All My Art

Nature Boy

2011-07-01T13:33:00.002-04:00

Just made this guy this week out of a bunch of natural items I've collected, a broken pair of glasses and a cool piece of weathered painted wood I bought at least a year or so ago in Mt. Dora. He's now living happily on my bookshelf and inspiring me to create more stuff.

New projects

2010-11-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

Since the summer, I have been working a lot with fiber and cloth, and enjoying myself very much. I've made a few small art quilts and played with gelatin printing, silk painting and more. I just completed a piece involving sewn and painted wool roving and hope to submit it -- and another one, still to be made -- to one of my favorite magazines, along with a how-to article. My goal is to get published in a magazine as an innovator of some type of technique, and I may have found something different.

I'm also intrigued by the finishing/framing/displaying process. Seems that I can't just finish a piece and hang it on the wall. Everything I make has weird dimensions that don't fit standard framing/mounting materials. And "custom-made" doesn't fit my budget. So, with the completion of my wool roving piece, I am now in the midst of creating my own sort of shadow box from a stretched canvas (reversed), a piece of glass and a handmade wood frame. I will be photographing the process as I go and hope to share this in an article, too.

Seth Apter has an awesome blog that is inviting artists from everywhere to submit works that answer one to three questions. The finished piece(s) should illustrate somehow a fear, a secret, or the innermost "me." I've been thinking a lot about the challenge and am working to get something done and submitted by Dec. 31, the deadline. Hope I can make it! (In both senses of the term!)

New work

2010-07-15T13:31:00.003-04:00

So much has happened since I posted in March! In June, Delia and I took a wonderful class at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We learned all about silkscreening and silk painting, and came back totally energized and excited about new possibilities.

I am really enjoying working with fabric these days. I love the way it lays in your hand, the way it feels when you stitch by hand or machine, and the endless things you can do with it. Add to that the opportunity to create your own cloth effects with paint and dye, plus the fact that many fabric-related projects are portable... and all I can say is WOW!

Another strong inspiration for me has been the large number of blogs I subscribe to. One of my all-time favorites is by Teesha Moore, whom I first "met" through her involvement in the fabulous True Colors book. At first, her color palette was way outside my own comfort zone, but, boy, that woman is creative! I have been a loyal fan and follower of Teesha for years, and recently watched her outstanding videos on making fabric journals. I was intrigued by the flexibility of the projects -- especially when Teesha shows the adorable purse she made -- and decided to try my hand at making one myself.

It was love at first stitch! I had a blast making one brightly colored purse for myself (I eventually moved into the "Teesha" part of the color wheel)...

and then launched into making a more neutral one for my mom's birthday.

Now I'm at work on my third purse, and the color wheels are spinning in my head!

At the same time, I am exploring many new techniques with fabric painting. A couple of weekends ago, Jordan and I had fun making sun prints with Dye-Na-Flow on muslin, and last weekend, I tried using Elmer's Washable Glue as a resist, along with my Lumiere and Dye-Na-Flow paints. I finished painting last night and then worked with Golden's Fine Bronze Paint, which produces a really cool green patina when you add water to it. I had seen a demo with the bronze paint on paper, and wondered if I could achieve a similar result on muslin. Well, I'm happy to report... it works! I'll post photos of that experiment soon!

March is almost over

2010-03-25T21:49:00.002-04:00

And I didn't write all month. Well, here anyway. I write at work all day long.

Fact is, my great experiment failed. Sure, I did a lot of rationalizing at the beginning... how buying some essential items, like a sewing machine, didn't count as part of my Spend-Not Project. I was buying a major tool, after all.

But then I started accumulating fabric and little "must-haves" like the right pins, spools of thread, and a case to keep them all in. Plus a case for the machine itself.

Yes, I haven't bought much in the way of paper-related supplies, but the sewing machine brought a new addiction into my mind... and my house.

Sigh.

I can't help it. I love it all. Gotta have it all. Want to try everything.

Love this!

2010-02-18T11:29:00.001-05:00

I saw this online yesterday, through another blog I read (sorry, I don't remember which one). Kudos to whoever created it. It sums up everything!

Experimenting

2010-02-09T19:25:00.002-05:00

You know how you can get certain glues on your clothes and they won't wash out, no matter what you do? I was thinking about resists and batiks recently, and was wondering how some of my glues and acrylic-type products might work on fabric.

