Challenge! My first commissioned piece!

So, someone who worked with my wife a long time ago (her name is Linda) saw a post of mine where I showed my artwork. I met her last night and had dinner with her and her partner (they are both really cool). She is commissioning a piece of art made by yours truly just for her! So I know what kinds of things she likes, she told me what things I have already made that she likes, and I got to wander around her house for inspiration. Next step - get creating!

I showed her this metal hummingbird soap dish that I got for free as a white elephant present and said I was thinking of using it. She loves it - so I am off and running with ideas. I actually have two different pieces in mind.


I have no idea how to negotiate prices and such, but she promised to be gentle with me ;) Her partner Sara tipped me off that I should apply for funding through the PA Council for the Arts - so overall it was a great evening! Great food, company and inspiration. I like those kind of Friday nights!

Item #2008-0010

This hangs in my entryway, and I have to say how much I love it - I LOVE IT! I customized it for K and I, so I put a buddha of mine on it and a wolf of hers. This item cost me ZERO dollars to make, because I had all of the materials. The bark is from firewood we had, and the pine cone pieces came from mother nature too.

The drawers are actually from a desk my dad used when he was a kid in the 50's to use his ham radio. I found the drawers up in the attic at my grandparent's house and made one of these for my dad. I had made one for us, but it had fake flowers in it, and didn't really represent us like this one does.

Item #2008-0006

I made this for my friend's 9 year old daughter because she was redoing her room for her. Nikita is a very special kid, and her mother is amazing, so I wanted to contribute something beautiful to her new room. I customized it to match the colors of her room. All of the items in this were either free or I already had them. The wood for both parts of the plaque were actually from this guy who let a bunch of strangers dig around in his garage and have things for free - I came home with a big bag of scrapes of beautiful birch plywood. I LOVE free!

Item #2008-0003

This a lamp that I literally made from a piece of firewood from our first camping trip of the summer this year at Tobyhanna State Park here in PA. There was some really cool wood in there, and some awesome bark (only I think bark is awesome ;) I was looking at this log and I said "This would make an awesome lamp!" Within a week it was a lamp!

Most of the materials were free - I got a lamp kit for a buck at a yard sale that weekend, and the base was made out of four heavy wood feet that came off of a sofa that I got rid of - it was their heaviness that inspired the name "Solid Foundations" - it is unusual for me to name my art because I don't want to come up with silly names for everything I make - thus item numbers instead.

The awesome thing about this lamp is that whenever people come over they say "You made that???" I will have and love this lamp forever.

Item #2007-0005

This was something I originally made for my father in a high school art class when I was 17 back in 1988. My teacher handed me a branch and said "make something." I was pretty damn proud of it. When my father was getting rid of stuff so he could sell his house he asked me if I wanted it. YES! Unfortunately, the cabin fell into disrepair - so I "renovated" my cabin in the woods. I absolutely love it! Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version, so you can see the little toilet paper roll in the outhouse :)

This is what it looked like when I got it back from my dad 19 years after I originally made it:

Item #2007-0002

This item was also a gift for Karin. The frame is a solid walnut frame that I got for free because it was really messed up - so I just sanded it to make it look more earthy. I got the driftwood while we were in Vermont for our civil union five years ago (8/29/03). I made her walk the shore of Lake Champlain with me carrying a trash bag while I picked up a bunch of driftwood. Unfortunately, when we moved to PA in 2004 I got rid of it - but man I wish I had moved those sticks with me! I could add them to my huge box of twigs!