Computer Aided Design

This is a simple drawing of a shelf bracket that I designed.  Not long ago I would have drawn this out on a sheet of paper taped down to my drafting table.  It really takes about the same time to draw this by hand as it does by computer, but the big advantage comes when I have to make changes to the drawing or format it to a file that is used in CNC machine tool operations.
There is a price to be paid for the ability to draw using cad software, that is the time it takes to learn how to use the program.  It has nothing to do with the program itself, but rather my ability at my age to adapt and learn new processes. I am four months into teaching myself computer drafting using the program Draft Sight by Dessault Systems.  I have been having a great time learning this program.  I recommend it to anyone interested in cad design. www.3ds.com (the program is free)

Steel CNC cut outs

These are some examples of the designs Inge and I use in our work.

This is a screen shot of what a drawing looks like on the computer. The black background makes it easier to see small details.
It is a drawing of a corner post detail for a cabinet I am building.  It allows me to build with great accuracy, and less guess work.

This is the finished post, the plans made it possible to quickly layout the part and set up the proper tools to get the job done.

Everything Has Purpose!

Bear Paw Bowl

          A big challenge in woodworking is getting the most use from a piece of wood.   Almost without exception I would say that about 15% of every board winds up on the floor.  In an attempt to limit my losses, I have found yet another use for waste; a bear paw bowl!
         Some of my early attempts at repurposing scrap wood were, carving fish out of cutoffs from boat planks and making end tables from the leftover wood from cabinet jobs.

Fish made from boat planks

End table made from cabinet scrap 




The Bear Paw Bowl is made from a cutout left over from the holes in the table
where the steel inserts are.

New Mirror and Frame Designs

New Owl Design

We will be displaying our work at
The Discovery World Holiday Artisan Market in Milwaukee, Wi.  this weekend.  Inge & I look forward to seeing you at the Discovery World Market!  We also have our art for sale at the "Lovely Days Gallery" in Paoli, "The Princess Potosa Gallery" in Potosi Wi. and "The Cottage Gallery" at the Rotary Gardens in Janesville, Wi.

Discovery World Milwaukee

Silver Owl on Cherry and Walnut mirror

Copper Dragonfly Mirror 

8" x 10" Deep purple vertical frame, with Copper beaded Owl.

Along with Inge's Accents.

Lovely beaded Swirls

Playful beaded Frog.

                    The Bear Paw table is meant to express a desire   

                      for freedom and the wilderness.

In my mind, there is no other animal that I have witnessed, move through the forest with such an air of dominion.  Everything in the forest is there for them or rather that's the way they make it look.

          A well used bear trail is an interesting thing to come across.  Bears might be unique in the way that they will walk directly in the footprints of another bear that has proceeded them on the trail.  It would be interesting to know the reason for this.  

Bear paw prints have a symbolic importance to me, when I find their tracks on the ground in front of me, I know that I have left the safety net of modern civilization and that's where I like to be.

          The bear paw table is the recreation of a scene.  A scene where you are walking along the sandy banks of a river, miles and miles away from civilization.  You look down to discover a very large set of bear prints deeply set into the wet sand at the edge of the water.  The rest of the scenario I will leave up to you. 

          Light from above shines through the bear paw cutouts and leave a light pattern on the floor.  This is a representation of the bears spirit (a symbol of strength) that walks among us.

          The table is made up from two different kinds of wood.   Cherry is used to represent the sand, scrub plane marks are left in the wood to give the sand an appearance that has been washed by waves.  Ash wood is used to represent the water. It is a very grainy wood, the grain helps mimic the ripple wavy pattern of water. It is dyed  with blues and greens to represent the water color of a mountain stream. The table is finished with a water based linear urethane for ultimate durability.

Part 2, Dragonfly End Table - on display

        Dragonflies amidst a spectrum of color!
                                        Symbolism of a dragonfly;

             Change in the Perspective of Self-Realization

          Dragonflies in nature exhibit iridescence both on its wings as well as its body.   Iridescence in an object shows different colors depending on how light reflects off of it.

The Curly Maple wood on the table top has the similar iridescent qualities of the dragonfly.  The pattern of the wood can go from flat to wavy depending on the angle you view it from.  The Chartreuse to Teal sunburst finish accentuates those qualities.

The magical characteristics of iridescence has the ability to represent an unmasking of one’s real self and removes the doubt that a person casts on their sense of identity.  

The images of the dragonfly within the framework of the table show the freedom of movement the dragonfly has in nature.  Dragonflies have the rare ability to fly in six different directions.  The Coppervein powder coat finish on the framework of the table also has that magical iridescence that catch the eye.

The goals at Robert Shaw Design are to create Furniture and Accents that are original and have a connection with its owner.  Furniture that make it possible for a person to express how they see the world.