So I took one of my favorite new fabrics -- a white-on-white dotted quilting material -- and tried out 3 squirt-bottle products: Elmer's Glue-All, Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid and Golden GAC800. When dry, I painted each with a watery wash of Golden acrylic paint. Here's the results of my experiment:

Elmer's: Penetrated the fabric fine. Kinda gloppy and sloppy in places. Dried white/clear and acted as a nice resist. But the glue left the fabric hard and plastic-y.

Acrylic Glazing Liquid: Went on nice and smooth. Stayed white/clear. Worked great as resist. Only drawback: Thicker applications of the glazing liquid stay sticky. You can see certain globby areas that appear white -- those are the sticky areas. (Maybe they'll eventually dry?) If I use this again, I will definitely need to be sure my application of the product is not as thick. On a good note, this product left the fabric the most pliable and soft.

GAC800: Went on really nicely and soaked through the fabric a lot, giving off more like a grey tinge than a white one. The fabric was left somewhat soft, but less pliable than with the glazing product. But I really like the lines I was able to achieve with this product.

Overall impression: It's almost a toss-up between the two Golden products. But if I can get the right amount of product on the fabric (and avoid the stickiness), I think I might like the Glazing Liquid best. It would be interesting to see how coloring the glaze with acrylic paint will work as a resist. I'd also like to see if I can rubber-stamp with the Glazing Liquid!

On its way!

2010-02-09T12:25:00.001-05:00

I'm super excited! I ordered a new sewing machine online over the weekend, and it's been shipped! Should be getting it very soon. It's a Brother CE5000, Project Runway Edition (factory refurbished!). Lots of gizmos and gadgets to play with, lots of great new projects to try. Can't wait till it arrives.

New work

2010-02-08T17:31:00.001-05:00

I had such a crazy work week last week, I didn't get a chance to post a picture of my latest piece. I made it over the weekend right before the launch of my Spend-Not Project and had fun using a lot of the materials I had on hand. It was fun to make. Hope you like it! I'm planning on putting this up for sale on my Etsy site soon.

Do you want to know a secret?

2010-02-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

I've been a huge fan of Seth Apter's blog and his work, not just because of his creativity, but also because of his enormous generosity in sharing the works of other mixed-media artists. When he did a call several months ago for artists to share some of their favorite art secrets, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of this special project.

The result is Secret Sunday, a series that Seth has been posting as part of his blog, The Altered Page, since November. And I am honored to say that one of my favorite art secrets is featured on this week's posting!

Here's what I wrote to Seth:

One of my favorite techniques is using my inkjet computer printer with muslin. I read about this years ago and am constantly amazed at how easy it is – and how many people don’t know how to do it. It’s far easier than doing transfers and the results are always good. Here’s how: Cut freezer paper (the white kind with one shiny, waxy side) to 8.5 x 11. Take a piece of muslin (natural or bleached) and iron it onto the shiny side of the freezer paper. The wax will melt with the heat of the iron and adhere to the fabric. Be sure that the muslin is cut close to the 8.5 x 11 backing (with no threads hanging off) and then run through your printer. After it dries, you can easily peel off the muslin and use however you like.

Note: this is NOT waterproof, so don’t use this technique for wearable items – just displayable art.

Check out the post here, as well as the insights of other artists! And, thanks again, Seth, for including me.

SNP... the challenge begins

2010-02-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

The weekend was filled with last-minute panic at the thought of a whole year of not spending money on new craft supplies. On Friday, I ordered some replacement parts for a broken tool (allowed) and also a few blank pieces of copper. Then, on Saturday, I found a Michaels sales flier and... actually tossed it out!

But, I must confess over the weekend, I did also buy a craft magazine (my sole magazine purchase for February) at B&N and a heavily discounted swirly rubber stamp set at Target. (It was $2.47 for something that had been $9.99, for crying out loud. Besides, the challenge starts Monday!)

So, here I am on Monday night, my first night of the challenge, and how am I feeling? Actually, OK. I had the opportunity to play with some of my materials during the rainy, dreary weekend, and had a lot of fun. I went through a lot of my supplies and found some really cool items I can use in the months ahead.

