Feel The Pulse!

I am delighted to be one of the featured artists today over at Seth Apter's blog, "The Altered Page". Currently he is running a series about techniques and tools artists can't live without.

Please take a moment to drop by and see what cool things are there, plus meet up with other artists you may have never had the chance to enjoy before.
Oh, and there is one other reason too...... (hangs head in shame)
I can't remember for sure what I wrote. 
I have a pretty good idea, but it's been a while and I've slept since then! ;-)
Thanks Seth for connecting more and more artists across the vista of blogland!


Pax....

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend! (no, not THAT kind!!!!)

Now that's more like it. 
THOSE are the type of *diamonds* I am talking about! The type you can WORK WITH. heeheehee!
I am a tool girl. I just love them, and recently made a quick trip into a local supply store, only to come out with a small, heavy bag and a lighter wallet. That seems to be the way things work. But, in my defense, it was full of things I had been waiting for a long while to buy.

I still am in search of the perfect pair of very tapered pinch nose pliers since I broke one of the sides off my good pair, but I did acquire some delightfully useful tools.  ;-) 
Not to be confused with people we call a *tool* for various reasons that have nothing to do with usefulness.....
A nice set of steel stamps, nippers, some electrical fuses strictly for altering into who knows what (glass tubes with metal--how can you resist???), cutting discs for the Dremel, along with ALL...THOSE...BITS...   *swoon*
And then the prize of the day, the baby pliers. Yes, a couple of pair of adult pliers had some quality time alone in the factory at night and thus was brought forth:

These little darlings! In three different tips shapes too....
I am always needing something small to retrieve things, and large pliers occasionally just can't do the job. I think my heart skipped a beat when I found these.
And the timing on all this was perfect as MDM put up the link to sing up for Art Lab #2 about two days later, so I am fully equipped! Well, except fot the leather tool apron, and that is still on my want list.
They didn't have any in black with shiny studs....just the boring split cowhide.
But I can dream.
An artist has to look good as they are deconstructing and reconstructing *things*.
Maybe just goggles and some opera length black leather gloves with heavy metal snaps.  ;-D
(it takes little to amuse me.....)
Ahem....sorry for the short digression. At any rate, I am ready to try out everything and start some serious destruction around El Milagro.
Hopefully nothing structural. I need my studio.




Pax....

My New Toy.......

Okay, I admit right up front, this looks more like a *guy thing* than something I would be posting on a blog that only occasionally, of late, has some art involved! BUT! Bear with me gentle readers, there is a good story that follows.
Years ago, as I disposed of items from my parents house after they passed, I had taken some of the massive amount of my father's tools but when we moved to our present location, I had to pare down to the barest of yard implements (motorized and *Anne powered*) and basically electric hand tools. I had gotten rid of his bench grinder and have spent 16 years regretting it, both for practical and emotional reasons. At home, I used it a lot, ripped my hands up on it frequently and listened to him fuss that I shouldn't be near it (the lathe too) but then he would brag to his friends when he thought I was out of ear shot about how I could use all the stuff.
And guys....a woman is NEVER out of ear shot....... ;-)
So for the last 16 years, I have had to sharpen all the yard implements by hand with a file, and the hardest was Dad's scythe, simply because the blade is so long and curved--it is a very old one. Yes, I still cut high weeds with it. If you know what you're doing you can pick one out and not touch the others around it. Plus it is meditative work, and it makes you appreciate the way farm work was done before machinery. AND---it's a good work out.
But I digress. Yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the minister's family Moving Sale, mainly because books were listed and we both own far too many. I turned the corner of the drive and there it stood, not quite gleaming in the early morning sun. Three leg support, so no bench required, good condition, a good stone and good wire brush. I was in love..........sigh........ But I walked past and pilfered the books, yet it was still calling my name. My friend said, after I had stood and dithered far too long, these simple words; "If you don't buy that, you're going to regret it." So I hunted Steve down and we stood there doing the guy-thing of discussing the merits of the machine; could I put a new plug on it, how about a ground, etc, etc. So off the price tag went and I paid for my purchases. As he was carrying it to the car for me, he said he was glad it was getting a good home, as it had belonged to his father. Karma, yes? My father's replaced with that of a friend's father's.
I brought it home, scrubbed it down, hit all the main parts with Liquid Wrench, polished it up a bit and then the moment of truth; turned it on. It purred! And I grabbed the scythe and put an edge on it---a REAL edge that would cut a thread. I went and cut thistles and ragweed and it sliced through all like it was cutting warm butter. Ooooooooo............wonderful!
So in the Fall, when it is not so humid, I'm going to get some paint for metal and repaint the legs, then mount the feet on a good heavy wood block, and maybe add some locking casters. Yeeeeeaaaaaah!
I am in "Tool Heaven"!
I just hope the guys allow a girl in there.
Now go be creative and don't hurt yourself.....!!!