Wallace Koopmans Artlog

What do you do when you have a rangefinder with broken glass and another of the same model with other damage?  Survival of the fittest.

This is not a post about how to disassemble or re-assemble your camera but may be of interest if you intend to replace the glass .  Once you have the top plate removed you need to remove the old glass.  On the Minolta Himatic-F’s that I was working on the glue required xylene to dissolve it.   I used Goof Off which contains xylene (Xylene is terrible unhealthy stuff and I use a mask with carbon filters, follow all the warnings that come with it).  One side effect of using this solvent is that it destroyed the paint mask on the glass.  You might just want to measure the window and it’s borders before you begin.

So in order to re-create the black paint, I laid a mask for the clear area’s with drafting applique and then sprayed enamel paint (hobby stores would be a good source for this type of paint)

To attach the glass back to the top plate I used Elmers Fix All which is a clear flexible yet strong glue.

Of course be certain to place the glass carefully and ensure that the paint faces towards the inside of the camera.

Well that’s an unwieldy title for a post.  So I have transferred the composition to the plate as a rough drawing, however I do not intended to fuss over the actual dry-point drawing either as I want it to remain somewhat free and spontaneous, at least in the details.

So the next step will be to do the drypoint drawing as time allows.

In order to become accustomed to writing about my art, I thought I would post about the work I have just started. I am going to use drypoint, an intaglio method that I haven’t used before to create this print. The initial sketch shows some of my thoughts about the composition. These are all separate details that I saw while cross country skiing on the Trans Canada trail over the holiday’s and I have brought them together to create an image that for me evokes a sense of the cold and the interaction of the horse and the man in the vast field. The next step will be to lay the composition out on the zinc plate and then to do the drawing. (Of course the layout will be a mirror image.)

I decided that to begin my artlog I would take a look back at several of what were artistic highlights for me during 2008.  I managed to see two great gallery shows last year, the Monet to Dali exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch painting at the Portland Art Museum.  Both shows allowed me an opportunity to see incredible historic works of art.   I also visited the Glenbow Museum in Calgary but unfortunately only really had time to go into the shop to pick up “Images of the Land: Canadian Block Prints 1919-1945”  a great book they produced in 1985.

On a more personal level I had an opportunity to present a proposal for the new Reach Gallery and Museum, and although I didn’t receive further funding, the process was interesting and educational.  And with all the positive feedback I hope to continue the photo mosaic as a community art project.

I created a print of Murrayville elementary in Langley which was closing down and donated number one in the edition of ten for their auction.  I was very pleased to hear that the last principal of the school had won the bidding.

I had a showing at the Kariton Gallery in Abbotsford where I was able to sell almost half of the works I presented.

And I also participated in the Arts in Mill Lake Park event where I produced prints on site and gave them away.  http://www.abbotsfordartscouncil.org/TheArtsOnMillLake.aspx

I had a wonderful year and am very grateful to all those people that have been a part of it.