I'm teaching a one day laser- cut textiles class on February 2nd at AS220 and there are still some spots available. 

Sign up now if you want to learn!

Starting,

FLOWERCLOUDS. Still finishing the etsy listings 

and working on the website, but here's 

a facebook page, if you "like" those things. 

On it!

Sorry for the lapse in communication. Look for my new work at Craftland in Providence this Friday and at the RISD Alumni Sale on December 8th at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Thanks to Rah Adio of Wood Pusher Skate Shop, Andrea Schwalm of Wired magazine, Alex Schein of Skyhunter Media and the New School, and all the folks who are subscribing to my youtube channel!

LASERCUTTER

My future arrived! I am now the proud owner of a lasercutter and I'm starting a textile business, launching in late September at the World Maker Faire in New York!

Headband plus earrings

I only noticed after making the necklace

that the headband + the earrings

roughly equal the necklace.
(pompoms and lasercut fabric
on a computer cable)

Women on Money

The top two are new drawings-- ballpoint pen on dollars.

Fest

I gave up and it felt so good.

The first half of the day has been comically disappointing, but I'm not going to let that prevent me from enjoying the second half. I highly recommend patronizing the party supply store in Olneyville Square, (the one between Kennedy Fried Chicken and Keystone Printing.) They were so kind to me today.

Probably yes

I like thinking with my hands through play.

This necklace says MAYBE ANYTHING PROBABLY YES
Thanks to Kelly Eident for the acrylic, and Mike McCarthy for the photo.

Corpus Callosum

I made a poster for the show tomorrow at 186 Carpenter Street in Providence. Corpus Callosum is on tour all the way from San Francisco, and Speaker For The Dead is joining them for some New England dates. Corpus Callosum has an amazing glass harmonium of tuned wine glasses (okay, not a true harmonium but SUPER INSPIRING nonetheless) , accordion, mandolin, guitars, percussion, voices, bells, and found objects. It should start by 8:30 and be over by 10:00, and I guarantee it will be a lovely time!

Corpus Callosum - Lullaby #2 from Dax Tran-Caffee on Vimeo.

Y'oughtta

laser- cut, spray- painted, and glued for a blue friend

Lightness

Usually, I am a cyclist or a pedestrian. Never have I owned a car, though for about a year I borrowed one from my family. I can't say that I've had the smallest carbon footprint because I have flown over 200 times so far.  Being above clouds is a familiar sight to me. I took this several weeks ago on the way home from California.

Roger Williams Park is certainly the hidden gem of Providence. It covers more than 400 acres and was landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers over a hundred years ago. (Frederick Law Olmsted the elder was the landscape architect for Central Park in New York City.) I like to visit the Temple to Music, the lakes, the Botanical Center, the Japanese Garden, the Museum of Natural History, the carousel, and the stables for the police horses. I took this photo there recently. 

I especially enjoy throwing sticks into the lakes when the surfaces are at least partially frozen because it can produce a good fake laser sound, like a tightly- stretched  spring reverberating inside a tube. 

Lately I am elated about actualizing a couple dreams. One has to do with music, and one has to do with a lasercutter. You'll hear more about it soon.

Fireworks and Honeysuckle

July Fourth in New York


Booming mortar ignitions 
black powder combusting 
rolling thunderous echoes
shooting sounds, sounds like shooting. 


inconsistent hammering 
walking on bubble wrap
resonating snaps pouring like lead shot 
cracking
staccato flashes
screaming
shrieking
loud silence
fading ghosts in every direction


Floating in a sulfurous haze
the bashful, blushed peach of a moon
hidden in plain sight.


To ride in a plane this very day,
below the clouds above here
witness to a neutral war
populated with flowers of light

Laser- cut diner placemat doodles as prototypes for AS220's 
soon- to- arrive Shopbot!

Some work in Warren

I have a piece on display at the Imago Foundation for the Arts in Warren. My "Swing for singing" is in the "Love in June" show. The swing was recently at AS220's Pop- Up Gallery on Westminster Street in Providence. I really like the direction this piece is going in, and you should check it out if you're nearby. I'll be making a costume to wear when performing on it, eventually. Photos soon.

Textile toys

My niece and nephew turned one yesterday so I made for them some textile playthings.

2 doodles

I just returned from a month in California visiting family, friends, 
digital fabrication spaces, and exhibiting at the Maker Faire. 
Sketchbooks are convenient to work with when traveling. The 
stationary store in the Kinokuniya Mall always yields new drawing 
tools and I like using ballpoint pens in soft, brushy ways. That red 
text above actually says, "Good people disobey bad laws."

Back in Providence, I'm playing around in the shared studio 
downtown. New friend Paul Brazio gave us each storyboarding 
moleskines. I made this image with pencil shavings and tape.

More and bigger

I made another pair of pom pom earrings. To make them yourself, follow the technique demonstrated in my most recent tutorial video, but make some smaller batches of pom poms in a variety of diameters to create a gradient of sizes for the finished jewelry project. To build the earrings just tie the pom poms onto existing hoop earrings utilizing the longer belts that should still be hanging off of each pom pom. If you accidentally cut off the belts, use a needle and thread to securely sew the pom poms to the hoop earring (simply around the metal or plastic.)
Ask questions if you have any! 

A neat reference is the book,  Tassels: The Fanciful Embellishment by Nancy Welch.

