Win this cuff, made from the metal of a 1969 Pontiac GTO!

Okay, so here’s the thing.  I’ve been calling my jewelry line, “Detroit Steel Design,” because it’s made from the steel reclaimed from muscle cars.  Like the cuff shown here.

But now, I’m working with other reclaimed materials too — parts of vintage pieces, reclaimed glass, and well, whatever I find that is shiny and sparkly.  Sooo, I’d like a new name that better describes what I’m doing.  Taking old, making new.  Trash to treasure.  You get the idea, and I know you’re a clever bunch, so this is why I come to you.  For a brainstorming session.

Help me name this line of jewelry — one lucky winner will win this unisex GTO cuff, which I normally sell for $45.

To enter:

1.  Go to my Flickr Page and/or Etsy Page to get inspired.  This will give you an idea what I’m doing.

2. Then go to the Woodworth Art Fan Page on Facebook.

3.  Post your name idea on the Wall.  You can list as many name ideas as you think up — each one will count as an entry.  You may also borrow portions of other people’s ideas.  This is brainstorming, and all’s fair in love, war and jewelry competitions, just be nice to your fellow jewelry lovers.

4.  Remember, all entries must be posted on the Facebook Wall — or it won’t count.

While you’re on the page, become a fan!  (Although, I don’t think you have to be a fan to post!).

I will pick the winning name.  Creativity and humor DO count.  Also, feedback given by others may tip the scales in one direction or the other, so post your thoughts!

The contest will close at midnight on Friday, August 20th.

Thank you for helping, and GOOD LUCK!

Reproduction, 19 x 28"

Ken’s large-scale colored pencil piece, “Reproduction,” is now showing at the Art Museum of Los Gatos along with a collection of pencil works from around the world.

“You won’t believe your eyes, quite literally, at the 18th Annual International Colored Pencil Exhibition!  The Colored Pencil Society of America celebrates the versatility, consistency and extensive color range of the medium.  On view at the Art Museum, July 22 – Aug 20, 2010,” says the Museum’s website, which also includes a slideshow of some of the works in the show.

Each year, the Colored Pencil Society of America sends out an international call to artists to compete for a spot.  This year is the 20th anniversary of this important show.  This year’s juror is Janet Bishop, who is a curator of painting and sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where she is currently at work on The Anniversary Show, a celebration of SFMOMA at 75 (2010).

Please, come see the show — The Art Museum of Los Gatos is right, you won’t believe the amazing works that are possible with colored pencil.

July 22 – Aug 20, 2010

Art Museum of Los Gatos

4 Tait Avenue at W. Main Street

408-354-2646

Wed – Sun, 12PM – 4PM

This glass project started with a remodel project in our home.  We bought a new light fixture from Lowes — one that does not come with the pendent lights.  Lowes has the idea that you will then select the glass part of your lighting from a wall of imported glass.  With all of those options, surely they have something for everyone’s taste, right?  Well, not really.

I’ve been wanting to work on lighting for some time, and this was my opportunity to try some experimenting.  After a few days of research, I found a high-strength clear glue for laminating.  The beauty of this glue is that it is rated for high heat and low temps.  More importantly, it also retains some flexibility.  I consider this glue one of my new trade secrets!

So, the project started.  The first pendent took about 15 hours to complete.  The second was faster, and the third took about 7 hours to complete.  It’s funny  . . . once I spent some time at it, my process gets faster because I come up with all sorts of little tips and tricks.

As much as I love these lights and will love having them in my home, I’m actually more excited about something else.  They represent a turning point with recycled glass for me.  I will continue to melt glass, but laminated glass opens up limitations with glass that cannot be solved in the kiln.  The possibilities are now endless.

"Man Made"

Oil. In the ground naturally it does not not pose any immediate threat to humanity. What great forces placed it there? When man gets involved with oil,  it becomes toxic and potentially lethal.  I firmly believe that for every solution man comes up with he creates another problem for himself or his environment. Providing shade for himself is about the only thing that I can come up with that would not adversely affect him or his environment unless he builds or cuts something down. Can you think of any?

In this painting I am depicting  a story of  a Koi that has passed away after drinking from the fortune telling cup containing oil.  On the outside of the cup it states, “Wouldns’t thy fortune like to see?” I think we know what the result is. There is an empty bird cage on the fortune telling cup. I freed the bird inside of the cage in my composition, but the bird is trapped on the cup inside the cage in real life. The candle that has just extinguished is symbolic of the Kois’ death. The two lit candles represent the two Koi that appear to be headed for the same fate. The antique oil can came from my shop and was my initial inspiration.

I was working out in my Shop one day and was looking at this old antique oil can I have had for decades now. I started thinking why someone would keep such an object. Later on, I started creating this setting in my mind that used wrenches as a bouquet instead of flowers. I was thinking something very industrial looking would do the trick. A few weeks  passed and I was now imagining complete images of my Koi in the composition.  On April 12, 2010 I started a reference photo shoot that would last for four straight days on my dining room table. When the dust settled, I had come up with 359 individual studies of lighting and compositions.  Of those, six compositions were selected to weave a story together.

