Jim Kelso

I'll check with Tim on registration. Should be available soon. Here is material from last year: http://ashokanknifeseminar.com

Nothing official yet, Sam or otherwise ...

I was told a while ago that this is the lineup. Haven't got the official announcement. So far we have: Tim Wright Kevin Cashen Sam Salvati Justin Mercier Rick Barrett Jim Kelso Josiah Boomershine (maybe) Tim Zowada (Maybe) Plus a couple more...

And the better photo of ura side:

A better overall of omote side:

Thanks very much Peter, Karim and Jesus! Peter, I'm sorry the book took so long to get to you, but glad you like it. Thanks so much!

Thanks Noah and Brian. Brian, "Bravo!" works for me!

I was sorely vexed to miss you guys last year...

Thanks very much Wes and Chris. Here are some close-ups:

Sept. 29 - Oct.1 Looks like I'll be reloading my program from last year which I had to cancel because of the dreaded wild parsnip (seriously) Wild Parsnip Caution So I'll give a slide-talk : Opening to the Far-Green: Imagination and the creative process and a demo: Cold Forming Copper Fittings Using Uchidashi Tim should be announcing the rest of the program soon, but I wanted to get the dates up here ASAP. Hope a lot of you can make it. Always a good time.

Fantastic! What a team.

Please go here for the finished piece: Nyoi / Ruyi Scepter

Over the past 10 years I have wanted to make a sculpture based on the nyoi scepter as found in Chinese and Japanese art (Chinese is ruyi). During that time I considered the form and thematic details. Finally I was inspired to make the form based on a piece of driftwood I found in one of the streams I frequent in the local Vermont mountains The nyoi form is appealing to me as it implies a focused attention. Most sources consider that it likely developed from a “talking-stick” which gives the holder the right to speak without being interrupted. Later it was associated with Buddhist bodhisattvas. For me, the significance of this nyoi became clearer as it progressed. Initially I saw it only as a portrait of nature with one of my favorite creatures, the Red Eft, in a kind of dream landscape. As the piece developed, the actual life-cycle of the Eft struck me as symbolic of transformation, with him emerging from the passage. The Red Eft is the terrestrial, juvenile stage of the Eastern Newt. It is born in water, migrates to land for five to seven years and then returns to water to mate. Somehow it occurred to me that this life-cycle could represent the soul’s transmigration, and furthermore be influenced by blessings sent from the spiritual realm. Hence I thought to introduce this theme with references to the legend of Kikujido My carved nyoi has both an ura (private) and omote (public) side connected by an open passage through the wood. The passage is symbolic of the connection between the earth-plane and the spiritual plane. In the Kikujido legend, blessings are sent down-stream on Chrysanthemum petals. I have expanded this to include leaves. On the ura side, carved simply to represent flowing water, is a pristine Chrysanthemum leaf presumably set in motion down-stream by Kikujido. On the omote side, carved in more tangible landscape detail, are the Red Eft, pristine Chrysanthemum petals, a decayed leaf, and a tiny stone. The Red Eft represents the ten-thousand created beings of the earth-plane. The pristine petals represent the blessings abiding in the earth-plane and the decayed leaf represents the ultimate dissolution of all earthly objects. The tiny stone represents the action of time.

Thanks very much Austin. I understand my talent to be a gift. While I know envy, and certainly appreciate being able to do what I do, there are things that I value much higher; such as the pursuit of honesty and earning the trust of children.

Thanks very much Jonas. Much appreciated. I've been working at depicting water for a long time. I think you need to love being stream-side, and also study work of those successful in the past. You can feel it in your gut when it's right. Sorry, probably not that helpful. I take the wood to 2,000 grit(American Standard). I then lightly buff with a very forgiving goblet type buff with compound designed for buffing lacquer which is also very mild in action. Most of the woods I use come to a very nice polish this way with no oil or other finish.