Best of all, I made something I'm really proud of with some basic supplies, and am even planning on posting it to my Etsy site this week. I'm motivated not only to stop spending, but also perhaps to earn some money with my art!

The rules

2010-01-28T19:53:00.002-05:00

"I'm freaking out!!!!" was the immediate reply from a friend after I sent her the link to my post about the Spend-Not Project. But I wasn't shocked: Who could believe that an art supply addict like me would voluntarily vow to not purchase new stuff for a year?

Truth be told, shopping for art supplies with my friends has provided many highs for me. We've bonded over new stencil designs, Tim Holtz grunge products and the latest issue of a favorite crafting magazine. We've giggled over each other's excitement over a great sale. We've coveted one-of-a-kind finds that we were unable to snag first for ourselves.

How could I possibly give all this up? I pictured myself traipsing behind them through the aisles of Michaels and JoAnn's as they gleefully reveled in new discoveries, me clutching tightly to my list of Do's and Don'ts.

But then my friend surprised me by wanting to know more about the project, even hinting at the slightest possibility that she might join me aboard the SNP Bandwagon. She even followed up today with an e-mail asking when I was going to be posting my "rules." So, here we go.

First, the NO's:
No stickers or pre-made embellishments
No rubber stamps or stencils
No new colors of inks, paints or pens
No artist papers or related doodads
No new fancy tools, gizmos or gadgets
No more beads
No boxes, stretched canvas or other pre-made containers
No household/automotive products purchased especially for an art project

BUT the following are OK (on sale, with coupon or under $5 only):
Glues*
Xacto blades and similar*
Replacement of current tools if broken or worn out
Magazines - limited to one inspirational magazine per month; no purchases of magazines for collaging material
White paper (large sheets or bulk)*
White gesso*
Basic earring wires and clasps*
Basic thread for sewing and/or stringing
Basic paints and inks*
Basic white muslin*
Common household products (alcohol, bleach, ammonia, etc.)
Specific items needed for a specific project commissioned by others (such as an item to be used as a gift, for a special event, or to fulfill a customer order)

*When current supplies run out

I may need to revisit the list (that is, add to it), but for now, I think I've covered most of the items that get me in trouble. Other suggestions are welcome!

Oh, what am I getting myself into?

The Spend-Not Project: A creative year of not buying art supplies

2010-01-27T13:03:00.002-05:00

Hi, my name is Leslie, and I'm an art supply addict.

I love love love buying and trying new art supplies. Just take a look at my house, which is filled to the rafters with scrapbooking papers, beads, paints, etc., etc., etc. I get a coupon for a nearby craft store, and my brain starts spinning with possibilities.

But then... do I really use these wonderful goodies? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes I think it's just a matter of adding more to my collection.

So, I got to thinking. Maybe it would be interesting/challenging/fun(?) to see if I can go a year without buying any new art supplies. That is, use up what I have... and repurpose or recycle found stuff... Just stop buying every new product that comes out on the market.

It might be easier said than done, so I'm going to definitely have to establish certain guidelines. For example, I don't want to start hoarding empty cereal boxes right now for use later as book covers, but in the future, I may want to start using this cardboard source instead of buying a ready-to-go art material.

But, let's be real. There are some things I will need to buy... glue, for example. Probably gesso, too, but let's see how long I can go without; I might be able to come up with an appropriate substitute! (Or a new recipe?) And of course, my tools have to be in good working order. I'll have to order a replacement pin for my favorite two-hole punch, and my sewing machine needs either repair or replacement.

In the next day or two, I'm going to start putting together my list of do's and don'ts for this challenge. Then, I'll launch the project on February 1.

It's gonna be interesting.

Oops! Time to paint

2010-01-26T13:17:00.003-05:00

So, I recently found out a really cool thing... you can make nice designs on fabric using Sharpie markers and plain old rubbing alcohol. Having recently made one fun scarf from patches of quilting fabric, I decided to try creating my own fabric with this new method.

I did all the preliminary sewing on the scarf fabric (breaking my machine in the middle of it) and then took the project to the kitchen table, where I proceeded to start creating. (Cue menacing music, please.)

