Open 2 Anything

Analog Hand

2008-12-28T12:59:00.001-08:00

I just made this for my sister, Erin.

Cedar fence posts seem to be a favorite material of mine. You can find some interesting grain and it's cheap as hell. Now that I have a working Craftsmen belt sander, I'm able to smooth them out quite quickly. I've gotten tons of use out of this sander in the past 2 weeks.

Roughing out the fingers on a band saw is easy. I get everything about the size I want and start shaping things over on the sander. (It's on a stand.) I can get all the detail you see here with the belt sander. In the future, I'll try working with a Dremel, but I'm not really looking to make this perfect. It fits more with the story in my head, to keep this as imperfect.

hand detail
By misterbonkers

Oddly, I didn't explain this story to anyone who saw the hand in person. While constructing this piece, I had quickly imagined a person in the future needing a bionic hand. Not having the money nor resources, they were outfitted with this second-rate hand constructed of old electronics and discarded wood. At first glance many think the hand is decorated with beads. These are actually old analog electronic resistors.

Found Milk

2008-11-25T18:08:00.001-08:00

harv3
Originally uploaded by misterbonkers

"If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."

I'm going to a special screening of Milk at the Grove in LA this Tuesday, November 25, 2008. We're lucky enough to get an introduction from producer, Dan Jinks.

If you happen to be in the theatre with me tonight, you might find one of these images I made of Harvey Milk. I'm hoping you took the time to visit my blog, in order that you can share a little of your story.

If you care to, would you list your image number (oops! I was in a hurry and forgot to number them) and your name? I'd like to know what your thoughts are on whatever issue you'd like to speak. Also, please mention what you were thinking when you found the image. Did you know you were supposed to take it? Let's hear your story. Have at it!

Credit to Joe Sanchez for encouraging me to leave art around for people to find. I know others are doing it as well. I have another image in the works that I will be dropping soon.

I'm calling all the various pieces "Dropped and Found."

All That and a Bag of . . .

2008-11-15T00:40:00.001-08:00

Yeah, that expression is quite old. What of it?!?!?

Here we have an unnamed student modeling a bag made for my good friend, Marcella. This bag was tailored after another purse Norma showed me. I did lengthen the bottom by several inches. This gave it a nicer scale than the original one I was shown. Very simple construction; but still, it has a warm quality about it.

The patches work nicely together even though they came from separate estate sales. I had been saving the Camp Norris patch for a while until the leather "Honor Cabin" and "Hiking" came along. Those things are the greatest!

It's difficult to tell, but the strap is double wide and opens up to reveal the same greenish lining of the purse. I love how the red/black/grey checker squares are reminiscent of the old Coleman sleeping bags we had in our family. It ties in perfectly with the outdoors theme of this purse.

More bags to come. I'll be installing a magnetic clasp and an inside pocket for a cell phone. Last month, I purchased the best vintage fabric ever! I added almost 40 large pieces to my collection and they are ALL amazingly cool. Can't wait to show you!

Reclaimed Birthday

2008-11-13T01:22:00.001-08:00

I was in Portland two months ago visiting my wonderful friend, Michelle. Luckily enough, I was able to be there on her birthday. Here's a look at what I made for Michelle.

Most of you know I'm at an estate sale quite often. Every now and again I look through the old postcards Cynthia has for sale. I was happy to see a Portland postcard pop up, and I immediately thought of Meesh. I was unfamiliar with the landmarks, but I had an intersection off the postcard's back to go by. Thanks to Google maps, I was able to find it quite easily. However, from the street view, I was disappointed to see that the old Paramount sign had been changed to say Portland. After doing some research, I discovered that the sign originally did say Portland, and my postcard showed the changed version. To be verbose the sign has gone form Portland . . . to Paramount . . . and back to Portland again.

To continue the theme of reclaiming this landmark, I found some interesting reclaimed lumber at another sale. I put my new nail gun to the test and was surprised to find how easy it was to construct this frame with double paned plexi-glass to enable the postcard to float.

Once in Portland, Michelle picked me up at the airport and we went for a great dinner. After, I had her drive me to the intersection listed on the back of the postcard. I was hoping to get near as possible to the perspective shown in the postcard. Michelle was very surprised when I pulled the frame from my backpack, standing nearly in the middle of the street. It now hangs warmly on the wall of her new home.