Building a Dragonfly End Table

Layout Table

How we build furniture here at the shop has always been shrouded in mystery, and people have been speculating we have been dabbling in alchemy.  I want to set the record straight, Inge and I love creating new works and are always pitching new ideas to each other.  The Dragonfly end table is one we had been thinking about since we finished the Butterfly table almost a year ago.
Inge is the designer of all the metal cut outs, they are cut out for us by Custom Metal Specialists inc..
She incorporates swirls into the designs to represent, the evolution of the universe and the desire to achieve balance in the inner consciousness and the outer self.  Swirls are incorporated in the Dragonfly on the tail and on the wings.

       We are committed to creating items for homes that have a  
                              connection with its owner.

Welding the table frame

As with wood, the more accurately you cut your material the easier it is to make it square.  Having a nice flat surface to work on and lots of clamps also make the job a lot easier.

Adding the Dragonflies

Clamps, clamps and more clamps!  There are few things as frustrating as welding up a series of parts only to find that something had shifted before you finished.  Grinding is not the fun part of welding.

Half way there

As this picture shows, we have it almost finished - still have to add some more dragonflies and swirls.
After that I go through and grind the welds and prep it to go off to the Powder Coating Shop.

                                    TO BE CONTINUED
I will work on the Curly Maple wood top and assemble the top & frame together for a finished piece!

Sept. 17-18 th, 2011 Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival

Our 2nd day at The Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival, has been a great weekend.
It is always amazing at the people you run into - old friends & the connections
that we find we have with people, through people and places we know.
The new booth design/layout has worked out well, it display many frames and mirrors.
Inge's new designs have been an eye catcher and the wine racks have attracted all
the wine drinkers.
Lots of good comments!

Believe

   

What word or image do you use to get you through the tough times?  Something that wakes you up and tells you that things can't possibly be as bad as all that.  A trigger that immediately stops the downward spiral of negative thoughts. 


> Believe that opportunity is always in front of you. 
Whats behind you are experiences both good and bad,        
that  you can use as tools to help you make better use of 
all the situations you will face in the future.


> Believe that opportunity is malleable and 
multi-dimensional, like a new universe to explore.


> Believe in yourself and the power inside you to take advantage of the opportunities you will find throughout your life.


Here is one truth to help you visualize the power that is inside each and everyone of us!


          If you could instantaneously liberate all the potential  
          energy from your body - you would explode with the 
          same force as thirty very large hydrogen bombs.


So, there really is no reason to let anything get in your way.

Home Accents

Even the smallest things...

Painted fish on the veranda


Often to make a statement, you don't need to raise your voice.  
For the most part,  a few well placed words can be more important than the volume at which they are expressed.

As is the case with adding color to your home or office.  To prove my point, I will use my artsy painted fish and a Deco-Bauble as examples.

The painted fish create an inviting-home feel to this balcony seating area.  The wood of the fish emits a warm feel and the colorful painted designs on them add an artistic interest to the table.  The art on the table becomes a visual interest competing with the waterfall in the background - this tension gives the scene life.

Deco-Bauble on the Patio

The branch of seashells as decoration on this patio was an ideal place for a Deco-Bauble to show off its captivating colors & shape.

The cool colors of the ocean and sky need a warm contrast
to break up the monochromatic view.
The color in the foreground gives depth to the scene and more definition to the seashells on the branch.

                 Color is Life

Colors affect so many aspects of your life, sometimes with just a glimmer on a table top, a shelf or hanging in a window.

Every Deco-Bauble we make is completely unique.  The shape, the colors in the wood and the beading are tailor-made to capture a memory or a celebration of a special event in your life or the lives of others.

          

Musky Day "Fly In" - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin 2011

Life just blows past me   
like a hurricane,
 or at least that's how it feels when I realize that another opportunity was missed to learn about somebody who had lead a very interesting life.


Robert Payzer was the latest in a long line of people I wished I could have known better.  He passed away last winter, but hopefully his Musky Day "Fly in"(Boulder Junction, Wisconsin) will go on for a long time to come.  This year his absence was celebrated by the naming of the Boulder Junction Airport to Payzer Memorial Field.

Float Planes on Boulder Lake

Float planes have always held a great deal of interest to me. I think it's the way they look, like it shouldn't actually work. Quite a few showed up this year and they make an impressive sight lined up on the lake shore.

Stearman PT-13 9 cyl. radial Lycoming

The old Stearman biplane always the center of attention of the fly in, probably has a lot to do with its great history.  Also that engine makes an impressive sight, and you can't forget the sound.

This day draws in many older planes and quite a few experimental planes, which are facinating to me in there construction. They all are built to a very high quality of fit and finish. You can learn a lot about design and function from looking them over and comparing similar features and how one designer accomplishes a task compared to another.

After all this talk about planes you would think I love to fly, nothing could be further from the truth.  I haven't been in a plane since I was about 14 years old. I just love machines.
If you would like to learn more about Robert Payzer, he made a website to catolog a bit of his history and it's quite fascinating. Go to ,  payzersplace.com

The Lovely Days in Paoli Wisconsin

This is a view of the park and seating area next to the "Lovely Days in Paoli" art gallery.