I'd purchased a pack of fat Sharpies and chose a color scheme of aqua, blue, lime green and purple. Knowing that I needed to protect my surface, I laid down a sheet of freezer paper and started marking up the fabric with wide swaths of parallel lines (sorta rainbow-esque, but in the cool colors family). Then, the fun! I poured rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and started squirting away. The results were awesome! The colors ran a bit, blending into each other and making a lovely, watery design.

Quite satisfied, I took the fabric out to the garage to hang to dry. Then I returned to clean up.

And now... the oops.

Splashes of color everywhere. On the edge of the formica table... on the wall... (Seems the alcohol spray sorta skipped across the fabric, taking some of the color along with it.)

And permanent Sharpies don't come off too easily, especially when splashed with extra alcohol.

Panicked, I brought out all the cleaners... and proceeded to take the finish off my kitchen table. Couldn't remove all the blue splashes off the yellow-painted wall, either.

A couple days later, my dear husband spotted the new "designs" on the wall and asked about it. "I was planning on re-painting the kitchen soon, anyway," I replied.

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana

2009-12-10T21:00:00.009-05:00

Hee hee. I saw that quote again recently, and it still makes me laugh. I used it in one of my very first altered books, finished in January 2004! Can't believe I've been doing altered books for 6 years already.

The bottom line is, it's been two months since I last blogged. (Bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger.) Work has certainly kept me away from writing anything personal. Writing all day for a living, what I want most to do after hours is to make art -- not write about it. And then when I want to show people my art, and I point to my blog and find that the "news" is 2 months old... well, that's no good either.

So, here it is... I'm back and I hope to stay here for a while again. I've been making art like crazy in my new little studio in the old closet/mini computer office. I'll post some of those pictures soon, but for now, here are a few shots from last weekend at Art Miami at Art Basel. Jordan and I really enjoyed the galleries, and I had lots of fun taking photos -- and getting INTO the art.

To see more photos, visit my Flickr page.

I love this new bag!

2009-10-09T13:36:00.006-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, my husband was out of town visiting his parents across the state and I had a lot of free time to play with my art. I had just bought a copy of Alisa Burke's very inspiring book, Canvas Remix, and decided to give this new project a try. All I had to buy (with JoAnn's and Michaels coupons!) was a beige tote and the wood handles -- I had the rest of the supplies on hand.

I am really thrilled with the way the bag came out and am gearing up to do more, maybe sell them in my etsy shop.

What do ya think?

Introducing Madam Marvelous!

2009-10-09T13:19:00.008-04:00

Remember Captain Creative? Well, my friend Judith challenged me to make him a companion. And here she is! Made of mostly found objects. I made the head from a gourd I bought during my summer vacation in Tennessee.

Glitter and Grunge Challenge #1... revealed!

2009-10-02T09:20:00.014-04:00

Here are 3 different shots of the same finished piece, the "Family Tree" I made for the first Glitter and Grunge Design Team Challenge. (You can read about the thinking behind it on my post of September 9.) I used nearly every piece that Claire sent me! You can't see it, but beneath the trunk of the tree are dozens of fallen leaves, representing the generations that came before. (After all, the challenge was to be about heritage.)

So, tell me what heritage means to you! Post your thoughts on this blog by October 16. The best entry wins the "Family Tree." Looking forward to hearing from you! Leslie

New works

2009-09-29T15:15:00.009-04:00

This piece, called "Shema," is an assemblage of both handmade and found objects, set in a shadowbox. While it contains some repetition of the use of hands, the focus is on the central prayer in Judaism that says, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One." The prayer book covers (top and bottom) and the pointing hand (from a Torah pointer) are made of ivory. I made the paper with the Shema printed on it (using my favorite fabric-paper technique), as well as the metal hamsa at the bottom.

I've gotten a few inspirational art books lately and am having fun playing with different ideas and techniques. This piece came together as an exercise in the book Collage Journeys by Jane Davies. She encourages you to explore collage by doing different versions of the same subject. I chose to combine the six individual 4 x 6 collages into one final piece.

Taking up the challenge

2009-09-09T17:51:00.022-04:00

Several weeks ago, I announced that I was selected as a member of the Glitter and Grunge Design Team. I was so excited! I eagerly awaited the arrival of the package from Claire that would take me on my creative journey to happiness.

Then the fat little pouch arrived at my doorstep, exactly on the day it was promised. (And just in time for my birthday!)

