Cardboard Candle Holders
KAPOW 2021 Week 9	Mixed-media	February 28, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

Yes, cardboard does sound like a really bad choice for making candle holders! They are made of cardboard encased in epoxy resin and then turned on the wood lathe.

The pattern of the wavy cardboard in the resin came out great. The undulating lines create an interesting motif.

Making the resin encased cardboard blank was pretty straight-forward. Some making of photos are below.

I made the tops out of distressed bronze. The tops did not come out at all like I hoped or wanted. Plus, I miss drilled one and it is somewhat off center. I plan to remake the tops in the future.

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For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

E-Reader Case
KAPOW 2021 Week 8	Leatherwork	February 21, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

Here, I made a leather case for my new(ish) Kindle. This, the third design iteration is a keeper. For version 1 & 2, let’s just say that I have learned a lot about pattern design, making templates, and accounting for folding and different sizes of leather.

Initially, I bought a case from Amazon, but did not like that the case interfered with the ergonomics of the back of the Kindle Oasis. So, I decided to make my own. This leather case is really just for protection while traveling. It is lined with flannel and closes with magnets.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Arrow?
KAPOW 2021 Week 7	Digital Painting	February 14, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

I started noodling around in the new Adobe Illustrator on the iPad, mocking-up some simple corner design elements for some leather coasters I was working on….and this ‘arrow’ design emerged and kept growing bigger and bigger. Enjoy, but do not look at it sideways.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Stained Glass 1
KAPOW 2021 Week 6	Stained Glass	February 7, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

A quick stained glass project–my first attempt at stained glass. I made a simple pattern with straight lines. I like the pattern more than I expected. Plus, I learned a lot and got to practice some techniques from future projects.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Gouache Moon
KAPOW 2021 Week 5	Gouache Painting	January 31, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

Here is an experiment with my first effort with gouache painting.

OK, I agree, it looks more like the sun than the moon. I based the composition on the (rather blurry) photo (below) that I took from the beach of the moonrise over Whidbey Island. I was intrigued by the orange glow of the moon and clouds and the reflections on the waves in the water.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Hand Drawn Hiker
KAPOW 2021 Week 4	Digital painting + photography	January 24, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

Meet Hand Drawn Hiker, this week’s KAPOW.

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On a hike up the Duckabush River drainage, I stopped and took this photo (below):

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I like the photo: the textured curves of the hills, the etherealness of the clouds, the hint of the glowing sun in the upper right, and the view into downtown Seattle (that got washed out in the haze). I stood there and soaked in the view. Shouldn’t everyone? So I added Hand Drawn Hiker (HdH) so that everyone can enjoy.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Chess Piece Lamp
KAPOW 2021 Week 3	Wood Turning	January 17, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

More experimentation with the wood lathe this week. With no real plan other than exploring patterns, I glued up a block from two square pieces of walnut and two square pieces of maple with a smaller center inclusion of cherry (or what I thought was cherry). See making of photo #1 below.

I started shaping it on the lathe….and ended up with something that looked remarkably like a big (albeit multi-colored) chess piece. The center wood pieces (what I thought was cherry) ended up looking quite similar to the larger, neighboring, maple sections–I was hoping for more contrast. Overall, it came out pretty interesting, even if it is not really in my decor style.

I made the shade out of fabric around adhesive-backed styrene. I picked up the fabric last year with no intended usage–it makes a great lamp shade.

Here are a few making of photos:

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Fire Maple Pencil Holder
KAPOW 2021 Week 2	Wood Carving	January 10, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

This week I carved a two barrel pencil holder out of a block of tiger maple. There may have been more sawing, drilling, filing, and sanding than actual carving. I originally intended the chunk of tiger maple for a wood-turning project, but the odd-size and shape of it seemed more appropriate for a carving project (the swoops at the top were already there). And I could see the pencil holder shape…..

The textured pattern of the maple is pretty incredible.

I finished the pencil holder with a simple coat of boiled linseed oil.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Duck Fire Bucket
KAPOW 2021 Week 1	Sewing	January 3, 2021
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

Another more crafty project as the new year dawns.

This week I made a waxed canvas (duck) bucket to use dousing campfires car camping.

The bucket has a diameter of 9 inches and is ~ 9 inches tall. It is made from two layers of waxed canvas. It holds water surprising well (Photo #5 below).

Future work will be to add the handle (Photo #4 above)….waiting on some hardware to arrive.

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..

Moat Candleholder
KAPOW 2020 Week 26	Wood Turning	December 27, 2020
KAPOW = Kevin’s Art Project of the Week

FAILURE! The KAPOW follows the warts-and-all approach–as a weekly art project is sure to produce.

This week I made a wood turned candle holder out of a block of Myrtle (starting size = 6x6x3 inches). All was going well……I turned the wood on the lathe (using the new lathe chuck I got for Christmas (thanks Mom & Dad!)). And if you look at picture #1 below, all was still quite good. I drilled the holes for the candles. There was a candle holder.

If only I had stopped there….. But, I thought it would be a great idea to pour some blue-tinted epoxy into the channel I had created in the top of the candle holder—a moat? (see pictures below). The epoxy did not set [lesson learned–always test the epoxy thickness, temperature, etc. before pouring into an almost finished project]. The epoxy remains gooey! Worse, in an attempt to help the epoxy to set, I left the candle holder in front of a space heater–too close!!!! The wood started to check and split (see picture #2 below). If the wood had not split, I would just goop out the epoxy and refinish the candle holder. As it is, I will wait and see if the checks/splits heal themselves (if so, there may be a return of the project!).

For more information on the KAPOW project, follow this link.

Remember, there is no definition of art…..