I laid pencils to paper on April 16th, 2010 and had everything in my composition completely filled in with the preliminary layers of pencils. The glass balls represent what is left of our water resources fit for human consumption. You will notice the ball on the far left coming in seemingly  through the background. The size of this glass ball is significantly smaller than the other two to represent how our water is rapidly dwindling. By comparing the oil can to the glass balls you can see the future is not too bright for us as far as oil is concerned.

This is the first time I had “Killed” a Koi off in one of my paintings. It bothered me a great deal to do so. I left the white portion of the painting to make the rest of the composition “Pop” like you are being enlightened. I wasn’t just being lazy and did not want to fill the white portion in.

On  April 20th, 2010 which was my birthday, I heard the shocking news. I was actually working on the piece when I heard that an oil rig had exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. By April 25th 2010, the spill was being heavily downplayed by officials and the press. This would be the last day to view satellite images of the spill by the public for quite some time.   I added the image of the satellite view to my dead Koi as a marking in black. Then I came up with the idea of placing all of  Americas greatest oil spills on the deceased Koi body in black. The Santa Barbara and the Valdez.  I made the dead Koi very gray and dull looking to help sell the story. I certainly did not see that composition coming at all, but it was a marvelous experience to conceive and follow through with a rather unsettling image. I realize this composition is not for everyone but it does have a strong message to it.

Everything you see in this composition is “ManMade”, Oil can, wrenches, candles, glass,  even the  flames off the candles all “Man Made’.  The Koi who are bread strictly for their colors, the ultimate in mans arrogance are really “Man Made”. The fortune telling cup and saucer and the associated beliefs behind it,  are certainly “ManMade” and live between your ears only.  Even the lighting in the compostion I used a shade to “control” the lighting hence, “ManMade”. The glass balls …”Man Made”. Everything. I was once again able to use my Koi to tell a story. A story that does not portray a bright future for oil. Thanks for reading this and don’t’ be shy about your thoughts or feedback.

Tony Segale, saying a few words during the dedication of his mural.

During WWII, Japan town was essentially lost.  The families were sent to interment camps, their properties lost to unpaid taxes and disrepair.  They came back to nothing.  Tony Segale’s mural seeks to remind Lodians of a once thriving community.  The mural depicts snap shots taken of the Japanese community during a time when it was intact.

Three of the dancers walking slowly down the alley that was once a thriving Japanese community.

During the dedication, dancers walked ever-so-slowly down the alley.  They stopped, set down their cases, and turned their heads to the images depicted in the murals and then upward to the sky.  Next, they slowly straightened their bodies, picked up their cases, and began to move forward.  This pattern tempered cautious movement repeated many times in what was a solemn remembrance.  It felt as if spirits from long ago were coming home from the war, and seeing all the changes Lodi has gone through in 50 years, for the first time.

A Dancer in front of part of the mural.

The Dancers took in the mural as a young woman read aloud the names of the Japanese families that lived in this neighborhood.  Later, Tony Segale told the story of the woman depicted in this portion of the mural.  Apparently, she did not like her photo to be taken, so she scratched out her face.  Tony honored her wishes by painting the image on the mural just as the family had kept it all these years.

A dancer in a bowing movement in front of the mural.

While at the dedication, it struck me how powerful art is and why it is so important to a community.  This mural is not only a remembrance, it is an acknowledgment of a not-so-pleasant truth in American, and Lodian,  history.  It depicts great sadness contrasted with great pride.  Loss contrasted with hope.  War contrasted with peace.

]]> http://woodworthart.com/uncategorized/the-power-of-art/feed 0 http://woodworthart.com/artwork-by-ken-woodworth/crossing-the-line http://woodworthart.com/artwork-by-ken-woodworth/crossing-the-line#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 02:03:49 +0000 Ken http://woodworthart.com/?p=577

"Crossing the Line," 18 x 14," Colored Pencil on Matt Board by Ken Woodworth

This composition depicts two Koi that have crossed “the line”. The physical line is in the cement and is very obvious. There are also other lines that have been crossed that we cannot see, but we know exist. Can you think of any lines that have been crossed?

One is that the Koi appear to be swimming in thin air. Another line is that one appears to be drinking or at least considering drinking the wine. The bottle is pretty low so something is going on. Who opened the bottle itself? Finally, the last line to be crossed is a real time image that is on the label and on the next label and so on smaller and smaller.

In life, we all cross lines. That is how we grow. Remember when your parents would echo these words, “you have crossed the line this time.”

We cross many lines and some are very detrimental to us and others while others are very rewarding. Babies will cross lines like straying too far from a parent. Taking their first steps and so on. Someone may wish to take on a huge project and succeed and have in fact, crossed a line into the unknown to achieve it. Creation is rich and rewarding experience.

At the other end of the pendulum, people will cross lines previously thought unimaginable. From landing on the moon to underwater exploration and first flight just to name a few. Then there are the lines of immoral behavior. Deviant behavior such as drug use, murder, rape and prostitution just to name a scant few.