Here are a few shots of some of the goodies I received.

In Claire's welcoming note, she provided the guidelines for the challenge, along with the theme: Heritage. Now, that's a challenge!

But looking through the supplies -- fabric; buttons; postcards; school flashcards; clippings from a landscaping magazine; a 1935 letter from a worried Ma and Pa to their dear son John, who had not come home to visit as promised -- I started to imagine that these items belonged to a family, and that they might come together as a sort of family story.

That also led me to think about some quilts I had seen a while ago at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. The exhibit was called The Quilts of Gee's Bend, and in it were displayed countless handmade quilts created by women in a poor and rural part of Alabama. Having few possessions and even less money, these women constructed beautiful quilts from old clothing. Thus, every piece and every patch of the finished quilt represented some article of clothing, some beloved person, some activity or event in their lives.

I began to think that I would use the materials from my Glitter and Grunge packet to represent the story of the imaginary family that once owned them. The fabric swatches were from pants and dresses, as well as from comfortable household furnishings and lovely draperies. The flashcards had been used to teach little John his multiplication tables. The postcard from Paris was from a rich aunt who loved traveling the world. The image of the car was the first vehicle Pa ever owned. Buttons were from clothing long discarded.

The magazine pages and fabric flowers provided the final inspiration for me. I decided to bring the entire packet together by creating a symbol of heritage -- a family tree (or plant), made of all the materials that make a family. More to come...

On my office wall

2009-08-14T16:38:00.005-04:00

Did this a while back. Can't really see it well, but the head is an actual tintype. It was one of those pieces that came together quickly. I get a lot of comments about it when people come in my office.

Glitter and Grunge and me!

2009-08-14T16:27:00.004-04:00

I'm extremely excited to announce that I have been selected to participate as a member of the Glitter and Grunge Design Team for Fall 2009! I'm always looking for a new creative challenge and when they announced the call for applications, I thought I'd give it a try and apply. To my complete amazement, I received an e-mail a few days later, inviting me to join!

As I've been told, a package of goodies (challenge materials) will be arriving at my house on or before September 1. You can read more about it here. Can't wait to see what awaits. I'm also excited to see what my fellow team members come up with! They're very talented and I'm honored to be among them.

One of the cool things for me is that September 1 is my 50th birthday. I'm already filled with anticipation about all the great things ahead of me in my 50s (as my 40s were definitely better than my 30s). Perhaps this new venture will provide me with new opportunities to meet people (both online and in person) and explore my artistic self.

YAY!!!!

Inspired by Akira Blount

2009-08-06T18:38:00.008-04:00

Several months ago, I learned about an amazing doll artist named Akira Blount. She does some amazing pieces with natural materials, found objects and fabrics of all kinds. From the first time I saw her work online, I was inspired.

In doing some research on her and visiting her website, I learned that she would be teaching classes in doll-making at the Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the very same week my friends and I were scheduled to be at Delia's vacation house!

I just had to see what we could see, so I urged Delia to let us try to visit Arrowmont during our one-day stop in Gatlinburg.

To my utter delight, the school let us walk around on our own, stepping into the classrooms and seeing up-close what some of the students were doing. While I didn't see Akira teaching, I did see several of her students working on the dolls. AND I saw several examples of Akira's work on the walls of the classroom and in the gallery showing of Arrowmont teachers' works. Here's the one that hung in the gallery. Much larger than I had expected.

Of course, after seeing Akira's work online, I was eager to try my own hand at doll-making. While I didn't use the same materials, I did try to capture the very peaceful look of her dolls' faces. I used polymer clay and a push mold to create the face. The body was various metals, fabric and found objects.

The theme for the piece came from Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers." My doll is named Hope and she is adorned with feathers of hand-embossed metal. On her head is a bird's nest of eggs, representing hope. Beneath her caged-metal skirt are locked fears, marked on hanging tags.

I am really pleased with the way she came out. It's so great when something you see online can inspire you to make something that is all your own.

Back to blogging

2009-08-03T17:59:00.023-04:00

When last I blogged, I was preparing to go on vacation to the mountains of east Tennessee with some girlfriends. We were headed to Delia's vacation house for some fun.

Well, it's been a while since we came back and I just haven't had time to get back to blogging. Been catching up on my art-making. So it's high time I did some writing, too.

