2011 review

2011 started out great, and stayed good for about the first half of the year, after that it really started to suck. 

Korea was really good, I came back to the US at the end of April thinking I would be here for 1-2 months.  Now it's the end of December and I'm still here.  

Traveling was good this year.  I think of my time in Korea as an extended trip.  I took a three week trip to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia in January.  In May I finally went back to San Diego to visit after being gone for over 6 years. 

I didn't complete any interesting pieces in 2011.  I wasn't really able to focus on making new work because I was too stressed and thinking too much about going back to Korea.  I made lockpicks, aluminum training blades, and some small pieces.  I am working on a belt made like the scale neck piece I finished in 2009.  I'll post photos of that once it's done. 

I'm glad 2011 is over.

aluminum training blades

In October I started making aluminum training knives and swords for people I practice martial arts with.  The martial art we do is called kali, and that often involves training with knives and swords.  The weapons are 1/4" thick aluminum, I wrap the handles with paracord.  I have anodized some of the knives.  I can't fit anything larger in my anodizing tank, but I am thinking about setting up an anodizing tank using those long tubs used for wallpapering. 

I still need to find a good place to photograph them.  They are too big for my light tent.