My attitude did not cure me of cancer but helped me get through it. It is helping me get through the trauma of the cure and it lingering gifts too. My lung capacity is about half of what it was and although I am getting stronger, the littlest things tire me out. Today I will set two big gate posts, hiring someone to dig the holes for me. I will set the posts and mix the concrete with the aid of my helper. My hands throb during this process and I will take an extra Vicodine but they will still hurt. It is the gate that I want to build and setting the posts is a necessary beginning to this project.
All of the work I do now is word of mouth, friends of past customers, someone who has heard of me, seen my work in another place, talked with me during a show a long time ago, somehow heard of me. It is flattering beyond belief, better than three girl friends (I think?). They don't just want a gate, they want my gate! Something that I built for them! I sign them sometimes but it is pretty easy to recognize my work. If it is stronger and different and unusual, then it is probably mine.
Most of what I do is "installation art", maybe you would call it that. Big things. Years ago I opted for big art just because I could, because that is where my experience led me, because you can't box it up and get it from China and just because I like big heavy things, huge art. Mostly this means gates and sometimes their adjoining fencing but I have done pretty big wall hangings too, about 10' wide and 5' tall with whatever I could find placed here and there. I want to steal your focus.
I am not as young as I used to be and some aspects of this work I no longer look forward to but I am pretty happy that I still can! The posts will be up today and then the fun part begins, creating like a mad painter, welding actually, steel upon steel until I like it. It is for a winery and others will see it too and then maybe my phone will ring and I will get another job! If I do my best that is the way it seems to work, word of mouth. I'll post a picture when it is done.
My other Blog is HERE!
All of the work I do now is word of mouth, friends of past customers, someone who has heard of me, seen my work in another place, talked with me during a show a long time ago, somehow heard of me. It is flattering beyond belief, better than three girl friends (I think?). They don't just want a gate, they want my gate! Something that I built for them! I sign them sometimes but it is pretty easy to recognize my work. If it is stronger and different and unusual, then it is probably mine.
Most of what I do is "installation art", maybe you would call it that. Big things. Years ago I opted for big art just because I could, because that is where my experience led me, because you can't box it up and get it from China and just because I like big heavy things, huge art. Mostly this means gates and sometimes their adjoining fencing but I have done pretty big wall hangings too, about 10' wide and 5' tall with whatever I could find placed here and there. I want to steal your focus.
I am not as young as I used to be and some aspects of this work I no longer look forward to but I am pretty happy that I still can! The posts will be up today and then the fun part begins, creating like a mad painter, welding actually, steel upon steel until I like it. It is for a winery and others will see it too and then maybe my phone will ring and I will get another job! If I do my best that is the way it seems to work, word of mouth. I'll post a picture when it is done.
My other Blog is HERE!
4 comments:
Hello Jerry, a very good morning to you.I like your passion for making one of a kind of gates. We all admire you work, though some of us can only see in the pictures you put in your blog. They are strong, different and seem to be very much in demand by people who know a fine thing from trash.
Okay coming to the point i wanted to make is: why do you hate Chinese products, agreed that they are mass produced, cheap, and not 100% reliable, but why do you grudge them?
You see they are there in the market, because there is some demand for their products, let there be so what.
I felt you get very hyped up and keep mentioning their low cost, mass productions as trash and keep grudging them.
I feel that there are people for you as well as people for them and people for others who are in the same line, and there plenty for everybody, what is to come to you would definitely come to you only, so I feel you should not even bring them into your blog, you should only be high lighting your artistic gates, and not mention the low quality of the Chinese. This is not meant to offend you in any way, it is just my observation.
Your work, passion, and tenacity always amazes me, Jerry. Your creations are awesome, and such a joy to view.
I hate knowing that you suffer with pain as you do, Jerry. But as long as you are cancer free, hopefully you will regain your strength and eventually the pains will ease. At least I can hope so. I love what I've seen of your work and if and when we can ever buy this house, I really want to put up a fence (either stone, brick, or iron). A small gate across the walk is in my dreams and having you do it would bring it to perfection.
oh, you just bet we want a picture.. when it's . finished.. Your proud of your work and you have every right to be.. It's beautiful, unique, one of a kind ,,, just like you,, and if we didn't live clear across the country I'd have you put one of those tiny masterpiece gates to my itsy bitsy side yard. JC
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