There and Back...again.

I have so much to tell, that I think it's going to take a few posts to get through it. That's ok. Where to begin? How about inside the magic?

Along with several helpers, Janis (Dan's wife) kept all of us more than well fed and full of energy.  In the middle of making the new house a home and all of the life events that surround us all, she made "home cooking" really mean it.   We dined inside the new house several times and each one was a treat in more ways than one.  She serves an awesome item they call "pink stuff" and they can add another fan.  Dan simply wouldn't be Dan without Janis.  She deserves a great deal of credit...Thank you Janis!

During what felt like a blink of an eye, I welded, added wire mesh, learned to properly (and improperly) mix concrete mud, added mud to the mesh, carved the concrete...sculpted a dragon, visited many of Dan's completed projects, attached more wire mesh, made new friends and got lost in Chilliwack at least twice. 

During the course of the workshop, we worked on our own magic sculpt projects. I decided on a Chinese dragon.

I wanted a little "life" in him, so I gave him a curve in his neck with some steel pencil rod.  The rough shape was built up with aluminum foil and then rough coated with magic sculpt.  There were many amazing pieces made by my fellow classmates, and I'll share them in a future post.

We began our concrete work by attaching mesh to boards, then adding concrete.  The trick is to allow the concrete to dry a few hours and then carve. Dan showed us some techniques for carving brick, rock and several kinds of wood. These are my first samples:

The next project included welding...We first added rings and connecting pieces of 1/4" steel pencil rod to the rough tree shape Dan had welded.

Next, the shape was covered in a wire mesh.  Eventually, my fingers will recover...actually it got much easier with more practice.  After a visit to one of Dan's projects, we returned to carve.  I had the pleasure to work with an Australian named Phil who helped me with the welding.  He's a patient and skilled and very kind man.  Phil, I promise to keep the weld gun close to the work, and in the gas!
The carving was a blast.

Between bits and pieces I kept working on my dragon:

When the workshop ended, I stayed on a couple days to practice and generally plant the new ideas and skills firmly in my head.  I had a chance to wire and help with part of a huge project Dan is working on for a Giggle Ridge expansion:

I had a chance to work with a future blockbuster film maker named TJ (in the red) and Dan's new employee Marty.  Dan's team is strong, hard working and skilled at making it look easy. I'll introduce more of them later.

I've often wondered how Dan did so much work and still managed photos of it all...I may have discovered the secret.  This is Hailey...when she's  not taking selfies, she's keeping everything on track and working hard:

Eventually, the dragon got some paint:

Next time I'll introduce more of Dan's team, many of my fellow classmates and new friends and show you some personal pictures of Dan's projects. Stay Tuned for more!

It's been a busy month... I finished signs for local friends:

I also began moving into the new shop location and doing some painting:

Before:

And some new paint and other items...a place to meet clients:

There's a great deal more to move once I get home..but I'll be on a return trip to Yarrow, British Columbia very soon.  About 3 years ago, I took a leap.  It happened after seeing a website and some work from a man named Dan Sawatzky.  I impulsively signed up for his workshop because it felt like I needed to do it.  I followed my gut.  I attended a workshop there and it literally changed my life. Dan suggested it would the day I called and he was absolutely correct.  The trip out there was by car and included my family and our pop-up camper.  The trip itself was special and we still talk about it.  The destination, in this case, took it up a notch.  I started a new path and have enjoyed each step on the new road.  I remember during a late night of dreaming and talking, he said, "You'll eventually have a larger shop and bigger equipment...just remember that the most important item in it will still be what you DO with it."  It's been fast moving and I've had the very good fortune to meet many wonderful people and clients.  Dan has continued to play a role with advice, some friendly pushing and a growing friendship. 

I'm attending a sculpture workshop at Imagination Corporation. http://imaginationcorporation.squarespace.com/

During my visit I'll meet some new friends, cram as much new knowledge as I can into my head, do some hands-on learning, refresh some older ideas and hang out with the second place winner of the Mechanical Fish Competition.  I'll be able to get some close-up views of projects from the last couple of years and maybe a look or two at new things in the works.  While all of that is fantastic, it's really about making an ongoing investment in myself.  Some people think of a vacation as a thing you do where you plan to take it easy and take a little rest.  For me, it'll be getting my hands and  clothes dirty and finding new ways to bring new ideas to life.  I already have an expectation and it's several days of awesome.  Every new trip is an adventure waiting to happen, and new friends are always the icing on the cake.

100 Miles an Hour

What a great month!
I've been lucky enough to spend some time outdoors, which is always fantastic.
I was in Marshall, Illinois to help my friend Scott Lindley complete a mural, which
will be the first of many in 2016 (The Walldogs).

