8/01/21 - I've been away from this Blog for 2 years now, and it's time to fire it up again. I'm trying to rebuild my Web presence, so I've come back to this Blog to record the Work-In-Progress in my shop/studio. I hope to provide an irregular, periodic update of whatever I'm currently working on. For more information about my work, you can go to my Web Page, which then also leads to a Gallery of all my completed work. Check it out, if you haven't already.

       As background, I am 80 years old, and my work is quite eclectic; I spent a career as a scientist/college professor, but I have always nurtured a love of art and craft. I am drawn to a number of media, styles, and techniques. My work ranges from detailed scale models (trains and diorama scenes) to larger fantasy clay sculpture (Gnomes, animals, and people).

Just a Carrot, but no Stick

This is a new, small, 1" scale (1/12) Diorama I put together recently. It depicts a young woman trying to coax a donkey to move along. The donkey is a modified commercial item, with many added details, including a real leather harness, a saddle frame, and a load of sticks, lemons, and potatoes.
         The woman is one of my original one-off sculptures, painted in acrylics. The base is a simple piece of foam, with a small stone wall, and dirt/grass cover. Both the donkey and the woman are mounted on brass rods, and are removable from the base for use elsewhere. 

This diorama is for sale. Contact me for details. cspirito41@gmail.com

Rolling-Ball Sculpture #3 (RBS-3) Part ONE

     For the past few months, I have been sculpting, molding, and casting figures in 7/8"/ft. scale (1/13.7). I am now selling these to Garden Railroad Hobbyists on my website. Take a look...    www.carlospirito.com/figures.html 

   But now, I have the urge, once again, to build a big, complex rolling-ball machine (sculpture?). I want to try to design something very different from others I have built. The first step is to design a mechanism to get the balls up to the top, after which Gravity will do all the work. I used a "spiral lifter last time, so this time I want to try an "arm-lifter". 

   After lots of Youtube Research, sketching, and measuring, I came up with the following. The video shows an early mock-up of the lifter, made from "Foamcore". It falls apart after 15 seconds, but does show that the design works. For a larger version of the video, go to   https://youtu.be/KuOBN8B7qEg 

Next, I'll move on to a better wood and metal "Proof-of-Concept" model. Stay tuned...

Back in the Shop/Studio

Taking a little break after the big Skyship Project, I cobbled together a TOOL CADDY for my workbench. It holds my most-used tools, and can be carried to any work area. Made from  wood scraps, cut on table saw, glued together.

Skyship ERIS - Part 7 (March, 2019)

POST-PRODUCTION:  After Gary finished the beautiful photos in Post #6, I sent copies to my son Paul. He did some post-production magic in software, and came up with the beautiful renditions shown below.

Remember, There have now been 7 Posts in this series. Scroll all the way down to #1, and work your way back to the here.

SkyShip ERIS in her natural environment, searching for new adventures.

This is a design that might have been found in one of Leonardo DaVinci's Notebooks.

Skyship ERIS - Part 6 (March, 2019)

THE COMPLETED MODEL...  The Skyship ERIS model is now finished. I completed all the little details and touched-up all the little paint chips, and here she is. I thank my friend, Gary Lowell, at Chase The Sun Creative Media for taking the beautiful photos below. 

There have been 6 Posts in this series. One more is coming. Scroll down to #1 and work your way back to the top.

Now, I'll take a little break, and decide what my next big creative adventure will be. 
Thanks for looking... Carlo

Skyship ERIS - Part 5 (February, 2019)

THE GNOME CREW:  The Skyship ERIS is owned and operated by a large, extended "nation" of Gnomi living in Northwestern Italy. In Italian; Gnomo/Gnoma, singular  Gnomi plural. They are divided into a group of autonomous clans, but come together for large celebrations and projects like building and using their fleet of skyships. To learn more about "Gli Gnomi" (Italian Gnomes), go to  Italian Gnome History and Culture

A typical Gnomo is about 2-3 feet tall, and has a stocky, heavy-boned stature. They are proportionately very strong and quick for their size. Each clan is led by the male and female elders, usually a married couple. A Shaman guides and advises on the spiritual aspects of gnome life.

On the skyship ERIS, a small, fast explorer vessel, there is a crew of 5; Il Capitano (leader), Il Guarda Fuori (lookout/navigator), and 3 other crew members, who tend to the engines and gas generator.

Il Capitano: Leader of the crew, and master of his skyship. He dresses according to his station, and stands at the controls, ready to guide his ship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most of the crew were too busy, but we caught Luciano on a break, singing and playing his concertina.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Otto is the "Guarda Fuori" (Lookout) and Navigator of the skyship. He can usually be found in his Crow's Nest with his maps and telescope, plotting the ship's next movements.

The Crow's Nest, seen from above. Notice the maps, a telegraph key,
and the radiophone, used for talking with the capitano, below on deck.

Finally, a larger view, showing the Crow's Nest atop the balloon, a rope ladder, and wires for connecting the radiophones.