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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 25, 2020 13:26:12 GMT -8
Had another creative day (sort of). Another couple of chapters. But something a little different, too. I made a custom built easel. I bought an old fashioned mangle base made of cast iron with a solid wooden tilting top for £20. Because rollers were missing, I didn't realise what it was at first. Folk will have to look up what a mangle was used for. My version, minus rollers and working parts, could date back as far as 1850, according to my research. I just about remember my gran having a more modern version of a mangle attached to her washing machine. I re-purposed my large wooden easel so now I have a something purpose built. Much more stable than the wonky wooden thing. And no, I'll not be dragging it to the uni on the bus. here is a similar Tamwil mangle on ebay. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184005759419 Heavy duty, it looks like! I do most of my painting on this tiny, aluminum portable job a buddy got me for my birthday I believe. Although I have a nicer, heavier, Bob Ross signature model, I still use that tiny thing. The Bob Ross is heavy duty, with a shelf which I set to my left side and use for my paints and brushes and cleaner (I bought the Ross cleaner bucket which fits the opening in the shelf). I use the easel part to set any reference images I might have.
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Post by garyweston on Feb 26, 2020 0:00:24 GMT -8
I've not seen one of those before but looking it up, I see they cost between £180 - £240. It just tickles me that parts of my easel could be up to 170 years old. Having a nice blip in book sales this month, so I had better get busy writing.
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Post by djmills on Feb 26, 2020 9:29:09 GMT -8
Mighty Zon have done it again!!! This time Zon.com put a price on Drifta's Quest when it's free on Zon.UK. Boy, they do make things tough for folk. Don't they want me to sell books? I am so glad I quit Amazon when they tried to force me to give them my phone number before I could manage my account. I guess they are trying to make some money to cover the "download costs" on your free ebooks. :-)
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Post by djmills on Feb 26, 2020 9:39:06 GMT -8
I use a wooden easel for my oil and watercolour paintings, but converted an old metal carpet display stand into a drafting/architect table for all other artwork by bolting on a flat board. The tilt is permanent, can't adjust, but large and just the right height if I stand, or sit on a bar stool. :-)
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 27, 2020 6:39:38 GMT -8
ChrisLAdams I am looking forward to see your finished painting. Getting closer, DJ. I got the mammoth skull worked in last night. Going to add some more bony parts lying around in the snow. Then some scrubby grass and sticks, and call finis.
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 27, 2020 6:43:11 GMT -8
I've not seen one of those before but looking it up, I see they cost between £180 - £240. It just tickles me that parts of my easel could be up to 170 years old. Having a nice blip in book sales this month, so I had better get busy writing. I bought it on sale from Jerry's Artarama, free shipping, for $145 (£112).
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 27, 2020 6:46:35 GMT -8
Hi and happy new decade (maybe. some insist it doesn't start until next year.) Almost home from walking old staffy Sally this morning, (chat with a neighbour walking by. I had given them a paperback version of my first book and asked how she got on with it. 'Loved it. A sad ending, but a lovely book.' Made my day and of course pushes me to start the two writing projects for this year. An email from Chris had us both contemplating on combining painting with our writing for covers of new books. Chris is an accomplished artist with a unique style. I have painted a couple of my covers but for my next couple of books I'm more likely to use the uni's tec departments to sort out new covers so that could be fun. So that and some major painting projects to do, (not including painting my kitchen in that) and I'm a busy boy. Are YOU inspired and eager to create? Sharpen up your quills and go for it! ... I just wrote an author highlight for Richard Dee (who is on your side of the pond). He promotes Indie authors. I had commented on author pen/pal Gilbert M. Stack's author highlight, and Richard kindly responded to my posts, and then offered to highlight me. I'll post a link when it goes live (02/27/20). Anyone who is Indie would made to feel welcome by Richard, I feel. Richard posted my Indie Showcase article today. So exciting! It's fabulous that he does this for us Indie authors (he's one of us). I enjoyed writing an abbreviated story of how I came to write &etc. I suggest any and all to contact Richard--he'll be glad to host your story. Here's mine: richarddeescifi.co.uk/the-indie-showcase-presents-chris-adams
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 27, 2020 6:52:03 GMT -8
I love to encourage artists / writers of real ability so pleased to endorse yours. When it comes to new opportunities and challenges, I'm reminded of the old adage, don't regret what you've done, only what you haven't done. Opportunities come from the most unexpected directions. Often no way to know if they are good bad or indifferent until we jump on board. "If only..." is the saddest lament. Embrace it, Chris. I'm trying to encourage a buddy I work with to get back into sketching and painting. He's a heckuva artist with a degree in Graphics Arts. He can paint, and is a professional in Photoshop. He's just kind of lost his way right now. I can't recall if I mentioned it or not, but the guy who asked me to paint that Black Lotus painting phoned me a couple weeks ago. He's opening his game design business (D&D style card games, not digital), and wants me to be his go-to artist. Quite an amazing opportunity. He wants to keep a few pieces on hand, with two hanging for sale all the time, and offer prints. I'll be doing the art for his cards, etc, if this works out. I'm trying to get my buddy to join me. It'd get him back into it, and also take some stress off of me!
