Steve Schreiber

Bee

The Visual Arts Committee at Arts on The Lake is currently hosting it's Fall Collaborative Exhibit!

Artwork currently on display has been created by artists working together on the projects. My wife Mary Schreiber teamed up with Pallas Athene to create a giant Bee for the show. Following is the story and pictures!

The Concept

The collaborative concept is to combine sculpture and natural finishings. Pallas and Mary agreed on creating a bee, recognizing that bees are in danger - therefore respectful and positive portrayal is an important and timely statement.

The Process

Pallas and Mary took turns hosting The Bee in their separate work spaces, working both together and independently. The initial form and structure was created in Mary's home out of wire and many layers of paper mache.

The Bee then moved to Pallas's home, where she used actual bee and wasp nest material to cover the Bee in intricate layers.

Together, Pallas and Mary pondered the Bee's evolving shape and form, adding texture and detail as required. Mary created the wings with flakes of Mica that Pallas and an excited community of friends collected in Huntington State Park. Visual Arts Committee Chairperson Roy Volpe provided technical assistance and guidance with the wings, and also with the challenging task of hanging the Bee:

The Collaborative Community

Throughout the process, family and friends became involved. Suggestions and ideas began to flow, building excitement as the Bee progressed. In particular, Pallas's husband and son (Michael Scott and Cyd Scott) provided insight and variations in perspective. I provided my usual enthusiastic good cheer, and helped vacuum up the massive piles of Micah flakes after Mary had finished the wings.

Reflections

Having a giant Bee in the home changes the household. The process of creation becomes visible and tangible. The time constraints of completing the project required intense and concentrated effort. Mary felt time stop as the wings emerged. Pallas noted that she often considered how a 'bee is a bee', and that this idea helped to change the usual artistic forethought to a focus on the present - to actually work as a bee works - letting the Bee command the work, and essentially "be the Bee."

The Bee, along with many other excellent pieces of art will be on display through the next week at these hours:

Wed, Sept 30, 7-9 pm;

Sat, Sun, Oct 3-4, 1-5 pm.

Don's Hoot 'n' Holler Garden Railway

On a recent visit to my in-laws, we were fortunate to meet one of their neighbors Don Parker. Don has a hobby that I love - model railroading. This year, Don has built a fantastic garden railway outside on his lawn. He calls it the Hoot 'n' Holler.

The Hoot 'n' Holler occupies a space that is over 750 square feet. The working train (of course!) runs on over 300 feet of track, through a community of over 25 structures and 80 figures. Running water (that turns a working overshot water wheel), beautiful landscaping and exquisite attention to detail make this layout a wonder to behold.

All of the approximately 25 structures in the layout were made by Don. Some of them pictured here are:

Several Train Platforms:

Some of the seven bridges, three trestles and the tunnel:

 

The Coal Tower:

 

A Small Log Cabin (made from sticks):

Houses and Commercial Buildings, including a Saw Mill:

 

Don told me he enjoys the juxtaposition of the plants and the rock components in the landscape. All of the plants are live, and feature Bonsai and miniature trees, flowers, shrubs and even tomatoes. The railway bed is made of graded gravel, and the buildings are connected by gravel roadways.

Don's marvelous attention to detail can be seen in all aspects of the railway, including the many people and animals that populate a realistic post turn-of-the-century American town.

The buildings and models all come inside in the winter, but the track and landscaping stay outside. In building the Hoot 'n' Holler, Don describes all of the challenges of real-life outdoor construction: weather issues, collapsing walls, water management, proper track ballast and grading and pests!

Big thanks to Don for sharing this excellent project with us!

Resources

Garden Railway Magazine

Getting Started With Garden Trains

Pick Your Tone On Guitar

A process that musicians go through in their musical evolution is 'finding their own voice'. Years are spent honing the craft and learning how to play. One aspect of this journey is establishing the actual tonal qualities - the sound -  that you like best.

Guitar players today have a vast array of tonal tools to choose from. A massive selection of different guitars, hundreds of different amplifiers for both acoustic and electric guitars, and a potentially uncountable number of electronic signal processors could all come into play to sculpt different instrumental tones.

In my own path through this maze, I have thankfully settled on several guitars, all of which I have owned for 15 years or more. I spent lots of time and money on electronic signal processing, ranging from rack mounted digital devices to conventional stomp boxes, and finally decided to simplify. Less Is More. I felt that my individual voice should be heard with a good guitar, a healthy cable, an amplifier with a bit of reverb and lots of practice.  This worked out well musically, and led to a new area of tonal experimentation - the Guitar Pick.

Many years ago, my cousin - the excellent guitar player from NYC Larry Dunn - introduced me to the Jim Dunlop Jazz III guitar pick. I had been playing with full size Fender Heavy picks, so this was my first experience with the Jazz Teardrop Shape, which is a smaller pick. I soon found that my picking was much more accurate and comfortable for the jazz oriented lines and comping (rhythm) styles of music I was playing full time.