Here's a shot of Michelle, across the street from the landmark. The building across the way houses some old signs inside and this wonderful wall poster of an even older scene than the one on the postcard. Happy birthday Michelle!

Something Fun

2008-07-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Do you know about Big Huge Labs?
They have plenty of cool stuff you can do with your photos.

Haven't had your 15 minutes of fame yet? Try the Warholizer then!

Here's a clay man I sculpted. He even has working suspenders! The Hockneyizer makes it appear as if I shot a bunch of Polaroids.

I think my brother, Dan, will like this work around for a Flickr shortcoming. Check it:
View On Black

Still Waiting Around

2008-07-12T19:36:00.001-07:00

It's not the brides fault, but I haven't seen pictures from the center piece boxes i made for her Tunisian-style wedding. I created two 6-inch boxes, seventeen 30-inch boxes, and one 5-foot box. The boxes were filled with either flowers or these amazing candles that they had custom made to match their chosen colors. They look little like the original post from months ago, so it probably remains a mystery to most of you as to what I have accomplished.

Here I am ready to stain the boxes, before moving on to the complicated stencils. Incidentally, I'm standing in the future spot of my very own regulation-sized four square court. I can't wait to paint that thing and have you people over for a fun party.

It's coming, it's coming!

Flower Bag

2008-07-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

This bag hangs on the wall at my parent's house in Valley Center. It's a simple design, but I think that adds to its elegance. My sister, Erin, added the copper pieces.

All the material was purchased at garage sales, estate sales, or thrift stores.

The wooden "handles" serve as the hanging device, as well as being visually interesting. I picked these up in Florida years ago while at this enormous outdoor junkyard slash garage sale slash flea market. (I have about 200 more of these spindles, used in textile mills to hold cones of thread.)

While there, I overheard these 2 old biddies walking along the dirt path in their great New York accent, "Oh, Emeril; he's the hottest right now, doncha know!?"

Yes, I can sew . . .

2008-07-12T18:39:00.001-07:00

A piece that I brought to a white elephant X-mas exchange at Dan and Jen's house. I found the best cork screw opener at an estate sale and had to round it out with this bag and bottle. (2 Buck Chuck, perhaps?) The opener was a little naked guy, and you can guess what part of his anatomy was the screw.

Lest my post title make me sound like a pretentious ass, I must explain. It comes from a little biography story I wrote in my literature class called, "Better Than I Could Do." It was about getting flack for being a boy who could sew. Sure, I'm not the greatest, but I have pushed my creativity in an original direction that I haven't seen elsewhere. (This bag is fairly standard, however. I'll post others.)

Still, when people would see my work and make a big deal because I was a male, they would end with this back-handed compliment, "Well, it's better than I could do!"

Of course it is jackass! You don't even sew!

Come to think of it, I'm sounding like a pretentious ass even with the explanation; so I'll stop here. (It's all in good fun anyway.)

Awe Man!!

2008-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

My brother, Dan, will bust my chops for this lousy photo with all its wonderful blur, but we don't all own a DSLR. (Is that a good enough excuse? And hey; unsharpen mask can only take you so far in PS.) This is the only look I have to show you of the new routered keyholes I make for the back of these tablets. These will be the first items I list on etsy. I can make them inexpensively as well as quickly.

My good friend, Tyn, dropped by my place to see what I'd made of the wood shop and to go over some art projects with me. She's had her etsy shop running for a while now. It's funny how ideas jump out as us. Soon after offering her some extra Plexiglas (that's no typo!) I had lying around, we started talking about how it can be scored and snapped to the correct size or even cut on the table saw. Someone had told me to reverse the blade on my saw in order to not scorch the plexi. Meh! Sounds like too much trouble; so we cut away and everything went fine. It does get a bit messy, though, with the extra stringy plastic. No problems cutting the sheets down to size with the chop saw, either.

