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Post #4

My search for Acceptance

- or -

when did the world's idea of art cease being about beautiful works.

ABSTRACTS: Another name for - what in the world is that!? Or, the modernization of various art forms? Your choice of slurs or accolades. (The viewer always has that luxury.)

Studying abstracts is an education of monumental proportions. There are so many “schools” of abstracting that I am not young enough to learn them all. From Cubism to Abstract Expressionism (yeah, I know) each has its followings each has its detractors. It is hard however to ignore either the Picasso or Kandinsky schools. Picasso never taught, or if he did, there is no written record of it. Kandinsky on the other hand, taught a lot at the Bauhaus School, and there is much to be studied from his writings on the subject of abstracting. The one thing both of these schools of abstraction clearly agree on is this - abstracts do not arrive out of thin air, there must have been a subject of some kind to be abstracted.

Kandinsky taught that you must have a good composition to start with and to some degree making an abstraction of that composition is somewhat akin to reduction of the forms through either line or movement or both. Greek? I guess you have to really read and study him to absorb his genius.

Picasso by comparison chose to look at a piece from more than one direction simultaneously, thus producing a representation that was by definition distorted.

My personal foray into abstraction is on a very different scale and/or subject matter. I have a medium that supplies something most mediums don't: wood supplies grain and color which together supply form and movement before I even start. No painter ever had that luxury, or indeed, that restriction (your perspective will decide which for you.)

Having a wealth of form, color and movement in every piece of veneer to work with I have learned it is more my job to not screw it up than it is to create. Indeed, going all the way back to the beginning of this blog, I knew from the start that I didn't want to be a classical marquetry artist. Rather, my bent was (and is) to make beautiful things with the expertise I honed as a design/build cabinetmaker. More precisely, I want to put my veneers on people's walls for them to enjoy. Pictures made from little slivers of wood don't really fulfill that mission. (It is now becoming obvious that I am a slow learner in some ways because this preceding thought alone could have gotten me to recognize my future with “In Celebration of Wood.”)

But,

it's me Bob,

and I learn

how I learn.

Plodding on:

This is White Oak Veneer in a form I call “Blister” for its proliferation of knot clusters.

                                                  

While not exactly rare, it is hard to harvest so it is not really common either. Just imagine the gnarled log that yielded this veneer. At one time I had about 16 leaves of this magnificent specimen. I am now down to scraps and in the market for replenishment.

On the right is the finished piece titled “Composition #2 – Abstract #1”; it is the beginning of true abstracts in our work. You may be able to see that the piece is on two levels; the thin central level is raised on pegs about 1-1/2” above the wider lower level. In addition it is connected by an eccentric mini frame at both ends made from solid Wenge.

The lower, wider panel is a full width leaf of this veneer split into three equal panels all of which are framed with and also separated by, bands of bias cut Walnut. The top most piece extends the abstraction by incorporating semi geometric insets and also sports a false mitered frame. (False mitering is the corner joining device used when two pieces of un-equal width, meet at a corner.) Note also that the narrow upper panel is a book match of the left side of the lower panel. This is not an accident.

Interesting aside to this composition: The wider lower panel and the narrow upper panel stood in our studio for some time while Suzanne thought they were one piece and I fought her tooth and nail; I had planned them to be adjacent parts of a two piece composition (the smaller panel to be hung to the left of the larger panel) which I had planned to sell separately OR as a two piece composition. After weeks of non-action I walked into the studio one day and saw what Suzanne had seen. The mini frames completed the composition.

Not sure yet if this piece will ever be shown anywhere as we have hung it in our great room at the bottom of our stairs and we love it where it is.

The single most instructive thing about this piece is how much design work the veneer does in its natural state. Most of our additions arrived the composition at just “enough” without contaminating the piece with that single straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

Speaking of that straw, this next piece is either similar in its spare-ness or overwhelmed by confusion. This is a taste thing I think. If you want to be hypnotized and totally immersed in a piece, buy this one.

Titled “Composition #4 – Abstract #2” it is an exercise in unlimited movement and action.