A new studio to work in! This one is for animation and collaboration

Flameworked glass and lasercut textiles,
some glass bees, eyes, and beaks for birds

MAKER FAIRE!

I'll be exhibiting again at the Bay Area Maker Faire on May 19th and 20th. This will be my tenth Maker Faire! (Six in the Bay, two in New York, one in Austin, and one in Rhode Island!) 

If you're able to go, DO!

Medium Format Polaroid

Graham Wheeler took these photos of me. 
He also recorded my pom pom tutorial!

How to Make Multiple Pom Poms!

WATCH THIS IN HIGHER RESOLUTION! Select 1080p under the cog icon!

AS220 Labs Spring classes

תודה על כל מה שבראת

Follow this link to hear a song I recorded!

In case you didn't know, I like to sing, I like harmonizing, and I like layering vocals. I'm trying to figure out more about recording.

This is part of a Hebrew song I learned in fifth grade. I translate it as:

Thanks for all that's been created.

Thanks for all I have been given:

for the the laugh of a child,

and the blue sky;

for the Earth,

and a warm house;

a corner to sit in,

a woman to love--

because after all

I am alive.




This is how I learned it:

Olivia Horvath and Katrina Clark  invited folks to draw on the walls during last week's Coffee Club as part of their installation in the gallery at 186 Carpenter Street (here in Providence.)

I drew with some super new markers from Texas. That sign was already there.

Hey, Jess.

More Women on Money

Ballpoint pen, I've been at it again.

Also, these are from a little while ago.

I'll be teaching Laser- cut Textiles again at AS220 on February 18th and 19th from noon to 6 P.M. both days. This is the last chance to take the class for $90!

OCCUPY PVD

A day shelter will be for everybody, not only people who are homeless.

WHAT IS UP! (this week in Providence)

Lately I focus a lot of time and energy on things like this:

http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Occupy-Providence/275d0b19e6db4c5baff3ec4aa2bb039e/2/0

Lasercut Textile Class

I'll be teaching another Laser-cut Textiles class at AS220 in Providence on January 21st and 22nd, from noon to 6 on both days! Sign up here, $90 for 12 hours, (just $7.50 an  hour!)


http://as220.org/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=23_142&products_id=823


Here's a post about the last class, with some photos!

I laser-cut and hand- sewed these plant forms, and lampworked the glass components.

Arrowheads

Jed Shepler of Houston, Texas found lots of beautiful old glass in various archaeological digs, and knapped these splendid arrowheads. I think this is definitely one of the most wonderful things I have ever received in the mail. 

Jed, thank you!

Holiday gifts

I like making special orders for holiday gifts. Here are some flameworked glass and silver earrings , and a "Pollination" brooch.

When the pieces are worn, the glass bees seem to hover around the floral forms.

Do watch.

My Bloody Eye

You can break blood vessels in your eye just from sneezing or coughing too hard. I was lying down in a sauna when I sneezed. The combination of increased circulation and the sudden burst of pressure caused some vessels to rupture, but it didn't hurt or affect my vision. (I didn't even realize for almost an hour!) Apparently, it's pretty common, so don't be scared if you puke or go bungee jumping and come up with a bloody eye. It heals itself and there are no meds for it. Using Visine or other "cures" can slow the healing process.

Photo by Dave Fischer/ cca.org

This is what it looked like when it first happened. What a shock to find in the mirror!

Don't forget to nerd out, OFFLINE.

Handmade Nation Screening and Peru FAB7 experience share

This Wednesday, December 14th from 7- 10 PM

at the AS220 Labs (on Martha Street next to the AS220 Printshop)

I'll be hosting a screening of Handmade Nation, Faythe Levine's documentary about contemporary DIY craft in the U.S. 
Locals also featured in this film are The Dirt Palace, and Deb Dormody of general awesomeness (If'n Books and Marks and Craftland.)

The movie is one hour long and will be preceded by a slideshow about FAB7, the fascinating international digital fabrication conference that took place this past August in Peru. The screening  will be followed by a conversation about the importance of DIY, and how Fab Labs are facilitating that all over the world! 

Snacks and drinks will be provided!

I made a swing!

Glass Rain

Last year I began flameworking thin pieces of borosilicate glass to sculpt raindrops. I assembled lots of pieces to construct these "Glass Rain" installations.

I installed a Glass Rain chandelier at the offices of the Rhode Island State House over the summer. It was on display in the Atrium Gallery for August and September.

This piece was about ten feet high, five feet deep, and four feet wide. The glass drops look so realistically watery when they're full of light!

Lasercut Textile Class at AS220

The weekend before Halloween I taught a class about lasercutting textiles at AS220's digital fabrication laboratory .

Every person in the class had attended RISD or taught at RISD, so we had quite a wealth of knowledge and experience. Everyone contributed so much!

Mary Beth Cryan tied lasercut tabs on a rayon blouse.

Katy Westcott lasercut bubble wand shapes and assembled jewelry with the pieces.

Erika Tazberik lasercut hand- drawn patterns in silk.

Katy Dika also lasercut beautiful patterns in fabric.

I made a sample to demonstrate thinking in three dimensions with two- dimensional components.

Matt Obert stopped in the lab and showed off a handmade Halloween costume. He spent days cutting his leaves with scissors!