Ok. This is officially ridiculous.
Long nose pliers just made my eyes fill up.
I have no hormones left so that’s not a good explanation.
I am working on the narrative to go along with this series, “Tools of the Trade” but, honestly? It’s secondary right at the moment. I don’t really need to understand it. I just want to do more.
My dream would be if all the folks who have helped and encouraged me in my creative journey would send me one of their favorite tools from their creative or actual tool box.
For example:
Razzbuffnik could send me one of his favorite clamps ( has to be small, though) from down there in Australia. Forget the walrus, He is THE clamp man.
I am hoping to convince Tipota (who lives about a hour from me) to make the drive up to my house for my onion soup gratinee (the only recipe my guests have said passed the four star test) with her father’s tool box that she now uses.
And, if BonnieLuria would send some brushes, please? The more used the better and paint splotched and frayed, or any that have a special meaning.
Don Diddiams, how about an old stylus that you are not using anymore? Or, if you have a favorite small tool you’d like to relinquish for a bit, send it along?
Epicurienne, how about your oldest and favorite kitchen tool? Or a favorite written recipe from a family member? Use it’s temporary loan as a reason to go out to eat!
Renee, take a look around, what would you chose as a tool of your creativity?
Planetross, I’m afraid of what you would send me–but, having said that, whatever you choose as emblematic of your creative wordplay would be handled tenderly! But, it has to be small, like scanner small! No huge buddha doll or space alien living in your refrigerator!
I’ll return everything very fast since the scan of the material is the only step creating these images that takes hardly any time. Then, I’ll work on the images as the snow and temperatures continue to fall around me, warmed by the gratitude I feel toward all of you who have helped stoke my creative fires for almost two years.
It shall guide my keystrokes, blending modes, layer masks and I’ll send you the final print one day in the future–one day in spring 2010–(at least in my hemisphere), on the second anniversary of this blog.
I think I’ve finally found a way to personalize my gratitude to all of you!
Yea, tools!
Long and pug nosed.
Seriously.
I am not the walrus, either, but as my late brother used to say of me–I am a piece of work.
©Pat Coakley 2010
PHOTOGRAPHY CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION
**Select images from this blog and from my wider archive can be purchased at www.patcoakley.com
Tools of the Trade, The Series:
omg-i have some too- ‘needle-nose’ my dad called them. i use them to bend the wires on these decorative ornament thingies that i make. perfect for enclosing a little bead in a loop at the top. hmmm i should probably show those via blog. shaped like sand dollars,
but i get off track. the thing is, the box is with my brother, the tools are with me. and seriously i do use them. not all of them but certainly the hammer(s) and pliers and the zips-itself-back tape measure with dads initials sharpied on the leather ‘coat’ it wears. i dont think tape measures wear coats anymore do they? you know, home depot is like a museum (of art and science) we should do a field trip when i come up for your gracious gratinee!
Oh, goodie! It sounds like you’ll come up with tools if not the box! I think that tape measure with “coat” sounds very intriguing! Don’t forget to bring that! We’ll decide on a time, OK? I’m excited!
and i forgot to tell you the photo is perfect in every way i can think of or imagine. perfectly poised in exactly the right sort of ‘vogue’. they look like a tapdancer just before he swings into motion. it could be bojangles or the sandman (see http://dance.lovetoknow.com/Famous_Tap_Dancers)
truly, art.
oops something went wrong with that link, i dont know why, so sorry. it was a brief listing/bio of famous tap dancers and started with fred astaire and then bill ‘bojangles’ robinson etc etc. sorry to get so off track but i relate it back to the way these pliers seem to ‘dance’
Okay Pat – you’re on! I’ll take some pics tonight. I love it when you give me a kitchen photography project!
PS I was at Piccadilly Circus on Saturday – terrible weather – tried to take pictures to show you the modern scene so will send those to you shortly. I warn you, though, thanks to snow and grey and one pair of frozen hands they’re not very good.
Epic, can’t wait to see the Piccadilly circus photos!! Such a great treat to see it now! But, my creative task is to scan in your kitchen tool myself…which means you’d have to send it to me actually! I have a special way of scanning these things so a simple scan on London or a photo won’t do. I know….it’s a pain. But, in lieu of sending it, maybe you can tell me which kitchen tool you use the most, love the most…and I can work from one I have here or can get. The end result (in my mind at least) won’t be as personalized, though, because it won’t show the use by your hands in the image. I know. I am a cornball. But, I think these things show!
I can’t explain why, after growing up in NYC and having access to every major department store from Bergdorf Goodman down to then, Gimbels, I would find myself at my most intrigued by hardware stores.
Old hardware stores, where the wooden drawers allowed you to by 3 screws instead of a bubble pack of 100.
I still have the hammer and pliers ( made in Japan, by the way and not CHINA ) that belonged to my father too.
Holding the old wooden handle worn down in the place where his hand was, makes a connection for me.
How you make a series out of the otherwise overlooked, is one of your many talents Pat.
As I type, I’m looking over at my canisters of brushes to find you just the right one ( s ). Coming at you.
The way you’ve featured these tools, honors them as artifacts.
Bonnie, The Art of the Overlooked! I just added that descriptive phrase to my marketing tool box which lord knows I am always in need of adding to! Leave it to you. I am totally excited about doing this project. Jim Dine’s exhibit had several with household paintbrushes. That’s when I knew paintbrushes can be soulful. Fingers crossed I’ll capture some of that in this project.
You have done a beautiful job with these exceptionally attractive needle-nose pliers. (I never thought I’d hear myself say that!)
I have very few old tools or other similar items because most were either lost or discarded when our boat was lost to the hurricane, or have been destroyed since by the ravages of the Caribbean salt atmosphere. However, this series has such potential that I dug deep into the storage locker to find a tool of sorts that is emblematic and hopefully scan-ogenic. Amazingly, I found what I was seeking and will ship it off to you if you tell me where. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy it on my desk once again!
Losing a boat in a hurricane? Now, this does not sound good. But, sending me something from your storage locker sounds very very good! I’ll look forward to opening that package, I can assure you! Today, I’m going to scan a mango! Might be a big ol’ flop, I dunno.
I only have a little screwdriver set to offer. It’s not much but it’s definitely handy. I’m not much of tool … owner.
Godbless philips, robertson, allen, and those other saints.
Uh-oh, this sounds a bit pitiful, PR…”I only have a little screwdriver set….” Think more about your “creative” tool set rather than an actual Philips one. Then, what would you pick out?
How cool :) I hope you get all of your tools! Can’t wait to see the results!
Amber, I am really looking forward to getting these packages!!