Consisting mostly of Walnut veneer from a flitch out of an amazing Walnut tree it incorporates little areas of Cherry, Ash Burl and Myrtle. This experiment had no external shape in mind, it simply grew “like Topsy.” We both love the contained movement and gathering of many directional devices which combine to make a curiously contiguous whole. Hope you agree.

Now, this next piece is the very first piece that should definitely have hammered home the concept of “In Celebration of Wood” but it didn't until a little later. Indeed, a piece made just recently (un photographed as of this writing) with a similar technique was the eventual trigger of realization.

This piece is titled “Composition #3 – Whirlpool.”

“Whirlpool” is a four-piece-match of Myrtle Burl inlaid with a classic Art Deco stopped border device. It incorporates some quilted Sapele blocks which are echoed by a quilted Sapele matte surround. If this piece doesn't “Celebrate” wood, I don't know what does.

Detail of “Whirlpool”

Our journey toward our voice is coming to an end;

yielding the beginning of our ability to focus efforts on “In Celebration of Wood.”

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My search for Acceptance

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when did the world's idea of art cease being about beautiful works.

SCENES: Our next foray was into scenery. This effort leaned toward finding a way into being accepted as an artist rather than a craftsperson more than an actual desire to do scenery or landscapes.

“Sunrise at Surfside and Lake”

This piece was stimulated by a photograph I took in Rehoboth Beach, DE one day. (We live 15 minutes from the resort town of Rehoboth Beach in a quaint little village called Milton - named for the English poet John Milton.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton,_Delaware

“Sunrise” is the beginning of our use of a technique I hadn't heard of before trying it. I use oil-pastels to tint and shade just prior to applying the first seal coat of finish. The orange in the sunrise is oil-pastel as is the dark shading of clouds at the horizon and also the suggestion of calm wavelets in the ocean. Everything else in this very large piece (35”h x 46”w) is the natural color of the various woods. Yes the fence is individual pieces of dyed Harewood and the seagrass is from both Walnut and Brazilian Rosewood. The sandy area is several different shades of Myrtle, the ocean is bleached Harewood and the sky is figured Maple. The inside of the window frames are Koa, the matte and exterior frame is White Ash. Everything in this piece is in one single plane (it is flat!)

While an extraordinary attention getter in 2 shows it didn't sell until the third show. Interestingly it sold to a repeat customer.

HOMAGES: As you will be guessing, these steps weren't necessarily in the order stated in our last post. Indeed, this next piece is the first and previous purchase of the patron that bought “Sunrise.”

“Birches #1” subtitled Homage to Ansel Adams.

“Birches #1” is the first in a series. It crosses the boundaries you might perceive between Scenes, Homages and Whimsy. Birches sold in its very first showing and attracted a huge amount of attention.

Interesting aside: It might seem that we have had extraordinary initial success selling our pieces, given the number of times I have already written the phrase “sold in its first showing.” Indeed, after our very first show in 2012 at the RAL Members Outdoor Craft show we were thrilled and convinced we were super talented and our work would in future sell like the proverbial “hotcakes.”

Wrong.

The reason this blog is partially subtitled “My Search for Acceptance” is that we had the misfortune of taking 18 pieces to that show and selling 11 of them. Misfortune because you can (and we did) become overconfident when that kind of instant success happens. It wouldn't be much of a search if it was that easy, and it isn't. I admit to thinking I could make anything and it would sell. Wrong again. Voice makes a difference. But, I hadn't learned that yet.

Another complication of the real world is that we are in our (almost) mid 70's and working almost as hard on our venture as we did before we retired. No sympathy required or desired. We decided to do this and we enjoy it. Our search is for the rewards we believe our work deserves, not monetary but rather acknowledging them for their quality and yes, I suppose, for our creativity.

