The days between.

So I have discovered something I suppose many artists of this craft have found out a long time ago. I hate the days between projects. The days that I sit there wondering how exactly I will do a particular thing. How will I execute it. I also discovered that no sooner had I found a new craft that I committed myself. OK, perhaps that should have been done a long time ago. Rather I made commitments. Someone asked me if I could do this or that and before blinking I said "SURE! YOU BET! SOUNDS FUN!". Now to be sure, everything I committed to is and will be fun. That's why I said I would do them, but it also means all the crazy ideas in my head that are just for lil ol me have to wait. That's something the ideas in my head aren't very good at. They tend to be impatient little buggers and want to get done now...even yesterday. So as it was, I had two projects that I had committed to doing. I had NO idea what I would do for either. For the last 4 days I have sat staring at the blank pages of my sketchbook wondering where to even start. I have come to hate blank pages. They remind me much of my mind half the time. HAH, ok, my mind is very full, we just won't say what it's full of. Heh. One of the projects is a cigar box shrine. But a shrine to what? I asked myself "What do I, Michael McMillen, have enough faith in to make a shrine of?" And there I was. Stuck. The question was to big. "Well lots of stuff." is all I could think off. Not exactly narowing anything down here are we? I was getting frusteremdated. (Thats the feeling you get when you try to read that last word there.) Then after 4 days of "can I even do this" kind of helpful thinking Erin says one sentence. A set of words and the image starts to fall in place like glass un-breaking. The shards magically coming together into a fixed picture in my mind and in 5 minutes of talking, I have it. NO...pffft. I ain't tllen you nuthen. Your just going to have to wait and see! HAHAHAhahahaha. (thats called a cliff hanger there....lets see if it works.)

The first step always looks ten feet tall...

Well, it's official. I completed my first piece ever. My first "self motivated and conceived" piece at any rate. I am feeling rather proud of myself at the moment. All glowy n stuff. It's far from perfect, but I learned quite a bit from doing it. I had never tried to shape Faux Bone to this extent and I had never cut metal to fit anything. Never riveted metal like this though I knew how to make a rivet. From sketchbook to completion in around 12 total hours I would guess. I had a lot of fun doing the project. I think the hardest part was figuring out how I was going to treat the faux bone after I had it shaped. I had drilled 5 holes at the base thinking of putting silver rivets there alone, but decided that was to plain. I don't have any ferric chloride yet, so I couldn't to any etching stuff to copper. Then I found this piece of already patina-ed copper from Jacqueline Sullivans class A Collage of Metals. Things just sort of fell together after that. Like I said, far from perfect. I would have used 3 rivets on the side bits of copper, not two. The edges can get pulled up as it is. I am still learning rivets obviously as each of them is a different size. Heh. Also I have NO CLUE who this fits. I am hoping that I guessed correctly and that it fits Erin. I am also hoping she likes it. Hahaha. Also I started with 1/4 thick faux bone. I think I might have used 1/8 but I might not have been able to do what I wanted with it. I just have no clue. There are also places where the copper doesn't fit as well as I would like it to...but hey, it's hand crafted so whatever. If I wanted a machined look I would have used a cad cam system....and where is the fun in that. :P My only regret is that I didn't get to use caustic chemicals in the process. However, most importantly, I finished. This was by far the hardest step. Bringing home what I had learned and being willing to apply it and risk failure. Being willing to waste materials on the chance that I might make something worthwhile. Now I don't feel as hesitant about starting another project. Now I feel right excited about the prospect. In fact.... Where is my sketchbook.

Duct tape is not always the solution... heh

So I had one of those really great shop moments. The kind of moment that made me think "Grandpa would be proud." Actually, I'm not sure if it would have been grandpa or Grandma. Oh that just made me think of a great story.

