Saturday, 25 January 2014

the behemoth

I have lived downtown for about 3 weeks now. This was a move that was a big deal. I was starting over in a new place, a place I would live in by myself primarily, living half with my kids here. It is a beautiful place, very close to my studio, to the places I craved to eat at more than any over the past year. Making this place a home has been super important. And I find that when things are important, I often lean on Peter Cales. To make this place a home, everything has to fit perfectly, which often means making just the thing I need.

First, it was dealing with my kids' rooms, which were a little small. Solution? Build loft beds with desks and bookcases underneath to make cozy and functional spaces that are all for them.

Now, it is building a behemoth of a dining table. I am a glutton. I love to eat. I love to entertain. I love me a dinner party. It has been at least a year and a half since I've really had one. I can't wait to. Peter salvaged a bowling alley lane last Summer. In the past couple weeks, he and I (lets be real, mostly he) have been cutting, sanding and designing a simple, elegant table made of the beautiful maple and Pine flooring. 2 inches thick and 7 feet long. Secured with plate steel.

I'm rounding up some friends to help move that. Its heavy. There are stairs.

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Hells Angels Block Party

For the past couple months I have been working on the latest installment of "all that ever was, Always is", a collaboration I am doing with Habitat for Humanity. I have been collecting stories from people in the neighborhood, people I saw while taking doors and wood out of the houses at 1468 and 1470 Emmet in North Omaha. As I have about 60 windows to compose and paint, I was thrilled to get some good ideas out of people who were interested in what I was up to--namely a neighborhood block party hosted by a local chapter of the hells angels.