When I drop my children off at daycare or school I experience a minor amount of anxiety. I don’t like to admit it, but I do—and we have excellent childcare.
I can get worried when I can’t get in touch with my wife when she is out with the kids, because my head will go to the worst possible nightmare scenario given even a brief period of uncertainty as to the whereabouts of my family.
I CANNOT even begin to fathom the crippling horror and fear that must overcome a parent that has had their child taken away from them with no sense of where they are and when they will be reunited.
I am not “sad.” I am enraged.
Sadness is what one feels after an accident or a natural disaster. Those are tragedies. What has happened to families at the boarder is an ATROCITY—not a tragedy. It was done on purpose to be punitive and inflict the greatest possible damage. There was no plan for reunification. Even if there was—it cannot be undone.
There is no “fixing” this. Even IF the U.S. Government meets the goal of 100% reunification by the “deadline” (just hours away), this trauma will be permanently etched upon these children and parents as though it were carved in stone. That is a metaphor, but not hyperbole. Look at the research.
While this event cannot be undone, those responsible for it can. This was done by a specific group. That group was given power through an election. And through an election that power can be taken away.
Silence, inaction or a vote in support of those who would cause this to occur is tacit support of the worst behavior of and against humanity. A choice to abstain from voting is the same, perhaps worse.
No political party that would support this should remain in power. I will not layout voter statistics here, but in short, voter apathy allowed this to happen. We cannot undo the atrocity that has occurred, but we can prevent it from happening again.
As with a lot of specialized trades, just knowing where to get the right tools if half the battle– the other half is finding a lending company to take out the loan required to purchase trade specific equipment.
I should say that, as a professional user of chisels, I am spoiled. I only use carbide tipped chisels. In my opinion, straight-steel chisel for anything other than alabaster and talc are a waste of time. I want to spend more time carving and less time sharpening. Anyone that has ever been an apprentice has spent plenty of time sharpening chisels… so I’m over it. I have always been happy to spend the money on a chisel that will hold it’s edge for a decent period of time–particularly with marble and limestone, with granite — all bets are off; break out the bench grinder.
However, if one finds themselves in need of lots of such tools for educational programs with no budget, as I recently have, then this issue of expensive tools can be a real problem– especially if you want “good” tools.
For doing workshops on letter carving, which requires a small but very precise edge, I wanted to have a set of chisels for the entire class that would stay sharp. This would cause less frustration for beginners, who are given to frustration with processes that do not include a touch-screen… So I needed to do some hunting.
The main thing was to find chisels that had “carbide” tips. I have played with the process of making my own chisels from scratch, but I’m not a blacksmith and I don’t have the proper set up for that kind of metal work. So I needed something that already had carbides at a price that wouldn’t make me seize. Obviously, I went online, but even the cheapest carbide chisels for hand hammers (meaning without turned shanks for use with air hammers) were pretty expensive both individually and in packs.
Eventually, I found an affordable price on “Superior Tile Cutter” carbide-tipped-chisels on Grainger’s site, with has a location near my shop. So I ordered a couple and picked them up few days later. Turns out they were just what I was looking for– with a few idiosyncrasies. But, having gotten the chisels in their original manufacturer’s pacaging was key. Turns out that they are made by the Kraft Tool Company in the good old U-S-of-A, specifically–Kansas. Kraft (like the dinner, but not) has a website where I found the same chisels being sold for a few bucks less each!
The kind of chisels I wanted for the relatively small letters I’d be focusing on were the 6″ Carbide Chisel w/1/4″ Wide Tip, Product #: ST030, currently priced at $7.90 a piece. This is at least 3 times less than a chisel of a similar size from a carving specific store or [shudders] an “Art Store…”
To Kraft Tools great credit, their customer service is awesome and when I called them and explained why I needed to buy in bulk, because I was doing a workshop with a non-profit, public school in Baltimore, (and provided all of the relevant documentation, of course) they worked with me to get an even better deal. Thanks, Kraft Tool!
The rub– these chisels do require a bit of “after-market” modification to be made ideal for stone carving. They are intended for tile work, so for reasons that I don’t fully understand the carbide tip is inserted into the steel shank at an angle, instead of directly in the middle, as with a stone carving chisel. This is odd, but, since only the very edge of the carving blade is used when carving, this really doesn’t matter as long as the proper angle away from the edge of the blade can be achieved. So this means a fair bit of time with the bench grinder and a bluestone wheel (I’m still using the set that came with the bench grinder, so nothing special there).
