Black Hole

Using the sand blaster mentioned in the previous post, I tried it on a 2 inch piece of lumber.  The pronounced grain  in this piece made quite a relief surface at the persuasion of the grains of sand.  As I cut down through the center of the wood block the design made me think of the larger pattern on the landscape made by the open pit copper mines here in Arizona.  When finished shaping the wood I poured a resin cube with a bronze base.and incorporated the wood piece as a top.  Resin of different tints was poured in successive sections to give the design shown on the sides of the container.  The resin was sanded to a mirror finish and the wood coated with a clear finish.  The piece was finished and all that remained was to assign a use.  It might be s container for small objects like coin but it doesn't open so to remove objects it would need to be held upside down and shook.  It could be used to hold decorative branches or flowers.  Perhaps it's best use would simply be as an art object.  I still have this piece in my collection but if someone feels they wont be able to live without it let me know and we will make a  deal.

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

Brick Bat

  As you can see this piece, called "Brick Bat", is a deviation from my customary wood vessels.  I purchased a sand blaster, and was experimenting with its effect on various materials.  The two terra cotta pieces are brick and after modifying their shape with the sand blaster I cast resin in two of the voids created.  There is opportunity for light to enter the resin from the rear as the recessed areas had penetrated the brick.  A clear resin finish was brushed on and the pieces were mounted on the stone base.

The dimension of the piece are:  10"h x 10"w x 4"d.   It was accepted in the ISEA Juried  Exhibition at the Mimetrista Cultural Center, Muncia, IN, which ran from  April 13 until May of 1202.  It is in my collection now.

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

The Family

Times have changed.  Did you see the movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"?  It is a 1967 American comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, and featuring Hepburn's niece Katharine Houghton. The film contains a (then rare) positive representation of the controversial subject of interracial marriage, which historically had been illegal in most states of the United States, and still was illegal in 17 states—mostly Southern states—until 12 June 1967, six months before the film was released, roughly two weeks after Tracy filmed his final scene (and two days after his death), when anti-miscegenation laws were struck down by the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia. [Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; Wikipedia]

I wanted to do a piece in wood that reflected this significant change of our culture.  The photo below shows how my efforts turned out.

The male figure is carved from an imported black walnut while the female form is ash wood.  
The fetus is walnut.  The figures are mounted on a figured stone slab approximately 12" sq.  I had fun creating this piece, particularly because it felt like it was pushing the envelope a bit. Today its not such a big deal and I think we are all better off by the change in attitudes.

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

Syringa Vulgaris

 This art piece is made from wood of the common lilac or "Syringa Vulgaris" to be scientifically specific.  This plant loves alkaline soil and its many varieties can be found in numerous regions of the world.  The common lilac can grow to 20' tall and goes dormant during the winter.  Because of it's tough survival characteristics, the lilac bush often remains as the only reminder of an early homestead in many parts of the western U.S.   The wood I used in my art piece came from an abandon home site along the Spokane River.  I gathered the dead limbs with some measuring over an inch in diameter.  The cross section of these branched exposes a purple growth ring in the outer circumference that fads as finish is applied.  I hoped to preserve this color but haven't achieved it yet.  This picture was taken in Taos, New Mexico outside a gallery where my wife and I had pieces entered in a show,

This is Syringa Vulgaris.

Size:           44" high,  24" x 8"

Weight:      40 lb

Material:    Lilac wood segments are attached to a fiberglass shell, Copper strips used at top opening and to

                 outline mid section design.

Source:     From the "Lilac City", Spokane, Washington

Finish:       Wet/dry sanded with Tung oil,  Paste wax applied to all surfaces.

Maintenance:  This art object should be cared for as a fine piece of wood furniture.  Dust with a soft cloth and wax or apply furniture polish periodically as recommended on the product container.  Avoid exposure to strong sunlight and moisture.  Welcome to years of enjoyable use.

