The carvings 2

“In wood, figure refers to the appearance of wood, as seen on a longitudinal surface (side-grain).”
“Wood grain describes the alignment, texture and appearance of the wood fibers.”

So says Wikipedia, though I have my own ideas. It is through the grain that life is sustained and in the figure that you see the forces of nature that it has endured during its existence. It is there in the figure I get lost, grain is just something I have to deal with and fill in the end.

Each piece of wood chip is chosen with careful consideration. At times during the search, a piece would come into view. After careful examination I discover that it has been inspected before and tossed back. A few of these make it in to the mix, while others are tossed once again only to be picked up during another break and thrown out of my search area (the smoking area). Yes it is that filthy habit that started all this.

I put a finish coat on the Hawk the other night and have since been struggling with the final photo. It has become quite the challenge to get the right color. It went this rich brown color and hand finished and polished top coat, there is no stain. I did use a brush in the procedure but that was more or less to move the finish to the surface. The goal was to magnify the natural figure and movement of the grain. Once a photo is taken that truely represents what I see, it will be posted.

More later,

Kris

I like Fifths

Lately music has entered back into the fore front of my actions and thoughts. Playing the Guitar for many years there where only moments of progression followed by long periods of stagnation. Playing the mandolin, tuned to G, D, A, E brought the idea of tuning in 5th’s. It was fun to try to learn but those darn strings and frets were to close to each other. Then came the best purchase I have ever made! The Base Mandolin, with its well spaced strings and wide frets, its smooth and pliable strings and C, G, D, A, tuning changed everything. The best description I have come up with is that it is a Cello with frets that you hold like a guitar.

In August, I went to the Catskill Mountain’s in New York for my cousins wedding. One of his friends brought a Tenor Banjo with him and after discovering that its tuning was the same as the Cello, I gave that group of almost total strangers huddled around a camp fire, in a break of a drizzling ran, my best rendition of “Take the Skinheads Bowling” by Camper Van Beethoven that I had ever given, all on an instrument that I had never played.

Sorry did you think I meant Fifth of Whiskey,

Kris

The weather on the roof

Today we had a photographer at the Nelson-Atkins taking shoots for a book about Steven Holl's Architecture of the new Bloch Building. I was the lucky one that was assigned to take him to the roof. I now need to do the weather report. Temperature: 55; Sky: Clear; Wind: 30 mph gusting to 40 mph. It was quite exhilarating to plant your feet and lean in to the wind and hope that it would not stop in fear of falling over. Have you guessed that I have little to say today.

Kris

Smokey Boy & Dakota Too

Dakota Too
Smokey Boy

Smokey and Dakota came to me while living in the Ambassador Apartments on Broadway here in Kansas City. The Assistant Manager of the apartments at the time brought them to my attention. They were living in the smallest studio apartment I have ever seen. There were four cats living in the apartment, one of which was Dakota and Smokey’s mother. Smokey was the style cat I was looking for. Their first names came with them, their last names came when I said “I’ll take Smokey Boy and Dakota Too”.

C, G, D, A Tuning

Some call it the Cello tuning, it is one of the most used tuning for with 4 string banjos. Last year I purchased something called Bass Mandolin tuned to the Cello. I can not get the thing out of my hand for very long (my other instruments are becoming envious of it). Knowing almost nothing of this tuning forced me to sit down and write out the C scale and from there try to figure out the chords and other scales. It has been quite the challenge and has reaped great rewards. I have done this with the guitar and mandolin yet never to the success that I have had with the bass mandolin and the benefits have flowed over to my other instruments. The other day, picking up the baritone ukulele notice that this too could be tuned this way and have had great fun playing the instrument every since. This is leading me to want a full size tenor guitar more then ever, you know, one of those old arch top Harmony style with the F holes that they use to use in the mandolin bands, with the proper strings for the C, G, D, A tuning. I have however found a four string banjo if the price is right (Cheap).

Krijoga

Picture: Left - my Bass Mandolin front and center.

Right - A Harmony Tennor Arch Top Guitar.

The carvings

Any time I find a place with a new patch of wood chip (mulch) I find myself looking intently through the small pieces looking for inspiration in the lines. The carving in the photos are a by product of that search. As stated in an earlier entry, Nature is my biggest inspiration. All my carvings are unfinished at this time; they await a finish coat and some final sanding or burnishing. I added these photos as an example of where I am headed. Hope you enjoy.

Krijoga

The photo shown here is a larger project still under way. Check below for the small carvings.

Blog Mission

I have wondered the benifits of a blog verses a web site. I choose blog for no reason that I can give other then a easier form of feedback. In time my mission is to show my works of folk art (I will not call my self an artist and have received no training in the Arts), display my past time in photograpy and if I ever start recording I will link you to that. I have always been a dreamer and now want to put some of those dreams out in the relm of reality. Also in the plan is to link you to some of the music that is influencing me, to other friends blogs and what ever else comes along with the wind.

Let me know how I am doing or if it is just a waist of time.

Why the title?

Growing up in Northeastern Oklahoma in the hills not far from the Ozarks, in a place called Green Country was a simple way of life. I found that the term "Green Country" worked well for business' and felt that it was becoming to commercial of a term . Foothills of the Ozarks had a deeper meaning and understanding of the land, its music and the people who dowelled there. Growing up I always felt 10 years behind. It was not till I left and returned that I found that there were people creating something bigger. It would never be commercialized, for it had already been run through the ringer and hung out to dry. It was a mix of what drifted in on the wind. From the South came TexMex, to the North was that Kansas City and Chicago blues and Jazz. New York and LA influenced us with its Rock & Roll from the East and West and vast country surrounded us on all sides. We are the hart land and when these influences hit us we shake it up and smash it together. Woody Guthrie came from our heart land, inspired a nation and worked for the common man. Garth Brooks took the Country Music Scene by storm. In these hills are writers of great music. Some will make it to that Commercial realm but I admire the works of the ones that hide in garages and barns (Very few basements in Oklahoma). This is where a style emerges, while greatly influenced by many things, has its own identity forged by the hill music. Its what I refer to as "Foothills of the Ozarks Music. One of the bands that have a strong root in this music is the "Red Dirt Rangers". I will try to provide a link.