Thursday, July 2, 2009

Sayin' good bye....



to cardboard. It has become quite apparent that cardboard does not hold up well to humidity and temperature changes. In the form of a box being shipped it works just fine. When stapled to a wooden support, not so good. So with this post I am saying good by to my dearest cardboard. Our time together has been wonderful and the memories will last a life time and...okay that's enough.

No worries, I have a new love. Salvaged lumber. Ahhhhh, so lovely and mature...sorry wrong direction. Anyway, I am becoming quite fond of this type of lumber. The surface is weathered and probably has many stories to tell. I am amazed and fascinated with the texture and patina of the surface. This isn't that cheap laminated junk that disguises itself as wood when really all it is just sawdust glued together with a pieces of wood grain-like wallpaper slapped on top of it. No this is the real-deal. Stuff like pine, oak, maple and walnut as well as all sorts of plywood. And yes, I am "all geeked-up" on this stuff. Very geeked-up.

So today I fired up the table saw and began cutting down all sorts of boards that I have salvaged from a variety of places. Some from a table and dresser I found during spring clean up week here in Rushville, some from a head and foot board I picked up from the dumpster at the H.E.L.P. Center. Other pieces came from dumpster raids after the stage and sets were torn down following our annual spring musical at Rushville-Industry High School. Some are from a piece of furniture from my own home I disassembled recently.

I spent a good portion of the day cutting, measuring, gluing and assembling different supports for upcoming paintings. Most of these new surfaces are much smaller than the ones I have been working with. The largest support is 36" x say 30". Some of the smaller ones are around 26" x 16".

The next time you get ready to pitch that old dresser or maybe you saw one on the curb in your neighborhood, give me a shout. If you live close by I will come and pick it up. So with this I say, so long my dearest cardboard, I will never forget you.

1 comment:

Woods said...

Nice. Very writer-ish of you, my artist friend.