Retail Fixtures

One of the projects I'm currently working on is a set of retail fixtures for a pop-up/gift shop. For the first time I will be attempting to use a computer controlled, 3-axis router to assist in the fabrication. Learning new software and creating the control files has been a challenge, but in the end it will end up saving both time and resources. Above is the model for the smallest piece, which serves as a building block for the larger fixtures. Six of these will be created in total. Below you can see the finished frames, along with some other renders.

Whitetail and Elk

Threw these together yesterday to fill up some empty wall space.

Travel Backgammon

Crisloid recently manufactured a small run of the travel backgammon set I designed for them. The set is a smaller interpretation of their popular attache' set, and features a thicker cut checker for increased playability. Look for different colorways in the future. Pick one up here - Crisloid Travel Backgammon

The Tornado - Finished

Here's some gratuitous shots of the finished sculpture. In addition to this piece I also assisted with the finish work on the barn. Under the direction of Jim Irish, the entire structure was rebuilt bigger and better than it had ever been.

The party was amazing with almost the entire town turning out. Both the sculpture and the film were very well recieved. There was a ridiculous amount of delicious food with pulled pork and ice cream being made on site, a live bluegrass band and even a red carpet. This article from the State Journal-Register includes a great description of the event and includes some history of the Pine Lodge Farm and the town of Elkhart.

Special thanks to Phil and Ruth Austin for such an amazing opportunity and congratulations to Tara Austin for writing and directing such an outstanding film.

My favorite part about Illinois; everyone is completely obsessed with Abraham Lincoln.

The Tornado - part 3

Once the skeleton was complete, the original plan was to use scrap wood and other debris left by the tornado to cover the piece. However, once I arrived in Illinois, I discovered that most of the wood had been recycled and used to construct the new barn. Anything left over was put in a large pile and burned a few days before I showed up. I was forced to come up with another solution quickly, as the event was only 2 days away.

I found a large roll of burlap fabric and quickly began cutting it into long strips. Each piece was around 15 to 20 feet in length and about 4 to 6 inches wide. With no little to no plan, I worked through the night wrapping the strips haphazardly around the piece.

Working at night provided relief from the hot summer sun, but made it difficult to see exactly what I was doing. As I added more and more fabric, it was hard to visualize what the final outcome would be. Nevertheless I continued stretching and stapling until I had upholstered the entire piece.

The next morning I was finally able to see the results, and was quite pleased. I added a few more strips for balance and called the piece finished. I toyed with the idea of adding more material to the outside. Possibly some scraps of wood or metal, maybe a few branches, but I ultimately decided that they would just detract from the piece. I liked the sharp angles and shape of the spiral enveloped by the natural burlap, which blended with its surroundings in both color and texture. When viewed from different angles, light shining through the layers of burlap created even more interesting shapes and depth. Years from now, as the piece ages, the burlap will weather and wear until all that is left is the skeleton once again.

The Tornado - part 2

The hardest part of this build was the location. Elkhart, Illinois is about 1300 miles from my studio and there was no way I could transport the finished piece that far. With just a few days on site and only a portion of my tools, it couldn't be constructed there in its entirety. The solution was to build the internal skeleton of the sculpture in my shop, break it down, pack it in my hatchback and drive it out with me. The final blueprint above shows the 11 octagons which would be pre-built along with their mounting blocks.

After 2 days of driving I arrived in Illinois and began assembly. The 12 foot, 4x4 post that would provide the backbone for the sculpture was already on site. After measuring and marking, I affixed the first few mounting blocks and octagons. Once the post was upright, I could mount the rest.

The next step was to cement a 4x4 aluminum tube into the ground. One stipulation of the piece was that it had to be removable for storage during the harsh winter. The wooden posts fits into the tube and is secured with a large bolt. When the sculpture needs to be moved, the bolt is simply removed and the piece can be lifted out for storage.

Once the cement dried, the post was installed and the rest of the octagons were mounted. This was actually the first time the skeleton was completely built. Although I had done mock-ups in my shop, I was unable to fully test everything beforehand due to height and time restrictions. Fortunately, it came together without a problem, and was better than I had hoped.