> Recent Entries
> Archive
> Friends
> User Info
> Faraoni Studios
> previous 20 entries

March 10th, 2008

03:00 pm - Orchid delirium! Last week, phone in hand, I made arrangements for Laura and I to visit a private orchid greenhouse, one of the finest in the nation, located about an hour drive from our house. We set out yesterday morning, armed with cameras and energy drinks, and over the hill and through the wood, to The Orchid Station did go. Paul, the owner, and I had met a little over three years ago, at an art show I did located near his greenhouses. Laura and I had stood huddled together in the pouring rain the next morning, before the art show re-opened to the public, waiting for him to show up, just to get a peek inside. It was there that my fascination with orchids began. From the outside, nothing too fancy: Inside, however, is another story. This is what I think the Elysian Fields must look like: Three greenhouses total, filled to the brim with all varieties of orchids, most in bloom: I was so awestruck, I had a hard time holding the camera steady. All in all, I took over one hundred photographs, and probably close to an hour of video... Since orchids play a big role in some of my upcoming work, I felt it important to take a few home for "research." Here's Laura holding up one of our new babies: Here I am with Paul, the man with the Official Best Job on the Planet: Here are our newest additions, safely back at home: I downloaded the video when we got home last night, and quickly chopped it together into a little movie I could share with you all. Enjoy! Ok, enough goofing around, I gotta get back to sculpting orchids!

(19 comments | Leave a comment)

March 7th, 2008

12:23 pm - Form follows function When Laura and I started to remodel our kitchen last year, we always returned from the big home improvement stores sorely disappointed; either the product designs were poorly executed or the quality was crap. When the thought of a tile back-splash and accents came up, I instead turned to my drawing table and began piling up designs that I wanted to see realized and knocked out the first three in wax pretty quickly (not wanting to re-invent the wheel, I sculpted mine to the most popular commercially available size, 4 1/4" x 4 1/4"). I had really never given much thought to this market before and had no idea if there might be a demand, but when I debuted the final results in bronze at the last show I did, the reaction was overwhelming. I was very pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Here's the first, an Oriental poppy (I was still fixated on the new poppy garden I had just planted at the time and would lay out there in the dirt with my camera and calipers late into the evening, swatting at mosquitoes and making notes): I have two more finished tiles that I just need to get around to photographing; I'll try and post them over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, due to the interest level, I'm getting prepped to start sculpting the next few designs in between the other projects already underway on the old workbench. As always, I'll post them here first when they're done.

(9 comments | Leave a comment)

February 29th, 2008

10:53 am - U2 3-D Last night was "date night" for Laura and I, and we finally got out to see U2 3-D. I'm not one usually for movie reviews, so I'll try and sum it up in one word: WOW! It was my first theater experience with digital projection, which to me, was as bold a difference as it must have been when films went from silent to "talkies" and then from black and white to color, it was that much of a departure. I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical about the 3-D aspect, but let me tell you folks, this aint yo Momma's 3-D, this is the real deal. No more flimsy cardboard glasses and headaches from the smudgy image, or cheesy gimmicks to "enhance" the experience. From the moment the theater darkened and a message came up on the screen saying, "Please Put On Your 3-D Glasses Now", the movie virtually exploded off the screen. I don't want to give away too much, it really is something that has to be seen and experienced to be believed, it was that cool. Even if you're not a fan of U2 (personally, I love about 90% of their work, and they have been the soundtrack to more than a few noteworthy moments in my life), I can't recommend this film highly enough. The new 3-D technology is mind-blowing, and I personally believe, the future of cinema. As a small taste of how great they are live (I've been lucky enough to see them twice, the first time on The Joshua Tree Tour and again on the Zoo TV Tour), I give you U2 at Slane Castle in Ireland from a few years ago - unfortunately, not in 3-D:

(6 comments | Leave a comment)

