Tag Archives: Rustic

Pinterest, good or bad ??

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The new boy on the block seems to be Pinterest, I know it is one of my latest obsessions..I love it !!

I have been reading so many posts about how it may rob artists and craftspeople credit for their work..OH, maybe so in some circumstances HOWEVER I am finding it gives my work exposure to a huge audience and drives traffic to my site and my online store..folks who I never would have reached. I am thrilled when someone likes my work enough to ‘PIN IT’…sure maybe someone will copy it….. go ahead if you are that type of ‘maker/faker’ !!

I guess if that is your big fear as an artisan….you just go ahead, hide all your work and keep it private.  Me, I will take the exposure I get for my work AND the exposure to seeing the ideas and creations out there..

I see wonderful things from incredibly talented people on Pinterest or on the internet in general, Do I think ‘OH WOW, I must make that??...NO, many are mediums that I don’t even work in or have that much talent…even with wood it gives me a chance to see what others are making, new ways of doing something, how many great woodworkers there are and last but not least what is trending, what folks are liking. I admire great work and seeing it restores my faith in the creative life.

I try to pin from the source and not just repin so I will be sure the link to someones work is there …I think that is good practice.

Pinterest inspires me, it gives me thoughts of new pieces, really everything we see affects our work, I don’t know how many NEW IDEAS are out there but the things I make come from the things I see and think about every day. Sure a picture I saw somewhere would have an effect..here is an example of my ‘stealing others work’

I have a friend who does the most wonderful paintings..my walls are a shrine to her work.  I sell her cards and some prints in my studio..her name is Molly Poole, her studio Granite Dog. She has a yellow Labrador girl who plays a huge role in her life but also her work..below are her paintings inspired by her life with Lucy .

So I look at these paintings, admire these and they stick with me. She has two paintings ‘Scout in the Canoe’ and ‘Old Town’ which I LOVE…..how could you not, I have Labradors, if it is related to water, it is for them.

Then I saw this vintage whirligig on Pinterest from One kings Lane..Now I LOVE whirligigs..love that word and love that they are a true form of folk art..some crack me up, some blow my mind with their ingenuity and some are just beautiful …made by regular folks just like me or my Grandpa….so I want to make a few. While admiring this vintage yellow canoe with the First Nations paddler it occurred to me to make the Labbies in a canoe, probably because I have Molly’s labs in canoes rolling around up in my head…..I started with this small scale sample of one lab to try to get the paddles right… have a big one drawn up so I can put a chocolate, a black and a yellow…happily paddling down the river in their canoe……So I will make a few adjustments to the paddles, I turned then carved these, a little too heavy, me thinks….and the three labs would bring some more color, plus a longer ‘canoe’. This was a quickie to try. No wind this afternoon on PEI either to see if it whirls…

Maybe I will be cursed for doing this..[Molly, be sure to tell me]…..But know that your paintings had an effect on me, they stayed with me and inspired me, same for the old timer who crafted the yellow canoe….. it is a testament to your abilities as a creative person..true art should get a reaction from someone who sees it and gets it….. they remember it, it has touched them somehow…..

I get a reaction with Molly’s work…she has a gift.

So if someone sees her work on Pinterest….they will be drawn in to her world and can thank Pinterest for the opportunity to find her paintings, to find great things….Who knows what she may inspire !!!

I wanted to have the three lab whirligig for the Heart Dog Auction for Labrador Life Line that is happening now..I was into a couple of jobs that didn’t allow me the time. I did however donate a sweet carved Lab head & bread board, plus some tags…Molly has an original framed painting that is gorgeous. Check it out, oh there are some wonderful items, auction ends tomorrow, Friday at 5 central time. Help LLL help some labs and their families by taking part.

Smiles, Brenda

Cattails Woodwork

For the foodies

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The wood is quite stunning, wonderful for summer entertaining
Things are busy in Hermitage these days, the sun has finally decided to share her warmth…….I have been working on things for my studio in between a couple of large projects and filling orders for shops. Since the theme with the large projects has been rustic, natural..it has spread into my other work.
Thick heavy blocks with walnut feet..beautiful for the counter.
So many things you can make for the kitchen, I love nice wood when I am feeding loved ones…seems to add some warmth to food ….even when not in use gives your kitchen a look that says “welcome, we live here.”

Easter Hare??

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I so like towel hangers, coat hangers…..also LOVE hares, have a hare art collection….I carved this maybe for Easter, but mostly because the hares the dogs and I see on our walks each day have just turned brown again. They are so kind eyed, remind me of does.
Digging into my vintage silver that I have been collecting for years..the ‘hooks’ are made from butter knives…I think this would be wonderful in a child’s room..not babyish and Sponge Bobish. Little coats and shirts would be so cute hanging on it.

big lathe & firewood meet

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Knotty Beech
Soooo, still on the ‘organic’ forms today…… I have been saving interesting blocks of wood this winter while filling up the wood furnace and tried a few on the lathe….end grain is surely difficult to turn, it woke me up a few times………….
I so love the texture formed by mother nature herself on the outside surface after removing the bark..
Rock Maple
 Isn’t this so cool…I thought it would be burled, it is all spalted and red flecked. Could have turned a few with this but chose to do two and leave the outside as it was………
These would be so lovely on a table in the entry way …..for keys, coins…………..

found wood

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Now that the snow has finally begun to melt the huge snowbanks around here I can dig out my found wood.  Wonderful chunks of old elm, cut down last fall in Charlottetown. So many of the old trees have been cut down or have fallen in high winds, many go to landfill but sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and get yourself a treasure. I am thinking big bowls and maybe some Eames style stools for this elm, my second cache of it, the first being wood from Hurricane Juan.

I have just one piece of lovely ‘found’ black walnut left after recently finishing this bowl for a ‘big’ salad. The tree was cut down and most of this beautiful wood burned, I was lucky to have a friend who thought I might like it and brought me out what was left…ooooh it is wonderful, the air dried wood with hues of almost blue and purple running through the deep browns. I feel the wood holds many secrets, it has watched the goings on of folks under the shade of its limbs for well over one hundred years.
This is my favorite shape for a large bowl, I love the closed form, seems to give the impression of holding in the contents……… Empty,  pleasing for the eye…… Full, a super thing to set a nice table for a gathering of special friends and great food.