Sisters Hand Made Article

Here is a nice feature article from a great Handmade blog site.

http://sistershandmade.blogspot.com/2009/11/art-in-toilet-paper.html

Design Style Guide: Holding a Candle

Design Style Guide: Holding a Candle

Here is a nice feature on some amazing candle sticks and their makers.

Blog Featuring Boone's Hooks

Here is a link to a very nice jewelery blog that is currently featuring Boone's Hooks.

http://sassyglassdesigns.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-07-18T10%3A28%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=3

Cheers,
Smyth

Bathroom Remodels

Here is an article by LX.TV regarding redoing your bathroom featuring Boone's Hooks. The site is loaded with other helpful articles on decorating and design.

http://lxtv.com/helpme/article/10027

Cheers,
Smyth

Boone's Hooks on the Today Show

Here is the video clip of Boone's Hooks from today's Today Show on msnbc...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

TODAY show featuring Boone's Hooks!

Hello,

I am excited to announce that Boone's Hooks will be featured in a piece on the TODAY show tomorrow, Thursday, June 25th! Here is the information that I received...

Thanks so much for speaking with me just now about the the leaf towel bar and ring to showcase on The Today Show!

I work for LXTV, which produces a real estate / home design show called Open House, which airs on NBC stations across the country. You can see clips of the show on our website: http://lxtv.com/openhouse/.

Our home improvement host, George Oliphant, is scheduled to be on Today, Thursday June 25th in the 8 AM hour, showcasing some great DIY weekend projects to upgrade your bathroom, and we would love to include the bar and ring!
The segment is scheduled to air on Thursday LIVE during the 8 AM hour, EST. It would be the 2nd hour of the Today Show (I’m not sure what time that airs in Colorado), barring any breaking news...

I will send you the web link after the program airs. You can also check it out at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

Special thanks go out to Tynan and Jamie at Rancho Del Arte!

Thank you for supporting fine, hand-forged ironwork!

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Blog Feature

Here is a link to a nice site and a feature on my work. Enjoy

http://ellecustomjewelry.blogspot.com/

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

"Prosumer" Economy

Here is an encouraging article from the San Francisco Gate. My comments are below...

Get ready: Here comes the 'prosumer economy'

Hunkering down, cutting and conserving, snapping up opportunities that others may miss. All the standard nostrums for surviving the Great Recession make sense, but they're not sufficient to cope with the new economic order that's coming.

That's what Eamonn Kelly, CEO of San Francisco's Global Business Network ( www.gbn.com), is telling CEOs of the Fortune 100 companies he advises. At a recent gathering of the Alliance of Chief Executives ( www.allianceofceos.com), an organization of Bay Area CEOs headquartered in Walnut Creek, Kelly outlined some of the coming challenges:

-- The era of Western-led innovation and globalization is finished, as China and India lead the shift to the East and begin to make their own rules. Henceforth, businesses will be operating in a world of "multiple models of government-private sector relations."

-- In the United States, "government is back," ending the private sector's "untrammeled permission to play." In addition to the state, the nonprofit civic sector - environmental organizations, for example - will become increasingly visible stakeholders in private enterprises.

-- Western consumption patterns are unsustainable. In fact, they are "structurally broken."

What does all this mean? Kelly believes - and this is a Fortune 100 adviser, mind you - that material consumption is being replaced by, for want of a better word, spiritual consumption. In a nutshell, quality supersedes quantity, a trend I believe we are already starting to see. For companies, that implies "a massive emphasis on co-creation with consumers," evolving into what Kelly calls the "prosumer economy."

It also presages, he believes, a transition from traditional models of competition to shared "webs" of innovation. "Companies are going to have to be more agile, more collaborative." Which, he acknowledged, "puts corporate executives in a very hard place. How do you manage that tension between dealing with the current recession and needing to adapt to these fundamental changes?"

---

I feel this trend is very encouraging to the craftsperson and anyone that deals with quality items. If you are an artist, please keep up the great craftsmanship and as a consumer, which we all are, please purchase high quality.

