Saturday, March 29, 2008

Drawings by Marion Mahony


Australian Flora and Fauna

For all of you who wrote your papers on Frank Lloyd Wright, here's an interesting article about Marion Mahony, Wright's chief draftsperson, whose drawings captured the world's imagination for Wright.

Link to NY Times article

Excerpt below:

Mahony’s drawings, retraced in ink, formed much of what came to be known as the Wasmuth Portfolio, a compendium of Wright’s designs published in Germany in 1910. The portfolio not only established him as America’s reigning architectural genius but also influenced European Modernists like Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.

“She did the drawings people think of when they think of Frank Lloyd Wright,” said Debora Wood, who organized a show of Mahony’s work at Northwestern University in 2005.

Marion Mahony was also the wife of Walter Burley Griffin, a name I used to hear a lot while growing up in Australia. He was the architect who designed Australia's capital city, Canberra. More info on this is included in the NY Times article.





Eucalyptus trees, ink on silk

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Field Trip Saturday May 10

Hi Folks
Our field trip to Santa Cruz is now scheduled for Saturday May 10. We will go to Shen's Gallery, which specializes in Chinese furniture from about 1850-1900. Once we're done with the gallery, perhaps we can go to Marianne's for top-notch ice cream, and then people can disperse or hang out in Santa Cruz in whatever fashion they choose.



Stool from Shen's Gallery, Santa Cruz



Stool from Shen's Gallery, Santa Cruz

Bread table from Shen's Gallery, Santa Cruz

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Bob Robinson

The originator of the Bob Robinson Bevel!
Here's a link to Troscan Design, Bob and Deirdre's design/ build business (skip the long Flash intro).
Bob has grown a hobbitty little beard since I last saw him.

Cat Scratch Pole



Hey Folks
Some of you wanted to see the "Mission" style cat pole I made back in about 2000. Here it is. The Arts and Crafts sideboard in the background is still in Chicago waiting for me to come get it. The cat is safely here with me, having long forgotten Chicago and cold weather.

March 10 and 12

Hello Folks
On Monday the 10th, please be on time in the classroom (room 120, not the shop!) for a discussion of cutting tenons prior to the shop demo.
Professor Beverly Grindstaff is confirmed for giving us a presentation about the Arts and Crafts Movement on Wednesday the 12th. We will work in the shop for the first half of class, then move back into 120.
Your papers are due on the same day. The research you've done will allow you to ask informed questioned of Professor Grindstaff.
Have a great rest of the weekend.