Kevin is enjoying a particularly beautiful Arizona spring. “The cool mornings and evenings are perfect bookends to these balmy days,” Kevin says. “I wish we could bottle it for summer!” Still, he’s plenty busy with four events in April.
On Friday, April 9, Kevin is participating in Masterpieces and Martinis, a fundraiser for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix, a nonprofit group that enriches the community by connecting business and the arts. ABCGP is auctioning off artists’ and celebrities’ “doodles” at this fun event, which is an after work cocktail party celebrating the work of ABCGP and the Junior League of Phoenix in providing tools and programs to help the nonprofit arts/cultural and health and human services community.
“I’m very excited about participating,” Kevin says. Join him and the other celebrants from 5:30 – 8 p.m. by visiting www.martinisandmasterpieces.org.
Genome Project, showing at Vision Gallery
The following Friday, April 16, Kevin will be at a free reception at Vision Gallery during Chandler’s Art Walk. The reception will be held at the gallery, where some of his pieces are being exhibited, at 80 S. San Marcos Place from 6 – 8 p.m. “It’ll be fun to visit with people who’ve seen my work,” says Kevin. “We hear there have been some interesting comments about the Genome Project.” For more information, call 480-917-6859.
The next evening, Saturday, April 17, Kevin is joining the folks from AZCulture.com at a Meet the Artist Event at Jon and Alicia Crumpton’s home, which is nestled at the base of South Mountain at 2502 E. Valley View Dr. in Phoenix. Artists of all types will be gathering for the opportunity to sell and exhibit their work as well as to share ideas about strengthening the Valley arts community. There will be food, wine, music, art, good people and interesting conversation. For more information, contact Alicia at adc1@2catsconsulting.com or 602-451-8320.
Finally, Kevin will get a night off as his lovely assistant, Mary Westheimer, presents “The Art of Marketing Art” for Art League West on Wednesday, April 21. She’ll share how artists can reach patrons and build name recognition online and off-. The event, which is being held at PebbleCreek in Goodyear, Arizona, is free for ALW members and $5 for non-members. For more information, contact Linda Lewis at lindalewis_artist@cox.net or 623-536-0405.
We look forward to seeing you at one – or more – of these events!
“I love sharing my space with groups such as these,” Kevin says. “They ask such interesting questions – I always learn something, too!”
School Project Brings Magic
Hopi Elementary chandelier
After serving as artist-in-residence on projects at Rancho Santa Fe and Litchfield Park elementary schools (creating the Bronco Brand Birch and Mighty Owl Oak, respectively), Kevin gladly agreed to help a fourth grade class at Hopi Elementary School in his own neighborhood.
Dynamo mom Barbara Halden had found a project in which some of the school’s fourth-grade students could use old barrel hoops and babyfood jars to create a chandelier. Could Kevin help with the barrel-hoop frame? “Sure,” Kevin replied, although he’d have to substitute new metal for the barrel hoops. Just two days later, though, his sister-in-law called and asked, “You wouldn’t have any use for some barrel hoops, would you?”
The students took care of the candleholders made of jars and then some of them and their parents came to Kevin’s studio to assemble the frame. The chandelier will be sold during the Hopi annual auction. “This project came together beautifully,” observes Kevin.
In the Studio: Cruisin’ Along
Cruisin’s door frame is nearly completed
Kevin has been making great progress on a new commission, Cruisin’, an all-weather sculptural door and railings, for a couple in Flagstaff, Arizona. “Flagstaff is at 6,900 feet, so it has very intense weather,” explains Kevin. The couple loves the outdoors and are avid bicyclists – they’ve cycled across the United States and Spain. To watch Cruisin’s progress, visit its own page and photo gallery.
Meanwhile, he continues work on the Klein bottle and what he has taken to calling the flame (it still hasn’t gotten a formal name). Check out the Klein bottle and the flame on their own pages.
The other project that’s been occupying some of Kevin’s time, energy and focus is improvements to the studio itself. Built in 1947 as an automotive repair garage, it has lots of character. “We’ve heard great stories about the place,” Kevin says. While he is preserving its quirky charm, Kevin has slowly but surely been improving the facility. During the past four years, he has replaced the roof and electrical system, opened up the office area, and expanded the tool room.
With the help of his friend and handyman extraordinaire Michael DiGiacomo of Copperstate Handyman Services, he has also been adding walls with the ultimate goal to enclose his main work area. Mike and Kevin erected posts on the north exposure in preparation for three large rollup doors, which were installed March 31. They also are rebuilding the north end of the east wall, which includes an indoor/outdoor workbench for Kevin’s wonderful tenant, Adrian.
The studio’s new rollup doors
It’s all in time for summer, which in Arizona is always a challenge, especially when you’re adding your own heat by welding and wearing heavy clothing for safety. “I’ll continue to improve the studio,” Kevin says, “but enclosing the work area is a major step forward.”
To see the latest photos of the studio improvements, visit the Studio Photo Gallery. And stay tuned for more pictures of the latest improvements.
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 people’s hearts: tools….
Staying Grounded
You know you’ve been welding a lot when the ground clamp on your welder melts. “I just wasn’t getting a good ground one day,” Kevin recalls. “When I checked my clamp, I could see why.” The clamp attaches to the metal you are welding to provide a good ground. This time, it just got too hot.
An “old-fashioned” welding ground clamp …
… and a new style magnetic ground
When Kevin went to buy a replacement, however, he discovered there is something new under the sun in welding. Rather than the traditional spring-loaded clothespin clamp, a new magnetic clamp is now available.
“This is a real advancement,” Kevin says after using his new ground for a couple of weeks. Rather than having to find an area where he can affix the top and bottom jaws of a clamp, Kevin just needs a small flat surface to which he can attach the magnet. This ground attaches to the welder the same way as the traditional clamp.
There are various versions of magnetic grounds, including two magnets that attach top and bottom, and ones with different amperage ratings. Kevin purchased a Rigid 300 amp version (shown), which uses a powerful rare earth magnet.
You set the magnet on the metal surface that will serve as your ground. Once you turn the knob on top of the unit, the magnet holds fast to the surface. There’s no fumbling to make sure you get a good ground – you’ve got it with a simple twist of the wrist.
You can get this sort of ground at Home Depot – in fact, it looks like they no longer even carry the now-old-fashioned clamps! Learn more at the Home Depot site.
If you’d like to
know more about a specific tool, material or process, let us know. Email
us at info@kevincaron.com
SOMETHING SPECIAL JUST FOR YOU
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 info@kevincaron.com or
call 602-952-8767 to arrange for a private complimentary consultation. Or contact us if you would simply like to visit Kevin’s studio – he’d love to give you a personal tour.
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For more frequent
news, sights and sounds, keep an eye on Kevin’s Web site at www.kevincaron.com, which
we update often.
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CONTACT US: Kevin Caron – 5831 N. 46th Pl. –
Phoenix AZ 85018-1236 – 602-952-8767 – info@kevincaron.com –
www.kevincaron.com
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“Inspired sculpture for public & private
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