Saturday, September 19, 2009

lovely post

I am not going to dwell on the deeply unpleasant experience of being attacked in the street for commenting on somebody dumping litter from their car into the gutter as it is just another example of WHY GLASGOW IS SHIT.
Bo-ring.
Tell us something we didn't know.

OK.




I picked up a parcel from the post office this morning. I wasn't expecting any parcel, so it was an absolute delight to receive a gift from Bob Ebendorf, a brooch which is so completely to my taste that it is incredible:


Brooch By Bob Ebendorf


He also sent me a handmade iron nail from India!


Handmade Nail


Wonderful.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

A Place Called "Far Out"



Ken Nordine - Word Jazz
Originally uploaded by Gordon Coale

Incredible! I finally found a copy of this album, of which I had only ever heard tell, never even hearing one track from it. Of course, it is pure Ken Nordine: that voice and the bizarre narratives which are nowhere near as bizarre in reality as the delivery makes them seem.

Any album which opens with a track containing the words, "Short time ago, we went out to a place together, to a place called 'Far Out'", has got to be good!

Friday, September 11, 2009

almost at an end...

The big commission work is nearly over for the moment. It's been interesting, grabbing every moment in the workshop and trying to come up with something worthwhile out of what are effectively "repeats" of a formula. I've only to complete three pendants, which should be done early next week. The main part has been eight bracelets:


8/11ths - 8c

8/11ths - 7a

8/11ths - 6a

8/11ths - 5b

8/11ths - 4b

8/11ths - 3d

8/11ths - 2c

8/11ths - 1c





On another front, I'm back to finishing (at last) the "Four Cocktail Rings of the Apocalypse" now as I've been invited to submit some work for a book which is being published in Spain in both Spanish and English. The book is being put together by the marvellous Nicolas Estrada whom I admire very much and so flattered me hugely by requesting some of my work!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

on hold

Real life is on hold at the moment as I have a huge order to fulfil. Not that I am really complaining as it is all good stuff. Eight bracelets for men and three roofing-nail pendants. The difficult part has been keeping these designs fresh as I've now made dozens of variants of these. Forgot to take the camera today, so no photographs.

I also received a very nice surprise by email: an invite to submit some photographs for a book on "Rings" being published in Spain.

More tomorrow, when I will remember the camera!

Saturday, September 05, 2009

urgh!

Woke up late this morning and feeling absolutely wretched. I didn't sleep very well and think that last week was just a bit too tiring, what with working late every evening and the new intake of eager students craving my attention all day. Must try and get some rest before they come back on Monday so that I'm up to their demands!

There was a strange note under my door this morning from the old boy who lives in the next block, "Come and see me. Have cukes. George". His allotment had produced some tiny pickling cucumbers which, for some reason, he had seen fit to grow; strange given that he told me that he hates cucumbers... Anyway, I got a few kilos for pickling. They are really tiny and I think that they'll be lovely pickled.


Morning Work


I've been doing some work using the techniques I learned over the holidays. This piece, using a shard of ceramic from a beach in Fife, surprised even me a little bit, being so completely different from my more usual work:


Me Old China 7


I've just had an order for eight of the found-steel bangles I was making last year! Plus three pendants, all to be made by the 3rd week in September, I'm going to be very, very busy.