Saturday, July 26, 2008

Nikola Tesla and Coil

Cari Amici,

I rarely ceased to be amazed at the visual (and unfortunately the loud sound) of every new Tesla Coil that John builds. He has been fascinated for decades with Nikola Tesla, the contemporary of Thomas Edison who, unlike Edison, wanted to make electricity free for the entire world.


After reviewing the Wikipedia page online (linked above), I found these quotes that interest me at the moment :

“There is no thing endowed with life—from man, who is enslaving the elements, to the nimblest creature—in all this world that does not sway in its turn. Whenever action is born from force, though it be infinitesimal, the cosmic balance is upset and the universal motion results.”


Tesla also argued:
“ I hold that space cannot be curved, for the simple reason that it can have no properties. It might as well be said that God has properties. He has not, but only attributes and these are of our own making. Of properties we can only speak when dealing with matter filling the space. To say that in the presence of large bodies space becomes curved is equivalent to stating that something can act upon nothing. I, for one, refuse to subscribe to such a view.”

I also greatly enjoyed the section describing Tesla’s personality. He also liked the power of three!

Every time that John starts up one of his Tesla Coils for visitors, he firsts asks if anyone has a Pacemaker. [So far, its been a “no.”] And his other favorite thing to do is to move people into a line, with their hands almost holding the person’s next to them. Then the person closest to the Tesla Coil will hold a fluorescent light bulb near the coil and pass the voltage through the chain of people, purple flashes visible between close but separate hands.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Art News Art Classes

Cari Amici,

I just published my art newsletter (to the list generated via my site and shows). If you are not on that list, but would like to read it, as well as see the updated listing for the art classes that I am teaching this summer, please click here:
www.borsheimarts.com/news/2008_07.htm
What I forgot to share is a little tidbit about the charcoal drawing “A World Away” (Sara, jazz). It was not until mid-June, after she made her debut in an exhibit in Florence, Italy, that I realized that I accidentally signed her with the incorrect date “2006-2007.” She should have “2007-2008” Doh!

Read past newsletters before signing up to my artlist:
borsheimarts.com/newsletter.htm
Or just subscribe: Contact Me – Thanks!

I have rearranged my classes into a schedule falling in mid-August and I have a great line-up of models to work with. Won’t you join us?
www.borsheimarts.com/artclass.htm

PS Happy Birthday, Frederick Bentley!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Arte Y Pico Blog Award


Cari Amici,

Jeanne Rhea with her ART for the HEART blog based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA is a real sweetheart! She recently awarded me for the Arte y pico Award for inspiring others to create.

Check it out:
http://artfortheheart.blogspot.com/2008/07/arte-y-pico-blog-award.html
Saturday, July 19, 2008

I have received the Arte y pico Award from Jeanne Rhea with her ART for the HEART blog. Thank you Jeanne! The Arte Y Pico award was designed to be given to bloggers who inspire others creatively. I am so happy to receive this award and would like to pass it along to:



If you have been selected for the award, please pay it forward, following the steps below:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.

2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.

3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.

4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the "Arte y pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Please post these rules!The Arte y Pico blog is in Spanish. To read it in English, click here. The translation is not perfect.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Bronze Casting Patina


Cari Amici,

So, the foundry has finished the casting of my newest bronze “Against the Dying of the Light” and now it is my turn to work. I look over every section of my metal sculpture and rework any details that may have been changed by the bronze casting process. Once the sculpting has been finished again, glass beads are blasted over the entire sculpture to remove any remaining mold material and to remove the oils from my hands. The bronze must be absolutely clean so that the chemical patination application process has fewer variables.

Stay tuned . . .

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Dana Davis AKA WyrdGrl Austin Texas

Cari Amici,

John and I went into Austin last night to see my friend Dana Davis aka WyrdGrl play. I have known Dana as a lovely and inspiring model for my painting and sculpture, but I had never heard her play and sing before. Her show was a blend of original songs, and a few covers. John is a fan of Heart and we enjoyed her covers of that band, Stevie Nicks, and others.

WyrdGrl is quite the charming hostess and it is obvious that she enjoys playing her guitar or keyboards and singing for interested parties. We had an intimate crowd last night at Café Caffeine at 909 West Mary St Austin, Texas, in the oh-so-hip 78704 zip zone. We had a light and healthy dinner there and I was able to reacquaint myself with the delicious Zhi Tea. And everyone loved the low lighting, which helped me (at least) lose all sense of the hot summer and the early hour.

Dana was joined onstage by Krystal on percussion and for a little while a woman named Linda, who sang and played the flute. I like these sorts of concerts – feels like home when people enter and exit the stage for a few songs and when Dana gave personal updates on stories to friends in the audience.

Outside on the deck after the show, I told Linda that I was so pleased to see a flute player since I have had desires to bring my own flute to Italia with me and start to play again, but never did. Linda advised, “Just put it together and leave it out. You will pick it up and play it.” But my problem is that I do not play by ear. Some years ago, I bought some sheet music for Jethro Tull, but I just have not had the time . . . And I have a difficult time finding sheet music for flute, especially since I love the lower ranges and not the trill-y stuff so much.


The feel in the café last night was so very Austin. There was the definite presence of individual creative souls and the feel of casual acceptance of all. For example, our sentry was a man with long wavy yellowish-white hair snoozing in a chair outside by the door. Senza uniform, he was wearing a fully staffed brassiere under a University-of-Texas orange T-shirt and a black thong with naked legs supported probably by Birkenstocks. These are the kinds of things I miss most about Austin . . .

Check out Dana’s sites:
www.wyrdgrl.com
www.myspace.com/wyrdgrld

And Café Caffeine:
www.cafecaffeine.com