We had already printed a stencil or two and decided to try acrylic paint on the plexi. The result was acceptable, but could be made even better if we thicken up the paint. We tried working quickly to construct a frame. BTW, sawblades leave a grove that is the exact thickness of plexi or regular glass sheets. We ran in to a few problems when trying to nail the mitered corners. Later that night I solved the problem by purchasing a band clamp. (Yes, I was the funny man walking around Home Depot saying to himself, "This one time, at band clamp . . .") In this way, I only had to glue up the corners and clamp the entire frame without using any nails. The glue sets up in about half an hour. Again, we used the keyhole router bit to easily make this frame ready for the wall. All this quick work means I can try and get a fair price without running myself ragged.

Tyn, your frame is ready; come and get it!

P-P-Palanca

2008-07-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a box given to Augie Leyva as a thank you for heading up Palanca for Search 140. It features the ever-popular Josie Leyva imitating Augie's patented funk stroll (complete with afro-puffs to boot!) We all signed the sides with a gold paint pen, and it was a huge hit!

I love the negative space created by both her forearms. This was the first time I used a more neutral stain. I think it works here, but I still can't be sure I don't want a darker stain for most of my items. This almost looks as if it has no stain at all.

Rodney and Nella look on as Augie takes it all in. Of course that's me hovering over the unveiling! Thanks once again, Augie, for a Funky Good Time!

Some of you have been asking about the wedding boxes I created. They turned out amazing, and Luca and Laura were very pleased. It was great practice for me moving towards a deadline while maintaining quality work. Unfortunately, I've been waiting forever to see actual wedding pictures. I'm hesitant to post the few pictures I have of the boxes. I don't think they do them justice.

It's the New Style; 4 and 3 and 2 and 1 . . .

2008-04-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

I had a new stain color mixed to add to my collection. (It's a light orange that really isn't as nice as the green.) This time, I tried a stencil of my own, and had planned to print it with a dark cherry stain instead of the black acrylic you see here. It looked amazing, but when I lifted the stencil, I found the dark stain had soaked through the index paper I use for my stencils. (I still haven't found the right thickness acetate sheet.)

In order to salvage the box, I had to cover the entire piece with the darker stain. What I found was a happy accident. It looks so nice and even better in person! Using the black paint then, I have a subtle look that is part elegant - part edgy.

Here's a look at the second box. I was so excited to create it that I forgot to cut a grove in this one. I shopped the top one around at work and have found people to be interested. I'm searching for the right price to charge for a generic box, and for a box with a custom stencil I create based on the photo you supply. I've been working hard at creating more stencils and have 10 originals ready to go. I think I'm on the verge of something big!

Animal Box

2008-04-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

A box I made for a friend rests atop a real-life pedestal in my backyard. I was inspired by the boxes I'm making for the Tunisian wedding. Incidentally, those are working out great, and I have perfected the use of stencils.

This box, unlike the wedding boxes, had mitered corners. This proved a bit trickier, as the cedar is too tall for my chop saw. Thankfully, I have a compound miter saw, and the head can be tilted at a 45 degree angle. Still, it's a bit of a hassle, and makes accuracy a touch harder.

The best part of all this is discovering how easy it is to have a custom stain mixed at Home Depot. It's a hair more expensive than the regular, but it will last a lifetime. I think I could get almost 100 boxes out of a tiny quart!

Be sure to always look in the Oops Basket for cheap paint. I happened to find the exact turquoise I need for the wedding boxes. 1 quart will run you a buck, whereas a gallon costs $5.00.

After finishing the stain, I quickly ran the completed box across the table saw on each side. Move the fence a bit; run it through again, and you've added a nice decorative element. It might be old-hat for veteran wood-workers, but I just discovered it!

I'll be constructing more of these, where I'll go for a more dilapidated look; possibly adding decoupage and stencils combined.

Tunisian Wedding

2008-03-31T23:45:00.001-07:00

planter
Originally uploaded by misterbonkers

Something neat happened. It turns out that I popped up on a Google search for "table size planter boxes." Laura wrote me to ask if I could create some planter boxes for her Tunisian style wedding in June.

I made this box tonight to test out some stencil ideas. Keep in mind that I don't really go for the colors of the stencil, but it's a start.

As with out first Happening, I used cedar fence boards (very inexpensive.) But, this time I sanded them and even rounded all the edges. They look good in person.

