Here are my in progress shots, in order—-

I took apart this old crate and used the wood for my box….

My box with lid……

The hinge that enables the stage to swing upwards….

After drawing out how this piece was going to operate, I had exposed linkages on either side of the stage that I thought were very distracting (ugly). I had an idea to make them decorative, to make them look like they belong there. They work to pull the stage up when you lift the lid.

The stage showing the 2 post that act as connector rods.

The stage connected to the lid with the linkages…

Cutting the linkages…

Linkages cut out and ready for finishing…

Finished linkages. My idea was to make them look sort of like ropes.

The figure’s legs and shoes. The figure needs to be well-built because when the lid is closed she rest at a 22 degrees angle.

That is where I’m at today. I will post more pics later.

His wrench rests on his shoulder. I took a while to figure out the angles to make this happen.

His back, showing the hand stitching.

His carved wooden hands. I carved the hands separately and added them to the arms using glue and a bit of brass rod.

His body pre-paint and pre-assembly. The wheel is an antique pulley, I added a “tire” made from an old electrical cord. His head, sculpted from polymer clay, was painted when I painted the previous figure’s head.

The box I used for the base was found at a flea market in Maryland, or was it Delaware?

\”Runaway Train\”

Each box is a snapshot from a lyrical tale with the action stopped mid-story. I allow the rest to be determined by the viewer who adds his or her own interpretation as to how the story  continues, and what the piece ultimately means. I always enjoy hearing other peoples’ viewpoints when it comes to my work. This adds another interesting level of interaction between the  viewers and myself.

The inside of each box is decoupaged with vintage paper and select found objects are incorporated to help direct the story.

Pieces can either hang on the wall or sit on a table or bookshelf.

“Sometime, Somewhere”

8 x 10 1/2 x 4 1/2

$475

Maybe because I was starting with a box, but the idea of how things reveal themselves, was the original concept for this piece. I soon began to think about how hopes and dreams are revealed and the notion of not knowing the future until it arrives. I think the title, “Sometime, Somewhere”, captures that feeling perfectly.

The title was found in an old songbook from the turn of the century. This beautiful handmade box was found by my brother at a flea market. It’s an old cobblers box and each compartment was filled with hundreds of small nails and tacks. The lid, which has become detached, was once held on by 2 leather straps and will probably show up in a future piece. I’ve also collected all the old nails, tacks and accoutrements to be used throughout my subsequent work.

“The Recovered Key”

9 1/2 x 10 3/4 x 4 3/4

$475

Whenever I’m walking in my neighborhood I’m always looking for (and picking up) discarded odds and ends. Sometimes it’s no more exciting than an old rusty washer shed by a passing truck, but sometimes you get lucky. I once found a great vintage key in the street; I polished it up and put it on my keychain. To this day I wonder what lock that key may open and who may have lost it. This piece is about that feeling you get when you have found some long lost item.

A great old box with finger-jointed corners houses this piece. The figure’s dress is actually a portion of an old doll’s dress I found at an antique store. Usually I make all the clothes from scratch, but this one was just what I was looking for and guided the color scheme perfectly.

“In the Woods, but not Alone”

7 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 2 1/4

$425

Even though I currently live in the city, I cherish any time I can get out into nature. I grew up across the street from a large expanse of woods and feel I spend most of my childhood there among the many birds and towering trees.  I find the woods refreshing, centering and calming. I never then, and still to this day, felt totally alone in the woods.

This piece is decoupaged with paper from a publication of John Milton’s work in Latin. Collected on the banks of the Ohio River, the branches help provide the setting. The woodpeckers are from a humble collection of wooden birds I bought a couple of years ago at a flea market.