The Trials and Triumphs of Coming Up With Creative Ideas

Looking, researching, collecting, reading, watching.... 

I have been gathering and developing information, shapes, colors, and texture into ideas for my next round of work. Its all been going slower then I want for the final ideas to develop. My sister always makes fun of me when she asks how's it going and I respond, "I'm waiting for the idea to come". She'll giggle and start whistling like I'm hanging out in a rocking chair until miraculously an epiphany occurs. Listen, I know how funny it sounds when I say it, but I can't help myself!

In my head, it takes some time for an idea to develop. Until I have a concrete form in my mind, I do not go ahead and start building. I also usually don't start sketching until that form appears. This is completely contrary to how you are taught in school to design or make art. You are taught to do research and immediately start drawing and making models until the final product develops. I have always had problems with that method. While I understand how it can be beneficial and on plenty occasions have used that method, it mostly leads to me becoming frustrated. I usually feel like I am wasting my time because my lines don't make sense or the materials and composition are all wrong, and I give up on the idea. If I ruminate over an idea and give it enough time, it will start to materialize into a finished piece in my mind. When I go to make it, about 95% of the time, it will come out exactly as I imagined. 

However, all of this doesn't really matter when sometimes, no matter what, you cannot come up with anything. Not one stinking idea or desire to create anything. Believe me, when this happens, it really really sucks. Sometimes, it can be years that go by and you feel like this.

Several years ago, a good friend of mine gave me a book written by Steven Pressfield called The War of Art. This book was a real eye opener and I have read it many times over the years. I could try to sum it up, but this excerpt from Pressfield's site offers the best summary. -

"What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece? 

The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success."

I am lucky that most of my closest friends are creative and we are able to lament to each when we are in a state of war. It will usually take one of us piping up to say, "All right, suck it up and get in the studio." Which sadly, is the only sure way of breaking through the road block and getting creative. The truth that none of us like to admit is that we, ourselves, are what keep us from achieving our goals. Sometimes, me sitting around waiting for an idea to form is just an excuse for avoiding getting into the studio. So, when I am done with this post, I promise that idea that is forming in my head- I will get in the studio and start doing it. 

Blacksmithing Class Number Five

 By popular demand, here is a photo of yours truly - forging!

Yup, here I am toiling away and working on an S hook. Jonathan Nedbor was kind enough to take a photo of me in action. The weather was pretty cold that class, so the shop was a bit chilly. Hence, the hat and scarf.

I got to use a gas furnace, which I love! The temperature is constant, you don't have to continually work your fire, and the whole unit doesn't take up much room, which is ideal for a small shop. I am going to look into purchasing one of these.

Et voila! Here is my finished S hook. Not too shabby... 

I had to travel for work, so I missed Class Number Six. I am really bummed out. Hopefully I will be able to make that class up and get a lot done in Class Number Seven.

Blacksmithing Class Number Four

Now that I am taking this blacksmithing class, I am noticing ironwork everywhere! This gate is at the BOK Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I visited the garden, recently, while in FL.

The gates were designed and built by Samuel Yellin from Philadelphia. His granddaughter, Claire Yellin, still runs the business he started. The company does conservation, restoration and new work.

Detail of the latch. This is the notorious shot that almost got me bitten by a swan.

Detail of the end of one fence.

Mr. Yellin in his office. Photo via http://www.samuelyellin.com.

Yellin Forge Shop. Photo via http://www.samuelyellin.com.

 I love these old photos of people working in shops.

This is what came out of my fourth class. I finished my Drive Hook! They were originally designed so that you could drive the point into mortar, such as a stone fireplace, and hang your pots and pans. Ironically, I have no fireplace. If I were to nail it into my drywall, my landlord would probably have a fit at the gapping hole I would leave when I moved out. So, I have been carrying around the hook in my pocketbook and whipping it out on a moments notice to show anyone who will listen to me. I'm awfully proud of my first true blacksmith product...

Blacksmithing Class Number Three

Although no one posted a comment, many people asked to see my finished project that I had forgotten to take a photo of at the end of Class Number Two. SO,..... Here it is!

It may not be very exciting to the casual observer, but I am very proud of it! I am making progress in understanding the basics of smithing. The object was to take two horseshoes, straighten them out, fold one horseshoe over the other and weld them together, and then draw the metal out to the original thickness of one horseshoe. The project makes you work on straightening, welding, moving metal, and forging a taper. The close up picture shows the left side is welded and how it moves to showing the three layers of metal; proof that it isn't one piece of metal!

Class Number Three, we spent the first part going over tools in the shop. The tool above is called a power hammer. Instead of hammering a piece by hand, a person brings it over to this machine and with a foot pedal controls a 'hammer head' that drops down to sandwich your metal between the head and a surface. Its loud, dangerous, archaic, and very cool. Plus, it keeps you from getting tired from hammering.

