Tuesday, February 23, 2010

the Box maker

Although I've burned out on remodeling, etc, just like I did with working on cars, I enjoyed my trip to Lowes just this morning. I bought some molding, sandpaper, and some patching plaster for my continuing pre-selling projects, and it felt good just walking down the isles. I'm still a craftsperson/artist at heart, and today reminded me of my selling/re-supply journeys off of Lopez Island up in the San Juans. I would go off island one a month usually, to sell my hardwood boxes (carved and inlaid...) wholesale at 'Gallery West' up in Bellingham. Then I would go over to the Western Washington U campus, and set out what I had left outside the Student Union building. Craftspersons in those days, for a fee of $1 a day, could lay claim to one of the tables out on the patio? and sell their work. Next were some shopping trips for different hardwoods and supplies I needed, which usually included a local hardware store like Lowes. Then I would go out to dinner and maybe even a movie. And then back to the island.
I just remembered my first 9 months selling my boxes after becoming 'CR, the Boxmaker'. That's what 'Kurt, the Spoonmaker' called me. This was when I first moved to Bellingham, WA after I left Seattle to see if I could support myself as a 'woodworker'. I lived there for a few years I think, before my move to Lopez, and I recall that I sold at least one box every single day I went there for about nine months! I was so relieved in a way, when I experienced my first day without a sale. Whew! What a run.
I found some old slides from those days, and when I get around to transferring them to my PC, I'll upload a few here.

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