I am glad to see the consumer finally get some power back over the corporations and I look forward to the new products that will surface and the older ones that will stay in demand.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Time to Re-model!

During an economic slump(or full-on melt down) people generally tend to start using their money differently. This puts the functional artist and anyone with 'real' value goods in a position to benefit.

When the economy has been riding high, people tend to spend more lavishly on vacations, large purchases and items that they can get with easy to get credit. When economic times are uncertain, people pull back on their spending, start saving and investing in projects at home and buy things that they can get the most value from. Luckily, people still have their money, they just tend to spend it on more concrete items, items that a person can see the benefits of, like a re-model project.

For example, instead of a large vacation to Hawaii a lot of people will choose to stay closer home for their vacations and re-model the bathroom or take on another house project that has been on the back burner for a while. Still spending money, but on "real" items with a real value that lasts.

Good quality lasts forever! Good luck to the "Functional Artists!" and anyone making things of quality with real value. A trend that may help us all.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Prototypes

I am in the habit of forging a prototype for most architectural commissions that I create. Not only does the prototype help me to figure out the pricing of a project, it also allows me to learn if the ideas and drawings are to scale and the right choices. The prototype comes after the drawings and the design concepts are realized.

Here is a close-up photo of a 3 foot prototype section for a balcony that I learned a lot about the joinery, sizes and textures...


For example... if I am commissioned to forge a railing...

First is the drawings and concepts for the piece. Then once the drawings are accepted by the builder/owner, I will build a measured section(usually 3 feet long) full scale. Railings are generally priced by the linear foot, therefore, I make a measured section( 3' for this example) and the amount of time it takes to create the prototype divided by 3 for this sample multiplied by my hourly shop rate gives me the price per foot to share with the builder/owner.

I also learn if I selected the right material sizes and techniques to see the project to its completion and on schedule. If there are things that need to be changed to make the project smoother or easier, the prototype is a great way to learn the project from the inside out. It also removes any mis-guided or unrealistic design concepts. This is also the time to make adjustments and corrections to make the project as quickly, professionally and efficiently.

While I create the prototype, I also figure out ways to make jigs and other helpful tools to hopefully speed up production once the design/prototype is accepted by the client. This means that hopefully the actual project will go faster than the prototype which can equal profit or simply allow for unforeseen delays in construction that can sometimes make one loose money on a project.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Feature on Design Style Guide Blog

Here is a nice feature on the Design Style Guide's Blog http://www.designstyleguide.blogspot.com/

The site is a great resource for the home decorating community and customers.

Cheers,
Smyth

Welcome Obama! and his Inaugural Address

Cheers for all of humanity!
Smyth

Here is the coverage of the Inauguration...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Practice is the key to Excelling

In continuation with the last theme of mastering your art form(10,000 hour theory)...

According to many studies, practice is the common denominator to people that truly excel to be outstanding at their medium. It appears that all people who are truly above and beyond most participants(99%),in their medium, practice as much as or more than others in the field. This concept of practice seems to be true for concert pianists, vocalists, writers, painters, teachers, sports players, artists and crafts-people of all kinds etc...

So, if you are looking to excel at your art, craft, sport or anywhere in your life... the key is practice.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

10,000 Hours Theory(Master Crafstman)

Are you a master of your art/craft?

According to author, musician, neuro-scientist, Daniel Levitin in his book; "This is Your Brain on Music" ( a New York Times best-seller, Plume Printing 2006) , an expert or master of any craft is measured by that person practicing their craft for 10,000 hours.

Here is how Daniel Levitin puts it...
The emerging scientific picture is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.

Now how long is ten thousand hours? It is equal to roughly 3 hours of practice a day, or twenty hours a week, of practice for ten years. Of course some people never reach mastery, which is not really explainable yet. But, no one has found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery. -Daniel Levitin

This theory totally resonates with me personally and why I feel comfortable calling myself a Master artist/craftsman. I have easily put in 10,000 hours and feel confident with my skills and knowledge to solve any problem in the field of artistic blacksmithing.

More info at www.yourbrainonmusic.com

Are you a master at your craft?

