6 Years Ago!

Gosh 6 years ago, before the darkroom trailer was scared with silver nitrate and other stains! The ice fishing tent is also for wet plate work, only used it a few times.

Beauty Emiily Carr Book

Got me a beauty Emily Carr book today, All her collected writing. She was such a talented painter and author! I have always found her work very inspiring. Her forest scenes have been a direct influence on the Ambrotypes of forest scenes for the Ambrotos Kanata project.

The book cost $2.25 CAD at the thrift shop but retails at $40!

Tying Down the Large Black Trays!!

I keep trying to streamline and lock down all the moving parts in the darkroom trailer. Its an ongoing battle. Here is how I am currently doing the large trays. Having some carpentry skills (boxes and table tops) is helping things a bit!

First trays to use.

Extra trays to use, you can never have enough of these babies!

New 6V Batteries for Fanny the Motor Home

Got 2 new 6v batteries for the motor home Fanny. The old ones were all used up and would not hold a charge. Cost was $480 CAD, got a $40 rebate on the old batteries.

The motor home has 4 batteries. A 12v motor/ignition battery, a 12 volt  in RV underneath box (2nd ignition battery? and generator starter battery). 2 6volt RV interior power batteries combined to create 12volt.

These batteries will help with longer boon-docking in remote locals while shooting AMBROTOS KANATA. 

The complicated battery wire hookup. I need to do a better job marking what wire goes where!

New Inverter Installed in Fanny

 

Put a new 2000 watt inverter in Fanny the motor home. The inverter changes battery DC power to AC power. It will create a backup power source in the RV and allow higher wattage items like a toaster or other appliances, while boon docking (no AC plug in). Cost $180, glad I got it working.

The inverter will help with longer boon-docking in remote locals while shooting AMBROTOS KANATA.  

2000w inverter placed behind the driver seat in the RV Fanny

Big Wet Plate Chemistry Order

Spent a bunch of money on AMBROTOS KANATA today, feel a bit bad about it, but it needed to be done. 200 grams of Silver nitrate and 2 litres of USP Collodion purchased. I have lots of Silver Nitrate but with the $72 in FED EX shipping costs I decided to order some more. The shipping cost remained the same with no silver or with 200 grams.

Total cost $1064 CAD, at lot of money when your retired and unemployed. I hope I can sell some plates this year to offset costs somewhat.

Mixed Up Some Collodion

Mixed up 2000ml of fresh Gerry Collodion Have some very old stuff which I will try to use but the new mix is more likely to work well. 

Note* The collodion turned orange/red fast, no yellow stage. That is probably because the USP Collodion is older. It should still be OK to use, but likely slower. I will order more USP Collodion.

Cadmium Bromide is Carcinogenic, so I wear the ventilator just to be safe.

Washing Glass, 11x14 and 14x14 Inch

The darkroom trailer is a wonderful working space. There is a peace here, free from distractions. I have a heater, lights , running water and cd player. Doing some glass cleaning tonight, while listening to some old films. 

Hopefully I can make some Ambrotypes on Friday!

Using the glass carrying boxes I made last year

Best Book Buy During Short Calgary Trip

17 Thrift Store book buys today. Best book is this wonderfully inspiring Claude Monet book. It was the last book of a long and tiring day (buses, 2 restaurants and 5 thrift shops, while lugging bags, a backpack and a cart). Sometimes an extra effort when your tired is rewarded!!! It will inspire me to make Ambrotypes. Got it free off points.

Best value was 6 books for 33cents a piece. Got a Obama, Aids in Africa, Lincoln, Berthe Morisot, Fish, Taliban books for $2.

GOTTA LOVE BOOKS!!

 

Note * ended up with 19, new/used books.

 

Love My Freddy

Working on. Freddy my wet plate trailer. Silver in, chemistry n, water in. painted counter done. Cleaning and remaining things I do not need to carry. Charging all batteries (4 lead acids).

Working on Freddy!

 

Quote: Bill Brandt (Photographer)

“Shameless Hussy”

My 33 cent book on Berthe Morisot. A creative person ahead of her time. Was reading how she outsold Monet, Sisley and Renoir at their 4 person Impressionist exhibition, 1875. How people derided their work, placed ridiculously low bids etc. Most of the exhibition sales were to friends and family. 

At the first public showing of the exhibition Renoir claimed someone yelled out “Shameless Hussy”, which was directed at Morisot.

First Day, 2 Flat Tires!!! on Fanny

Unlucky start! Got a flat tire, inner dually drivers side. Waiting on AMA to come and change  the tire. Will need to go get the tire repaired after. Bad luck screwing up the first day. Losing 4-5 hour on this.

Update. AMA DOES NOT CHANGE DUALLY INNER TIRES. WE WILL HAVE TO GET THE ENTIRE MOTORHOME TOWED TO A TIRE SHOP IN WETASKIWIN THEN REPAIRED THERE.

Big operation towing Fanny our class C motorhome.  Big tractor trailer truck plus a big tow truck and a 3/4 ton truck. 3 men, 3 large trucks. Just to take her to there repair shop 17 km away!!

They did a good job, very knowledgeable men in the field and at the Fountain Tire Shop. It took around 5 hours and cost $405 for the tire work, AMA covered the tow. 

One tire (inner dually) had a 10 inch gash in the tread, tire needed replacing, the second tire (outer dually) had a leaking stem valve, repaired. 

Overall the guys did a great job, thanks.

Fanny loaded on a semi truck trailer with b2 flat tires

Link: Victoria’s Camera Club Talk Confirmed!

Will do a ZOOM talk for the Victoria Camera Club on Thursday January 14, 2027. They will pay $250 CAD, money to be used to help the people in the pictures.

