Authentic Nautical Accessories, and Custom Furnishings
Figureheads get lots of attention in maritime museum exhibits. There are even museum collections of figureheads lost at sea. Often, the names of the ships they graced are unknown. If we knew, we could reconstruct a travelogue of all the ports they'd seen. But many ships lacked figureheads. The old figure went overboard in a …
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a Drummer was not just a percussionist. A drummer was a traveling salesman who'd make the rounds with tools, clothes, or anything else you might wish to purchase but could not easily find at the small retail establishments in your town. Think no internet, no Walmart, and few …
Yesterday, I spent a significant part of the day working on a carving of a large schooner. I based it on research I did for an earlier schooner built by the same yard around the same time in the late 19th century. I used skills acquired in the earlier carving to ease the work on …
Photographs help me remember steps and processes. Years ago, I used photography only to record the results. But pictures of the in-between stages were more than a bit helpful. One of the big reasons I say this is because there are some things that I only do rarely. Reminders are valuable.I need to be a …
If you studied economics, process engineering or are an enthusiast of popular psychology, you might have heard of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. It's alive and well in woodcarving too. Sunk costs are costs you have paid and can't get back. That's fine if everything works out. But if the project just hasn't been the success …
This is my second run at the Steam Yacht Zaida. I've used different techniques and am more satisfied with the outcome.
I found the wood sitting in the shorts at my favorite hardwood dealer. It was very dark, heavy, and dense. It was mahogany but so dark and heavy that I felt it was a wayward piece of Dominican, not Honduran. It was just what I wanted.
We all want to be instant experts. One of my sensei describes this in terms of the training montages that are standard fare in martial arts movies; the neophyte progresses from clumsy beginner to skilled pro in thirty seconds of cinematic snapshots.
I admit that the sort of non complex carving that happens when I carve a small bowl is pretty alluring. No antsy detail. No pattern that needs to be followed. Just follow the will of the wood.
We can easily get lost in the weeds talking about tradition in crafts.
This chest was not in stock long enough for me to do a proper set of photos. It sold at it's first appearance at the Maine Boatbuilder's Show to a pair of Boston Harbor pilots who were going to give it as a retirement gift to a colleague.
As consumers, there is much that you don't know about your favorite woods.
It sails on my wall with a cherry ocean and sky heading east from Japan or China towards Los Angelos. I think my father is pleased that his ship is restored to an essential place in our lives, through the unexpected kindness of a fellow seaman.
While teaching, I always like to decorate the workshop with carving examples for students to use as a reference. Week-long excursions to teach away from home mean emptying the house of many of my carvings. But samples in three dimensions often are better than pictures or demonstration, and the extra work was worth it.
The problem with imagination is that it's boundless. On the wall is a poster telling you that you can do it if you can imagine it. Don't take it too literally.
And the number is.....754! This is a native plant here in the Northeast called Indian Pink - a great floral display almost all summer Marcus: I know I asked to go out...but why did you let me!!! That chipmunk is too damn sassy for is own good! Let's get him, guys! What do you mean …
Sunday dinner at my in-laws was always the same. Dinner served at 11:30 AM, two lobsters apiece, salad ( Kraft Thousand Island or French dressing), bread and butter or pilot biscuit, your choice of water or iced tea.
“It’s useless to hold a person to anything he says while he’s in love, drunk, or running for office.” ~ Shirley MacLaine
What’s something you’ve done that you never thought you could? The other day I was trying to figure out how many years I've spent lugging cameras around, editing video, adjusting mic levels, and setting up lights. It's over thirty by now. And I expect I'll be doing it for another two or so before I …
If you could switch lives with a famous person for a week, who would it be and why? View all responses It's not an agenda item for me. And it never was. The reason why is pretty basic. At one point in my life, I got exposed to lots of the intimate lives of the …
The Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man got several mentions. Also listed were: vampires, mummies, the Holy Ghost, their in-laws, and former husbands and wives. It was all in good fun.
I don't think that I was too different than the average stubborn, hardheaded youth when I was young. Want to give me advice? Sure, I'd listen. But you might have had a hard time locating me. I'd pull into town with big ambitions, but after as little as a week or two, get royally pissed …
Changing an entire lifestyle can take an instant or years. My change from Pius Itinerant, bad boy about town, was telescoped into a period of a few weeks after a violent episode with a jealous boyfriend and his .38. But as I said, change can come quickly. Within a few weeks, I was a college …
I've been in video on and off since the early 1980's. It was one of the skill sets I added while making a living as an applied anthropologist. It was not just another way of documenting behavior and events; it was a way of presenting them to a wider audience. I had some great teachers, …
" OK, coffee break is over! Everyone back down on their hands and knees!"
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