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Design Topic 3: Center Element Off-set (optical illusion)

When creating a stair railing that has a center element on the upright balusters, it is critical to have the center element raised slightly above the center-line of the baluster.

Here is an example... the collars in the center of each elongated 'O'(oval-the upright balusters), are the center elements off-set higher than mathematical middle of the 'O'.


When one views a stair rail, on a rise(staircase) or on the flat(balcony), the center element will look low if the element is mathematically centered exactly. The reason is due to the viewer's position regardless if it is from above or below the railing.

I believe we are dealing an optical illusion that is created due to the relationships involved. The perspective of the viewer, the top and bottom rails, and the element in the center create specific relationships with each other.

My general rule of thumb is to raise the center element 1" above the center of the baluster. So... if my bottom horizontal rail and my upper horizontal rail are 30" apart, then I would put the center of the center element at 16" high from the bottom bar.

I hope this design tip helps. I believe that optical illusions are very powerful in art and I think that we need to accommodate and work with them them in our designs. More on optical illusions in the future.

Cheers,
Smyth

Blog Tunes!

Well a cool gadget just came my way that allows me to share music on my blog!

If you are like me, you know how important music is for your life and well being. Music is not only a cure for what ails a person, but also great for transformation, exploration, spiritual growth and good vibes.

I hope you enjoy the tracks that I have added to the blog. I just added a few tunes to begin with, but I am sure I will be expanding the collection for you to check out.

I am an avid listener and collector of music, a radio dj, a radio program producer and night club/party dj. One of my favorite things to do as dj is to introduce people to new music that they might not be familiar with, but totally enjoy!


I have been a radio dj on KVNF community radio, broadcasting in Paonia, Colorado, for 9 plus years. My show is called Room to Groove on Thursday afternoons(every other week) from 12-3pm MST. I also host a show on Saturday nights called Saturday Night Soundtrack, which I share with other dj's, and my show is the third Saturday of each month. Please feel free to check it out at www.kvnf.org

The beat goes on...

Cheers,
Smyth

Removing Candlewax from candlesticks

Here is a helpful hint on removing candle wax from your metal candle cups.

Just freeze the leftover wax and it will "pop" off!


If you can fit the candlestick into the freezer, just freeze it and the wax will come out easily all in one piece. You can also clean off the drips that have landed on the candlestick also. They just "pop" right off after being frozen.

If the candlestick is too large for a freezer, just set it outside in the winter (if you live in a place that gets below freezing at night) for an overnight and in the morning just "pop" off the wax.

I use a metal "screwdriver" shaped tool to remove the unwanted melted wax.


Naturally, drip-less candles do not require this at all. I happen to prefer natural beeswax candles personally.

I hope this is helpful.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Sierra magazine features Boone's Hooks!

Hello and welcome to the new year! I hope yours is wonderful and you manifest what you want. I am looking forward to a brilliant, prosperous, abundant, successful 2009.

Here is a great start...
Boone's Hooks is featured in the current January/February issue of Sierra magazine of the Sierra Club!
Sierra magazine is the award-winning magazine filled with spectacular nature photography and in-depth reporting on the hottest environmental issues from the largest non-profit lobbying organization dedicated to preserving the Earth's natural beauty.

The article, "Building Better: Cool Products for an Eco-Home", featuring Boone's Hooks is about building green and using green products in your current home/office situation. It is very insightful on how to retro-fit your current home to save energy and be more friendly to your family and to the Earth.

Here is the article from the Sierra Club website...

Hooked on Recycling
M. Smyth Boone calls himself an 18th-generation blacksmith and a descendant of Daniel Boone. But it's the fact that his designs are crafted from 100 percent recycled steel that is truly pioneering. Boone's signature piece is a leaf-shaped hook that can be used to hang towels, hats, or anything with a strap. He's also a sculptor and has crafted stair railings and a series of forged-steel sculptures of surfers. $34, booneshooks.com

I am honored to be recognized as a contributing part of such a great movement. Go Green, Support Local Business!!

Please visit the Sierra Club website at http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200901/cool.aspx