Victoria Camera Club

Albertina Collection Book

A large 700 page book filled with so many lovely and moving drawings/watercolours from the Albertina collection. Work from Michelangelo, to Goya, to Warhol, and so many artists I did not know. This is my favourite type of book, filled with creativity and beauty.

Thrift store find, $8.75 CAD.

Another Possible Talk, Victoria Camera Club

Another possible talk is shaping up. It looks like it will be a ZOOM talk withe the Victoria Camera Club. Possible date will be sometime in January, 2027.

Nothing set yet but if it happens that will be a little more food donation money for the people in the picture/projects.

Note, Now have one scheduled talk for the Kelowna Club, another one in Halifax (hope to do it live) and now this third in Victoria.

Nice Thrift Store Find

Found a vintage (1970s?) staple gun at a thrift store for $6.30 CAD, got me 5000; staples online for $5. A good deal, new staple guns run $40 plus. This one is better built, near indestructible.

Will use the stapler to attach the cloth to the silk screen frames I make. 

Motor Home Fanny Getting Ready

"Fanny" the motor home is getting ready for the road. Doing cleaning, adding batteries, water and even did some painting! Cleaned up a wall that had silver nitrate stains on it, a new coat of paint helps make things look cleaner. 

Also removed a bunch of stuff, mostly books, that were not required. Took the new cat SingSing for a look see in Fanny as well. She seems to handle the noise of the diesel engine better than Dimsum the male cat.

Hoping to take a 2 day trip to Calgary to test everything soon. Will travel without the darkroom trailer. Later on when the trailer "Freddy" is ready, will take both "Freddy and Fanny" out to make photos for the wet plate ambrotype project AMBROTOS KANATA. Hoping to do my first British Columbia photo making trip then.

Painted wall

Cleanup in progress

Attempting to Paint Darkroom Trailer Counter Top

Decided to paint my counter top (after sanding), in the wet plate darkroom trailer. The stains from Silver Nitrate were very bad, and anytime you touched the counter some of the black filth followed you. I decided to try a paint job. I got some old paint from the basement and did 2 coats, will do 1 more tomorrow.

Not sure this will work but it seems better so far. 

Note* I also did a bit of painting on one wall in Fanny the motor home, covering up some silver night stains there as well. Silver nitrate is NASTY, it gets on everything.

Paint attempt, second coat!

Silk Screen Art Making Plans

Been thinking of my sideline art, silk screen prints on paper. I will go it on my own at first, setting up an outdoors printing area. I have started to buy supplies. Am also going to make my own wooden screens to save money. I have always taught myself, am a self taught kinda guy and this latest art venture is no different.

If things go well and if I like the process and the art created, I might try printing on canvas. I could even at some future date submit the paintings for exhibitions. Lets see how things work out. Lots of questions yet!!

Another possibility is taking an advanced course at SNAP (Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists) here in Edmonton, after I teach myself the basics, and then using/renting their facilities during the winter months (when I cannot work at home, outside). That is assuming of course I become proficient enough at the process that they issue me access and a fob.  SNAP charges $198 CAD a month plus a membership cost. I think there an old fogey discount as well, that i should qualify for.

PS. Thank you Jim G, for introducing me to SNAP! 

https://snapartists.com/ 

SNAP facility

History Remembered

David Kirby was born in a small Ohio town, where he had a difficult adolescence due to his sexuality. After graduation, he moved to California, and he became an outspoken AIDS activist as the disease devastated the country in the 1980s. Then, he learned that he'd contracted HIV. Although he was estranged from his family at the time, Kirby called his parents and asked if he could come home to Ohio to die surrounded by his loved ones. After undergoing treatment at a local hospital, he was ultimately transferred to Pater Noster House, a hospice facility for AIDS patients.

 

He died there on May 5, 1990, at age 32 — but David Kirby's story wasn't over. A photojournalism student named Therese Frare had taken photos of Kirby on his deathbed, and one was published in "LIFE" later that year. Today, it's one of the most iconic images from the epidemic, and it revealed the true devastation of AIDS at a time when the disease was still largely misunderstood by the general public. Learn more about David Kirby and his tragic final moments.

 

photo by Therese Frare

Silkscreen Making Bible

Hope this helps on my silkscreen journey. Should be making prints of the photography this summer. Gathering supplies and knowledge, a fun side art thingy.

Link: 2 AMBROTYPES of the Plant Rejected

The 2 Ambrotypes I wrote of early were rejected by the Strathcona Art People. I was told that because I did not live in the region I did not qualify. Never mind that I worked over 30 years in the region and the facility was an integral part of the community. 

Nothing says art and the search for art like RULES RULES RULES. These people need to bend a few RULES to have a collection of art that really matters. As the Thais say "Up to Them!!"

This is the second rejection for this work. I guess it is not as strong as I feel. At least in the eyes of the art folk making the buying decisions.

 Link To Ambros offered for sale

Fanny and Freddy, Back to Life!

Getting the motor home FANNY ready for the AMBROTTPE making season. Working on the darkroom trailer FREDDY this week as well!

Tarps off, batteries in!!!!

 

Khun Dom, Memory

This picture of Khun Dom was posted 6 years ago on my FaceBook page. He is long gone, not sure if he passed on or just moved away. He sold YaBa tablets to passing Thais on motorbikes. A bit of an excentric fellow, but he was always nice to me.

His memory makes me wonder, who I will find under the freeway my next visit. Thais can be such good and kind people, I look forward to new friendships. 

Dom 58, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2019 

More Thrift Show Art Books

Today’s Thrift store art books. Total cost $9.79 CAD. The Pompeii book is especially interesting, which I got free, buy 4 (30% discount for old age), 5th is free.