I found a jpg of a Moroccan motif that was interesting. I brought it into Photoshop, traced the outlines and exported the paths to Illustrator. Using my Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter, I created the stencil. (The easy thing is, now that I have the file, I can cut a new stencil at any size in under a minute.)

stencil detail

After staining the box, I used the stencil twice; once with gold and then a second time with a deep orange. I'll be doing some trials to see what looks good, and I think I'll make them more uniformly spaced with cleaner edges.

stencil

Here's a look at the stencil itself. I finally got smart and started wearing gloves when I spray. The big advantage here, is that you're able to hold the stencil flat against the object without worry of spraying your fingers. Luckily, I have almost 100 pairs of surgical gloves I picked up at an estate sale years ago. I knew they would come in handy!

Electricity, Electricity!

2008-03-27T19:02:00.001-07:00

electricbluebird
Originally uploaded by misterbonkers

This logo came together rather quickly for a seller on Etsy. She was looking for a trade - logo for a knit cap.

I have an old lamp with an art-deco looking plug. It was the natural solution for the electric part of this logo. I realize the blue bird's head is super simple, but I really am a lousy illustrator; so I went with it.

When I sent it to her excited to see it added to blanket and cap tags; I asked her if she wanted the eps file. She let me know that she was just using it to print out a coloring page for her child. Oh well.

Never did ask for that cap!

I'm Still Looking For . . .

2008-03-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

stencil1
Originally uploaded by misterbonkers

This student chalk board was purchased from an estate sale and I must have more than 20 of them left. They're the perfect canvas for stenciling.

The stencil was created from a photo of a girl I met on Match.com. I actually met her and some friends at a karaoke bar in Glendale called the Winchester Room. The place is a hoot and left me with an awesome story. You'll have to ask me in person to get all the low-down. Highlights of my very own Twilight Zone episode:
• I wore a sticker that said "I'm Looking For:" with a picture of the girl on it. Awesome!
• She looked nothing like the sticker.
• I got slapped on the back while ordering a drink from the bar. I turned around and yelled, "Cowboy!!"
• I played doubles pool with Cowboy and his tweaker friend. They kicked our ass!
• As I'm sitting with the group of friends, I'm disoriented and confused. I finally realize that the friend I'm sitting next to had written me twice on Match, and I hadn't responded. I felt I was being set up for some bizarre retaliation. It was just the oddest coincidence, though. The friend was from OC and the girl was from the Valley.
• The girl left early. When I asked if everything was OK, she told me she was getting her taxes done early the next day. Nice one; Damn you Uncle Sam!!

I think this stencil kicks ass. I made her photo hi-contrast in Photoshop. Next, I went through, making sure there were no islands that would make printing difficult. The hair highlights and part of the eye were from a separate stencil. I'm still using Adobe Streamline to turn my TIFFs into vector art. (Is there another way? It sucks because I have to use System 9 when using Streamline.) My Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter was used to cut the stencil out of index paper. They've created an Adobe Illustrator plug-in that gets the job done nicely. I used blue masking tape to define the boundaries, tearing the edges to give a more organic look. I think it's very successful . . . well, not the date . . . just the final product.

Audio Samples

2008-01-26T01:09:00.001-08:00

I buy cassette tapes whenever I see them at estates sales. Some are instructional; others are religious. The best are homemade ones that contain hidden treasures. I also buy the shitty $1.99 DVDs and sample from those as well. Check these out - use them in your project - enjoy them. Make it so! (The list of files will continue to grow.)

I Got Flamed at SoCalMtB.com and all I Got Was this Lousy T-Shirt

2008-01-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

My brother, Dan, invited me on an overnight camping trip with people from SoCalMtB.com. These are the two logos I developed to highlight the event, and the group had t-shirts printed. We ended up using the top logo. Fairly simple design, but at least I got the mountains correct this time. I especially like the use of negative space in this logo. I really had never done anything like that before. Incidentally, this post's title was printed on the reverse of the shirt.

Great fun that weekend as we went on short rides and messed around the campfire with a great potluck dinner. On day two, we all went on a 14 mile downhill ride. Here's a pretty good look at the single track.

We shuttled back to the top, and later devoured an awesome fried chicken dinner in nearby Julian with their famous apple pie for dessert.

Dan and I have since hiked that trail twice. Once for an overnight back back last year.