February 22nd, 2008

02:01 pm - The Winter of My Discontent This time of year generally sucks for me; the cold weather brings out the worst in my rheumatoid arthritis and I've been dealing with swollen joints literally the size of golf balls. On top of that, I tore some tendons in my right shoulder a few weeks back, making it difficult to lose myself in my sculpting, my usual escape from the winter doldrums. As ice pellets are gently pinging off the window while I write this, I thought it might be a good time to look ahead to the warmer temperatures and first robins, and to the sleeping bulbs as they start to wake. Here are a few shots from last Spring (and into early Summer) of various flowers that Laura and I have planted since we bought our house a little over three years ago: I can't remember the name of these, but they seemed to bloom forever... A lily that comes up near the front steps every Spring: The pansies are still trying to make it, despite the ice and snow: Flowering ground cover in the English garden: Our lavender garden blooms almost seven months out of the year: Of course, nothing would ever get done if it weren't for the watchful eye of Django, our resident head-gardener: Moe, on the other hand, believes such matters are beneath him: A colorful bouquet in the English garden: More flowering ground cover, this time in the new poppy garden: One of my newest acquisitions, an orchid gladiola: A cream and lavender poppy, one of the first to bloom in the new poppy garden: Thanks for taking the journey with me, back through warmer and more colorful times. I'm going to try and make a point of posting here with more frequency; I've got some new sculpture pics to post and a ton of stuff going on in the studio, so stay tuned!

(13 comments | Leave a comment)

November 13th, 2007

03:44 pm - AWOL Between the last art show, vacation and a horrible bout of "severe food poisoning", I realized that I've been absent from the old LJ for a while... Hmm, where to begin? The show was a huge success, easily one of the best we've ever done; the weather was picture perfect, the attendance was awesome (I heard over 40,000 people stopped by), and we saw a lot of old friends and made quite a few new ones as well. I talked to so many people (and was even interviewed by a paper), that my voice was worn to a whisper, before giving out entirely for the next five days. I've never really lost my voice for any length of time before and it was a very strange experience to be sure, nothing but foreign clicks and pops coming out of my mouth in the place of words. Here's Green Cheese, finished and finally photographed, which made its debut at the show and seemed to be a crowd favorite: Vacation was amazing; the weather was beautiful, the water temperature bath-water warm and our little house secluded and cozy. We're already planning for our next adventure there, probably next Spring. Here's a pic I took of the sunset from our little private beach, our first night there: Okay, back to work and planning for the next adventure...

(14 comments | Leave a comment)

October 11th, 2007

03:54 pm - Reflection With the finish line finally in sight, Laura and I are hurtling forward in the studio, frantically laying down track before the train, and finishing new work every night. I'm very glad that the show is this coming weekend and that vacation only a week after that; I'm not sure if I could keep going at this pace much longer... Here's another new one, Reflection, that we finished a few nights ago: We'll be finishing "Green Cheese" tonight and I'll do my best to get shots of it up as soon as I'm able, but with time running out, it may have to wait until next week. I'll take lots of photos this weekend at the show, so be on the lookout next week for my full report. Wish us luck!

(8 comments | Leave a comment)

October 8th, 2007

09:38 pm - A Word from Our Sponsor While Laura and I are waiting for bronze to cool and the compressor to charge back up, here is a word from our sponsor: This message has been brought to you by Candy Mountainnnn and the Leopleurodon, Charlieeeee. PS - Bronze dust makes us giddy. Current Location: Studio Current Mood: giddy Current Music: Candy Mountain Song Tags: candy mountain, charlieeee, leopleurodon

(6 comments | Leave a comment)

12:23 pm - Home stretch... I had so much fun for the first half of the year, lost in my inspired sculpting delirium, that I almost forgot I had to, at some point, turn all my little wax creations into metal. With that realization, anything unfinished was pushed to the side and my brain switched from creative mode to that of mad scientist. Over eighty hours a week and months later, the first of the new work is starting to emerge from the studio... You may remember the finished wax original of the letter opener, Swan Song, that I posted a while back; here she is, finally finished in bronze: I've got six new pieces so far this year, and all will be emerging from the studio this week, finished in bronze for a show I'm doing next weekend. I'll post them up here throughout the week as I make time to get them lit and photographed. Stay tuned!

(17 comments | Leave a comment)

October 5th, 2007

12:32 pm - Happy anniversary! It was seven years ago today that Laura and I exchanged vows and started our life together as husband and wife. Today, I still feel like the luckiest man alive! Here is the poem that I copied into the card I made her (cuz Hallmark sucks): "You were made perfectly to be loved - and surely I have loved you, in the idea of you, my whole life long." -Elizabeth Barrett Browning Here we are a few years ago (three, maybe?), celebrating our anniversary out on the island. In two weeks, we'll be back there again for a belated celebration and I can hardly wait; a whole week of just the two of us, sand, sun and surf... Happy anniversary, baby!