So, one day my Grandfather, Dad and a very good friend are all working on a new engine for Gramps truck. 3 guys working on one engine. Yeah....I am sure that at least one of them was the "drinking beer" guy and that it was highly likely Grandpa was doing all the work. Any how, the engine was not in his truck at the time. It's all brand new and shiny. So they finish whatever they were doing to it and go to put it back into place and realize that the "cherry picker" that they had borrowed (basically a lift used to lift in and out engines from vehicles and no, do not ask me why they called it that) was too short to put it in. 6" to short. So there they are, stuck, and trying to figure out how they would get this thing 6" higher. They are at this for about an hour when my Grandmother comes out to tell them dinner is ready. Grandpa tells her whats going on and that they need to get this done before dark so dinner has to wait. She pops off with "Fine. Let the air out of the stupid tires, get that thing set and come in for dinner or you eat it cold." HAH. Thats good Grandparents memorys there.

So....with that out of the way. My shop moment. It was awesome. Our work bench in the garage was there when we bought the place. Very nice and all. Clean and pretty. Well it has this trim on the front edge. Kinda decorative like. Made of metal with about a 3 inch lip hanging over. So I went to try and clamp my bench pin to it and the clamp wouldn't go over the trim. The trims to big. So I tried my quick clamp. The trim hits the release lever for the dang quick clamp... I'm sitting there turning over this thing and looking for ANY way to clamp it down. I'm getting more irritated by the second. Then....then I see it. Mr. Hack saw. OH so LOVELY Mr. Hacksaw. And with an evil grin and a sparkle in my eye the trim was a memory. With great satisfaction did I rip the last bits off with my vice grip pliers. MmmmwwwwAAAAAHAHAHAHA. It aint clean, it aint purdy, but my bench pin fit GREAT after. Heh.

It's quiet..... to quiet.

Yeah....it's all silent like here at the home stead. Erin is off to the other side of the us to go to Bead Fest in Philadelphia and Jasmine is off at camp for a week of horse back riding and fun. I am here at the house alone with power tools... This can't be a good thing. Anyone know how you drive a car with most of the fingers on one hand missing? I should know things like this just in case.

So I have been playing with more Faux Bone and having a good time with it. Nothing to show yet as my first idea has been shelved until I get the proper things to finish it. I should have something finished in a day or so. So for now, no more purdy pictures...yet.

I want to work with Metal clay, and I have some fun ideas for it but I would have to drive into Seattle to get the clay. Trust me this isn't anything you want to do alone. Oh, not because you will get mugged or anything. You just want to be able to use the carpool lanes. Otherwise it will take you 2 hours longer than you planned. Funny thing about having a jackrabbit car...doesn't matter when everyone around you is Yurtle the turtle.

Well, off to play with power tools some more.

Smell-O-rama: The class

Want to know how to make a room smell like a 2 week old cat box in a room with 5 guys who just got back from an all bean meal at a Mexican restaurant? Will if ya do, this was the class for you! Oh yeah. Leme tell ya. Liver of Sulfur, some ammonia, some vinegar for spice. WOO BABY! Now we are cooking with.....here it comes. Ready for it? Gas. (ba dump bump) These are basic "kitchen patinas" as quoted by Jacqueline Sullivan . Some of it didn't smell like an outhouse. I mean, throw steel in water, tap it on the table to knock off excess and let it sit for a bit. Bingo. Rust. Yay rust! But the funky colors and such came from a mix of (as best I can remember after the fumes left my brain) ammonia and kosher salt. However some of them may have been vinegar. Take your chunk of metal and lay out some plastic wrap. Put down some ammonia and a dash of salt, then your metal over the top, a bit more salt and ammonia, wrap it up and let it bake in the hot sun. I had them all laid out and labeled and I was going to take a pic with my phone, but I forgot and then had to use the plate to mix paint on for the background. Oh well. I'll figure it out. I have the notes around here someplace..... in this well organized "room". Any hoo, This was a very fun class and I learned more things to torture metal with! BAD METAL, VERY BAD! THAT"S IT! INTO THE AMMONIA FOR YOU! ...and you STAY there till you learn to say please. o.O

My skull ate my heart

Welcome back to another episode of "I can't believe your really reading this you silly silly person."