This tool is called a Screw Press. Its a little hard to see from the photo, but on the table surface you set dies, place your metal across it, then turn the screw handle up top. As the top portion compresses against the table it forms your metal into shapes. You can create waves, hard angles, divets in plate, etc.

We also went over anvils. Who knew there were so many different types? Italian pattern, London pattern,... I can only imagine a bad joke starting as, there was an Italian, an Englishman, and a Frenchman standing around a blacksmith shop... (I don't know where that goes. I need my friend Reed Karen around to tell me the punch line! He is the ultimate joke teller and also a super talented woodworker/designer.)

The second half of the class we started to make a drive hook. This piece started off as a piece of 1/4" round stock. I beat it into square stock and formed the right angle. While this looks pretty simple, it is quite tricky to get a right angle. The hook portion also is shaped into a taper on all four sides, which is hard to see in the photograph. I cannot wait to finish this piece.

Blacksmithing Class Number Two

Because I will be traveling for work, I was going to miss my second blacksmith class. Luckily my instructor, Jonathan Nebor, let me come in over the weekend and he gave me a private lesson, so I won't be behind in class when I return. Again, it was AWESOME!

I continued to work on the horseshoe project. I tried to build my own fire and set up the chimney. I then worked on forging and learned how to weld with flux. Welding through a fire is very different then welding with a machine, like TIG welding. The principle is the same between the different methods. Welding is bringing different pieces of metal together to become one piece.

I kept laying the hammer down in the wrong direction on the anvil. The brush is to take the scale off when finishing a piece. It was really nice to be able to work by myself at the fire. I felt like I had the time to try different ways of holding the piece and working the metal. Jonathan is a great teacher. He knows how to give instruction and then to back off so you can take your time to absorb the information and try it out.

I got to throw some big sparks, which was exciting. I need to work on the positioning of my body in relation to the anvil and piece. I kept standing too far from the work and not having enough leverage to hammer properly. Because I am a small person, I have to be especially cognizant of where I am working so I don't have to do extra work to make a piece or tire my muscles out. I finished my project and forgot to take a photo of it! I did get some nice shots of Jonathan's shop.

One Forty Three Blog Post On DIY Potence Lamp

Image by One Forty Three

One Forty Three posted on their DIY version of Jean Prouve's Potence Lamp. I like their interpretation of the original design, shown below.

Image found on Google Images

One Forty Three did a second post where they played with their design/interpretation.

Image by One Forty Three

I am really liking the white version. I think the proportions are better then the other two. I would like to see the angle of the top bend to the bulb be a little tighter. It's a tic too doughy in relation to the other bends in the piece. One Forty Three did a great job of pulling these lights together. Now, they should think about putting these up for sale! 

Intro to Blacksmithing

Last night was my first blacksmithing class and it was AWESOME! The class is being taught by Jonathan Nedbor of Canal Forge who has 35 + years as a blacksmith. There are only six people in the class, including me, so the student to teacher ratio is perfect. The students range from 14 to 70 in age. Its a nice mix of personalities. Jonathan has a great shop, albeit dusty. It ends up that as you heat the metal and then it cools, it can shed a scale that turns to dust when you strike it with a hammer. Everywhere you look within the shop, there is an interesting tool or project. I'm really looking forward to figuring out what some of the odd shaped tools and machines do.

By the end of the first night, Jonathan had us squishing metal. Yes, squishing is a technical term. I made him repeat it twice. Our first project is to take two horse shoes and straighten them out. My two shoes are above. I got through 1 and 1/4 of the second. In the next class, I will continue to straighten the second shoe. Then, I will weld the two shoes together and work on making it a bar of steel. Although it feels awkward right now to handle the metal with tongs, it is incredibly satisfying to see the metal glowing red and shaping it with a hammer on an anvil. It really got my creative juices flowing. 24hrs later and I'm still high off the experience! I will continue to post on my progression and I hope, by the end of the class, to have some finished projects to share.

How To Reupholster and Repair Danish Modern Chairs

Every so often these Danish modern chairs come up for sale or for free from an older relative or friend. Because these chairs can now be anywhere between 30 to 50 years old, they often need to be refreshed and repaired. Over time, the interior foam breaks down, the fabric wears out, and the wood can be cracked. Other unforeseen issues can come up, especially if you buy them online and only see them in a photo. These particular chairs that I found, had to have been in the house of a smoker. As you can see in the Before photo, you cannot see that the wood was covered in a thick residue of grime. When I went to pick them up, my reaction was- Yuck. But, I got them for a good deal. So with a little patience and perseverance, they ended up coming out quite nicely.
Below is a step by step guide on how to reupholster and repair Danish modern chairs. Please let me know if you have questions on any of the steps.

