Make Work: Fifth installment 'Slammed for Christmas for the first time'

This time of year usually is slow for me. I am taking time off to enjoy with family and chasing new leads (which are dead until the middle of January). This year has been different, I attribute some of that to the new found capacity in the equipment that i am using. I am also planning to do some trade shows to showcase the ability of my company. As I write this short blog post, I am racking my brain as to what I need to be making, installing, who I should be calling and where I need to be. This all is a good problem to have, better that taking mandatory time off!

Pics of current projects to come!

Aaron

Make Work: fourth installment 'Promised Pics'

As I promised in the last post, pics from the machinery that I purchased with the Make Work funds. I have posted only a few due to the fact that not all pics have been recovered. One thing that I cannot speak enough about, my work has changed and evolved due to having more advanced and sophisticated equipment to aid in making my work come alive. I also have another bit to share, due to the increased ability in the shop, I have been able to hire on one new employee to help with making these projects come to reality. I have organized the shop better, taken on more complex projects and will be marketing new designs at various international shows in the next 1-2 years. Pictures of these projects are just the beginning, many more to follow.

Make Work: Third installment 'Three jobs in'

With three jobs in, I am seeing how the new equipment in the shop has improved and pushed the limits beyond where my company once stood. Once I got all the equipment assembled and wired in, my business advisor came by and commented 'you look like a legit shop now' with a snicker look. That comment is not too far from the truth though. Before, I was using borrowed tools, using other shops (thanks guys!) and was all around pretty inefficient. Now, things have changed. I have even had the opportunity to hire on a few part-timers. Hopefully they will convert to full timers God willing! With all this to say (without pictures) I plan to get some professional pictures of three major installs that will be sure to impress.

Thanks again Makework, you have changed my shop.

Pics on the next post, promise!

Make Work: second installment. 'Design is everywhere'

Design is everywhere. Everything is designed. I have given this a lot of thought lately and it seems a little invasive how everything is designed. Not only are things designed, but they are designed around us. Imagine, for a moment, that everyone had only one leg. Everyone. We were all born with one leg. How would that change most design around us? Pants, cars, bicycles, beds, toilets, seats, furniture, stairways..... you get my point. The point of that is to show how all things are designed; humans, government, houses, cups, sheets, condoms, pictures, electronics, sunglasses...... This point is to show how all things are started with a design. A design must be initiated by a designer. Now to my final point, designers start it all. God was and is a designer. Michelangelo was a designer, Hitler was a designer, Warhol, Wright, Ford, Shakespeare, Napoleon; all designers. They designed something around an idea, whether good or bad. All things are designed, designers start it all.

Now on to a few tangibles;

Make Work has changed my shop. Since being confirmed to receive a portion of the grant, I have settled with a fine slew of tools. These tools have improved the speed of the shop and I have taken on larger, more complex projects. As of just today, I am installing a job that would have been only a dream with the tools I had before. Thank you Make Work, I shall praise you with pictures of my work.

Aaron Cabeen

Neat artist that uses X-ray...

Check this out, really neat approach to the view below the surface.

http://www.nickveasey.com/

Make Work: first installment ' Why does Art matter?'

August 2010

'Why does Art matter?'

Art. Art. It's a funny word when you think of it. You have Michelangelo's work considered 'art', then you have a 'arts and crafts' store. You had the 'arts and crafts' movement. Art is unexplainable to me. Ask anyone what art is, I always get the question back, 'what is art?' I have heard it dubbed 'truth and beauty', if it can be dumbed down to that.

But the question that I will attempt to answer (at least from my point of view) is 'why does art matter?' Well, why does it? Do we really need it? Is it essential? On one level, no. We need three basic things; food, clothing and shelter (all three of those are art forms too though). But I believe that this question goes a little deeper than this. What chord does it strike in all of us? How deep do we let that go? Where do we go to expose ourself to beauty.

Art matters to me because I need it. I need the offensive art to reset my thinking. I need the easy, feel good art to feed my soul and heart. I even need the bad art to remind me that there is still good art out there. I need art that is safe and unsafe. I need art that is nice and mean, I need art that has a story. I need art that has a person behind it. It gets me into my community, shows me my prejudices and how I too often judge people on who they are not. I need art, because it reminds me that it is for everyone, free to all.

At some point or another, life is hard. Hard for everyone. The tough times in life come to people and those times are not partial to race, gender, socioeconomic bracket, geographic placement or religion. There really is no such thing as constant comfort, even though we try. I truly believe that art can serve as the oasis in our times when things are tough. We look for beauty when things are ugly in life. Some can find that in a painting, music, dance, possibly even in their woodwork (shameless plug). Art is there to lift our thoughts, our spirits. It serves a purpose that is necessary. I need art, even when I may not want it.

So, to end this post about 'why does art matter?', I would like to add that even if art is not an important aspect to your life, it is still needed. Everyone needs beauty, everyone.

Aaron Cabeen

First Blog post, your life is now complete.

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