So here we have another of my weeks class works. "My heart jumped over the moon". Except in my case (as is usually the case) a skull walked by, saw my project, then looked at me and said "Are you really doing a cutsy bootsy little widdew heart on a pretty little leaf background?" At which my manliness (now truly offended) responded "Um....I guess not?" So I thought, OK, how can I make this assignment me. I mean the whole idea here is not just to duplicate, but to see how my old skills could merge with the new techniques. Enter Mr. Skull and Mr. Tombstone. That's a little more my style. Nothing against hearts. I love mine. It keeps me alive and all. This is good. Everything was plunking along fine. I played with the syringe to make the skull face and hand bones. (yeah thats a hand holding the skull. IT IS! STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!) So yeah, things going fine until... So Louise said to me that metal clay is the most fragile when it's dry but not fired. I found this out by man handling the skull and bone. I did this by holding it from the ends of the bone with my thumb and index finger....and braking one end off. Louise also told me that everything is fixable at this point. WOOT! Slip is your friend. Now after it was fired we were supposed to NOT burnish it and color it with Prisma color pencils instead. I did that.....and hated it. Pastel colors just aren't me. I just didn't think pastel had the feel I was going for... it was more like something a Goth new borne baby would wear. That and I had problems controlling the color blending. So honestly I think even the baby would have spit up on it. Back to the drawing board I went.
I figure doing a liver of sulfur patina will get me the look I am going for. Now I just have to figure out the whole resist thing. I want the moon and grass to be a rainbow patina and the tombstone and bones to be black. Time for some fun.

[Edit] So...after making this post I realized that I HAD liver of sulfur. Duah. So why was I typing about what I might do and not just just getting off my bum and going to do it?! So THERE! There it is. The way I like it. I think I'll drill a hole someplace on the thing and link the skull to the main pendant with chain. MANLY chain. BIG BURLY MANLY....um... heh, sorry...

[2nd Edit] I just found out that you MUST use actual acetone or good old fashioned turpentine to blend the colored pencil. None of this "earth and body friendly" garbage. Get toxic or go home. Heh.

Fun time with caustic chemicals!

Well another day past and I want to get these thoughts down before they slip into that section of my brain that needs a serious kick to the head in order to remember anything stored there. This Etched Copper Journal class was my first experience at Art Unraveled and I have to say it could not have been a better way to start. Here I was an illustrator/ animator with no reason to do anything at all. Why draw if it's just going into a sketchbook that no one will ever see? I feel like the work I do should affect people some how, not just rot in a dark space someplace in my house. So here I am in a class not knowing really whats about to happen and Josie lets lose with "...and you can also free hand draw with a Sharpie onto the copper and etch that way." So after I picked up my jaw off the desk I started playing with this mix of stamps and freehand. Suddenly a phone rang in my head. Wrong number though. Anyway, I realized I had a new medium now! I could DO something with this stuff! I had no clue quite what yet, but I knew something was coming down the road and it wasn't trying to run me over.

High Tech Time

I would lift the lid and show you how this baby works, but then Richard would come and kill me. The inner-workings of this thing have been under development for years now. Around 5,500 to be more accurate. Top notch genius types working round there pathetic archaic clocks trying to finalize this amazing time keeper. So if I blow the secret on that kind of research...pffft... people come after you for lesser mistakes. I like living. I mean, no battery, no winding of any kind and it runs forever. This is crazy stuff man. None the less, Richard trusted about 20 of us with the design and I for one will take it's secret to my grave.