While we were there, we had a chance to Meet Bud of Bud's BBQ.  Bud runs a tight ship, and worked hard, but the payoff was some of the most delicious rib-tips and ribs I've ever had.  They were so good, my friend Mike Meyer sat him down on his lap to ask him what he wanted for Christmas.

 We were visited by several newspapers and a couple television crews to discuss the mural.  One crew climbed up on the lift to interview Scott:

The real fun was painting!  It's simply a joy to put a brush and some paint against a wall...

One fellow suggested that the truck couldn't be a ford. When I asked why, he explained that it appeared to have someone driving it...and everybody should know that's either fantasy or it's a chevy.  In fact, it is supposed to be a 49' chevy. I don't know if Sanford or his son are anywhere nearby.

In the coming days, much will be going on. I have 2 sign projects to complete before I head to B.C. to visit Dan and family at the Imagination Corporation, and some work and prep to do on the new shop before then as well! It's good to be busy, and there's so much to learn!

How about a little blacklight?

I definitely have some work to do experimenting with black light color- but I think the real challenge is working out how to take photos that do the color justice.  The greens/oranges/reds look more bright and vivid in person than in photos...I'm sure I'm the one who needs to work out how to capture it.

211 Williams

For the last couple of years, I've helped a local cabinetmaker from time to time.  He was in the business for decades, making custom cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms.
He trained in Austria in his early years and returned to the United States to begin his career turning wood into something special.  He married an Austrian bride and together they've raised several daughters and built a business out of his craftsmanship, dedication to detail and high standards.  I offered to lend a hand after some health issues began to slow him down and interfere with his work.  It was a great experience.  It got me out of my own shop from time to time (too much alone time can be counter-productive) and I learned a great deal about the importance of details.  There is an old saying that you need to measure twice and cut once.  Mike taught me that calculating is just as important as measuring.  Measurements provide the canvas, calculations help tell the story.  While I try to avoid the use of sandpaper in my own work whenever possible, it's a staple of cabinetry and it requires as much skill as learning to use a router.  The people around here know that a Mike Colgan kitchen is special.  I discovered that part of what's always made them special is Mike himself.

From the first time I entered his shop, I liked the building.  I believe we infuse not only our work with some of who we are, but our surroundings pick it up as well.  I found out that Mike helped design and layout the building himself.  I don't normally think about how I would use a space when I enter, but in this case I did.  I thought, "I can imagine meeting with clients in this room...with a table and some chairs".  As I discovered each space I thought about how my work could fit into it.  It would be so easy to convert this shop into a very special sign shop!  And so, for a couple years, I came by to help move the heavy things and sand cabinets and apply veneer to shelving, and apply stain and finishes and sweep sawdust.   Much time was spent around the center bench turning plywood into beautiful cabinets and telling stories.

Other times, we hauled items in and out of the paint booth...knowing that the final coats of clear finish meant we were nearing the end of production on another set of cabinets.

 I also learned about Mike.  He grew up in our farming community and earned his first paychecks as a kid helping a local farmer.  As an adult he spent many years helping save homes and lives as a volunteer firefighter in our community.  High on a shelf, custom bows tell a story about his interest in archery from earlier years. He's traveled, and enjoyed the scenery and people, but loves home the best.  He is not afraid to take 5 steps backward to ensure that what he's done is right.  He cares about being efficient, but never at the cost of quality and accuracy.  He's built many items for his daughters, and the shop has many signs of the adventures he's participated in with his grandchildren...in the form of buildings, castles and inventions made from wooden blocks. Crayon pictures have been taped to shelving from the first day I came in.  Mike enjoys history and a good joke.  He likes polka, but he's never forced me to listen to it.  I've learned a great deal from him, and consider it an honor to call him a friend.

Mike says he is retiring..but I don't believe it.  I think he's accepted a promotion to full time grandparent, traveler, and tinkerer.  In a few short days, I'll be taking over the shop on paper, and in a  couple of weeks Haffner's Fantastic Creations will have a new home beyond the garage where I'm writing this.  I won't be making kitchen or bathroom cabinets, but I'll be continuing a tradition in providing the best custom pieces I can offer.  As you might imagine, the front of the building will soon look different.  I'll be bringing my own brand of creativity, invention and style to the building to help reflect what's going on inside.

Call it coincidence, karma, destiny, divine plan or just plain luck....but I live at 211 W. Williams in Wyoming, Illinois.  The new shop is at 211 E. Williams in Wyoming, Illinois.  So as long as you send anything to 211 Williams, It's a fair bet I'll get it.  Either way, I'll be right at home.