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

Olla de Venenosa

A well known shrub found throughout the southwest, the Oleander provides colorful, large clusters of red, white and pink blossoms nestled amid the glossy evergreen leaves. It is a hardy specimen requiring warm weather while withstanding the high heat of the desert and has a high tolerance for drought conditions.  All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten and care should be taken to keep leaves away from children and livestock. Some varieties will grow to twenty feet tall and can be pruned as a tree.  The Spanish name used for this piece depicts it's ominous characteristics.

Technical Information

Size:          29" high, 19"x 7" wide

Weight:     15 lb..

Material:   Sections of Oleander wood laminated over fiberglass shell

Finish:      Danish oil  rubbed into wood, all surfaces finished with paste wax.     

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

                  

Cercidium

A family of desert trees known as "Palo Verde" (which in Spanish means green stick or pole) includes the Blue Palo Verde shown above and the Yellow or Little Leaf Palo Verde, both considered the Arizona state Tree.  In spring the Palo Verde breaks forth with profuse yellow blossoms characteristic of the pea family, painting the desert washes and hillsides with the glow that attracts birds and bees to the feast.  The seed pods that follow provide food for many desert birds and animals.  Indians also used these beans by grinding them into flower meal.  During the dry season the tree drops all leaves to conserve moisture and photosynthesis takes place in the green bark on the limbs and trunk.  This unique characteristic of the Palo Verde is what gave rise to the Spanish name.  The soft wood of this tree is attacked by larvae of the Palo Verde Beetle which causes branches to die, sometimes killing the whole tree.  Mistletoe infestations can also interrupt the growth and life of the Palo Verde.  Signs of this life and death struggle can be seen in the photo   below of this piece called "Cercidium".

Technical Information

Size:               25" high, 18" at largest diameter

Weight:          20 lb..

Material:        Sections of Palo Verde laminated over fiberglass shell.  Larger sections of limb used in top                            portion

Source:         Collected from Tucson, Arizona area

Finish:          Worm holes cleaned and filled with resin, Danish oil rubbed into wood, all surfaces finished with                     paste wax

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

Elata

There are many types of Yucca with some growing to treelike structures.  One of these, "Elata" or Soaptree Yucca, is used in this art piece.  The name comes from the structure of this yucca which can reach 15'-20' high with branching heads.  It has a quality in the roots that produces a soap-like reaction.  The tall flower staff is the part of the plant used in this art piece.  Livestock eat the fruit while Javelins eat at the base of the leaves.  The plant provides shelter for many small animals and nesting sites for birds.  The name "Yucca' is a  Haitian word which has little or no application to this plant.

Technical Information

Size:                       51" high, 26"x 17"

Weight:                  60 lb..

Material:                Soap-tree Yucca flower stalk lengths and segments, laminated over a fiberglass shell, top                              and bottom have cast resin surfaces

Source:                  Willow Springs area of Arizona

Finish:                    Wet/dry sanded with Tung Oil and paste wax applied to all surfaces

Maintenance:         This art object should be cared for as a fine piece of wood furniture.  Dust with a soft                                    cloth and wax or apply furniture polish periodically as recommended on product                                            container.  Avoid exposure to strong sunlight and moisture.  Welcome to years of                                          enjoyable use.

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

Meet the Opuntia family

Jumping cactus, Stag horn, Teddy Bear, Chain Fruit, Walking Stick, or Cain are common names given to the Opuntia family of Cholla cactus found in abundance across Southern Arizona.  They are characterized by the overlapping sections of growth and have a woody inner skeleton, which, when dried makes an interesting material for various forms of arts or household use.  The hollow structure is laced to varying degrees with lenticular holes, thus providing a strong but light support for plant growth.

This photo shows a cane cholla growing on a rocky Arizona hillside.  They grow from a shrub size to tree like at 8 feet tall.  Their flowers are variable in color, white or yellowish or red or purple and occur during May and June.  Sections of the dried canes are cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch segments to attach to the surface of the vessel.  The holes in the cane make an interesting pattern, somewhat like a flower.  See what I'm describing in the photo below.

Technical Vessel Information

Size:          51" high, 31" at the largest diameter

Weight:     110 lb..

