+ Coffee Table

  This project was our third and final project in Woods: Materials and Fabrication. I cannot think of anything I have worked harder on in my adult life.  This project pushed me to learn many woodworking techniques and skills as well as the overall learning experience of planning a project and what it takes to complete all the steps along the way, make needed changes and fix accidents.  It all started with sketch foam models then evaluating design, function and aesthetics, revising and improving.  This table is inspired by mid century danish furniture design and the dimensions are custom to living room enjoyment for eating or resting. The legs and rails are all cherry which being sensitive to UV light will gradually richen and darken with age. The top and shelf are brown soft maple with a walnut accent. 

The images below are an overview of the process.... 

The final design drawing, life size drawing for dimension execution, and steps within the process such as dowel joining legs and rails, making a jig to taper legs,  fitting everything together dry before glue, oiling in the finishing room, to the first dinner at home! I learned so much and can't wait for the next project.

+ Retro Bette Midler

I just love these old photos of Bette and this great song "this ole house" sung by the one and only. the audio video was put together by my sister and her friends at the blue barn in Evansville.

+monowheels

Walter Nilson in 1933

A monowheel is a one-wheeled single-track vehicle similar to a unicycle. However, instead of sitting above the wheel, the rider sits either within it or next to it. The wheel is a ring, usually driven by smaller wheels pressing against its inner rim. Most are single-passenger vehicles, though multi-passenger models have been built.

Hand-cranked and pedal-powered monowheels were built in the late 19th century; most built in the 20th century have been motorized. Some modern builders refer to these vehicles as monocycles, though that term is also sometimes used to describe motorized unicycles.

Today, monowheels are generally built and used for fun and entertainment purposes, though from the 1860s through to the 1930s, they were proposed for use as serious transportation

sources: text is wikipedia

picture: http://firsttimeuser.tumblr.com/post/18606827699/monowheel-1933-walter-nilsson-inside-the-wheel

+

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb. – Mary Oliver

+ Menu Boards

making menu boards for the coffee shop has been a great learning experience in which i can practice the design and layout techniques I've learned in school while incorporating my own creativity and ideas.

+ Coffee shop talk

 some of these maybe only baristas will find funny but either way i am going to start cataloging coffee shop talk because its just too funny.  all walks of life in the modern world step into a coffee shop from time to time and there are many ways to slip up an order and sound dumb quite frankly, but we can make it just how you want it...usually.

#1
"ill have a cup of coffee,  2/3 decaf and 1/4 regular"


#2
"ill have a small americano with extra crema"


#03
"what coffees have whip cream?"

+ Golden Fireflies

Yuki Karo travels to Maniwa and Okayama prefecture in Japan to capture these night time long exposure shots of gold fireflies during their mating season.

http://digitalphoto.cocolog-nifty.com/digitalphoto/cat4164851/index.html

+ royal cherry zingers

dark, tart and spicy, these drinks add a unique twist to a typical whiskey cocktail.

 

...this recipe makes two drinks...

  the juice of 1/2 a lemon

8 oz. unsweetened cherry juice

4 oz. maine root ginger beer

4 oz. sparkling water

4 oz. crown royal whiskey

high quality unsweetened cherry juice is the key to keeping this drink not too sweet.

maine root is very spicy.  reeds ginger ale works too.

the larger volume on a measure is 1 1/2 oz.

+ March in snapshots

sunrise light made the snow seam purple on this chilly commute.  i am very grateful for my little corrola.

taco junior womens bathroom stall.  pretty handsome precolumbian native man.

veggie sandwich. extra kale. veganaise. home made mustard. shredded carrots. avos, etc.

janelle walking through the amphitheater at the botanic gardens

jasper and kris at the DAM. borg style.

me too.  gotta get my art fix. and neon light room installation fix.

the slippers my mom made me

i finally invested in a pair of headphones, and not the cheap little ones you have to chove inside your ear.  library studying, light rail riding and drawing sessions are waaaay better now.

+ Totoro Night Light Buddy

This is a Vacuum Formed Polyethelene Totoro, inspired by the character from Miyazaki's Japanese film "my Neighbor Totoro." The assignment for Plastics class was to design a water gun or a game controller. Needless to say I asked the teacher if I could choose else, that guns and video games just aren't my thing.  My natural choice was to make something cute and friendly. Originally i was thinking of a light that plugs into the wall and this idea then evolved into a portable free standing night light buddy with a battery powered candle inserted into the bottom.  This was a child could have him in bed, on the bedside, across the room or take with them to a sleep over.  I hope to make at least a couple more for friends. The mold is 75% of the work, which involves carving your design out of Basswood, a soft hard wood. Once perfected, the mold is split in half and laid out on the vacuum forming machine. melting the plastic and pressing it to your mold is about a 30 second process, from which you then cut out the two halves, glue and paint. Ta Da! a Totoro Night Light Buddy!

*by the way,  I, in no way own any of Totoro, he is not my creation and i am not making this for selling purposes*

+ Box project in Woods Class

 This project taught me so many things. I think overall I have come a long way and really look forward to our next project. The box is more of a briefcase, possibly a modern toolbox for future design jobs. Dimensions are roughly 4"x13"x18".  The frame is made of hard maple, the panel inlays are cherry and the splines are american walnut. I spent many many hours on it.  Its currently sitting in my room empty, but i have faith i will think of something to use it for soon.