Deer are like a salad eating machine with amazing radar and four powerful legs. The every move of this creature was one I interpreted as hope and caution. Each step towards the house taken carefully. Each step bring it closer to the possibility of food. At some point it gleaned a better angle and the outside reflection betrayed my position. The deer saw me and decided that after scanning me for a few seconds that this was too close for comfort and hit the gas. Gone in a brown flash with a white tail bouncing away. Pretty cool. Not like that happens to me every day.

And now it snows. We’re in the middle of winter and the snow is warm and heavy. I know that sounds weird but it is warm for a winter’s day today. The snow fell all night and there was close to a foot of fresh on the ground, yet as the day wore on the temperature switched from slightly negative to slightly positive. That means the snow melts ever so slightly. It’s gets heavy and compacts and weighs down on my panels. Over the course of time this should work in my favor as the added weight will mean more snow is making contact with the steel. As usual, time will tell. Can’t ever be in a rush when rusting steel with snow and if anything, this is teaching me patience like nothing ever has.

Also, Shelly from the ultra popular Oso Negro contacted me late last year. We got to chatting and as it turns out I’m showing there for the month of February. Karen and I just got in from hanging everything and it looks pretty good. Special thanks to Aric for his help with knotting fishing line. (You’ll see what I mean).

Stop in and check it out if you’re in the neighborhood.

Cheers.

Gold Dew by Roland E. Derksen

Sometimes you come across the just the person you need to.  Let me back track a little.  Like most of us, I can take a reasonable photograph.   I can get even luckier by rattling off hundreds of photos to increase my odds of getting a real gem.  The challenging part for me though is taking proper, square, studio photos of my work. For starters, the reflective nature of metal s makes it highly challenging to light and photograph.  Secondly, there is a certain quality about the rust that makes it either very flat or burn like fire depending on the lighting conditions. Enter Roland.

Roland is a local photographer that is a part of The Factory in Nelson.  He popped up on my radar just when I needed a proper photographer and in getting to know him, I’ve learned about some of the finer points of shooting rusty steel.  Under some tight deadlines Roland has helped me take some great shots, you can see the first batch of these photos in the “Dreams of the Country” collection in my gallery .   Cheers Roland.

From a technical point of view, this Spring has been exceptional. I’ve made some breakthroughs and you can see some of these pieces in the May and June sections of my gallery .

Lighting steel and rust for photography can be challenging, so I frequently move my pieces indoors and out to try and find suitable conditions for taking photos. So far my backyard has proven to be the most favorable studio. The other day while moving my steel and canvas around, I found a little green squatter. A tiny frog so small he could sit in tablespoon and have room to spare. I thought about picking him up for a photo in the palm of my hand but I did want to mess with his Chi. Pretty frikkin’ cute.

Tiny green frog hangin’ out amongst my steel and canvas.

Secondly, I’ve got a solo show taking place for the annual Nelson Art Walk at the Hazeldean Gallery. I was honored that gallery owners Naomi and Prue chose me out of many possible artists. I look forward to putting on a show with a series of works featuring rural and rustic themes along my continuing fascination with horses.

The Hazeldean Gallery is located at 105-402 Baker Street. They will be on display and for sale from July the 1st. Swing by, say gudday and check out my works.

Lastly, I’ve been selected by curator Michael Grahame to participate in a group show at the new (as yet unnamed) basement gallery underneath Nelson’s world famous Craft Connection. This will be in August sometime and I’ll post confirmed dates as they become available.

Cheers.

It’s been a wet and cloudy spring for the most part. Last year’s fallen leaves from a Japanese Maple along with the springs from some cedar trees provide me with the inspiration and materials for a exploring a couple of new techniques.

I’m smitten with rust, we all know that, but … a new technique for me is letting the panel rust, then working it back so that only the shadow of the rust remains.

Doing this allows the rust to stain the steel with a silhouette which remains when the rust is removed. You can see the effect of this technique in a piece I’ve called Winds of Spring. The other two works feature sprigs of cedar which were corroded into, and in some cases, around the steel. Check ‘em out in the new gallery I’ve been working on.

Escaping the snow for a day down in the valley.

Man, it’s almost May and It’s still freakin’ snowing. I love the stuff but honestly, I’m done for the year. Many a long-time local assures me this is an exceptionally long winter and it’ll all be over soon.