So, as long as you are wiling to put in a little elbow grease, tapering the tips of the relatively blunt “tile” chisels– then you an make a real nice point that can be honed with a diamond block. Remember to douse your chisel in cool water periodically when grinding to prevent over heating! Also, for comfort, you could lightly ease the lengthwise corners along the 1/4″ shank. (the larger sizes, 3/8″ & 1/2″ chisels are made from hex-stock) This relatively small amount of work yields a very passable, novice-grade chisel at a student grade-price.
Modifications — I will probably be buying a lot more of the chisels soon, since I do a lot of making my own chisels profiles too, I rarely buy a chisel that is anything other than flat bladed. I make the rounds and cut the teeth myself as needed. This allows me control over the final shape of the blade and thus the texture. I have to say, when trying to make the proper profile for a texture I am working on, I would be a lot more comfortable experimenting with a chisel that chisel cost less than ten dollars that one that cost 40… Also, if you wants to make these chisels work for a pneumatic hammer, the
1/4″ stock can be milled down by just grinding off the corners of the lower 2 inches of the chisel.
For a pneumatic air hammer to accept the shank of a chisel it doesn’t need to be perfectly round. It just needs be small enough in width & depth to be inscribed within the inner radius of the opening of the hammer. For instance, a ground down 1/4″ Kraft Tool chisel fits the Trow& Holden Bantam Air Hammer. If I had a lathe this would be very easy– but I don’t… so I have to eyeball it on the bench grinder. Grinding the corners evenly, giving it radial symmetry, doesn’t need to be done perfectly, but it improves stability and makes the chisel easier to control while carving. So again, if you are willing to put in the time, you can make a pile of carbide tipped, pneumatic compatible chisels for dozens rather than hundreds of dollars.
1/4 in. carbide-tipped tile chisel
ground carbide-tipped tile chisel
1/4 in. chisel for use with pneumatic air hammer
Part 2: Mallets
Homemade Mallets
So, for the last few years I’ve done several stone carving workshops and demonstrations. This led me to think a lot about the tools I used and their accessibility—or lack thereof. The truth is that carving tools cost—a lot.
This is one of the things that make interactive demonstrations cool, because people can use the tools and materials, briefly, and get a taste for the craft. No commitment, no cost. However, when contemplating a class, the issue of tools and materials looms large. Anything purchase from an “art store” or any craft-specific source tends to be pricey, stone tools are no exception. They are particularly expensive not only because they do need to be made of quality materials so that they last—also the relative short list of stone-specific-tool-makers keeps the prices high.
So when I decided to do a periodic workshop with a local public school in my neighborhood, cost was one of the first issues. I wanted to be able to provide the students with tools that were as close to professional grade—with no budget. Since all cost would be on Sebastianwork.com, I had to get creative.
One of the most unique and important tools is the mallet/hammer. The only kind of hammers that people are going to find cheap and easy at a hardware store are the standard framing or claw hammers—not good for carving. I use both flat and round hammers to carve with depending on the size of the details and the type of stone.
Many dual directional masons hammers from stone specific suppliers, though beautiful, top $50 bucks. Many carvers favor round mallets, like the kind I use for wood carving. Cost is anywhere from $15 to $50 + shipping.
Technically one could just use a piece of wood, but wood gets chewed up pretty fast when striking a harder material. The wood needs metal jacketing. But most of the mallets sold are actually on the heavy side for small carving anyway, especially for beginners, especially if you are focusing on small lettering.
The most important factor is not really weight but velocity and efficiency, a two small but strong pieces of metal striking one another produces A LOT of force. This is why I like a wood AND metal mallet rather than just wood.
Here’s how I made enough mallets for a class of 15 for under $30. It wasn’t super efficient at the first attempt, but it was realtively quick and easy. And while they are not fancy, but I quite like them and have been using them myself for a while now. It doesn’t hurt that the shopping list is two items long (I shopped at Lowes).
What to Get:
3 oak dowels (36″long x 1″ diameter) — about $5 each
1 galvanized pipe (24″ x 1″ inner diameter) – about $12
How to assemble:
Cut wooden dowels to 7.25″ lengths.
Cut threaded ends off of pipe. This leaves approx. 22″ Cut remainder to approx 1.375″ lengths.
Place the pipe around the end of the cut dowel.
Drive in screws or nails to expand end of wood agains the interior of the pipe. You can add adhesive (resin or glue), both to in interior of the pipe and around seams/cracks after driving the nails to lock everything in.
Let set over night.
Sand off any splinters/burrs or excess glue. Wax or oil the whole thing to seal & prevent oxidization.
Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours . . .
Done.
Makes 15 mallets. Total cost: $27. Cost per: approx $1.80
Modifications — if you want more power — you could use larger size dowel and pipe and turn the dowel for ergonomic grip. Or make handle longer for better swing/velocity. Or add and additional jacket of 1.25″ pipe on top of the 1″ pipe for more weight. But the 6.75″ x 1″ mallets should be fine for soft stone and detailed work and after several months of some serious abuse, they have held up extremely well.
“Unseen” began as a reflection on the amount of artwork that is produced but never seen.
How many people actually “see” artwork? Most people that “see” artwork actually haven’t. They have seen pixels. Fewer people have actually seen my artwork in person than have experienced it in the form of curated photos posted via the internet on screens no bigger than their fists.
Going further—how much of my “work” have people really seen? Do they see each hour spend spilling specks of marble on the shop floor? Do they see the chisels sharpened or unique files made? Do they see the years of training that allowed me to attempt each piece in the first place?
Further—apply that to all products. We see the result, but not the process. How much labor went into the design and fabrication of even just the protective cases that surround our cell phones? Do we think about the loom that wove our clothing? or its operator?
Unseen, marble, 28 x 15 x 4 in.
The texture of the cloth in Unseen is based on my examination of the simplest of fabrics—flour sack dish clothes (my wife and I use a collection in our kitchen, hand stitched and embroidered by her grandmother, from actual flour sacks).
The sculpture has the peaks and valleys of the fine warp and weft threads.
However, only with focused, directional light they are revealed. This is true of nearly anything in life—it can been seen clearly if one views it in the proper light.
Often, the most exciting pieces I make happen when collectors say: “What do you really want to do next?”
This can be intimidating since you are being put on the spot and there is pressure to have an idea immediately.
Luckily for me, my work takes so long that I will literally never catch up with the running and ever changing list of potential artworks in my head.
Also, one of my favorite things about visual art is that it speaks without words, however sometimes you do need to be able to articulate an idea before actually making it. In this case I was very fortunate that they were interested in seeing my vision. Thanks, T & L.
A dynamic new presentation of 80+ objects celebrating craft as a discipline and approach to living differently in the modern world has just opened at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Selected from the museum’s permanent collection the exhibition features iconic favorites alongside new acquisitions.
Beyond, Alaska Airlines Magazine
July 1, 2016 By Lora Shinn
Sebastian Martorana straddles the line between art and craft, utility and beauty. At age 21 he apprenticed with a company outside of in Washington, D.C., as an undergraduate student, under the lead of Tim Johnston. In addition to learning to carve, he polished stone, made granite counter tops, benches and bathtub surrounds. “It was the wax-on, wax-off school of learning,” he says, indicating that he honed his craft through work . . .
So this is my first appearance in a Russian publication, Seasons Magazine — but not the first time I’ve shared article space with Alasdair Thomson.
The article is Titled “Pygmalion,” and I understand that it is featuring the work of three contemporary stone sculptors in the context of the current design trend toward marble. Sadly, I can’t read it, of course, but the pictures sure are pretty — thanks to Geoff Graham & Alain Hain.
It comes from the same place as a series of pieces I began years ago. Yours, Mine & Ours, was my attempt to visually describe the unique personalities that make up my family. My wife is the smooth, folded bath towel to my rumpled heap of terry cloth. Another piece, Shed, focused on the business casual work attire donned by my wife on a daily basis.
This recent piece goes much farther in being honest about a fairly large aspect of our lives: work. The smooth, satin, carefully folded material on the slacks-specific clothes hanger are in stark contrast to my rough and rumpled work pants which, when not in use, are usually found slung on a hook in a locker with the work belt still in the belt loops. This pretty well describes our unique work situations.
The fact that my wife’s stable career has allowed me to develop in a much less structured way as an independent artist is pretty much constantly on my mind. While I have been extremely fortunate, having received a degree of critical acclaim and financial success that I never would have expected, none of these achievements have represented anything that approaching riches. I grew up in a household where my father was the primary “bread winner” and my mother took care of most everything else.[nggallery id=73]
We Both Wear Pants, marble, 43 x 36 x 4 in.
I must admit that I feel shame and a sense of personal failure that I have not even come close to reaching the point where I could say to my wife: “Hey, I’ve got this. You don’t need to work to support this family.” She wouldn’t want to stop working if she could; she loves what she does, however, I would like to be able to give her that option. At present, I cannot do that. While we might earn approximately the same number of dollars per year– hers come on a consistent basis and with health insurance and other benefits that my sporadic, commission-based, freelance, sub-contractor income completely lacks.