The Smokies were as beautiful as I remembered from my high school days (although I had experienced them from the North Carolina side), and Delia's house was absolutely adorable. She really did a great job decorating with country themes throughout. I loved sleeping in the Cow Bedroom.

We spent the week shopping, antiquing and then shopping some more. And since Delia had proclaimed it "Stamp Camp," we did some art-making, too. I did my part by teaching a project that took two nights (and more) to finish. We used playing cards and lots of different techniques to explore the world of gesso and to make a wall hanging that looked something like this:

(This is how it looks hanging on my wall at work.) And here's how some of them came out...

As you can see, everyone has her own style, color palette and theme. I loved watching them expore different media on top of the gesso and I was thrilled to see the final works. It was so gratifying!

Thanks to my friends and their creativity, we also made a great charm-link bracelet of shrink plastic, an embossed-metal necklace and a polymer clay spoon rest. I loved having stuff to take home at the end of the trip.

A tremendous thank you to Delia for her gracious hospitality and for making the week possible. I had a blast!

Is it art or craft?

2009-06-25T12:25:00.005-04:00

From my earliest days of preschool and summer camp, I remember the term "Arts and Crafts" and think of how I always associated them lumped together like different colors of clay. No differentiation. What shall we do today?

Later, I began collecting my own art supplies at home (thanks, Mom! I'll always cherish those memories of blank pads and 64-color boxes of Crayolas -- with sharpener!) and entered into my lifelong addiction of "making things." But I didn't give much notice to what I should call what I was doing. Was it art? Was it craft? Who knew? Who cared?

In recent years, I'm hearing more and more of people who make things being called "crafters." (As in, "Welcome, crafters, to your favorite mega-craft-supply store!") Are they really crafters, though? And why are so many people hesitant to call themselves "artists"?

I was thinking about the distinction between art and craft, and did an online search for a possible answer. I really like what this guy, Denis Dutton, says. It seems that craft involves more of (1) specific skills, like woodworking, and (2) the making of utilitarian objects, like a table. Art may involve skill, but it is more about expressing oneself and making things that are less utilitarian (like a wood sculpture). That seems pretty cool to me.

It took me a really long time to accept the fact that I can actually call myself an artist. Yes, I took many art classes throughout high school, even majored in art in college for a while. But I write for my paycheck and I've always been shy about marketing my finished works (even though I have worked in marketing & advertising my entire career). So how could I be a writer and an artist? Is it possible?

I think I found the answer in the many art books, magazines and blogs I read. So many people proudly proclaiming themselves artists and boldly expressing themselves (and enjoying themselves!) through art materials. Now that I have finally grown up (at the age of 49), I recognize my own abilities, my own creativity, my own contributions as an artist. And I can stand up and say, "I am an artist, too."

Addicted to Google Reader

2009-06-24T17:20:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my friend Sandy, I learned about Google Reader a couple of months ago. It allows you to get automatic live feeds from your favorite blogs and websites.

I've dedicated my list exclusively to art (of course!), although I could certainly add an array of subjects and even categorize them if I wanted to. But why mess with other ideas when art is all that matters?

Since discovering the mighty Reader, I have accumulated a long, long list of favorites. Blogs by amazing artists -- famous and aspiring-to-be. Blogs of tutorials and templates. Blogs of vintage images. And more. The updates come in all day, all night, as long as the bloggers are... uh... blogging.

I've put some of my links on the right side of this page, so you can check them out for yourself. Enjoy! Inspiration is everywhere!

Captain Creative

2009-06-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

I'm starting off this new blog with photos of a new piece I finished this weekend. I'm calling the little guy "Captain Creative," and he's made of all kinds of stuff I've been collecting. I'm really happy with the way he came out -- and pretty excited that I didn't BUY anything new to make him!

Front view... his head is an old door knob, his hat is part of a tea strainer with a pen nib as a feather... his collar is a found metal part with jacks as studs... his body is wood toy pieces, glued together. I love his arm (an old piece I got at an antique show)... really glad I found a use for that. And his feet are old drawer pulls, found at Mount Dora. The word "IMAGINE" circles the old captain, spelled out in DaVinci-style lettering. And B1? Be one with your self... one with your heart... one with your art.