finish up for these events and will post images in a couple of weeks.