Today I decide to rug up and head lower in the valley where it’s a little warmer and the snow doesn’t get a chance to stick. One of my favorite spots to walk is along the train tracks. I notice that the wooden beams used to lay the track on are treated with what seems to be some kind of stinky oil. I guess it protects the wood from the relentless beating the trains and Nature gives it.

Oddly, I find that oily, industrial smell somewhat reassuring when walking through the wilderness. I mean, I’m still green enough to get a little spooked now and then when out hiking on my own.

Taking macro photos of textures is hobby of mine. Close-up photography yields an often overlooked world of detail that I love. On my hike today, I came across this old rail track that had been tossed aside. Like some kind of old, barnacled ship hull it had been beautifully weathered and aged.

Old man rail track.

This piece of track must of been a good 15 feet long and the rust along it’s length was all different kinds of colors. It’s surface was mottled with rusts of very dark brown through to bright yellow and I sat wondering what exactly was it that made steel oxidize in these different colors. Was it different temperatures? Perhaps slightly different amounts of iron present in different areas of the the steel?

Hmm. In the end, I couldn’t come up with anything beyond more questions. I took out my trusty little Digital Elph, got a couple photos and moved on to soak in the imminent arrival of Spring.

Snow melting on steel panels in the Winter of 2008.

The snow is slowly melting away for another year. As much as I love to see the snow arrive, it’s exciting to see it go as well. Over two feet ended up accumulating on these panels, and as it melts I get an insight into the kinds of images which been transferred and left behind. There is a layer of organic matter compressed between the snow and the steel. This organic matter ends up corroding an abstract imprint of itself onto the steel as rust.

The water keeps the leaves nice and soggy and flat to the steel.

It’s a hit-and-miss method of creating art and since starting exploring the technique a few years back, I’ve ended up with three pieces out of twenty or so attempts. One of my biggest challenges is dealing with the wind, which blows my subject matter off the panels before they have a chance to imprint anything worthy onto the steel.

The sides get interesting textures and colors on them too.

I love working with the snow. Boarding on is the best fun you can have with your clothes on and I actually enjoy shoveling the stuff. For real, it’s a good work out.
And of course, Karen and I love ruggin’ up and walking around in the stuff.

Getting ready for a good winter stroll.

Some artists use paints and brushes on canvas. Others use chisels on stone. What turns my crank is weather and in particular snow and rain. Now, my understanding of snow is quite basic. I’ve been taught and told:

• That each snowflake is unique - no two are every the same.
• Eskimos have over a hundred words for snow
• Don’t eat the yellow stuff

I’m not certain about the first two but I’m almost a hundred percent on that last one. Arg, hold up, I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let me back up a bit.

It all started a couple of weeks ago. Karen and I were riding the chairlift at a local ski hill. It was an overcast day and little snow was falling. As we were chatting I looked over at her and on the lens of her goggles, a snowflake had landed perfectly flat and intact. What I saw was simply beautiful. The detail and shape of this thing had me marveling until we got home that night.

So with snowflake fever I do what most people do these days when they want to learn more about something. I boogie over to Google and see what I can turn up.

What I discovered along the way was a website by Kenneth G. Libbrecht, dedicated to the humble snow flake which featured some killer photography. The images are featured in three different photo galleries and the site contains along with tons of other neat information. From the highly geeky “how to make your own” to snow activities with kids. Awesome site and I highly recommend checkin’ it out.

Snowflake photos from the very cool SnowCrystals.com.

“How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated! I should hardly admire more if real stars fell and lodged on my coat.”

- Henry David Thoreau, 1856

Still, I needed to stock up on some fuel for our wood stove in order to keep warm in the coming months. My most excellent neighbors were more than happy to help. They showed me the ways of my new Stihl chainsaw, how to pick the right “standing dead wood” tree and to how to fall and buck the wood into appropriate lengths.

Most importantly (because getting firewood is heavy work) to make sure to select a tree uphill from the road in order to throw or roll the wood down to the awaiting truck … opposed to carrying it all up to the truck.

All priceless knowledge for a firewood noob like me.

I had a blast getting out there and learning all this stuff. So guys, thanks for your wisdom and help, I’ll be thinking of you when the snow comes and I’m keeping nice and cozy inside.

A truck full of warmth … loaded up and ready to go home.

Head full of safety gear.