Where are they Now?

2008-01-10T20:41:00.002-08:00

I believe it has been long enough that I can post these guys. They must be 19 years old by now. The middle photo is a tad cheesy with the outlining and all; but doesn't he have amazing eyes?

Taking Ya Back to the Old School

2008-01-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Cuz I'm an old fool, who's so cool.

Well, maybe. I designed this logo for the City of Azusa Centennial when I was still a brand new teacher. The Associate Superintendent, Nancy Moore, had me working on this thing. I got in a little over my head and was having trouble coming up with a workable logo. She sketched something out on a napkin to get me going, and I came up with this. Far as I remember, everyone loved it. Banners throughout the city sported the logo. (Never got one.) But they did give me a cool little enamel pin. No one ever gave me grief for depicting the San Gabriel Mountains as the Rockies. (Actually, Jim Legg was the clown to point this out; We had a good laugh)

It Happened in Class (Last Year)

2008-01-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

This kid is awesome! He's an ass-out genius! If "Peter" hears something once, he will remember it - and he'll be able to repeat it verbatim a year later!!

Every week, we take a spelling pretest on Monday and the final test on Friday. When this happens, I'll say something like, "Number one: Bike shop - Peter was fired from his job at the bike shop. Bike shop. Number two: Smoking - We saw Greg, and he was smoking! Smoking. So, I go through our 20 words in this manner and we're all done.

Last year, we took a spelling pretest on a Friday for some odd reason. I didn't assign any spelling packet work that following week. (I can't remember why.) Then it comes time to give the final test on Friday. What I do remember is Peter having to go to the bathroom when I was on number 4. When He comes back, we are on number eleven, and I say, "Peter, don't worry about the ones you missed, I'll give them to you at the end."

When I walk over to Peter to read the words he's missed, I see his paper is complete.

"Peter are you allowed to talk during a test?"
"No, and I wasn't talking."
"Then how did you get the words you missed?
"I remembered them"
"From last Friday?!?!?"
"Yep!"
"Reeaaaallllllly?!?!?"
(taking his paper)
"Then what's number 5?"
"Tarantula"
"Well, what's number 16?"
"Tiki"
"And number 9?"
"Trampoline"
"Huh . . . very well, then . . . carry on."

Lil' Shelf

2008-01-04T18:42:00.001-08:00

I constructed this shelf the other day to hold my collection of 35 mm film canisters. Most, if not all, of them are Kodak, and they are made of tin. I've been buying these things for years at estate sales, but hadn't figured out what to do with them until now. I'm really interested in continuing to create works of assemblage. I've categorized my findings, so it is just a matter of choosing which pieces belong together and in which manner they might be altered, if any.

I took a lousy photo of the detail because it was raining today, and I couldn't shoot this in the outdoor light. But the front part of the shelf has knife marks cut in random directions. The wood stain darkened the marks in an interesting way. I'll be thinking how I might continue to use this technique.

5 Hours Later . . .

2007-10-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

"When I was very tiny, I was afraid that my mother and father would die. I didn't want to be without them. I asked my mom, "If a person goes to sleep in a coffin, would they be dead?" Her spoken answer didn't remain with me, but her actions did . . ."

This short message was written for an art piece when I was still in school. The assignment was to create a 3-dimensional work honoring someone in our life; I chose my mom.

My work consisted of reclaimed board fashioned in to a "coffin" and lined with velvet. Behind glass were a Polaroid picture of my mother, the hand written note, and a small painting of a young child asleep in a coffin with his dead parents on either side.

In the Polaroid, I had taken a funny shot of my mom as she was goofing around. The clock on the wall behind her read 10:17. At that moment we were happy, we were laughing, and we were alive.

5 Hours Later, Her Father Would Die, the title read.

I have yet to experience a death even remotely close to this. My tears at funerals have only been for the loss of others as I sympathize with them. I've always been a bit nervous not knowing how I would handle death.

Through her actions, my mom has shown me that she can face death. She is OK to be without those who have passed. My mom is loving, spiritual, vibrant. She is a hospice volunteer. She shows me her strength, and shows me that I can have it as well.