With that silliness out of the way. I had a blast in this class. My first time working with Faux Bone and first time trying to do any kind of measured wire work. You know, actually trying to make one side look or even resemble the other... My second time playing with caustic chemicals. Always fun. The idea that I can draw on metal free hand and have it etched permenently is just to fun for me. I'm looking around the house trying to figure out what I can dump into this stuff! =D Not sure Erin likes the idea, but she has to sleep some time. THEN I WILL POUNCE! "Look honey, how do you like the new kitchen ware?" Oh the fun we will have. All I need now is Thing 1 and Thing 2! muuwwwaAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oltso Attma told me to write this... He looks serious.

Oltso Attma the famous Native American / Egyptian / one eyed Electrical Outlet god... o.O or um....something. It's obviously a powerful god. For one he is mostly an electrical outlet. For two...well just look at all those keys. He must be able to unlock the secrets to ...well something for sure. Perhaps the bathroom? Speaking of that, I'll be right back.

Dang it, still locked.... and now Oltso is looking at me funny.

I am obviously going to have to plunk around with this whole "blog" thing...as the site wanted to import my image sideways... grumble. Re-imported twice...same problem both times. Links fine from Photobucket. ANYWAY, Go figure, me making a totem with one eye. I crack me up sometimes. I didn't even think about it honestly. It just happened.

So here I sit, my wife and I back from yet another trip to the hardware store. I forgot to get the bolts for the vice....again... Wait. Let me back up some. So Erin and I used to play WoW. "Wow...whats that?" you say? World of Warcrack (or warcraft if you like). A time sink of a MMO video game. Oh, I'll just log on and check some auctions and do one daily quest. 6 hours later

Me: "Gee, I'm hungry honey, lets go get some lunch."
Erin: "It's 4:30 Mike."
Me: "Wow....um dinner?"

See how it got it's name?

Anyway, I logged onto our guild website and posted a formal good bye. We are done. Oltso Attma told me so. No more time slipping away in pixel form. Fake rewards for the monkey pressing the buttons in the correct order. Hell the damn monkey got a freaking banana. I didn't even get that. I got my monitor to shine the pretty lights in a different pattern. I have better stuff to do....for now at least. The ONLY thing I would have missed is the people, but I can still talk with them. They ARE real. Oltso Attma told me so. So for now I have better things to be doing. Like buying anvils n stuff. Banging on metal, torturing plastic and playing with caustic chemicals! YEAH BABY! Don't get much better than that.

Now, some of you might have noticed that my wife speaks with a rhythm and poetic grace that makes it feel as if you were reading the Russian ballet. Hope you weren't looking for that here! HAH. No no. I'm....um... geek on the dance floor with words. Fun to laugh at and sometimes you just feel bad for em. Hope you enjoy!

Oh, by the by, Oltso Attma was created in Michael deMengs class "Creative outlets" at Art Unraveled 2008.

I finaly took the left turn at Albuquerque

Buggs Bunny never did it. He always meant to. He just never got around to it and he always ended up back in some hot water for not doing it. I was in the tunnel with Buggs until last week. I never ended up in hot water per-say, but I never did get where I was going either. So my loving wife forced me, kicking and screaming, to go to "Art Unraveled". It's this funky art convention thing where people get together and make dumb craft stuff. WRONG. That's what I was afraid it would be. That's the story I wrote in my little head. "What if I get there and it's just a bunch of kids stuff?" I knew intellectually that it wouldn't be that, but fear is a funny thing. So there it was. My left turn at Albuquerque and I took it. It was my reconnection to the art community that I had lost so long ago. This place was full of folks openly sharing ideas and "how to" info. Completely unlike so many venues where technique is held close to the chest and over embellished in order to make ones work seem to have more value. It had been years since I had done art for any personal reason other than the occasional project here or there. Now I have more ideas floating around in my airy skull than I can get down on paper. I'm trying, but I would need more hands to get it all down fast enough. From my first class of basic copper/brass etching to my last class of ahsemblauge (lol) and everything in between. I found new outlets (ba dump bump) for my creative mind. I know how much more there is out there to learn about this, but I am in no rush. I just want to play with what I have at the moment. That and try my best to keep in contact with the people I met at this conference.