Materials:  Cross sectional slices of Cholla wood laminated over

                  fiberglass shell

Finish:       Danish oil with white filler rubbed into wood, all surfaces finished with paste wax.

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

The Platanus Solution

Size:          51”h x 49”w x 6”d

Material:   Arizona walnut segments set on a fiberglass, wood and canvas shell.  Rounded segments of                           Sycamore are used in center design.  Solid Sycamore pieces used for base and at top around                       opening.

Finish:  Sanded smooth and oil finish rubbed into wood.  Paste wax applied to all surfaces.

Sycamore trees growing in Tucson, Arizona but I got my wood for this piece in Wenatchee, Washington. The trees are adaptable to various climates and are members of the Plane Tree Family, sometimes refereed to as button-wood.  Their scientific name, Platanus, is the rational behind the name of this art piece.  I have planted Sycamore in my early home landscaping but it proved to be such a dirty tree I have given up on using it in subsequent home landscaping.  It is deciduous and has large leaves and many of them that come down in the fall. It produces seed balls the size of a golf ball that dangle all over the tree on 2-4 inch stems until they also fall.  The bark continually peals off as the tree ages.

When I worked at Wenatchee Valley College, we built a nice home high on the hillside with a great view up the Columbia River.  The only problem was that the neighbor across the street below us had a huge Sycamore tree that blocked that fabulous view from our living room.  JoAnn and I joked about slipping down under cover of darkness and sprinkling salt around the base of the trunk or acquiring the nails used to kill trees when driven into the trunk.  We would never do that but it was fun to scheme about ways to cause the demise of that Sycamore.  Besides, the tree's owner was my boss, the president of the college.

We had been gone for a few days and upon our return we were shocked to see the tree missing with only large sections of the trunk laying on our neighbor's lawn.  He told us he was tired of cleaning up after it and it didn't appear to be in the best of health.  He was only too glad to get rid of all I wish to take.  Isn't it amazing how things work out.  We got our view back and also a nice supply of Sycamore wood.  We are still good friends and visit whenever we can get together.  I don't believe we ever confessed our scheming to do his tree in.

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

Constellations

The Sumac family known by the scientific name of "Anacardiaceae" is divided into two groups.  Toxicodendron, as might be guessed, means poison and includes poison ivy.  Rhus, the group including

most of the familiar bushes and trees, makes up the largest portion of the family.  Most species in this group share the feature of brilliant crimson to bright orange foliage, prompted by the cooler weather in the fall.  The type of Sumac used in "Constellations" is known as "Stag horn" because of the short brown hair covering the limbs which resembles deer antlers while in velvet.  Sumac can withstand extreme cold and heat and therefore is found in many climate zones.  Some varieties are used as  ornamental trees which may reach thirty feet in height.

Technical Information

Size:          20 " high,  34" at largest diameter

Weight:     45 lb..

Materials:  Sections of Sumac laminated over fiberglass shell, small segments of fruit and berry wood used in                  similar manner

Source:      Fort George Wright, Spokane, Washington

Finish:       Danish oil rubbed into wood, all surfaces finished with paste wax

Our first apartment in Spokane was at Fort George Wright, next to the community college campus that had just hired me.  The apartment complex had a swimming pool that was surrounded with tall stag-horn sumac bushes.  The management decided to dispose of them because they were dropping trash in the pool.  I asked if I could have some of the wood and thus started my collection of sumac wood.  Slices of the sumac limbs had distinctive growth  rings which prompted the name "Constellations".

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

Roble Negro Roca

The Southwest is home to over 15 species of oak.  Classified under the Latin name "Quercus" which means beautiful tree, this mighty genus is the most important of all broad leaf trees as a source of food and shelter for wildlife.  Indians and Spanish alike, gathered the acorns from the oak to supplement their diet.  Early myths report the oak as sacred to Thor and Jupiter.  It is revered as a symbol of strength and growth as the common phrase relates, "mighty oaks from little acorns grow!"  Oaks tend to hybridize readily thus confusing their identity.  This young oak is getting a start on the rocky slopes in Oricle, Arizona.  Wood from a large, downed Emory oak found in that area was used to construct "Roble Negro Roca".  Emory oak, also known as "black" or "blackjack" oak, is characterized by its dense, dark heart wood.

