As we bid farewell
to 2008, we thank you for another wonderful year, deeply
enriched by you as one of Kevin’s supporters and patrons.
Thank you so much!
And may you and
yours enjoy this holiday season and welcome a fine
2009!
In this issue we share a new
public commission … news about an upcoming event, a very
special auction and Kevin’s recent shows … and a strikingly
solid tool – read on!
Spirit of the Senses salon to offer an
unusual perspective of Kevin’s
work
Serve Your Senses
January 3 at Phoenix Event
In a double-header visual feast, Spirit of the
Senses will focus on the work of architect Kristine
Woolsey and Kevin Caron on Saturday, January
3, 2009. In a space where she has elevated the living
experience, Kristine will share her approach to adding value
to an environment beyond simple aesthetics or function, while
Kevin will talk about “seeing” sculptural elements as part of
the creative process as well as fulfilling other senses
through sculpture.
Spirit
of the Senses is a Phoenix-based arts and culture
organization that provides a forum for creative dialogue
and artistic expression in the Phoenix and New York areas.
Architect and professor Kristine Woolsey’s Woolsey
Studio has designed hundreds of restaurants, multi-family
public areas, museums, community centers and residences –
including Kevin’s own home, where this event will be
held.
“Kristine’s remodel of
our home is sculptural in its reverence for our unique
location and lifestyle, so it will be fascinating for her to
share her vision while people enjoy the reality of the space,”
Kevin says.
The salon starts at 4
p.m., affording a view of a sunset on Camelback Mountain. Please join us for this very special event. If you are
not currently a member of Spirit of the Senses and would like
to attend, the organization is extending a special offer to
you to attend for just $10. To make reservations, please call
602-906-0091 or email thesalons@cox.net
Wild Swiss to be Sold
at Contemporary Forum Auction
After an enthusiastic
reception, Wild
Swiss is about to find a home. The Contemporary Forum, a special
interest group of the Phoenix Art Museum, specifically
requested the piece for its Art Auction 2009. “We are
delighted,” says Contemporary Forum’s Elaine Goldman. Other
artists whose work has been sold through the auction include
Eric Fischl, Christo and Roy Lichtenstein.
Contemporary Forum is dedicated to promoting interest, knowledge and
understanding of contemporary art, through the purchase of
contemporary art for the Phoenix Art Museum, sponsorship of
exhibitions of contemporary art, and access for members to
artists, galleries, collectors and art educators. For more
information, visit http://www.contemporaryforum.org
October and November
were busy months for Kevin, with three
shows: Art on Boston‘s “Life” in Chandler, Arizona;
Kevin’s one-man show “Kid at Heart” in Scottsdale, Arizona;
and “Art From The Ashes” in Pasadena, California.
C-note, a chime introduced at the Kid at
Heart show
Kevin introduced new
pieces Loaded, C-note
and Duet
at the “Kid At Heart” show, which benefited Tumbleweed
Center for Youth Development. The youths exhibited
photography, sculpture and paintings at the show and even
demonstrated wood carving on Saturday. They sold four pieces
of their work, while Kevin sold six, with Tumbleweed receiving
10% of all sales during the show.
“Art From
The Ashes,” which featured work made from materials
salvaged from the California wildfires, was also a huge
success, raising $11,000 for META
(Making Education the Answer), which provides scholarships for
Hispanic youth. Kevin’s piece Ascension
sold to a Pasadena resident, and his bell Cheops
will be placed on the site of the warehouse from which the
materials were salvaged. “It’s very gratifying to know that in
some small way I am helping these wonderful organizations and
the people they serve,” says Kevin.
How Now
Kevin’s Howcast
home
It turns out that
Kevin’s supporters and YouTube viewers aren’t the only ones
who have been enjoying Kevin’s videos on YouTube’s Channel Kevin.
He was surprised and
delighted to be contacted by Howcast, which was chosen by Time
magazine as one of the 50 best sites of 2008. Kevin now has
his own channel there, too, featuring his videos on a wide
range of sculpting subjects.