In remembering this piece the other day, I was a bit embarrassed to admit that I had dismantled it. My mom did not want to display it and I felt uncomfortable holding on to it. A huge part of art for me is the tangible representation of my thoughts that the piece possesses. Thinking back, I was somewhat unsettled that the record of this thought was now missing. But I just needed a simple dialogue to help center my thoughts again.

Someone dear to my life said to me, "Maybe it served it's purpose."

Yes it did; and I can live with that.

I remember the final words of the handwritten note:

"She's not sleeping with her father . . . I won't either."

GI Tin Fairy House

2007-09-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enought to be a guest at a Tin Fairy House class held at Zinnia in South Pasadena. The class was taught by my good friend, Tyn, who will also instruct you in techniques for collage, image transfer, and the very unique "mini quilt." You can see some of her tin creations on her blog.

Tin houses begin with a small Altoids container. The goal is to create a 3-D effect by layering the imagery inside the box. I used an old GI photo, moss, cut out teeth, and an image transfered on to vinyl. Later, basic tin boxes are cut to create a "frame" for the box. Decorative brads can hold the layers of tin together creating a substantial look that is very satisfying. My lighting was completely shabby when I shot the piece. Looks like you'll have to attend a Happening to see its finer points.

Old Photos

2007-09-22T20:17:00.001-07:00

I buy old photos and slides at estate sales. Are you looking for specific subject matter? Ask me, and I will probably give it to you. I have hundreds and hundreds.

It Happened in Class - 1

2007-09-16T00:59:00.000-07:00

This post begins a new feature at Open 2 Anything. I'll be sharing gems from inside the fourth grade classroom. Trust me, there are millions a year, and I've already had my first one. While the story is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

** Brady names have been substituted in for the originals. **

We were having a discussion of fiction vs non-fiction. On the white board, words were listed under the heading "Fiction." Generated by the students, we had: fake, false, untrue, made-up, and a few others.

Greg raised his hand eagerly to share his story of a UFO invasion. "Exactly!" I chimed in. "That would be a fiction story because it didn't really happen." Greg was quick to point out that it COULD happen because he had seen a History Channel story, indicating that there was life in the universe.

I pointed out that "life" may exist and probably does, but it might be in a form that is very less intelligent than our own.

He pointed out "Area 51"

I pointed out Men in Black does not equal truth.

Realizing the discussion was to promote an understanding of the fiction classification, I asked him to tell us more about his story.

"Well, the aliens landed at City Hall"
"Wait, who remembers reading that in the newspaper? Who saw it on TV? Oh, no? That's how we know it fake."
"But the aliens were . . ."
"False!"
"But . . ."
"Untrue!"
"B . . ."
"Made-up!"

Now, I know Greg can handle this from me because he's smiling and laughing. He's the type of GATE kid who can hold his own with adults.

Buuuuuut, Cindy sure isn't! And this is what the story is really about. Cindy raises her hand to speak. Instead of freezing like she did on that damn quiz show where she is just staring into the red light on top of the camera, she actually has something to say.

A lot to say!! And she goes on and on and on . . .

Just about the time where I'm gonna shut this down, Cousin Oliver calls in a drawn out monotone,

"Boring!"

And the room erupts with tiny laughter. (Maybe not so tiny, though.)

So, the waterworks start almost instantly, but there was that frozen moment where Cindy and I look at each other. Me saying with my eyes, "It's just a scrape, you're fine, right?" Wrong! I dip into Teaching 101 and use the old, "Take Cindy to the bathroom. Cindy, splash some water on your face. You'll be OK" (That water is magic, I tell ya!)

Don't worry, we made this a class discussion and sorted it all out. We talked about how what I said to Greg was very similar. We talked about taking responsibility, no matter what your intentions are. Let's just hope there isn't a phone message waiting for me from Mike Brady, when I get back to class.

The Blog, She is a Changin'

2007-09-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

So, I'm beginning to realize that I want to write more. I had thought this blog would just be about Open 2 Anything and the Happenings we put on. That, it will continue to be.

However, I want to open up the creative process and share other things in my life that I find interesting. Of course, it will continue to have a heavy art/creative slant. But you'll also be able to find amusing anecdotes peppering the site from now on.

