Graduation pieces - nearly there

[Des.K.]

Have been flat out preparing for the College's graduation display in a couple of weeks, and have just about finished, so I thought I'd like to show what I've been up to.

The first photo is a pair of shoji and ranma I completed a couple of months ago. This was taken just after I finished them - they're now safely wrapped up and the shoji paper will be added a day or two before the display. The ranma is a simple hitoe-bishi (single diamond) with asa-no-ha pattern, and the shoji are hitoe-kozu (single kozu) with an asa-no-ha base.

The second photo is the most complex piece I've tried - mitsu-kumite (three-way diamond) with asa-no-ha (hemp) and goma (sesame) pattern. It's in its final glue-up stage, and will be cleaned up tomorrow, then safely stored until the big day.

College virtually finishes for me after the display until the graduation ceremony on 20 March. Then it's back to the Gold Coast, completely restock my workshop with machinery (doing my bit for the Aus economy, and it is going to be so much fun :D), and try and work out how best to market what I've learnt over the past twelve months. And the best part of all is that there'll no more of the stuff in photo 3 (taken outside the workshop window at the College).

Thanks for looking.

Des

[Mauro]

Des, gorgeous work, quite impressive.:brava

[Juffy]

:oo:

Any chance of some closeups of the second piece? It's right purty. :2tsup:

[Old farmer]

Des, please pardon my ignorance. Are they screens? Beautiful work.

[Des.K.]

Thanks Mauro, Juffy and OF.

The photo below is one I took before I put it in its main frame.

Old farmer, the shoji screens fit into rails or grooves and are used as window coverings or doors/partitions/dividers. When the paper is attached it gives a very soft lighting effect. The ranma are transom windows, and, where fitted, they're normally installed above shoji screen doors as a decorative element between rooms.

Sorry about the poor photo settings, but the workshop is full of junk and other stuff and there aren't too many decent places to take a photo.

Des

[Mauro]

Des, It'd be interesting to know how you went about making them.

[Des.K.]

Mauro

I did a work-in-progress on some shoji windows in September here (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=78780) which gives a run-down on the kozu pattern. The diamond shapes in these pieces involve the same sort of cuts, but all at set angles and this time removing two-thirds of the thickness of the individual kumiko. And accuracy has to be exact, or else they won't fit together. The actual asa-no-ha is simply an exercise in patience where one piece is cut almost all the way through, then bent over and a smaller piece inserted into the opened kerf to hold it all together.

Des

[artme]

Des they are both gorgeous and elegant!! :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[Wongo]

Des beautiful. Well done mate.

[prozac]

Very delicate looking work Des. Well done.

[orraloon]

That really is very intricate work. I see why it is an exercise in patience. Is it all done with hand tools?
Regards
John

[AlexS]

Des, we've greatly appreciated your posts. Is there any chance that when you come back to Oz, you'll run classes to pass on what you've learned?

[BobR]

What AlexS said. I am really impressed. Beautiful work!!!! :2tsup::2tsup:

[Des.K.]

Thanks artme, Wongo, prozac, orraloon, Alex and Bob.

I used the tablesaw, jointer, thicknesser and super surfacer to get all the pieces to their proper dimensions, then all the cutting of the frame miters and individual pieces (kumiko) was done by hand.

Alex, that is one of the things I'll be looking at in the long term, but first I'll need to build up a bit of credibility before I start on that.

Finished it this morning, again, sorry about the crappy photo, but there really isn't anywhere here with enough free space to take half decent photos. It's now safely tucked away until the 28th. And one bonus is that I had enough spare kumiko to make a couple of coasters for SWMBO's parents up here. That should keep me in the good books, for a short time at least :)

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Des

[prozac]

The coasters are a great show of your work Des because they are more tactile. The user can handle and view in detail the craftsmanship involved in creating it.

[Des.K.]

Thanks prozac. The handy thing about the coasters is that they make nice gifts, and it's a way of using up all the spare kumiko - quite a few extra kumiko have to be cut because of the inevitable breaks when cutting/fitting.

This weekend the College has its graduation displays, and mine are now hanging safely on the wall.

Des

[Basilg]

:DDes

Excellent work. :2tsup: Re comments from Alex I would suggest you have the credibility to start on the teaching already, simply by reference to what you have completed.

Sturt has one week courses, both in Winter and Summer Student numbers for each course are usually fairly small which would mean it would not be too threatening for a teacher. The contact is Head of Sturt : Megan Patey [email protected] They are likely to be putting together the program for Summer 2010 right now. Don't wish to sound pushy but that is only because I am :D & would be a definite starter and you can quote me on that

[prozac]

Seeing the screens together makes more sense to me now. Absolutely exquisite work.

[Whit68]

Beautiful work Des they look awesome.

regards
Anthony

[artme]

:o:o:o Droool!! :groupwave::way2go:

[Des.K.]

Thanks Basilg, prozac, Anthony and artme.

Have a 30 minute presentation of my report tomorrow followed by some questions from the teaching staff, and that's it :yippy:. It's all over

Then it's off to Kyoto with the other postgrad students and the first years for a few days to do some "research". One of the carpenter toryo (master carpenter) wants to do some serious drinking during the trip, and far be from me to go against an instructor's wishes :D

Graduation ceremony on 21st, then back to the sunny warmth of the Gold Coast.

Thanks all for the comments

Regards
Des

[Basilg]

Des

I am envious of your trip to Kyoto & the fun I am sure you will be having drinking o'cha ( or is some other fluid involved !:D )
During my last trip I was taken for a day trip to Kyoto by the firm I was working for. It was a good day, but the chap who was in charge started to get a bit annoyed with this henna gaijin who kept disrupting his all important schedule by wandering off in total oblivion to all except the woodwork. I am pleased to say I managed to make up over more that a few sakes & he took me to a tool shop from heaven the next day!!

Have a great time, & don't misbehave too much!!