(17 comments | Leave a comment)

September 24th, 2007

11:21 am - I always knew that damn thing was a harmonica... Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Anakin and Jar Jar's Jug Band Christmas, coming this December, only at Starbucks.

(2 comments | Leave a comment)

August 31st, 2007

04:11 pm - WTF!! (pt. 2) Japan sure seems to have more than it's fair share of monsters. Sure, you've got your Godzilla, who started out as a brute, but became a bit of a liberal pushover as the series progressed: Then there's Godzilla's adopted, mentally challenged son, Godzooky: Just to cement my paralyzing childhood fear of moths, along came Mothra: And to cement my fear of tiny, singing Japanese twins (shudders), you've got the Mothra Priestesses : Yet, perhaps the greatest threat facing Japan today isn't interested in smashing a skyscraper to bits or playing jump rope with train full of commuters. This enemy, folks, is going straight for your ass: Happy weekend, everybody!

(2 comments | Leave a comment)

August 24th, 2007

02:19 pm - Stardust and friends, both old and new This past weekend, Laura and I got to get away from the studio for the first time in recent memory. My two best friends from high school, The Mighty Bridges Brothers, John and Bill (redcrowstudio  and wyrdwood, respectively), drove all the way up from Atlanta and dropped in on us for a visit. It had been something like 18 years since we shared the same space, although we've kept in touch throughout the years as I've wandered around the country, looking for a place to put down roots. After a brief tour of our house and studio, Laura and I piled into the car and caravaned behind them down the long expanse of Interstate 81 (close to a three and a half hour drive), to the farthest southwest corner of our fair state, to the beautiful town of Abingdon and the studio of the amazing author and artist, Charles Vess. John had been teasing me with the possibility of getting to meet Charles for a few years (John and Bill have known him for a long time), and even as we pulled up in front of his studio, I still couldn't believe I was about to get to meet another hero of mine. Armed with my portfolio, several cameras and a Tupperware of Laura's famous home-made chocolate chip cookies, we followed them inside. My nerves and jitters were immediately put to rest as Charles proved to be a very gracious host. After introductions, I asked if he would mind if I wandered around while he and the Bridges caught up, taking photos of this and that. With his permission, I gleefully strolled around his expansive and wonderful studio, snapping away to my heart's content. This is where Charles sits down to paint: Random pics of some of his assorted doo-dads: I re-joined the group just in time to get a sneak preview of Charles's recently finished work for Blueberry Girl (written by Neil Gaiman for his friend Tori Amos's daughter Tash, a poem about mothers and daughters, to be published sometime in 2009). Here are Bill, John, Laura and Charles, looking over the illustrations: Here are a few close-ups from Blueberry Girl: The biggest lip-trembling moment for me came when Charles asked me to sign his copy of Spectrum 11: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, a book I had been in a few years before. I felt like doing the on-the-floor, kneeling in the "I'm not worthy!" wave, over and over... Charles also did us the honor of signing our copy of Stardust, with a very sweet inscription to Laura and me: We then went to the local art center in Abingdon, where they were having a special show for all the artwork Charles had done for Stardust (written by Neil Gaiman) in celebration of the movie's premiere. Here are a few shots from inside the gallery: Eventually, we all headed back to the studio (at one point, we all yelled "Look out!" as a fast, furry creature darted across the road in front of us. Bill hit the brakes just in time and declared, "Damn, that was a big beaver!" and I rolled uncontrollably with laughter as Charles explained that it had actually been a groundhog), and said our goodbyes (or so we thought!), posed for a last minute photo, and headed to our hotel to check in. We had reserved a room at the same hotel (look for a post from lefaraoni about the retro wonder that is the Alpine Hotel, coming soon!), in a room right next to the Bridgeses, to maximize our visit as much as possible. We hadn't gotten that far into our cooler of beer when the phone rang and Charles wanted to meet up with us all for dinner. For once I was thankful for the slow service, as I nursed a Newcastle Ale and listened to Charles tell us of his adventures on the Stardust movie set, and just how cool Neil Gaiman really is (a personal relief to me, as he is one of my favorite authors and would have been crushed to find out that he was a jerk). It had been a long time since I geeked out with such reckless abandon, and geek-out we did, on everything from Star Trek to Star Wars, and just about everything else in between in the fantasy/science-fiction genre (I think Laura got a bit of a kick out of it all, snickering over her beer at me, as I was shining in my pure geekiest light). Here's a pic of Charles and Neil on the red carpet at the Stardust premiere: After several goodbyes and hope-to-see-you-again-soons, we finally said goodnight to Charles and returned to the hotel where we all sprawled out, late into the night, catching up. The next morning, it was picture time again, and breakfast at the local greasy spoon before parting ways, Laura and I already making plans to get together with them again soon. Well, that's it. Thanks to those of you who actually made it through my meandering, picture-heavy post. The weekend away did wonders for my soul; I'm busier than ever in the studio and preparing for an upcoming show in October amongst other things. Good times with great friends seemed to do the trick. Maybe I should get out more often!