Another interesting aside is this: you might be wondering why I switch back and forth from we to I so often. Not as hard to grasp as you might think. My wife Suzanne and I are a team. I know how to make these things and I'm an experienced designer. Suzanne on the other hand was born with extraordinary good taste, an innate design sense and an infallible eye for color. It took me a while to acknowledge fully her contribution to my work but finally I have reached the point where I understand it is frequently OUR work, not just mine. Her contribution varies all the way from first discovery of a composition to simply pushing me to make a piece better due to her instinct to believe something isn't quite right or maybe something is missing. She frequently says she doesn't know how to fix those noticed shortcomings but she is quite sure they are shortcomings. After years of doubting and believing (alternately) I mostly trust her ability these days. I have no issue whatsoever with acknowledging my work is made better by her contributions.

Back to “Birches.” You can see the influence of the frame in “Anxious Boatmen” on this piece. An aside about this piece is that I got sidetracked by a talented and well meaning artist who will remain nameless. On seeing this piece partially completed (frameless) that artist suggested it needed leaves to complete it. Partially due to my respect for the talent of that artist, I wasted several days attempting to add a leaf area after the fact. Well, you can see the piece sold as illustrated here without those leaves but with an added top “frieze” like detail to give it termination. You see, he was right if it had been his piece. It is right as it is because it is our piece. I learned that very lesson many many years ago while becoming a design/build cabinetmaker but the lesson that is permanent is an extraordinary lesson indeed. My lesson not so permanently learned? “To thine own self be true” - Shakespeare's Polonius (Good one Willie!)

And again, back to “Birches”

As this blog progresses I will probably continue to apologize for the likes of this just completed “side track.” Anybody who knows me personally, knows that sidetracking is a characteristic of mine. But in the words of my hero Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction “I'm Trying, Ringo.”

Where were we? Oh yes “Birches.” The entire series of 4 pieces carrying the primary title of “Birches” make use of a curious figure found only in Finnish Birch trees. Sometimes called Birch Burl it is actually an unusual figure that pops up unexpectedly when veneer is being peeled off of a Birch log. The trade name has become Karelian Birch Burl. Karelia is a region of Finland and the Finnish government literally controls the output of this rare figure. True burl is literally a cancerous growth on a tree. True burls look like a VERY large scale replica of human cancer cells as they would look under a microscope. It goes without saying that there is zero connection between a tree burl and human cancers. It is possible of course that someday it will be learned that human cancer cells are created by an irritation just like tree burls are created by an irritation. If however you take that to a scientist don't suggest you got the thought from me. I'm just supposin' ya know?

This is Karelian Birch Veneer before I make use of it:

By cutting this veneer into strips and adding oil pastel “branch scars” typical of birch trees, this veneer makes a fairly realistic facsimile of birch bark. It is the single characteristic of the pieces in this series that attracts the most attention. Birches # 2 and #3 are complete but un-photographed as of this writing. Birches #4 is still in the beginnings of design. 2 and 3 will be available on my website as soon as they are photographed.

All of the foregoing pieces had the ability to help us discover “In Celebration of Wood” but we didn't; not yet.

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My search for Acceptance

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when did the world's idea of art cease being about beautiful works.

Having the expertise isn't the same as finding a voice. No doubt if I had thought of the phrase “In Celebration of Wood” at this early stage of our new venture I might have stumbled on my voice earlier than I did.

What actually happened was an early burst of pre-designed “stealing” made almost entirely of quilt patterns I found on the web. The benefit of doing this was simple; quick starting without any issue of designing. This enabled lots of quick, early decisions such as, the best substrate, the best compensator, the level of finishing, practice with shading, methods for hanging and even how to take photos of this kind of art (The process turned out to be quite simple by the way: Outdoors, bright sun, about 10 to 11AM is the correct angle to prevent hot spots of reflection and still minimize shadows. No manner of lighting comes close to representing the fire and depth of wood grain and color brought out by bright sunlight.)

This process continued through the following steps

Quilts & other graphic patterns,

Whimsy,

Scenes,

Homages,

Abstracts.

QUILTS:

A very early quilt pattern titled “PA Deutsch” which sold in our first ever show.