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 27, 2020 7:05:12 GMT -8
I use a wooden easel for my oil and watercolour paintings, but converted an old metal carpet display stand into a drafting/architect table for all other artwork by bolting on a flat board. The tilt is permanent, can't adjust, but large and just the right height if I stand, or sit on a bar stool. :-) Love to see some of your works there, DJ!
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Post by djmills on Feb 28, 2020 20:40:04 GMT -8
Chris, just look at my ebook covers. :-)
Years ago most of my oil paintings sold and I never took photos. I have kept a few hanging in my house, like Lady with Pearl Earring and Man in Red Turban. Copies of famous paintings.
I do have one oil painting back from my Mum (last year) because the pink on the flamingos has faded into the pink sunset. She wants me to redo the pink, and make it brighter. I haven't bothered to even think about that as yet.
I used to do single cartoon gags, but they didn't sell very well, so I stopped doing that. Haven't bothered sending any more to local papers. And one 32 page comic book that never went anywhere. This was before Indie Publishing.
I also did book illustrations, which led me to learning to write the picture book stories, which led to me writing novels and short stories, and I stopped painting, because I was getting sales of the stories.
So, now I just draw and scan into Photoshop and create the book covers that way.
I do have one 22" x 17" watercolour still in the wooden stretcher frame in a cupboard somewhere. I was looking for a frame, because I am out of framing lengths to make my own. Haven't found a suitable frame, with or without glass yet. And too busy to bother taking a day off to visit lots of second hand shops. :-)
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Post by garyweston on Feb 29, 2020 0:45:35 GMT -8
Interesting about tilting easels. I found this on youtube. My Easel will have a five degree angle. One advantage of going to uni are the facilities. An excellent metal and wood working dept. Expert staff can make the stretchers (wooden frames) to any size at material cost. Then from the small but well stocked art shop we can buy canvas off the roll. Still mastering the noble art of stapling the canvas to the stretcher. I managed four on Thursday. I have also painted covers for a few of my books. Explain THAT to a Martian is my favourite. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J62Z1NE/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p4_i11
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Post by garyweston on Feb 29, 2020 8:54:25 GMT -8
After much sorting out of my tiny back room studio, I have the new old easel moved to its new place and with some DIY I have re-purposed an adjustable lamp by screwing it high up on a wall and adjusted it to shine at the recommended angle as in the video. Really works well. I've been dubious about angling back my old wooden easel thinking walls don't lean back like that. I love learning new and better ways for anything.
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Post by Ted on Mar 2, 2020 19:03:59 GMT -8
Mangle? It looks like the wringer we had for use after washing something, to wring out the water. I got me left arm caught between the rollers when I was about 4 and it rolled me right up to my left shoulder. Still have the scar today. Freaked my mom to come downstairs and see her little boy passed out and the machine rolling and rolling on my left shoulder.
Curiosity.
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chelsfield
SWF Writers
Posts: 700
Joined: Mar 28, 2012 3:07:24 GMT -8
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Post by chelsfield on Mar 2, 2020 22:49:05 GMT -8
I think 'mangle' might be British for 'wringer'? Although most mangle-wringers I have seen here in the UK were cranked by hand...
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Post by garyweston on Mar 3, 2020 7:04:26 GMT -8
Certainly here in the Black Country of England it would be a mangle. Thankfully a thing of the past. Ouch, Ted. We do learn the hard way sometimes
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