New Eyes, New Observations

My pal MikeM is fond of saying that the whole point of enduring our adult jobs is to get to the point where we are free and able to engage in interesting projects with great people in fun places.  Such is the case with  VIRTUOSO, my in-process book about the tool cabinet and work bench of Henry O. Studley.

Collaborating with photographer Narayan Nayar and editor/publisher Chris Schwarz is an ongoing delight.   The project patron and owner of the Studley ensemble is a man of astonishing accomplishments and insights whose company I relish.  Our work setting within his menagerie is about the most wonderful work environment I have ever experienced as an aesthete and artifactualist.  This definietly fits the description of what MikeM describes as the point of work.

Immediately after wrapping up WIA in Cincinnati we loaded up the car and headed to North Tulsapolis, Montaska for my fifth visit to the collection for our final scheduled session of photography.  What made this trip extra special was that on this time we would be joined by vise maven Jameel Abraham to provide me another set of expert and experienced eyes in my final examination of the vises on Studley’s bench before I ramp up weaving all the research into a compelling book.

As is usually the case, Jameel’s reaction to the ensemble was stasis.  He stared for several minutes before I cajoled him into the work at hand.

Like me and all who have witnessed this before him, Jameel was much impressed by a face vise that opened 16″ with zero wiggle.  I mean zero.

The information in just this image is worth many thousand words of description.

Finally, after some pathetic nagging from me, he opened his copy of the Deluxe Edition.  His silent smile was gratifying.

Yup, interesting projects, great people, fun places.