It Happened 2

2007-08-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

We had another nice turn out in honor of our second Happening. This one was for Planter Boxes to go along with Square Foot Gardening. The treat department took a slight hit as Mike changed the rules a bit. However, big thanks go out to Tyn for bringing a nice drink/snack combo. She rocks!

At least one person was not too pleased with the chocloate cookies provided!

The host laid down the law, not letting any drinks leave the Happening. However, Joe discovered a loophole . . . If you open your soda while on the premises, you can't be stopped. The last thing I heard was 3 tops being popped, but I can't be sure.

First things first - we went over some safety tips for using the chop saw. Be sure to hold that wood securely. We don't want bits and pieces flying all over gOD knows where!

We set some in the group on the task of mixing up the various soil. Mel's Mix calls for equal portions of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. We had compost from several different sources. (ie: mushroom compost, tree compost.) Mel says it's best to mix these together to ensure a wide variety of nutrients. The day dragged on a tad longer than we had thought and some of the younger members were bored silly.

At least two guests were wide awake!

Participants helped each other, as always. Even Gussy got into the helpful act, keeping an eye on Coco as she slept alone in the car. Some friends didn't find this the least bit amusing!

All in all, the finished products looked great. Don't worry, Tyn. I won't mention your "square" box.

Roll Call for the second Happening: Ian, Kari, Tyn, Coco, Megan, Joe, Andy, AmeriCorps Annie, her boyfriend(I'm an ass and forgot his name!), Jackson, Cynthia, and Pat (at the front steps)

Thanks again for making it another success! Mike Conger

We’re Making Planter Box Gardens!

2007-08-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

Mel Bartholomew has perfected planter box gardening with his Square Foot Gardening technique. Instead of traditional rows, a square foot grid is utilized. Mel asks, “How would you like a garden filled with beautiful flowers, fresh herbs and luscious vegetables, but no weeds and no hard work? No more heavy digging or all-at-once harvest. Less watering, weeding, and thinning. What's left is a picture perfect garden you will be so proud of.”

We have a friend who swears by Mel’s process and has had good luck with his plantings. He says all of Mel’s claims are true!

I’ve wanted to start a garden for some time now, but haven’t wanted to deal with all the unknowns. That’s the beauty of Open 2 Anything, though. We help you along the way, answer questions you might have, and challenge you to do most of the work.

Redwood, Cedar, treated vs untreated wood? Forget that madness, we’ll have all the supplies purchased beforehand and ready to go when you arrive. We’ll even send you home with your own bag of soil (Mel’s Mix.)

If you’re afraid to use power tools, someone will assist you. If you’re game, you’ll learn to use a chop saw, table saw, and power drill. It’s really not that difficult!

2ft X 2ft planter box will run you $10.00 (including soil mix)
2ft X 3ft planter box will run you $15.00 (including soil mix)
Need a box bottom for the patio? That will be another $2.00
The boxes themselves are damn cheap to make ($3.00 - $4.00)
It’s the soil mix that is rather expensive. If you want to skip the soil mix, we’ll figure out a fair price for your box. No worries!

So, we’re really going to need to know who’s coming to this Happening. I need to purchase the correct amount of lumber and mix. Please email me with the number of boxes you wish to make, the size of the box, and if you want our soil. (I recommend you use Mel’s Mix.)

We’ll be providing drinks again, but if you’d like munchies, it would be great if you brought something to share.

Again, I’ll email you directions later. Our Happening is in Montecito Heights on Saturday, August 11th from 10:00 – 4:00. You won’t need to spend too much time here, so feel free to stop by when you’d like.

Soft Sculpture

2007-08-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

A few years back, I created a soft scuplture for a modular design assignment. I wanted to try and perfect the figures, and this is just the beginning. These are filled with rice, but I suppose stuffing might be a better idea. I'm just a bit too lazy to sit there and stuff them. The eyelets were another time saving device as I hate to hand sew ANYTHING! The technique I use to sew these leaves the tiniest opening (about half an inch.)

The uniqueness of this design might not be so apparent at first. These are donut shaped figures - which can't be sewn in the traditional right-facing fabric manner. I sew them in the same manner in which I sew scrunchies. (a bit hard to explain here) Won't someone please bring that fashion back?!?!? I love sewing those things!

What do you do with handmade paper?

