Hello everyone, I hope all is well and you all had a safe and happy 4th! The wife and I had a really good time just the two of us. We got to Memphis bout 2pm Thursday, checked in the hotel, got changed, I got Mrs. Ed a sweet little # for our anniversary, a strapless thin blue some kind of material dress with lacey sewn accents around it, Oh the wife looks freaking amazing in it. Got it with lace cause our 13th. anniversary called for lace, but not long after we had our anniversary we found out it was only our 12th. Hmmm we both had it wrong so I dont feel so bad, I think I mentioned it earlier. So we grabbed a cab and left for the museum, it was a small Chinese art exhibit from the 18th and 19th century. Neither her or I had been to many art exhibits being as how we are in the sticks here in MS. but we had a really great time, we walked and looked and read about the art and how it was created for a couple hours. There was some of the finest inlay and stone work I had ever seen. Huge wooden chairs carved from a solid piece with the most tiny details, massive carving from big Jade stones that took 30 workers 2 years to produce, thats 60 F'n years yall to get up every morning and do the same old same old day in, day out. Its incredible, I even saw where they had made several carvings from ivory mammoth tusks with scenes depicting wars, children playing, dragons, and tigers.
Check this guy out, from a solid piece of Jade!
Looks like he was having a great time!
One thing I learned is I have a whole lot to learn about inlay and carving, these guys were the shit, they were, the MAN!
After the museum we took a nice long walk down main st. for about a mile to a nice little local restaurant and had a nice dinner. We had the horse drawn carriage pick us up there after our meals to take us for a romantic trip through the city! They dropped us off on Bealle st. where we spent the rest of the evening on the patio at Silky Sullivan's watching the crazy climbing goats that belonged to the bar and watching a cool cover band playing some good music. I am so glad we had this time to ourselves and at just the right time too. The weather was beautiful, and was Mrs. Ed! We even had a great cab driver, a really cool 82 year old guy that was driving a phat caddy with a whole lot of wisdom, he and his wife have been married 54 years. The guy looked like he was in his early 60's and he was laying it down yall, telling us how they had made it this long, he was an inspiration and I only hope to see that many years with my wife! It was only one night but oh what a night, I am so blessed to have a wife that puts up with my shit time after time and still love me! We got back on the 4th and spent some time with our boys and shot fireworks for a while.
Then it was back to work, am putting the finishing touches on the custom orders I have been hanging onto for the last couple weeks so if your on the list I should have sent ya a message or email bout your pieces. Pls get with me if I missed ya and we can finalize the deal. I have made some of my best pieces yet and even screwed up a couple of my best pieces yet! Oh the horror it was! Its a trip, I was down to the last step on a couple of them, was installing the SS taking my time and CRACK, I could hear the piece open up on me. All the way down half the freaking piece, it was a show stopper too. Its not like you can glue it and all is good, you can get away with that on something like a dugout but not on a stem that comes in contact with heated air going into your lungs. Oh I cursed and I cursed, even stomped a couple times pissed off. Then suck it up, throw it in the trash and on to the next piece. I had some explaining to do and boy does that suck. Thats something you guys never see, thats the bone yard or at least what I call it. Its the pile of wood chips in the corner of the floor with several beautiful pieces laying half into or chunks missing, its the place where some of the best of the best go when the shit has hit the fan. I was watching a guy on youtube doing a wood turning demo, he says, "Dont worry about the chisel catching the wood, thats just an opportunity to be creative!" Yeah right! When my chisel catches I am scared to shut off the lathe. When its turning so fast its hard to see whats missing. You turn it off and maybe the best part of the piece is facing you and your thinking maybe it isnt so bad, then you slowly turn it round to reveal the damage and then you realize its destroyed. You gotta remember the pieces I am working arent that big to start with and the smallest piece of tear out can be the worst. I love what I do most of the time but oh I hate it at other times I wanna pull my hair out then cuss, stomp, and holla!
@herbivore21 Just let me know when you are feeling it bro, Ill get ya right!
@Vapour Clown Thanks for your interest in my work, I sent ya an email back, lets talk more about it there and see what I can do for ya.
I wish you all well and pls pls be safe this holiday weekend!
Check this guy out, from a solid piece of Jade!
Looks like he was having a great time!
One thing I learned is I have a whole lot to learn about inlay and carving, these guys were the shit, they were, the MAN!
After the museum we took a nice long walk down main st. for about a mile to a nice little local restaurant and had a nice dinner. We had the horse drawn carriage pick us up there after our meals to take us for a romantic trip through the city! They dropped us off on Bealle st. where we spent the rest of the evening on the patio at Silky Sullivan's watching the crazy climbing goats that belonged to the bar and watching a cool cover band playing some good music. I am so glad we had this time to ourselves and at just the right time too. The weather was beautiful, and was Mrs. Ed! We even had a great cab driver, a really cool 82 year old guy that was driving a phat caddy with a whole lot of wisdom, he and his wife have been married 54 years. The guy looked like he was in his early 60's and he was laying it down yall, telling us how they had made it this long, he was an inspiration and I only hope to see that many years with my wife! It was only one night but oh what a night, I am so blessed to have a wife that puts up with my shit time after time and still love me! We got back on the 4th and spent some time with our boys and shot fireworks for a while.
Then it was back to work, am putting the finishing touches on the custom orders I have been hanging onto for the last couple weeks so if your on the list I should have sent ya a message or email bout your pieces. Pls get with me if I missed ya and we can finalize the deal. I have made some of my best pieces yet and even screwed up a couple of my best pieces yet! Oh the horror it was! Its a trip, I was down to the last step on a couple of them, was installing the SS taking my time and CRACK, I could hear the piece open up on me. All the way down half the freaking piece, it was a show stopper too. Its not like you can glue it and all is good, you can get away with that on something like a dugout but not on a stem that comes in contact with heated air going into your lungs. Oh I cursed and I cursed, even stomped a couple times pissed off. Then suck it up, throw it in the trash and on to the next piece. I had some explaining to do and boy does that suck. Thats something you guys never see, thats the bone yard or at least what I call it. Its the pile of wood chips in the corner of the floor with several beautiful pieces laying half into or chunks missing, its the place where some of the best of the best go when the shit has hit the fan. I was watching a guy on youtube doing a wood turning demo, he says, "Dont worry about the chisel catching the wood, thats just an opportunity to be creative!" Yeah right! When my chisel catches I am scared to shut off the lathe. When its turning so fast its hard to see whats missing. You turn it off and maybe the best part of the piece is facing you and your thinking maybe it isnt so bad, then you slowly turn it round to reveal the damage and then you realize its destroyed. You gotta remember the pieces I am working arent that big to start with and the smallest piece of tear out can be the worst. I love what I do most of the time but oh I hate it at other times I wanna pull my hair out then cuss, stomp, and holla!
@herbivore21 Just let me know when you are feeling it bro, Ill get ya right!
@Vapour Clown Thanks for your interest in my work, I sent ya an email back, lets talk more about it there and see what I can do for ya.
I wish you all well and pls pls be safe this holiday weekend!
