ENAMELING UP CLOSE // Learn How to Make Champlevé Jewelry In 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 Class

We're back with the second in our series of posts highlighting the techniques that you'll learn in 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 class. We started out with cloisonné and now we'll take a look at champlevé!

Champlevé involves carving out or casting a piece of metal so that there are recesses in its surface. These recesses are then filled with enamel and then fired in a kiln. The technique was first popularized in La Tène, a style of early Celtic art during the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC.

Below you can take a look at the creation of a champlevé piece by jewelry maker Kira Scott, a friend of 3rd Ward teacher Max Goodman. Check out more of Scott's work on her blog and AnimaMetals Etsy page.

Want to create your own champlevé jewelry? Learn how in Enameling 2!

-- John Ruscher

BIKE & DESIGN // Bridget Fleming of downtownfrombehind

For Bike Month, we’re bringing you a series of conversations at the intersection of cycling, art and design. This is our last entry!

Our favorite downtownfrombehind shots

Downtownfrombehind has all the essentials of an addictive blog: authentic street shots, interesting people, unique and personal fashion...and lovely bikes! Think of your favorite fashion blog—filled with funny, sexy, and classy people—on two wheels, and you’ve got this. Every shot is an inspiration and now the founder, Bridget Fleming, tells us what inspires her.

3rd Ward: How did you get involved with cycling?

Bridget Fleming: I was four when I unwrapped my first bike; it was red with a white basket. Twenty plus years later, I collected the cheapest bike I could find on Craigslist from Staten Island in the middle of a New York winter. It’s red, it has a white basket, and I think I left it locked on Grand Street in Soho.

3W: What do you love about it?

BF: It’s a great alternative to walking or taking the subway. It’s green and a fun day out with friends. Below 14th street, the city is relatively bike-friendly.

3W: Are you finding anything out about the types of people who cycle through your project?

BF: Most of the people photographed for the project are creatives, most moved to New York for their career and most own a bike.

3W: Why “Downtown from Behind”?

BF: It’s every street below 14th, so essentially 'downtown', always photographed of a subject riding their bike from behind. The name, Downtownfrombehind, stuck.

3W: What have you learned through the project?

BF: Where the sun will be on almost any street at any given time of the day below 14th.

3W: Anything about the relationship between art and cycling?

BF: I think there is a close relationship between art and many day-to-day objects and tasks. I am definitely more aware of the art in bike design since working on this project.

3W: Why are the photos from behind?

BF: It provides more of a balanced portrait between street and subject and a less self-indulgent portraits for riders.

GETTING 3D // MakerBot Wants to Arm You With Your Own 3D Printer

 

A couple weeks ago, people flocked to 3rd Ward to check out the MakerBot Make-A-Thon--which featured demos of MakerBot's Thing-O-Matic 3D printers as well as a 3D scanner that our own Kyle McDonald made using an Xbox Kinect.

We caught up with the folks at MakerBot Industries to get the lowdown on their burgeoning company which has been getting tons of well-deserved buzz lately, including major features in outlets like the New York Times and CNN Money.

MakerBot, founded by Bre Pettis, Zach Smith and Adam Mayer, emerged from the trio's desire to have their own 3D printer even though they couldn't afford one. Before MakerBot, most 3D printers cost around $100,000 or more. Their current Thing-O-Matic kit will only set you back $1,299. "They figured out how to get one together inexpensively and then started MakerBot so everyone could have one," says MakerBot's Keith Ozar. "They used the tools at hand, a laser cutter, and as many off-the-shelf parts as possible."

Aside from the mind-blowing possibilities of being able to print a 3D model of literally anything you want, one of the most exciting things about MakerBot is that it is open source, meaning that you can find and use thousands of designs that users have posted on Thingiverse, MakerBot's constantly growing library of digital designs.

Ozar also tells us that one of the recent trends in the MakerBot community has been physical mashups, like "Lepus Draconis (The Drabbit)," a combination of a dragon and a rabbit.

MakerBot is moving fast, shipping around 300 units a month out of their Brooklyn headquarters, and they don't plan to let up anytime soon. "We're committed to supporting creative people to make whatever they want and we won't stop until every creative person has one!" says Ozar.

Terrific! We look forward to creating our own army of drabbits!

Hit the jump to watch a great video about MakerBot from their Blip.tv channel.