The ultimate in crossing a line is the participation in committing genocide. Most believe they would never cross this line, yet it has been a continuous global threat for centuries. Usually this particular crime against humanity will go largely unpunished for some unknown reason.

I am more interested in crossing Art lines. I try and create worlds that do not exist and try and convince you that the scene depicted before you is real. I want you to think about the image not just as you are viewing it, but for a long time afterwards. So the next time you are thinking of crossing a line, good or bad, remember this drawing and proceed with care.

Regards, Ken

The Singing Bracelet - Draft

This statement piece was conceived a few weeks ago during a process of experimentation that occurred over several days.  It all started when I made a new friend who specializes in what I would call statement pieces.    There is no doubt that she is an artist when you see her – her jewelry lets you know right away.  I love these types of friends.

My new friend came by my studio to see what I’m up to.  We started pulling out bits of pieces of this and that . . . like magpies we set about collecting sparkly things to add to our creations.  Assembling.  Disassembling.  Assembling.  Disassembling.  Some cool things came out of it.  But my new friend had to leave, so we promised to get back together soon to do it again.

I was left to my studio now.  All kinds of little goodies laid out everywhere.  And I left them out.  For several days.  Assembling.  Disassembling.  Assembling.  Disassembling.  Some good material came of it.  Some laughable pieces came out of  it.  There’s even a piece I wouldn’t claim at a fashion backward festival.  Nevertheless, I set the ugly duckling aside and continued.

Ken and I are  involved in a black tie event coming up (more on that later).  A piece of my glass work will be auctioned off and I’d been thinking of a statement piece to wear.  And I think it was in the middle of the night when the idea struck me to combine my glass strips, gilded, with wire.

Draft Bracelet Showing the flexible shape.

When I woke up, it was all I could do to get through an entire day of work.  I could not wait to get to my studio.  I stopped off for some gilding supplies and I immediately began.  It was like weaving glass.

The Singing Bracelet Laying Flat showing how it's made.

After the glass pieces were melted and cooled, I gilded the backs of each strip with the variegated copper I use in my glass vessels.  I sealed them three times because I was concerned about the wire scratching the surface.  I laid my center piece in the middle – it’s about four inches long.  Then one by one, I wove each piece of glass to the next with wire.

The Singing Bracelet, Showing the Clasp when closed.

And this bracelet surprised me.  First, I can’t believe how comfortable it is to wear.  It’s about four inches wide at it’s longest point, so that was completely unexpected.  But second, this bracelet actually sings.  The small wires on the glass create a very faint chime.  You have to stop and listen for it, but it’s almost like putting your ear to a seashell — if you listen, it’s there.  Like wind chimes on a neighbor’s porch.

This bracelet is a draft.  I will eventually finish this in 24K gold leaf and gold-filled wire.  Also, I will use chain on the clasp.   I can’t wait to wear it — it definately makes a statement.  Until then, my new favorite Etsy search term is “statement jewelry.”

"Reproduction," 20 x 29," by Ken Woodworth

Ken’s piece, “Reproduction,” was selected by curator William Wilson from the Tracy Grand Theater for inclusion into a special show.  The theme of the show was carefully chosen by William.  He explained that each piece was selected for its ability to provoke an emotional response.  William did a great job with the show, but I was particularly impressed with the artist’s talk he put together.

William Wilson from Tracy Grand Theater

Each of the participating artists were invited to a symposium where the top of art was discussed.  In a question and answer format, artists discussed arts place in our society, art collectors, the process of making art, and so much more.  This was probably one of the very best art events I have ever had the pleasure of attending.  So often, we guess at what the artist is getting at.  But at this event, we really got to take a look inside the vision of the artist.

Artists giving talk. Ken is second from the right. Jarod Mays sitting next to Ken.

It was wonderful to listen to Ken from an outsider’s point of view.   It was even funner to listen to the comments from the audience, curious about why Ken uses koi in many of his pieces.

I like my law-firm life, and lately, it’s been spilling over into my art life.  A series of work is emerging from expired law books, and it reminds me why I was attracted to law in the first place.

Law is the summation of our society’s philosophy.  It’s how we have defined right from wrong and the procedures for how things “ought” to be done.  Law addresses our human rights . . . and responsibilities.  Law is steady and sure where art is not.

This piece is called, “Water’s Law.”  The face is my own, cast in glass with bits of dichroic that change in the light.   The glass is mounted on stainless steel stand offs I drilled into a California Water Law book I bought at Urban Ore in Berkeley.  Inside are handwritten quotes from friends, family and famous authors relating to water, our most precious resource.  I’m not sure which is my favorite – the list of childhood water holes my mother recalled for me, the quote from A River Runs Through It, or Ben Franklin’s observation that we won’t truly know the value of water until the well runs dry.

It’s interesting to me to see my two separate lives merge into one.  I used to keep them completely separate.   My law firm friends have learned about my flaky artist side that continually seeks beauty.  My artist friends have learned about my serious side that continually seeks perfection and organization.  As for me, I realize I’m a lucky lady to have both of these aspects in my life.