Arizona As I See It-Saguaro Cactus

This is one of my wife's paintings, done as part of a series some time ago.  You will note that the top portion of the painting is done in traditional style whereas the lower portion revels the underground  roots and some of the underlying structurs and inhabitants.  This is the hallmark of this series of alkyd paintings that are approximately 48" square.  This painting features the Saguaro cactus of Arizona.  Wood from this remarkable plant is used in a number of my art pieces.  Saguaro I and Saguaro  II are built entirely from the Saguaro ribs, producing shapes that reflect the mighty plant. Several of the tea pots also are made with a majority of Saguaro wood. The tough, fibrous ribs are used in extended lengths or as short 5/8", cross cut segments of the rib.  When one of these giants goes down it takes up to a year for the pulp and growth matter to disintegrate and separate from the ribs.  The ribs dry in the sun and remains a strong skeleton for years.

Art Catelogue

I have started a new project that I would like to tell you about; as if I didn't have more than enough projects already.  You may have noticed I haven't posted for a few days.  I have also been neglecting work on the second volume of my autobiography.  By the way the first volume should be hitting the bookstore shelves soon.  I got my courtesy copies and it came out great if I do say so.  You can check it with the link given below.

http://www.wheatmark.com/catalog/entry/Which-Road-Should-I-Follow-Volume-I-Growing-up-in-the-Country

Back to my new project.  As you know if you have been following my posts, I have been making art for a number of years.  I have used shows and exhibits as a way to acquaint the public with my work and the primary way to sell.  Age and health issues have shut down most of my participation in these venues, so I have decided to use the Internet and social media to fill that marketing void.  I still have work in galleries, but I have started assembling an Art Catalogue of my work.  This listing plus a symbolic polished resin chip will be made available upon requests from interested parties.  I am asking $2.00 as partial coverage of the cost of materials and mailing.  An example of a typical polished resin chip is shown below in enlarged view.  The chips will typically be one inch to one and a half inches in diameter. Please send request and $2.00 to: Apatchablue Catalogue, 554 E. Channel View Pl., Oro Valley, Arizona, USA 85737.  I will need your mailing address to send the package and an e-mail address in case I need to check with you on details.  My e-mail address is: <apatchablue3@comcast.net>.

              resin orb

The photo above show how the art will be presented in the catalogue.   Four pieces of art will be shown on each side of the 8 1/2 x 11 page.  There are 67 pieces currently available for the catalogue and as I finish new pieces they will be added. Be watching in the various social media for announcements about these new additions and other information about this project.  I'm excited about it and I hope you enjoy the catalogue even though you may choose not to invest in the art.

   *More detail on my art can be found at my website <www.apatchablue.com>
Also, my autobiography, volume 1, has more detail on the early period of my life.  The link to my books on the publisher's web site is:  http://www.wheatmark.com/catalog/entry/Which-Road-Should-I-Follow-Volume-I-Growing-up-in-the-Country   

Foamed Cedar e/P 20

I grew up in a part of Montana where the canyons were decorated with Juniper cedar trees as shown in the photo below.  We used the dead wood in our cook stove and heater.  It burned clean and produced good heat because of the oil it contained.  The straight pieces, either dead wood or green poles were cut for fence posts.  They lasted longer in the ground because they weren't attacked by the bugs.  Here again the oil in the wood acted as a deterrent just as closets and chests lined with cedar wood are moth proof storage.  I love the smell of this wood, either worked dry or the green cedars we used as our Christmas trees.

I have used cedar wood in many of my art pieces.  One I just finished named "Foamed Cedar", is shown below.  The top and bottom sections are made of Tennessee Red Cedar, a close relative to the Montana Juniper Cedar.  The mid section and inlay on the top and inside of the lid are small segments of Montana Juniper Cedar.  The colored and filled resin flows around these segments and provides the main shell of the vessel. This vessel, from my e/P series uses a plastic container as the inside core.  The vessel is 5 3/4 inches tall and 5 1/4 inches at it's largest diameter.  It has an oil finish with buffed wax final coats.