(21 comments | Leave a comment)

August 10th, 2007

(8 comments | Leave a comment)

August 8th, 2007

07:12 pm - Happy Birthday, Nicole!! To our sexy beeyotch friend Nicole on her birthday, a tasty treat: We love you and hope your birthday spankings from Ton are frequent and gratifying! xxxooo Ken & Laura

(4 comments | Leave a comment)

August 6th, 2007

(5 comments | Leave a comment)

July 31st, 2007

(5 comments | Leave a comment)

June 26th, 2007

01:28 pm - Garden of the Wee Dear Lord, we thank you for this bounty we are about to receive: Laura and I harvested the first vegetable from our garden last night and, like a proud papa, I just had to share the fruit of our our labors. As none of our other tomatoes are even close to being ready yet, we have to be extra creative in figuring out how to share our prized 'mater. We thought of halving it for two tiny salads or possibly making a thimbleful of salsa or gazpacho. Maybe it would make a nice topping for a petite bruschetta. Maybe it would be funny if I took it over to our neighbors house as payback, after several years of them being so gracious in sharing their bushels of homegrown cucumbers and squash with us, but I somehow doubt I could keep a straight face. Recipes or suggestions are welcome.

(8 comments | Leave a comment)

May 29th, 2007

(2 comments | Leave a comment)

May 25th, 2007

03:45 pm - The Voice I remember the first time I heard Vusi Mahlasela's voice; Laura and I had just picked up the Amandla! soundtrack (Vusi is featured on four tracks) and I had it on in the background while I toiled away in the studio. Suddenly, this amazing voice seemed to penetrate my soul and I broke out in gooseflesh, the hair on my arms standing straight up. It was like being gently electrocuted with pure joy. A few weeks ago, I surprised my lovely wife, lefaraoni, with a pair of tickets to his sold out show at Starr Hill, a nice little brewery and music hall in Charlottesville. Vusi took the stage around nine o'clock that evening, and played for nearly two hours. He was simply incredible. I found out later that it was his last scheduled show in the states, but keep an eye out for him; he is currently in the midst of a world tour in support of his new album, Guiding Star (fantastic by the way, it's on heavy rotation in my house), and I'm sure he'll swing back through at some point. Here's a little taste of him at Live 8: And a few pics from our awesome vantage point, about fifteen feet from the stage: I've met my fair share of celebrities in my life, but this is the first one I've ever actually been nervous meeting. Laura said I gushed like a schoolboy as I stammered on and on about how much his music inspired me. Oh well; from the look on his face, he didn't really seem to mind: Have a happy Memorial Day, everybody!

(6 comments | Leave a comment)

May 1st, 2007

03:29 pm - Not long enough... Sunday we were graced with a visit by the great patinatrix! Since she missed her flight in on Friday, our already abbreviated visit was cut even shorter. We barely had time to give her the tour of Casa de Faraoni and share a cold beer on the back porch, but it was still great to see her. Let's hope we don't have to wait so long before her next visit. By the way Ren, the shrimp scampi was awesome (sorry, had to rub it in!)...

(5 comments | Leave a comment)