handicraft...

Well, this week when I should have been re-doing my portfolio or website or somehow working on my photography biz I found myself obsessed with refinishing surfaces for the prop house. First I started on a pine-plank "fence" we made a few months ago for a shoot that somehow never felt complete--the prop, not the shoot which was finished. So I went to Home Depot. There I dug down deep within myself to find my inner-handyman (which believe me is hidden very, very deep) and bought an orbital sander, wood filler, stain, paint and wax and headed back to the studio. Turned out to be super fun and relaxing. After I finished the fence thing every thing became kinda blurry and all I saw in front of me were things just begging to be re-surfaced. Next was a piece of wood just sitting there all sorta of plain I used "Fruit Punch" stain from Minwax and a reddish paint from Behr. Then a very old cutting board (don't worry we must have 25 or so cutting boards) and it I painted white. Next up was an old table with a ruined surface--magic markers, ink spill, etc. This became very reddish-orange. Then a maple piece also painted white and then another cutting board stained green with "Botanical" by Minwax and some dark forest green by Behr.

There is no stopping me now. I think I need intervention. This was all done in two days...

A few new things for the prop house..

Went shopping yesterday to Soho and ended up at Ochre on Broome Street. Got some things for the prop house. A few plates by Daniel Smith, a british artist who works in ceramics and a dark resin plate. Today it was raining and it has been for a few. And cold. And where did fall go?

So of course it was a perfect day to spend in the studio taking pics of the new things which I like very much.

Anime Kids

Recently I was outside my apartment and noticed some people in costume. Then I noticed ALOT of people in costume. These people were going to the local convention center, Jacob Javitz which is just a few blocks from my place, to attend an Anime Convention. The next day I took two assistants and kinda talked our way into the center and set up a little mini-studio.

I have no idea who the characters are that these conventioneers were portraying but I loved how intense they were about their depictions. Of course for some it was fun but for others it was a passion.

I really fell in love with the intensity most of these kids had for the characters and also admired the craft some of them brought to re-creating(out of fabric and paper-maiche) the characters in their costumes.