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The Art Department
My art area where all things art take place, sketching, drawing, painting, plus some matting, framing, and odds and ends and other things.
I Need More Brushes...
It's true. I really do need more brushes. I should think about getting a "Go Fund Me" account started to help out.
The Fishing Department
My custom rod / lure / sinker making room. That's a St Croix legend on the lathe, which I also made. I also refitted / restored that Coleman lantern and turned it into a lamp.
My custom rod making room opposite wall. Some are custom, some are St Croix, some are custom St Croix! Good problems to have. The wall is wrapped with a giant print of a largemouth bass painting of mine. It really adds a nice touch behind the rods.
The Photo Studio
This is our small photo studio. We can do small product photography here, and we do. All of the lights are ceiling mounted to save on floor space. We also have a variety of different power lights depending on our needs for each photo. The mini floor stand is also a real space saver.
The Jewelry & Stained Glass Department
DeeDee's stained glass and jewelry making station. I custom made this for her. Her creativity, passion and excitement amazes me and she puts this space to great use.
Some of DeeDee's jewelry, bead and stained glass supplies. She takes organization very seriously. This had to be custom made to properly store the stained glass.
Asian Gong
A handmade Asian gong I made. I think I was 20 or so when I made this. It turned out very little like I had in mind and this is what I ended up with. It was still a fun piece to make.
Custom Knife
I made two knives when I was a teenager. This is the first of two. I think had I stuck with this hobby I would have eventually gotten into patinas, patterns, engraving etc. This is rough, but, it was the first one.
Hand Carved Axe
I carved this when I was a teenager. The ax that is.. I had plans to make another and even have the axe head made from metal, but have never gone any further with it.
Leman's View 4x5 Field Camera
I made this 4x5 field camera when film was still in fashion and somewhere around 1998. I took many photos with it and some can be seen on my web site in the film gallery. The back rotates from horizontal to vertical. Even though it looks deceptively simple, I had around 80 hours making this. Poplar was used in the construction simply because it is durable but also readily available at a variety of retailers.
Coleman Lantern Lamp
I stripped this lantern, repainted it and placed a new logo on it. I buffed and sealed all of the brass and metal. Then I wired it for lights to make it a lamp for my custom rod making room. The thing that differs about mine is that I actually worked the electrical wire through the brass tube that would have normally carried the gas to the mantles. I have never seen one done this way. It was difficult to do to say the least.
Neon Unicorn
In my early career out of high school, one of the jobs I did was being a tube bender, or bending neon. This was a piece I made for my mom as a birthday present. This is now somewhere around 30 years old and still works!
Neon Super Mario
In my early career out of high school, one of the jobs I did was being a tube bender, or bending neon. This was a piece I made when Mario was just gaining traction in the Nintendo world. In addition to bending the neon around mario, I also airbrushed Mario as the center piece.
Neon Purdue
In my early career out of high school, one of the jobs I did was being a tube bender, or bending neon. This was a piece I made for a someone I know. It eventually was broken beyond repair and had to be trashed. This photo is all that is left of it. Take pictures of things you make / create or cherish as one day that may be all that is left.
Lighthouse Glass Etching
A glass etching done by hand I did, oh, probably 30 years ago or so... Sadly, this was broken beyond repair a couple of years back. Take photos of your hand made or cherished items, you just never know.
Hand Knitted Afgan
An afghan my grandmother, Grandma Thomas, knitted. She made many of these in her life and always made one for the kids and grand kids. This one is my favorite.
Crocheted Doily
A doily my grandmother, Grandma Thomas, crocheted.
Crocheted Doily with Coasters
A doily with coasters my mom crocheted.
Custom Made Women's Handbag
DeeDee's talented mom made this tote and accessory bag for her birthday. This is all hand made.
Christmas Painting
Painted by my niece Tiffany several years ago.
Bird Painting
Painted by my niece Samantha several years ago.
Lilliann LaFallotte Painting
Lilliann cranking out another masterpiece. Poster colors on canvas board for the artistically curious. Ole Obi Wan kept this one.
Ashlee Mandrell Painting
My daughter Ashlee Mandrell painted this when she was 11. Never finished it of course and sadly never painted again. For 11, it was outstanding, but I couldn't convince her of that.
Painting - By Mom
A rare oil painting painted by my mom. Circa 1989-ish.
Samantha Barnett's Starry Night
Our grand daughter Samantha did her version of Starry Night in the first grade. If I have my facts straight, I believe she did this from memory?
Samantha Barnett Butterfly
Our grand daughter Samantha painted this in second grade.
Zooey Barnett Loves Color
Our grand daughter Zooey just painted this recently. Age 7
Deer Painting in Progression
Steps taken from start to completion for a painting. Deer Painting - Progressive Start to Finish - High Resolution
Custom Film Holder Photo Frames
Frames I made a number of years ago. These are made to look like large format film holders. I swap the pics out every once in a while for new ones.
C&H Wall Cutter
Using the C&H Wall Cutter here to cut a piece of glass for a frame I am making.
Custom Framing
Final stages of gluing a custom made frame.
Sponging on some final color for the finished frame.
Working out the measurements for a double matte. If you do not have a center find ruler, I highly recommend one. Time saver for sure.
I have two matte cutters, one is a C&H professional, then I have this Fletcher. I find the Fletcher easier to use and store. However, the C&H can't be beat for exacting accuracy if you are doing exacting work.
All cut and ready for the picture.
The finished piece.
A Sequence showing some custom framing and matting I do from time to time. Top left shows the frame being glued with miter clamps. Top middle I am applying a final sponge and texture to the frame. Top right show cutting the glass to size on a C&H Wall mount board and glass cutter. Middle left shows marking the matte opening. Middle center shows cutting the matte. Middle right shows the completed double matte. Bottom shows the completed matted and framed art. The back is finished off with a dust backer and bump ons on the bottom corners.