After several years of comfortable playing with the Jazz III's, Jim Dunlop came out with the Jazztone series, introducing a new texture, modified shape and new thicknesses. This is one of the best jazz picks out there. The beveled edge and texture of the material provide almost no pick noise on the string, and the pick is extremely light and  comfortable to hold. I settled on the 205 model (2.00m thick), and lived happily ever after for at least 5 years of playing exclusively with this pick.

Then one day out of the blue, I thought it might be fun to experiment with different guitar picks.

After discovering that guitarist Jimmy Bruno uses the D'Andrea Pro Plec (1.5mm thick), I went out and got two different models. These picks cost $1.00 apiece which was an unheard of amount for a guitar pick (read on - it gets much worse!) They are made from the same material as the Fender guitar picks - fake Tortoise shell. Very comfortable, very stiff, smooth string attack; an excellent pick all around. The modified square Pro Plec is a nice option for comfortable holding.

 

Recently, Jim Dunlop announced a new pick to their Jazz III series - the Jazz III Ultex (1.5mm thick). This pick was made out of a different material from the original Jazz III's, which is stiffer and a little crisper. This is a good pick that I like better than the original red or black Jazz III, but not as much as the Jazztone 205.

  

Then came trouble. I discovered the world of hand made custom picks. I read about and decided to try a Wegen Twin pick (3.5mm thick). At $10.00 apiece, it felt like I should have been calling a Friend before placing the order, but ultimately I had to find out what a $10.00 pick played like. I'm happy to report that this is an excellent pick. It has a ribbed indent making the Twin extremely comfortable to hold. It has great stiffness and a nice beveled edge producing a soft but accurate attack on the strings. 

Next I found the Jazz Stubby Surfpick (about 1.5mm thick). This pick is unusual in that it is made out of Lignum Vitae wood. This was another $10.00 guitar pick, but now I was hooked and had to have something to compare the Wegen pick to. Besides - it came in it's own really cool ring-like pick box. The Surfpick has great stiffness, but is a bit slippery to hold and has a slightly harsh, raspy sound on the strings. It is possible that that would go away with increased playing, which does nicely wear down the edge over time.

Now we arrive at my current favorite pick - the V-Pick Small Pointed made by Vinnie Smith in Modesto, California. I like the Small Pointed Pick (at 2.75mm thick). This is one excellent pick. It's extremely comfortable to hold. As you play, the warmth from your fingers makes it stick slightly, resulting in a more relaxed grip. Because it is a thick acrylic pick, it is the stiffest of all the picks I've mentioned so far. The beveled edge produces a tone soft enough for jazz, yet with a small amount of 'chirp' or 'bite' that can be great for harmonics or percussive accenting. It comes in clear, red and glow-in-the-dark. And, at 'only' $4.00 ($5.00 for the glow-in-the-dark), it is a bargain compared to the Wegen or the Surfpick!

These are picks that I tried and rejected fairly quickly. The Jim Dunlop Tortex teardrop series picks tend to be a bit too flappy and raspy in their sound. The Jim Dunlop Stubby (made of 2.00 mm thick acrylic like the V-Pick) ended up having a really harsh, sharp sound that I didn't like at all. The Clayton, while nicely thick (1.9mm) with good stiffness, for some reason feels like running through sand while playing.

Some of the picks mentioned here come in different models and thicknesses, so even if you don't like the smaller teardrop shape, there might be an alternate shaped pick available.

Try visiting your local music store, and choose a bunch of different picks. You might well discover something you like better than the pick you are currently using!

Resources

Jim Dunlop Website

D'Andrea Picks

Michael Wegen's Website

Surfpick

V-Picks

Elderly Instruments Pick Pages

Book Recommendation - "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield

I like to read about the creative process as well as actually exercise it. "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield is an unusual but excellent book that addresses the internal creative battles some people go through in the process of realizing their art form.

Steven Pressfield is a well known author. He wrote "The Legend of Bagger Vance" as well as several best selling historical novels such as "Tides of War" and  "Gates of Fire". "The War of Art" is a departure from his other books - it almost feels like he wrote it as a quick remedy, or tool, to use as part of his own writing activity. I found out about "The War of Art" when it was mentioned in a podcast by GTD guru David Allen. I have since read the book three times.

The main theme of the book is the concept of Resistance, and how it can interfere with the productive daily output of a practicing creative person. Pressfield wrote the book from the perspective of a writer, but it is easily applicable to virtually any art or creative form. It is an accessible and enjoyable read.

I won't attempt to divulge the details of the chapters, but if you want some insight into things like procrastination, fear and anxiety, remaining productive and basically how to just Get Down To It, this is an inspirational book.

Resources:

Amazon's Author Page for Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield's Website