Summer Project

 I spent my summer on a different art form. The art of crafting built-in bookshelves, radiator covers and Built-in Benches. This is actually what I do to make a living and it is truly an art form. I still prefer more colorful and abstract forms of creativity, but people rarely want that in a bookshelf.

The Bookshelf is like an alter in the home. It is often the place that defines you. It tells visitor, "this is who I am." Besides holding books that interest you or have shaped your life, it holds momentous of travels, pictures of loved ones or art that inspires you.

In the long process of a job this size I often have to remind myself I am making a place for a family to be and be comfortable. As an artist I find it difficult to make box after box, which is what cabinet making is, and not get board. Remembering I am making a home more comfortable for others is often what I use to keep me going.

 jeffkimsey-carroll.com

 

Moment #13

 

 

Line Dance

Shape Shifting

These are fragments of photos mounted on blocks of wood that I then moved around on a black canvas and photograph. The individual shapes you see in these images are parts of photos that have been cut up. I can use the shapes again and again and arrange them any way I want and then rephotograph them. I can then work with them in Photoshop in the computer again to change them even more.

The computer creates the burst behind the shape out of the refection of the flash. This is done by running the image through one of the programs many filters

















 

My inspiration for this work comes from the Dada artist Jean (Hans) Arp, this is one of his works to the left. To see more images of his work follow this link

http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-arp/not-far-from-the-sun-the-moon-and-the-stars



Jeff moving more shapes

What's With Green?




What's With Green?

 

I take time now and then, no I steal it or scrap it together to do something I want to do. You see I see things in my head; shapes, lines, color, forms, figures, etc. and I draw them into my books. When I have a moment or feel the need I try and make some of these things real. Here is one of those shapes. The original drawing was just the shape, the color, painting and drawing was added after the shape was cut out of 1/2" wood. Now these are explorations. That's my way of saying I am not yet sure what the meaning of this work is. I just see it as play. I just keep adding what ever I feel. This peice is about 18 inches tall. Below are two close-ups.



A language I've been drawing for years.
I do not know what it means, but
 I feel what it means.










Creatures from the subconscious

 





 














Jeff making stuff

Building Dinosaurs Our Way

                     Up under the skeleton of plywood

Every now and then I get to do a project that is outside the box. In other words I am not building a cabinet for someone, I'm building a dinosaur skeleton. Working with Mark Orleans, Exhibit Manager of the Garden State Discovery Museum, I am assisting in building a life size Tyrannosaurs Rex skeleton. We are not creating and exact scientific replica just and artistic representation. I find that in this process to much thought about what we are doing tends to slow us down. This is because thought always calls for precision or exactness where as just going with feeling requires leaps of faith. In other words just give it a try, draw the pelvis bone the way it looks, cut it out, hold it up to the rest of the skeleton and if it looks right you got it, if not try it another way. Now you could argue that if we just made a plan and did all the calculating ahead of time we could save ourselve all that trial and error, but that would requier Mark and I to be different people. You see both of us are tactile hands-on types. We do a quick sketch and start to build. It's just the way we are wired. I am not saying any way is better than the other. I am just saying this is how it works for me. So if you need to plan, do it and if you just want to dive in go for it. Just make sure it's your way or you'll drive yourself nuts.
Jeff Jumping in

To see more picturs of our work follow this Link

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.215938435101527.66130.150455301649841&l=aa62dcab13

Here is a link for the museum http://www.discoverymuseum.com/

Update on old post

In my post of June 9th I shared parts of furniture I was building. I said I would share pictures when the furniture was done so here it is. Pop back to the June 9th post if you want to see what I said. Enjoy the pictures. 

Jeff sitting

moment #1

On this blog a "moment" will be somthing to share that I have no words for, alowing the moment to be yours.
Click on the image to get the words out of the way.

 See More http://jlcarrollimages.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=10413607
Jeff

Building a Sacred Place

Yes that's me, I've spent the past week working on a rocket ship on a nursery school playground. Really, it's what I do. I'll post a picture next week when it's done.

I am a very fortunate woodworker. I have had many opportunities to create devices or spaces for play. Building places for children to play is a sacred activity, because you are creating sacred space. Play is a powerful artistic and spiritual activity although we as a culture do not always give it that respect. Most of the time we are throwing around phrases like “stop playing around” or “ we need to stop playing and get to work”. As I learned back in my days as an educator, play is the work of children and if they are denied this developmental activity it can effect development of imagination and physical, mental and emotional strength. Play also helps children to over come fears, and develop confidence. Play is powerful stuff.

Like artists children use play to reflect life. Their play allows them to over and over again play out the situations and emotions that make up their real lives. Now I’m talking of imaginary play not games of competition or chance. In imaginary play children act out the roles of adults in their lives or characters they have read about or seen on TV. They are acting out domestic roles, jobs they see grownups doing, or they might fight against injustice or even monsters of all kinds. It is an activity that has to happen in order for the child to gather the confidence to work with others, share, and self-advocate.

So as I build a space I constantly imagine the movement of children through it. These imaginary children tell me when to sand a contact surface raise or lower work spaces or when to make something totally silly or to keep it simple. I have been fortunate to be present when real children enter a space I had a hand in making and see their minds light up as they see what’s before them. That’s an amazing feeling that you have created something that gives a sense or moment of wonder to someone. It's so cool to be able to make life fun!

Jeff 3 2 1 blast off

Here's a great article on play from Scholastic http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=10175

If you want to see more of the spaces I've built check out the link http://www.jkcwood.com/Exhibits.html