Technical Information

Material:  Oak segments laminated over fiberglass shell, brass tubes embedded in top surface                        Source:    Oracle, Arizona

Finish:      Danish oil rubbed into wood, all surfaces finished with paste wax

            

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

 

 

Saguaro II

This giant cactus has been called "Natures' Engineering Marvel".  A mature plant, when fully developed will stand 50 feet high with a diameter at the base of 2 feet.  Twelve arms or more will contribute to the overall weight of 10 to 15 tons.  The structural  challenge becomes apparent so in an effort to anchor this towering plant to the earth, a mat of woven roots is set a few inches under the surface of the ground, running 65 feet in every direction from the base.  This network also forms an effective moisture gathering network for this giant plant which is 98% water.  Ribs form the basic reinforcement structure and grow together at the base to form a solid trunk. Rib design at the junction of arms with the main body becomes complex and a work of art.  Saguaro II utilizes this raw beauty of nature's engineering to enhance the artistic design.

This giant hasn't reached full maturity yet.  Notice the start of additional arms on many of the large arms.  Also note the woodpecker holes in the arms.  These are the front door to a nest burrowed deep inside the wood skeleton of the cactus.  The saguaro grows a protective skin over the inside surface of this intrusion to protect against bacterial disease.  This skin is a hard leather-like lining and covers the surface of the woodpecker's home.  When a saguaro eventually expires and the soft flesh has rotted away these leather-like linings can be seen nestled in the ribs wherever a woodpecker nest had been built.  They have been named boots because the woodpecker traditionally built the nest below the opening thus shaping a rounded nest with the entrance joining it at right angle on the top end.

Technical Vessel Information

Size:                  60" high, 33" diameter

Weight:             85 lb..

Material:           Sections of saguaro ribs and rib structures at arm     junction have been laminated over                                 fiberglass shell.

Finish:            Tung oil was rubbed into wood after finish sanding.  All surfaces finished with paste wax.

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

Citrus Twist

This vessel is a combination of Grapefruit wood and metal.  The stand is welded steel and on close inspection  sections of small copper tubing can be seen.  These copper segments snake around between the wood segments, moving from the base to the top of the piece.  This vessel is now in the collection of Dewey and Judy DeWitt.

Size:   23"h x 7 1/2"w x 6"d

Material:  Grapefruit wood came from a friend that had removed a dead tree on his property at Big Rock Drive in Tucson, Arizona.

Finish:  Steel stand was given a bluing treatment by heating.  Oil finish was applied to all wood segments and wax finish rubbed and polished on the entire piece.

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

Southwest I

Southwest I is one of my first mixed media vessels.  I had a piece of pottery that had met with rough times so I created chard from it that were a good color complement to the segments of eucalyptuses branches.  The piece of pottery had a smooth rolled top edge that I used around the top opening.  The wood segments were attached first and worked down to a smooth surface, leaving the space open for the pottery pieces.  When  the wood had been sealed with a finish the chard were fit and grouted in place.  The entire vessel was waxed and polished as the final step.

The eucalyptuses trees grew along Orange Grove Road in the Tucson, Arizona area.  During the monsoon season the storms come with high winds and the eucalyptuses being tall trees would loose some of their brittle branches.  I helped clean-up some of this debris and added it to my wood selection.  It is a nice wood to work with when seasoned.  The trees and source of this wood are shown in the photo below.

Size of vessel:  24" h x 23" diameter.
Construction:   Fiberglass shell was formed over a core of Styrofoam. Core was removed when                                          eucalyptuses segments were secured and grouted with filled resin.
Finish:             Oil finish rubbed into wood segments and wax finish  applied and buffed.

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

Cubistic Prosopis

The versatile Mesquite has a dark, heavy wood sometimes used for furniture.  Insects bore into the wood thus marking most lumber with cavities that require filling as part of the finishing process.  The young Mesquite shown below is typical of those planted in landscaping.

