New Box for the KBC

The Artisan. A 100 count humidor, or for whatever else you may want to put in it. Made of Cherry, Bird's Eye Maple, and Cocobolo, for the doweled version. Stainless hinges and bits for the handle. It's a very attractive box, gaining its aesthetics from the joinery, wood selection, proportion, and hand-rubbed oil finish- not from added decoration.

Hope you like it.

From the Kalamazoo Gazette

http://www.mlive.com/kalamabrew/index.ssf/2010/02/woodworker_taps_craft-brewery.html

Happy 13th Anniversary

The Cereal City painting for Arcadia Ales is complete. Cheers.

Beer Label Progress

First layer of blue added over the burnt sienna under-painting, with gold tones added to the pint glass.

 Blue and white lends a visual cold to the frosty, yet "hot" pint of beer!

Beer Label Update

First, I made some small changes to the drawing. I wanted to better repeat the design of the tapers coming off the letters below behind the pint glass. Once I was happy with the drawing, a wash of liquin and yellow ochre goes on.

Then the burnt sienna underpainting. Even though this will be a largely blue painting, I still start with the burnt sienna to layer warmth into the painting. It also makes it easy to see guidelines as the layers of colors build.
Here is the first layer of the blue/gray background.
Next up will be the first layer of paint for the pint glass and blue in the lettering.

Beer Label

Arcadia Ales asked me earlier in the year to paint the label for what would be their 13th Anniversary Ale.

Cool.

It was decided that they wanted to use the advertisement art from the, "Food City Brewing Co." that was in Battle Creek in the 1930-40's. They tweaked it a bit and decided to go with, "Cereal City" and make that the name of the beer itself.

Being that my rendition will be an oil painting, there is a real challenge in getting this manually drafted onto a gesso'd panel. I have to re-design it for the word, "cereal" instead of, "food", amongst other changes that will lend itself to be a good painting.

This has been so much fun me, I can't tell you how much. I love drafting and to be able to use it as a base to fit my style of painting is just a great blend of craft. Here's the lettering thus far:

I wanted to make the beer glass more of a focal point of the painting. Playing around with the guidelines from the drafting, I came up with a furthering of the art deco design to create a place for a larger pint glass. I did not want to lose the color scheme from the original, so by eliminating the pilsner glass in its original position, I expanded on the original drawing of the two-row barley into a larger symmetrical version (more art deco) that will maintain the original shape of the glass and color scheme. The drawing is basically done, now.

Next up is the beginning of the under painting. A layer of liquin and yellow ochre, followed by the burnt sienna underpainting. I will take and post more photos when I get a bit further along.

Iceman Cometh Poster

Here is the first of what will, hopefully, be a yearly piece for me. I had a lot of fun doing this painting and then the reaction of some of the racers was very rewarding. I was surprised at the prevailing indifference to the poster, but to those who did want it were so appreciative that I'll definitely keep doing them.

Next year there will a very limited edition printed...