Next weekend,  Paoli is having "Art in the Mill Park" in the lawn/pathway seen in this picture above.
It is Sat. August 20th, 2011, 
10am - 5pm
around 30 Artists, Live Jazz & Good Food on the banks of the Sugar River
Bonus:  there is a live auction benefiting the Autism Society of Greater Madison

      We went there this morning to deliver a  sample of our work;  for display and sale.
       In all the years Inge and I have lived in Wisconsin, we had never taken the time to stop in Paoli.  What a giant mistake that has been,  Paoli is a gem of a town that has been hiding right under our noses.  I regret that we didn't have more time today to explore, but we will be coming back as soon we can.  It is so close to Madsion!

www.visitpaoli.com

The gallery is packed full of wonderful work done by local artists.  There is a good selection of jewelry, stained glass, fine paintings & photographs and wood workings.

Another fantastic day in Wisconsin

The picture says it all. I took this photo this afternoon at Tippery Point boat landing on Lake Wisconsin, while on a bike ride.

I suppose I could have written about grinding the mill scale off of steel parts or about sanding and varnishing wood, but I think I will just show you how wonderful a summer day can be in Poynette, Wisconsin.

More sights at John Muir Park

Finding treasures!






Taking a moment to step away from the busy tasks that make the world go round, that is the MUST that we need to do.



        Bob and I chose the John Muir Park near Portage, Wisconsin as our "step away" from our projects. As we walked the Ice Age Trail, the butterflies are in abundance.  I am snapping pictures, so to be sure to have record of my sightings, to have in my home as beauty & inspiration.   It was a wonderful feeling to have my skin absorbing the suns rays(enriching my body with Vitamin D) and  sweating out any toxins to help cleanse.   

Black Swallowtail Butterfly on a Compass Plant

I took full advantage of the pond scene to show off the Frog Accent that I recently finished.  The Frog stands at 13" tall and is 15" wide.  It is most adorable on a wall.


On the "Telling Card" that comes with the Frog Accent, is a short explanation /meanings from a frog.

 A creature of land and water, their metamorphosis through life is   telling...

Teaches us to find opportunities in transition.

Often thought to be the communicator between Mother Earth & humans.

Symbols;  luck, intuition, fertility, transformation and opportunity

I design the pattern for all my cut-outs and have them cut-out on a  Plasma Cutter.  I grind and finish them - then they are powder coated. The shimmer from the silver coating on this wall frog play well with the 

sparkle from the assortment of glass beads.

The hanging frog mobile Accent on the left has a copper metallic coating with a metallic shimmer accenting the glass beads. On the right is a frog with the black bronze metallic coating, the two colors have a fun contrast with each other.  

 Dimensions;  8 1/2"W x 7"H, overall hangs 20" 

Our next Art Show is the Wine & Harvest Festival in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. (Sept. 17th & 18th, 2011)
Bob & I also have our Art in the Princess Potosa Gallery in Potosi, Wisconsin and
the Cottage Garden Gallery of the Janesville Rotary Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin.

INSPIRATION IN YOUR DAILY LIFE CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE...

Photo Shoot - John Muir Park

     Inge & I took a venture out to visit the boyhood stomping grounds of the famous naturalist and explorer, John Muir.  Our journey took us about 10 miles north of Portage Wisconsin on County Highway F, in the township of Buffalo in Marquette County.  Already noticing the many butterflies along the roadsides Inge is putting her zoom lens on her camera in hopes of seeing a few more varieties to add to her collection of butterfly photos, as well as take pictures of our artwork amidst the inspirational scene.

     The Muir Family homesteaded the land around this lake in 1849.  He spent his teenage years working the farm across from the lake. He found his love of nature in the "sunny woods" and the lake rimmed with lilly pads.

     John Muir was very concerned about preserving this precious lake meadow area, so he bought the 40 acres surrounding the lake from his brother-in-law.  He requested that a fence be built around it, so that cattle or hogs could not break into it.

His dream was to keep it un-trampled for the sake of its ferns and flowers. This was his first attempt to preserve land for its beauty.

Black Swallowtail on Compass Plant

The moment we entered the prairie around the pond we sighted so many butterflies, Inge had fun trying to get good pictures of them. The Black Swallowtails were feeding intently on the Compass Plant.

Eastern Tailed Blue next to pond

This Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly is the size of a nickel,  a common variety of blue butterflies, prone to congregating in groups along ponds & streams - exactly where we found them next to the pond.  These pictures Inge took are her color inspired
treasures.

This butterfly end table is a custom order. I used the butterfly design that Inge created for her "Accents".     I segmented the butterfly cut-outs and welded them into unique compositions on each side of the table. The steel framework is ground to a medium bright finish(raw steel) and then clear coated. The table top is Curly Maple wood dyed chartreuse with a two inch Black Walnut border.

added note:  I also made this table with the Curly Maple dyed orange, as seen on my website slideshow.
DIMENSIONS;  19"W x 19"L x 24"H

Inge & I walk amidst the ever changing scenery around us and create artful pieces to have in our homes.