This early period of re-creating rote work brought to the fore some of the assets of my earlier career, primary of which are patience and organization. Maintaining consistency in the grain and nap orientation of each similar piece of veneer is the major controller of a blended composition. All of the characteristics of wood that only show up clearly in the finishing process are critical to successful graphic marquetry. Indeed, the viewer's experience of the finished piece is massively influenced by the way light hits the wood.

This period also taught me the importance of another of my design principles perfected during my cabinetmaking career – natural wood colors are better than any stain. The three major detail woods in “PA Deutsch” were Quartered White Ash, Quartered Cherry and Quartered Sapele. The matte surround is Lacewood for its unifying color relationship with the three major details. The hardwood frame is Sapele.

GRAPHICS:

You can't do as much mechanical drawing as I have done without being fascinated by graphic design and patterns. Adapting geometry to wood art was my next sidetrack.

"Eye Isometric"

"Floating Grid"

These two pieces are both compositions that attempted to explore this short-term side track in the evolution of our voice. While they adhere to the disciplines of fine woodworking and the strictures of wood grain and nap, their graphic simplicity is only semi-interesting. The four-piece-match of Brazilian Rosewood in “Eye Isometric” is effective and stark, but not very intriguing. The continuity of the little Cherry squares laid sequentially and continuous in each row and then apparently “floating” on a 15 degree bias laid four-piece-match of Zebrano, again, is effective but not very intriguing.

Nothing moves in a single direction and I would as time progressed return to this familiar (may I say comfortable) style many times before acceding to our eventual discovery of “In Celebration of Wood.”

WHIMSY:

About this time we explored whimsy as a compositional tool. One of the many interesting things about doing “whimsical” pieces is the contradiction that arises when working in a medium like wood. In it's rough stages or condition wood objects tend to be inexpensive and kind of gift-like. In its finer finished condition it tends to be more formal and expensive appearing.

"Anxious Boatman"

This piece is titled “Anxious Boatman.” The background serving as a “chocolate” river (as a very young viewer called it) is a single piece of Brazilian Rosewood stepped down at both ends to escape under and out of its floating Zebrano frame. Again an effective piece given it's genre and it exhibited the beginnings of “In Celebration of Wood” simply by making novel use of an “eyeball” figure in some rare Brazilian Rosewood I have been hoarding for quite some time. But the whimsy of the design distracted us from discovery of our voice as did its virtually instant sale in its (and our) very first show.

Another two steps forward in the too slow process of finding our voice.

BTW: Any and all of these pieces can be seen on our website  http://www.robertbruceweston.com/

Thread #1 - My Search for Acceptance

My search for Acceptance

- or -

when did the world's idea of art cease being about beautiful works.

INTRODUCTION

Post #1

A little background:

My goal when I retired was to light a new fire under my ass by blending my expertise in both design and woodworking into a newish form of marquetry (wood veneer inlay) I like to refer to as
"In Celebration of Wood."

All of my efforts were aimed at making use of some 5,000 square feet of veneer I had collected during my years as a cabinetmaker by further perfecting my abilities in this craft cum art.

I resolved that I had zero interest in making "pictures" by cutting out little pieces of wood and assembling those pieces more like paint by numbers than anything else. No, I wanted the wood colors and figure (grain) to do the great bulk of the work.

While capable of great beauty this rejected technique was not free enough for someone who retired from a tradecraft that required great precision and technical prowess.

This magnificent equine piece which I screen captured from a Bing Search is a fine example of excellent traditional marquetry


As a start I searched through my stash of beautiful veneers and together with my very clever wife, we discovered a piece that lent itself exactly to my new "Celebration."

This is "Half Light". It is a single piece of Carpathian Elm Burl veneer self-matted with Quarter Sawn Lacewood.


"Half Light" delivers its magic with the simple "call out" of tree-like features by inserting tree trunks and some shading drawn with oil pastels. Voila, trees at the beginning of a day.

It soon became evident that God was not benevolent enough to transform all of my veneer stash into this type of instant picture. Indeed, neither was I interested in doing nothing but this type of work anymore than I was interested in traditional marquetry.

Searching for our voice would take some time.

Bob & Suzanne

Robert Bruce Weston
robertbruceweston.com