Materials:

Clean area to work

Screwdriver

Chisel

Hammer

Pliers

220 sandpaper

Steel wool

Gorilla glue

Water

Murphy's Soap

Rubber gloves

Scotchbrite

Watco Danish Oil

Rags

Vinyl - 3 yd for 4 chairs

Black fabric for under the seats - 3 yd

1/2" thick foam - 2 1/2 yd

3M Super 77

Felt feet to protect floors

Staple gun

Staples

Scribe tool

How To Reupholster and Repair Danish Modern Chairs:

Step 1- Assemble all materials and prepare a large enough area to work in. An area will be needed to clean the chairs and another area to lay out the fabric and foam. My studio has a ceramic tile floor. While it is not the prettiest, it allows me to get the floor wet and to then mop it up or vacuum easily. As you start to disassemble the chairs, you will have a mess as the old foam crumbles and the fabric starts to shed. If you don't have much room inside, a couple of these steps can be done outside, weather permitting.

Step 2- Disassemble the chairs. Take photos or notes while you are disassembling. Everyone always thinks they will remember how they took something apart, but they never do! It will make your life a lot easier if you document your process.

With these chairs, you need to remove the wooden buttons to get to the screws that hold the chair together. The buttons will pop out if you place a Scribe tool in the corner and pry them out. Sometimes, you will have to sacrifice one that splits. They can also be repaired with glue, as they are just cosmetic. Put all your screws, buttons, and parts together with each chair. Label each chair and each part to that chair. This is very important. Wood can get tired and cranky when its old. Most likely you will not be able to interchange parts from different chairs and you will be just as tired and cranky if you have to try to make them fit.

Step 3- Clean the teak wood. Depending on the condition of the chairs you are working with, you may be able to skip this step. As I mentioned, the chairs I was working with had a layer of grime on them from cigarettes. I could run my thumb nail along the surface and scrape a black coat of filth off. Gross. Using hot water with a bit of Murphy's Oil, scrub the chairs with Scotchbrite. Change the water often. If you can get away with only using a rag, try to. It took a long time to remove all the dirt. Allow the chairs to thoroughly dry.

Step 4- Examine the wood for any cracks, splits, and damage. If the chairs are perfect, skip this step. Because teak is an oily wood, regular wood glue will not work for repairs. Gorilla Glue will need to be used. One of the chairs had a split on the side member. I dampened the wood and shoved the Gorilla Glue into the split. I then clamped two scrap pieces of wood on each side to hold the repaired piece in shape. I let it sit overnight for the best results. When taking the assembly apart, carefully use a chisel to scrape any glue that has oozed out of the crack and onto the surface.

Step 5- Sand the entire surface of the chairs with 220 sandpaper. Teak wood can dry out overtime and needs to have oil reapplied. Sanding the surface will ensure that there is no residue or foreign material on the wood. By creating an even surface, the oil will absorb nicely.

Step 6- Apply the Danish Oil or Teak Oil. Using a clean dry rag, follow the instructions on the back of the Watco Danish Oil can. I like to use the Danish Oil Natural, but feel free to use the Teak Oil. There isn't much of a difference between the two types. Between coats, let the wood dry overnight. Before applying the next coat, rub the entire surface with superfine steel wool. Put 2 to 3 coats of oil on the wood. After final coat, rub entire surface with superfine steel wool. It will bring up a nice shine to the finish and make the wood sing. Place wood frames to the side.

Step 7- Remove old reupholstery. Take the seats and remove the staples from under the chair with a screwdriver.

As seen in this photo, I put newspaper over my table. When taking the old upholstery off, a lot of it just crumbles and falls apart. When I'm done, I can gather up the paper with all the debris and throw it away. Follow the same method with the backs.

Often when I reupholster, I will find out that I am not the first person to redo the piece. It can become a mini excavation. Based on the different layers and fabrics, you can figure out the approximate time someone did a reupholstery. It's interesting to see the history of a piece. 

Once all the fabric and foam is removed, use the chisel to scrape any remaining foam that may be stuck to the wood.

Step 8- Apply foam to seat and back. Carefully layout the seat and back parts on the foam. Cut the foam to size. Do this outside or in a well ventilated space.- Spray Super 77 onto the wood and the matching side of the foam. Place the foam on the wood and work the two materials together. Super 77 is sneaky to work with. Try to keep from getting any on your hands, or you will be amazed how everything that becomes stuck to you- lint, dirt, foam, your dog, etc. Let the Super 77 dry according to the directions on the can.

Step 9- Carefully layout the seat and back parts on the fabric. I used black vinyl because I find it to be era correct and desirable to the market. I chose a more expensive vinyl that looked fancier and was a better quality to work with. Vinyl, in general, is hard to work with because it is stiff. To make the process easier, choose a fabric without a repeating pattern.

Also cut out the pieces of black fabric for the underside of the seat. It is a nice finishing detail.