2007-07-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

A short post to show you what I did with my handmade paper. I'm taking two classses at the Armory in Pasadena. One is a class in collage and the other is printmaking. You might have a look to see what classes are offered for Session Two, August 6 - September 1

Tonight we printed with an intaglio (silent g) process after scratching into a plexiglass plate utilizing dry point. With intaglio, the mark created on the plate leaves a slightly raised bur that accepts ink. As well, ink is worked into the groove that is left. Most of the other ink is wiped away with a thick tarlatan cloth. Paper to be printed on is first soaked in water for about 30 minutes. This helps the ink to be pushed into the paper fibers instead of simply laying on top.

It Happened!

2007-07-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Amazing turnout the other night for our first Open 2 Anything Happening. We had old friends, new friends, families, and neighbors at the fences. All who attended showed up with a wonderful attitude. Thanks for being flexible with our first event and giving us a chance to work out the bugs. True to form with Open 2 Anything, participants shared their knowledge with others so there wasn’t simply one leader. I’m glad to see JC jump on the blender so readily (even if the thing was smoking when I walked by.)

When participants arrived, (after last minute directions from their loving brother even!) they found ugly greyish pulp already blended in a large vat. The grey pulp was simply made from reused ditto paper from Mike’s classroom that was blended with water. From here, they chose their preferred color from a stack of construction paper. This color was blended and then added together with water and the grey pulp to a new tub. Each participant had her own screen to dip into the tub and lift out to reveal a square piece of newly made paper.

Some in the group brought string or yarn to add as an embellishment piece to their handmade paper. Others chose bits of old maps, graph paper, dried flowers, etc. to sandwich between two layers of pulp. Chunky pieces of contrasting color worked well with the liquefied colorful pulp.

Our youngest participant, Emily, (8 years old?) showed up with her family and got right to work creating many different types of handmade paper. She really set a standard that was difficult for others to match. All in all, people enjoyed themselves as they worked at their own pace taking breaks to eat drink and socialize with others. As they left for home with several of their creations in tow, it was easy to see their satisfaction.

Thanks to all who made our first Happening a huge success: Sarah, Tyn, Irene, John, Bobbie, Emily, Claire, Erin, Anchal, Ric, JC, Joe, Pat, Cynthia, and Jackson!

(Be sure to send in photos of your handmade paper so I can add it to our slideshow!)

Mike Conger

Back in Town (with some Examples)

2007-07-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've been back from my Whitney trip for a few days, but it has really taken some time to recover. Thanks to Joe for sending out the email while I was away. (I know the message date confused some of you who knew I wasn't supposed to be around.) Let's take a look at what we'll be producing for the first Happening:

This example shows 2 different colors of paper pulp layered on top of each other, rolled flat, and then dried. Before layering, string was placed on one of the sheets. You might like the embossed look it has when it's all dry.

A similar example to the first one except this piece has bits of vellum mixed in to the white pulp. Vellum has a wax-like quality to it and doesn't completely pulverize in the blender.

Our final example shows a single-layer piece of handmade paper with bits of dried onion skin embedded within.

• Items you MUST bring:
Nothing (I'll have plenty of my own materials to share.)

• Items you MIGHT bring:
Old bath or hand towel (We'll use them in the papermaking process)
String or yarn in different colors
Postages stamps, old photos, dried flower petals, wire, flat odds and ends for embedding

That's about it. Hope to see you there! Don't worry if you'll be late or even if you can't make it. Address and directions are in the email.

First Happening!

2007-07-17T00:10:00.000-07:00

Papermaking Tuesday July 24 from 6-9pm. We will be posting examples, please check back.

Welcome

2007-07-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

Open 2 Anything emerged from our desire to collaborate and learn from others. Mike, Joe and Megan were sitting around discussing a way to make art and creativity a more prolific element in their lives. Having their friends come together to share their passions and expertise with others seemed like the best solution. It's not an original idea, but it's one that works for us.

The Blog is here to document various aspects:
• Calendar of Happenings
• Bring the events to those who were unable to attend
• A forum to ask questions or to share what's going on in your own life
• Highlight our work and the work of others that inspires us
• Document our interaction with creative people and events

Our Mission at Open 2 Anything: To bring people together to learn from one another.