-- John Ruscher

DRINK-N-DRAW SPOTLIGHT // Albert Oeswadi’s Comic Creations

From time to time, we like to spotlight one of the good folks coming to Drink-n-Draw (every Wednesday from 8 to 10:30pm!). Today’s lucky Drink-n-Draw-er is Albert Oeswadi, who caught our eye with this lovely lady (much larger and lovelier after the jump).

By day, Albert is a public accountant who “inappropriately doodles during meetings,” he says. By night, he sketches comics, cartoons, and what he calls “random, silly things.”

Why does he come to Drink n Draw? “It’s the perfect way to relax after a long day of work and meet people. Overall, it’s more rewarding and cheaper than happy hours, therapy sessions or a gym membership,” he says, adding, “The unlimited PBR doesn't hurt either.” We’ll drink to that!

Albert--originally from Indonesia--is an Upper East Sider, but says “I recently developed an interest to explore more of Brooklyn after my friends moved to the borough - I hope to do the same one day.” Good man.

Albert says his sketches are “heavily influenced” by Mike Mignola, one of his “all-time favorite” comic artists. Check out more of his work on his Blogspot and Tumblr -- and come on out next Wednesday night!

-- Anastasia Friscia

ENAMELING UP CLOSE // Learn How to Create Cloisonné Jewelry in 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 Class!

We wear jewelry all the time, but the ways in which these beautiful accessories are created often remain a mystery. To shed some light on that we'll be taking a close-up look at some of the processes used in 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 class. First up is cloisonné!

Quick definition for you:

Cloisonné is the process of soldering an outline pattern onto a piece of metal, filling in the resulting compartments (cloisons in French) with colored enamel and then firing the piece in a kiln. This technique has been used to craft jewelry since at least the 12th century BC.

Below is a flower tri-pendant created by 3rd Ward jewelry teacher Max Goodman. Here's a description of the piece from her blog:

After painstakingly soldering the wire to the sterling silver sheet, I wet packed several layers of enamel and added some tubing for effect. I based the design on two separate art nouveau wallpaper patterns. When I’m out of formal ideas I return there often. The colors, though, are all my own. The entire piece is about 6″ long, and will hang in three parts.

Max Goodman's cloisonné tri-pendant before and after enameling.

Learn how to make cloissone pieces and more in Goodman's Enameling 2 class or get started with Intro to Enameling!

-- John Ruscher

TEACHER FEATURE // More Laughs from 3rd Ward Writing Instructor Grace Bello

Need some advice? Ask the Prettiest Girl in the Office! She probably won't solve your problem, but she'll have your side splitting.

What exactly are we talking about? The latest published piece by writer and 3rd Ward flash fiction teacher Grace Bello, who we recently featured when her satiric take on A Streetcar Name Desire's Blanche DuBois, originally published by McSweeney's, was performed live on stage.

Bello's satire and wit is just as sharp in this new piece, "Advice from the Prettiest Girl in the Office," a faux advice column by a delusional office mistress. Read it now over on the comedy website Splitsider.

Here's a little bit to get you started:

Dear Prettiest Girl in the Office,

Unlike me, my friends have full-time jobs. When they invite me out, we always go to clubs that serve $14 martinis. I try to say no, but I don’t want to rock the boat or seem cheap. What do I do?

Sincerely,
Funemployed in Fresno

Dear Funemployed,

I understand what you’re going through. When I first started modeling as a fresh-faced teenager, I worked as a cocktail waitress at one of those kinds of places. It was full of handsome, rich men in suits. You know, like in the movies?

For more of Bello's wit and insight make sure to follow her on Twitter!

-- John Ruscher

THEN AND NOW // Photographer Dallas Logan on Five Years at 3rd Ward

Dallas LoganFollowing our birthday bash this past weekend we've been reflecting a lot about 3rd Ward's vibrant five-year history, so we caught up with Dallas Logan, an amazing photographer that's been with us since day one.

Back then, he had just jumped into the world of professional photography. Now he's a seasoned pro who's worked with clients ranging from Ford Models to the Durant for Robert Durant clothing line to Time Out New York.

"I loved 3rd Ward in the beginning," Logan says. "I used to have a studio space in walking distance from 3rd Ward and the landlord decided to raise the rent three times the amount we [my partner and I] were already paying.  So I went onto Craigslist, found the wonderful space and have been with them ever since."

3rd Ward has always been the best deal in town, he says, and that's attracted many people. "What I love about it now is that they are constantly expanding and building the space to accommodate the newer members.  I love the rebuilding of the media lab as well as the raw space on the second floor.  Every month you come through, they've added a special new feature."