Step 10- Attach the fabric to the seat and back. This will be the hardest step in the whole process. Use a staple gun with the appropriate staple length. I use an electric staple gun because it is hard to have the strength to staple through all the layers manually. For the seat, start in the center of one side, secure your fabric in place and begin to staple around the perimeter, pulling the fabric tightly. Unless you have meaty hands, your fingers will be sore from this. Staple the corners last and try to work the fabric over the corners smoothly. 

Applying the black fabric after will create a nice finish detail and make the underside of the chair disappear. For the back, start by stapling on the bottom edge. Wrap the fabric over the front to the back and fold the edge. Place the folded edge on the bottom and staple to secure. Then, wrap the sides and staple the sides cleanly. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the back assembly. So, let me know if there are any questions. Sometimes the staples will not seat all the way down when stapling. Use the hammer to nail them fully in.

Step 11- Reassemble the chairs. Using your notes or photos, labeled screws and wooden buttons, put the chairs back together. Apply felt feet.

Step 12- Fini! Stand back and admire your work.

These Danish modern chairs, which have no official name that I am aware of, are really great. They have survived the test of time because the design is well thought out. It has minimal pieces and assembles easily with screws. Teak is a durable wood. The proportions are perfect. Whether you are small or large, you will fit comfortably in them. They also do not take up a lot of room and they are fairly easy to find.

Good luck with your project!

How To Whitewash Or Pickle A Wood Wall With Paint

I have clients who have bought a house in upstate New York. They are a NYC couple who are transitioning their lives to working and living full time upstate and going into the city as they need to. They admired this house from afar, and when it came onto the market a year later, they snatched it up immediately. They are now going through the process of renovating it to become the home of their dreams. Like any renovation project, they are discovering all sorts of issues and dilemmas that are creeping up room by room. 

This room, pictured above, is technically the third bedroom. They will be using it as their media room. While the rest of the room has sheet rock walls, this one wall with the fireplace is paneled in pine boards. Previous to the 'Before' photo being taken, the pine wall was covered in hideous layers of cracking paint. After going over various options for the wall, my clients and I decided to whitewash it. We had the wall striped with an eco friendly paint remover and then sanded down to 220 grit with palm sanders. From there, I rolled my sleeves up and got started on the Whitewash Project, which is sometimes called Pickling. Please note that this is technically NOT whitewashing. Traditionally, Whitewashing is a process that involves mixing water, lime, and various materials to make a thin paintable plaster. However, there is no technical phrase for the process pictured above. It is generally referred to as Whitewashing. (Confusing, I know!) Below, are the materials and steps involved.

Materials:

Drop cloth

Chisel (optional)

Screwdriver

220 sandpaper

Vacuum cleaner

Paintbrush

Rags

Water

Paint

Container

Steel wool (optional)

How To Whitewash A Wall With Paint:

Step 1-  Prepare the area for painting by laying down a drop cloth or paper to protect the floors. If the trim and baseboard need to be protected, use blue tape to cover them. Also, make sure to remove outlet covers and light fixtures from walls.

Step 2- Since someone else removed the old paint and sanded the wall, I went over the wall to inspect it and remove any paint that was left over in the crevices of the panels or along the mantle and trim. I used a chisel to gently scrape some of the paint off. But in most cases, this step will not be needed. The cleaner your wall is to begin with, the cleaner the outcome will be. Whitewashing allows the grain of the wood to be highlighted. So, any imperfections will also be highlighted!

Step 3- Go over the wall and quickly hand sand it with 220 grit sandpaper to make sure the surface is smooth and the flecks of old paint are gone. Vacuum the wall with the brush attachment and then take a dry rag and wipe the wall down. It is amazing how much wood dust sticks to everything.

Step 4- MIx your Whitewash solution in a container using clean water and interior paint. In this project, I used Benjamin Moore's Aura Paint in Acadia, as the rest of the room is painted this color and we wanted a lighter version of the other walls. Most interior paints and colored wood stains, in flat to satin finish, will work for this application. I used a ratio of 25% paint and 75% water. Always start with more water and play around with the ratios until you are happy with the results. Remember to continually stir the solution throughout the project to keep it evenly mixed.

Step 5- Working in small areas, apply the solution to the wall with a paintbrush. As you paint the solution on, have a rag ready to rub the wall and pick up the excess paint. Beware of splinters when you rub the walls! As you move across the wall, you will notice that the solution does not look even due to the wood absorbing the paint. Don't fret! Let the wall dry completely and inspect the results, as it will most likely dry evenly. In the photo above, I did one coat of the whitewash solution. I am happy with the amount of wood grain showing through. As you add more coats of whitewash, the wood wall will become more opaque and show less wood grain.

Step 6- (Optional) Go over the wall with steel wool to make the raised grain smooth.

Good luck with your project!