“Cubistic Prosopis” illustrates the traditional insect signature in the solid wood at the base and top opening. This wood is also famous for an aromatic smoke when burned   that gives food a popular flavor.  It is an excellent fuel source in the desert and over time has remained a major source of food and shelter for a variety of wildlife.  Indians relied on this tree for many aspects of their lives.  Beans were ground into a meal called Pinole, medicine was produced from the bark and branches, and the bark was also used to construct baskets.

Technical Vessel Information

         

Size:         52" high, 30" diameter

Weight:    68 lb.

Material:  Cubes of Mesquite, fiberglass shell, solid sections of Mesquite.

Source:     Catalina, Arizona

Construction:  A large balloon was used as the core shape, A fiberglass shell was formed over the core and wood cubes were attached to this mid-section. Resin grout fill was applied.  Solid sections of wood were then attached at top and bottom after the balloon had been removed.   The piece was then shaped and sanded to final finish.

Finish:     Danish oil was rubbed into the wood, and then all surfaces were finished with paste wax.


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

Catclaw Cup

This vessel uses Catclaw Mimosa and Mesquite wood, both from the Legume family.  The Catclaw Mimosa usually grows as a bush as shown below.  Usually it is about 6 feet in height but given the right location and conditions can reach 10 feet with a 2 inch diameter trunk.  Its distinctive re-curving spines and the tendency to attach to one’s clothing prompts the name “wait-a-minute” bush.  The Catclaw Mimosa isn't  important as a food supply, however deer do graze on the foliage when times get tough.  Birds and small rodents also dine on the seeds.  In addition  the plant offers shade and protection to desert wildlife and helps control erosion of the soil.

Technical Vessel Information

Size:  22”h x 7”w x 6”d

Weight:  10 lbs.                                                                

Materials:  Catclaw Mimosa and Mesquite wood, fiberglass, resin.

Construction:  A Styrofoam core, covered with a fiberglass shell was constructed in a cup shape.  Mesquite panels and Catclaw segments were attached as well as a solid wood top piece.  After the cup had been shaped, the core was removed.  The Mesquite base and Catclaw branch were fashioned to form a stand for the cup.  All pieces were sanded smooth and dowels located before parts were assembled.  After all parts were fitted together the finishing process continued.

Source:  Oro Valley, Arizona

Finish:  Danish Oil was rubbed into the wood and a wax finish was applied.

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

Aphylla

The Tamarisk tree, shown below, an emigrant from Asia Minor, has become established through out the West and is considered as having no equal for resistance to wind, heat, drought and poor soil.  It grows well in saline soil, hence the nickname "Salt Cedar".  The Tamarisk was first brought to this country as an ornamental tree because of the minute pink flowers that cover the tree, making a showy display in the spring.  The scientific name "Aphylla" designates the variety used for this art piece.  The Aphylla Tamarisk takes the shape of a handsome tree, reaching 25 feet in high.  With care and watering it can reach height of 40 feet with a 2-foot diameter trunk.

             Tamarisk tree                                                                                                                                                                  

Technical Vessel Information

Size:    93"h x 14"w x 14"d

Weight:  43 lbs.

Material:  Tamarisk segments, veneer, fiberglass shell, solid Tamarisk.

Construction:  Four 8’x 4” strips of 1/8” veneer were fastened to every other surface of an octagon base and top piece. This assembled structure was mounted on a closet pole passed through holes in the center of these octagon pieces.  The base was attached to the pole and the top was rotated 45 degrees and secured to the pole.  This twist in the veneer assembly enabled the four strips to be pulled together in the central area of the vessel and when attached, formed a square shape.  The other four surfaces at the base and top were fitted with triangular pieces, which closed the core shape.  Fiberglass cloth was applied to all surfaces and wood segments were attached.  Veneer strips were fastened to edges of all surfaces to define the various planes and all areas were resin grouted.  The top and bottom sections of solid wood were attached and the entire piece was shaped and sanded.

Source: Campus of Central Arizona College, located in the Aravaipa Canyon area of Arizona.

Finish:  Danish oil was rubbed into wood and all surfaces were finished with a paste wax.

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