While other sites,
including AOL, have picked up some of the videos, Kevin
will now be updating YouTube and Howcast regularly, and you
can always catch the latest video in Kevin’s video section
on the site.
In the latest video,
Kevin gives a tour of the inside of his plasma cutter, which he opened
so he could perform a “cablectomy,” and explains why he isn’t
wear safety glasses. Oh yeah, you don’t want to miss this one!
Check it out at https://kevincaron.com/videos.html.
WHAT’S THAT?
So often, people
see something in Kevin’s arsenal and say – well, you know.
“What’s That?” focuses on a subject that is dear to many
peoples’ hearts: tools…
Striking While the
Iron is Hard
As cold weather
finally arrives at Kevin’s studio, the forge becomes more and
more attractive – there’s nothing like a nice coal fire to
warm you up on a chilly Phoenix day (yes, there is such a
thing). And next to the forge is a tool that has been used
since the Bronze Age: the anvil.
Kevin’s favorite anvil, the Pine Bluff
Forge model
Kevin actually has two
anvils, an “everyday” one that sits outside near the forge,
and his favorite, a Pine Bluff Forge edition, which is
under cover in the shop proper.
The Pine Bluff Forge
company has been in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, since at least 1896.
That’s not a surprise, considering the quality of this
instrument, which has an unusual horn that swoops
upward.
Kevin bought the Pine
Bluff, and a handful of other blacksmithing tools, from
Western’s School of Horseshoeing, which closed after decades
in Phoenix. “I was sorry to learn that the school went the way
of the Old West, but I’m glad to give these tools a good
home,” he says.
There are as many
types and sizes of forges as people who use them, including
farriers, blacksmiths and metalworkers. One thing all anvils
have in common, though, is that they are harder than whatever
it is they are used to shape. Put that item between a hammer
and an anvil, and you know what will change! That’s probably why anvils are also a favorite of
cartoon characters who want to drop something decisive on an
enemy.
Kevin uses his
anvils to flatten pieces of steel that have developed
unwanted ripples after heating, to shape rings after heating
round stock, and bends metal.
For bending, he uses a hardie (also spelled “hardy”), any of a series of metal
tools that fits into a square hole on an anvil. In the photo
above, you can see the hardie hole on the face, or top, of the
anvil, toward the horn. To see photos of Kevin using a hardie,
visit the forge
page.
If you’d like to
know more about a specific tool, let us know – we might have
an answer. Email us at info@kevincaron.com
WHAT
ARE YOUR DREAMS?
If you’ve been looking
for a way to make life more joyful and peaceful for
yourself or a friend who seems to have everything, a
sculpture, fountain or garden bell might just be the answer.
Besides, you have an “in” – you know the artist! And it’s
easy: just email us at info@kevincaron.com or
call 602-952-8767.
Kevin is glad to
provide a free consultation at your site or, if you prefer,
you are welcome to visit his Phoenix studio. Just email us at info@kevincaron.com
or call 602-952-8767 – we’d love to see you!
————————————————————————————————-
For more frequent
news, sights and sounds, keep an eye on Kevin’s Web site at www.kevincaron.com, which
we update often.
————————————————————————————————-
If you enjoyed this
issue of MUSeINGS, or you know someone who is looking for a
special piece for home, work or as a gift for that person who
has everything, please forward it to your lucky
friend!
UNSUBSCRIBE
If you’re really sure you
don’t want to receive MUSeINGS anymore, we’ll miss you, but we
only want to send it to people who really want it. To
unsubscribe, just hit reply or email mary@kevincaron.com with
the subject “Unsubscribe MUSeINGS” with the email address to
be unsubscribed either in the header or in the body of the
email. Kevin’s lovely assistant will gladly fulfill your every
wish (OK, just this one, but that’s one, anyway!).
————————————————————————————————-
CONTACT US: Kevin Caron – 5831 N. 46th Pl. –
Phoenix AZ 85018-1236 – 602-952-8767 – info@kevincaron.com –
www.kevincaron.com
