Cool Stuff is the fun Category where items do not fit areas like Art, Jewelry, Bowls, and Vases.

It is here that I show furniture items like the chairs I make when a grandchild turns age two: Charlotte Chair.

You will also see Wood Mice, Flowers, Toy Tops Colorful Spinning Tops

The processes and techniques I employ to make Cool Stuff include Pyrography which is wood-burning or branding.  This is great to create interesting textures.  Paint, stain, milk paint, acrylic or airbrushing are also used.  They all have a place and a specific use.  Then there is power carving and piercing with a Dremel tool or a high-speed dental drill texture and details.  The time to complete the finishing work will often exceed the time to make the form.

When someone asks an artist, “how long did it take to make the piece” the artist is usually uncomfortable to provide an answer.  We understand that the viewer is looking for a specific time frame, like two hours.  To the artist, it is not just the physical time it took to complete that piece, but the time invested in learning his craft. There is a story that Picasso was asked by a restaurant patron for his signature with a small sketch.  Handing it over to the patron, Picasso asked for $500.  The patron said, “it only took you one minute” to which Picasso replied, “It took me 30 years.”  Artists need to educate the buyer on the value of their art.