His time here has also significantly shaped Logan's work. "When I had my previous space, it was only me and my business partner and I didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of," he says. "Here at 3rd Ward, at any given time I may have a question about equipment, cameras, lighting, retouching, graphics, video editing, metal work—I can always just step out of the studio space and walk around, I am bound to find someone who has the answer I am looking for."

Logan is constantly building his own portfolio as well as portfolios for other artists ("Be it hair, makeup, stylists, singers, etc."). He also teaches lighting seminars. "Personally, I am slowly testing the waters of cinematography," he adds. "Watch out."

Oh, we'll watch out, and we're sure it'll be great. Here's to five more years (and many after that) with Dallas!

-- John Ruscher

BIKE & DESIGN // John Watson of Prolly is Not Probably

For Bike Month, we’re bringing you a series of conversations at the intersection of cycling, art and design. Through a combination of fixed freestyle, track, and road cycling crossover appeal, beautiful photography, and prolific posting, John "Prolly" Watson has made his blog Prolly is not Probably the place for bike content. His influence has resulted in collaborations with a variety of brands, and he is a go-to news source for reports on cycling shops, products, and design.

3rd Ward: Why bike? Do you think cycling has changed you physically, psychologically, or philosophically?

John Prolly: Every one I know who rides has a story about how cycling has single-handedly changed their lives. I was recently about 60 miles out on a solo ride, when I came up on a guy struggling on a climb. He said before cycling, he was a strict political conservative (I'm in Texas now by the way) who was against any "green agenda". Then he picked up a bike to get in shape and slowly but surely, he got hooked. Since he'd started riding, he said he's been less aggressive and, in his words, "ignorantly assholish." His wife and kids enjoy his company and his co-workers like having him around. Now, it's hard to say that I've had a similar experience, but cycling gives you attainable training goals. And endorphins are one hell of a rush.

3W: What is your advice for someone who wants to start cycling in a major city? In New York in particular?

JP: Be safe about it. Wear a helmet, get lights and if you're on a track bike, get a brake. I have been riding a bike in NYC for six years and it's no easy task. You never know what's going to pop out from behind a car or roll into your path. Be alert and don't think that bike lanes are some magical safety net. I've always felt like riding with traffic is safer than on the side of traffic. Don't ride on the god damned sidewalk or against traffic. Those are my two biggest pet peeves!

3W: What are the elements of your ideal ride in NYC?

JP: It's gotta be the spring time. Everyone's out, shedding clothes and enjoying the city. I love riding River Road to Nyack and Piermont and any ride to Ft. Tilden is always a blast. I've ridden all over the world. Holland, Japan and all over the US. I've been to a lot of cycling-friendly cities and unfortunately NYC is not yet one of those.

3W: What's a favorite cycling story?

JP: I had a great time I had on my bike was with Isaac, Harry (of NY Bike Jumble) and Scott. We decided to ride from Brooklyn to Philly for the Philly Bike Expo. We took 70% off-road trails, along the Delaware Canal and made great time. We spent the trip talking shit, getting stoned and avoiding falling into the freezing water of the canal. Once we got to Philly, the weekend was spent documenting amazing hand-built bikes, drinking and having a blast with friends. Riding in Tokyo exclusively on my fixed freestyle was awesome, too. Zipping through the crowded streets with a bunch of strangers. It was a great way to make friends.

3W: What are the surprising or unique aspects of the communities built around cycling that you've been a part of?

JP: There are polo guys, roadies, track bike guys, track racers, messengers, fixed freestyle, BMXers but over the recent months, these barriers have been broken and you're seeing the cycling scene in NYC really pull together and form a community. Scenes come and go, but communities build for the future.

3W: What lead you go beyond riding and start blogging, etc.?

JP: When I got laid off from my Architecture job back in March of 2010, no one was hiring and rather than driving myself mad, I just put that energy into my blog. I have become Prolly and there's really nothing that can take that away. The bottom line is, I didn't start the blog to "get stuff." A lot of the new bloggers in the scene see my formula and emulate it. I get tons of emails from kids asking how to get what I've got and it's not that simple. But people try, they mimic my voice, my positive attitude and my content. I'll post something that I found on my own and 30+ blogs will post it minutes later, hardly ever crediting me as the source. It's frustrating, but that's the internet. I never really expected for the site to blow up and here I am, traveling all over, doing a range of bike journalism, working on products, and shooting photos almost as much as I'm riding.