*More detail on my art can be found at my website <www.apatchablue.com>

 Also, my autobiography, volume 1, has more detail on this period in my life.  The link to my books on the publisher's web site is:  http://www.wheatmark.com/catalog/entry/Which-Road-Should-I-Follow-Volume-I-Growing-up-in-the-Country

Arizona Winter

If you live in the Arizona desert you don't expect to see too much snow.  The beauty of this is the mountains get their fair share of snow when we are getting the winter rain.  JoAnn's picture shown above, "Arizona Winter", gives a look at this condition as well as the fictitious activity going on underground.  This makes for a beautiful view that keeps us reminded of the changing seasons.  In the 26 years we have lived in the Tucson area I can count the times it snowed on one hand.  I mean a snow storm that dropped a measurable snow fall that didn't melt off in a few hours.  Numerous winter storms will paint the mountains and foothills with the white stuff that last for some time.  When it does snow in Tucson everyone gets excited.  The Kids and grownup alike get a coat on and venture into the seldom seen phenomena.

A little snow fell on our new and current home several winters ago.  The weather turned cold so it lasted a day or so.  Having grown up in eastern Montana, this was insignificant in my view.  The photo below shows the evidence of this desert snow storm.

*More detail on our art can be found at our website <www.apatchablue.com>

Doors inside a Door

When building front doors for customers, an unusual request came up from two different orders.  They both wanted a way to ventilate the door without opening it.  Of course a screen door would allow the front door to be open and keep out insects and other uninvited guests.  These two individuals did not want to use a screen door which would hide the design of the front door.  I had to agree with them so it was my problem to solve.  The photo below shows my solution on one of the doors.

This photo shows the inside of one of the front doors. In the center are eight panels in two rows made of  cholla sections mounted in frames and filled with clear resin.  They let the light through and in addition the four panels in the middle are hinged so they can be opened.  They are held closed with a friction catch.  Looking through the opened doors you can see saguaro ribs on the front surface of the door over screen wire.  My solution was to make doors inside a door to open on the inside of the front door and be concealed by the front design.  Air can pass through the design and on into the home, as the client requested.

The other door had a similar solution for providing fresh air to the home but the design was slightly different.  I will look up information and photos of that project and make it the subject if a future post.  I thought it quite a coincidence that two request would be made for this modification of conventional door design,  My answer was to put doors inside doors to meet these requests.  This isn't a new idea however,  In early times the little door inside a front door was used as a security measure,

This is the outside of the above door.  It is shown here without color but it was finished the same inside and out.  I wanted to show you this photo, regardless of it's lack of color so that you would understand the design.  The small panel doors that open inside are behind the two saguaro rib sections.  Enough space was left between the ribs ti allow a good flow of air when the small inside doors were open.  I apologise for the gray scale photo but it was all I could find of the outside surface of the door.

*More detail on my art can be found at my website <www.apatchablue.com>

                                     

House of Ill-repute

This is another painting my wife did, showing a realistic scene on top and a fantasy world below the surface.  She called this "House of Ill-repute" and got the inspiration from a former red light district in Tucson.  I'm not sure what the underground snail scene connotes.  Note their transparency.  They certainly add color to bottom of this painting.

*More detail on our art can be found at our website <www.apatchablue.com>

Bird proofing the garden

This project was at our  Williams Drive home and you can see I have some help on the ladder work.  I didn't trust myself anymore to work that far off the ground.  I had already fallen a couple times building the stone wall around the pool.  No broken bones yet but why risk it?  This garden was tucked in on the north-west side of the house and extended to a wall on the edge of a deep wash.  I used square steel tubing and flat preformed sheet metal strips for the structure.  Aviary wire was attached over this frame and fastened with wire.  That is what these two helpers are shown doing in the photograph.  A raised planting bed can be seen on the left side of the space and ground level planting areas are located to the right of the sidewalk running through the project.  I used drip irrigation on a timer and four soft fruit trees were planted in the corners.



















This space worked well and the birds, rabbets and other forms of wild life were forced to seek another source for their dinner.  We enjoyed having fresh fruit and vegetables.  The kitchen door was through the gate at the far end of the garden and around the corner to the right a few feet.  I have always had a garden where ever we live.  I guess the saying is accurate in my case, "You can take a boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy."

*More detail on my art can be found at my website <www.apatchablue.com>

 Also, my autobiography, volume 2, which will be coming out next year has more detail on this period in my life.  The link to my books on the publisher's web site is:  http://www.wheatmark.com/catalog/entry/Which-Road-Should-I-Follow-Volume-I-Growing-up-in-the-Country