Like the stone itself, relationships can be hard, and require a lot of work. They are both enduring and fragile at the same time. And they are worth the effort. Individuals are often dissimilar, though they work.
We Both Wear Pants, marble, 43 x 36 x 4 in.
Jokes and comments are often made regarding who wears the pants in a given relationship. Many people have a this idea that being a stone carver is a very “macho” endeavor, but from my perspective, not really. First off, there are fair few extremely successful female stone sculptors out there. Secondly, there isn’t anything much more traditionally masculine than being able to fully financially support one’s own family . . . So, I can’t really agree with the stereotype. I’m not being overly modest. I love the tradition and physicality of the work I do, and I think that I can make some neat stuff. I am a handy and all. However, if one was going to ask who wears the pants in our family– well, it certainly wouldn’t be me alone.
In our case, I’d say that I have received far more of the benefit from our work together than she. Her stability, organization, reliability, and care have allowed me to have a much more chaotic, irresponsible and unstable career path than the average person. I’m the dirty laundry. I’m very thankful to have been able to hang my rumpled, coarseness next to her smooth, silkiness for many years now, and hopefully for many more.
Anthony Bourdain is in Houston for a brief series of events called The Balvenie Rare Craft Collection. About 800 lucky Houstonians were able to score a spot to hear Bourdain speak and taste some of The Balvenie’s whiskys. It’s not his first time in Houston, nor will it be his last. The author and former chef will be returning soon to film an episode of his CNN series Parts Unknown. Bourdain warns that it’s likely that the episode won’t please everyone. “Every time I do something in Houston, people say, ‘That’s not my Houston.’ Well, that’s not what we do. We don’t do Top 10 lists”
Besides a relatively newfound appreciation of the more nuanced aspects of whisky, what attracted Bourdain to the events is the theme of showcasing detailed, time-consuming craftsmanship. It’s not just about The Balvenie’s work, but that of craftspeople who produce other products with a great deal of care. These people have preserved the old way of making things without concessions for efficiency or mass production. Bourdain selected each person who is showcased as part of the Rare Craft Collection.
About the selection process, he said, “I was presented with files and materials to choose from and look at. I met a lot of people. Of many — all of whom were deserving — some were chosen. I think you can see my personal prejudices, enthusiasms, passions, likes and dislikes are reflected in who is in this collection. I like people who work with their hands. I like people who work with iron and metal. I have a passion for bookmakers and the printed word. I consider myself a patriot, so I like to see a watchmaker who makes watches in America and not Switzerland. All of these people deserve to be celebrated.” . . .
. . . Of course, the whisky wasn’t the only extraordinary thing on display. The artisans had booths at the event with their own tools and examples of their work. Sebastian Martorana of Baltimore makes sculptures and architectural features, like carved lettering, of marble reclaimed from demolished buildings. His artistic works have a dose of humor about them, like the Super Mario statue that was on display at The Balvenie Rare Craft Collection event.
News of Anthony Bourdain’s partnership with The Balvenie Single Malt Whisky surprised diehard fans. Although Bourdain (author of Kitchen Confidential, star of CNN’s “Parts Unknown”and food media hero) has departed from his too-cool, hell-bent, anti-commercial persona in recent years, he had never endorsed a product.
Yet nestled into a former warehouse in New York City’s Midtown-West neighborhood on Monday, Bourdain debuted The Balvenie 2015 Rare Craft Collection, his curated traveling exhibition (open until October 8 at Hudson Mercantile, 500 W. 36th Street) featuring original pieces and work stations from some of America’s finest craftspeople. The event promoted “Raw Craft,” The Balvenie’s online video series where Bourdain travels America to meet artisans. Once a rebellious whistleblower leading a veritable coup on mainstream food media, Bourdain toured the exquisite crafts displays, glad-handed with media and posed beside visitors for dozens of photos, wearing a noticeably pained but professional smile. . . .
Sebastian Martorana, sculptor, Maryland: From a passion born while studying the artistic masterpieces of Florence, Italy, Sebastian Martorana approaches his stonework as interplay between the persons, environs, and material objects shaping our lives, working from his studio at the Hilgartner Natural Stone Company, America’s oldest operational stone company. The series Sebastian brings to the Collection centers on a number of his own work gloves, and revolves around a recurring discussion regarding the relationship between art and craft, namely, the degree to which the “Hand of the Artist” is or is not present in the finished piece of work.