3W: What bike you've owned has been most important to you and why?

JP: Gah, I don't know. I really really love my road bike. It's an Eddy Merckx MX-Leader made from Columbus MXL tubing. It was developed by Merckx for his big-dogs. For a 225-pound guy, it rides like a rocket. I'm getting my first custom bike this year from the guys at Geekhouse. It'll be on display at the NAHBS here in Austin and I'm confident that will become my all-around bike once I get my grubby hands on it! (3W: design process here). I really also love my Eddy Merckx track bike. It's my exact size and the colors on that thing are so 80's it hurts! Later this year, I'm hoping to get a custom Icarus track bike, although after seeing Ian's recent work, I might wanna get a custom road bike! I've thinned my collection down to a few select bikes that get their job done with a bit of stylistic flairs on the side.

OPEN CALL WINNER UPDATE // Zach Hyman Reveals All

Photo Credit: Lindsay Atwood

Photographer Zach Hyman is one of those rare visionaries. Equally bold and humble, Hyman imbues his work on both sides of the camera with a performative streak that tends to get him noticed—by the press, the police, and by us.

Last year, he and Carrie Shaltz won 3rd Ward’s Open Call with their portfolio Glitterous; a dream-fantastic documentation of their first collaborative road trip out west. The two used the reward to fund another art-making adventure resulting in a body of work called Preyground (catch up with the rule-defying madness here), displayed in our recent gallery show.

Best known for his controversial photos of nude models posing in very public locations (Times Square, Chinatown, the L train) which were documented in his 2009 solo exhibition Decent Exposures. Hyman was recently honored to have his work included in an extremely child-friendly event: the May 17 Free Arts NYC twelfth annual art auction benefit at Chelsea Art Museum. Proceeds from the sale of his piece—titled “Resurrection” and depicting a nude man jumping in front of Central Park's band shell in the distance--support the organization’s educational arts and mentoring programs for under-served children and families.

The enormity of having his work displayed alongside world-class talents like Spencer Tunick and Ed Ruscha isn't lost on Hyman.  “Your work is more likely to get noticed shown along with great artists than in a tiny gallery with just your own work. Group shows attract lots of collectors and people who love and support art. It’s also really interesting to be a part of these events that a few years ago I would have been shooting,” he says, referring to his former gig as a photographer for the Patrick McMullan agency.

How did he go from shooting events to being a catalyst for them? Pure visualization: “I imagine myself in situations that will bring me to where I want to be. Knowing where you want to be and believing that you’ll get there without fail is the most important thing.”

It also helped to be clear about what he didn't want.

“I dropped out of acting school because I couldn’t stand people telling me what to do, how to dress, how to cut my hair, not to get tattoos.” With that mentality in tow, he relocated to NYC, took a job as a bartender and spent his 5AM return trips home daydreaming about an open space with his work on the walls, surrounded by friends and family.

Where will this approach—which seems as efficient as waving a magic wand—take him next? Mexico City, followed by other international destinations: “I’d love to travel three months of the year—go live somewhere, shoot, come back here and show the work and make some money for the next year.

Take note of our address, Zach, and send postcards. Can’t wait to see what else you’ve been dreaming up. 

 -- Cara Cannella 

B-DAY BBQ // The End is Nigh...Come Dance in the Sand with Moviehouse

In case you haven’t heard, the world is ending. What better reason to carpe diem and indulge all your senses? Tomorrow at 3rd Ward’s fifth birthday barbecue, catch live video artists Jesse Mann and Sebastian the Sand Animator (who uses—look at you guessin' it!—sand to make live animations). With side-by-side performances in Studio C, the two will be kept on their toes by a beat boxing Kata and one-man rock band Jarred Barron while audience members play in the “sandbox.”

The interactive performance presented by Moviehouse wraps up the current season of the event series (hosted monthly by 3rd Ward and returning with Cinema Parque at Sternberg Park in July), which engages audiences in the creation and discussion of film and video work. Series organizer Chris Henderson describes the events as “part screening, part salon, part spectacle.” 

“3rd Ward allows us all the creative freedom to do what we like while providing us with dedicated on-site staff and the space as an in-kind donation. Even though we've expanded to other venues, I honestly can't imagine that we'd be still be going if we hadn't come here,” he says of the partnership. “It’s like family—we’re the crazy cousin that stumbles in once a month.”

Doors and Food 2pm; $5 suggested donation. RSVP to moviehousebk@gmail.com

-- Cara Cannella