Paper Clips
Please enjoy the slide show. These are images of some of my things. These pieces are made entirely from paper clips. The scale of the images may not be apparent, so I encourage you to drill down for more detail.
Below are links to pages which go in to more detail about my various sorts of projects. Click onward to explore a bit deeper.
I will be changing the collection of images from time to time, so check back for a new show from time to time.
Legacy
There are pieces done once upon a time. I made these around the mid-1980s. I was a computer programmer at CIGNA in Bloomfield Connecticut at the time. 75% of my job was writing code, the other half was taking calls from agents across the US who were using my software. In those days there no screen sharing or anything of the sort, so some calls took a bit of time to reach resolution. While I was speaking with these users I found myself twisting paper clips. I soon formed a habit and found myself pilfering office supplies. A pair of pliers soon found their way to my cubicle. I didn't keep many pieces from those days, but for some reason I kept these.
After CIGNA I rarely went back to the sculpting. In fact I never made another piece until nearly 35 years later.
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The Tree
After 35 years I took to it again. I created this piece as a donation to the 2022 Festival of Trees in Newtown Connecticut. The Festival is a charity event for Newtown Family Services. People bought tickets for a chance to win the various contributions. I have no idea what has become of the piece.
The dimensions are about 12""x12""x12"" and is made from about 1,400 standard sized paper clips. It also includes 21 paper cranes made from the pages of a 1943 hymn book.
It was at this time I discovered that photographing my sculptures might be an interesting thing to pursue.
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![XSDN0810[1]](https://i0.wp.com/choraltutor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/XSDN08101.jpg?fit=1440%2C1800&ssl=1 "XSDN0810[1]")
Dragon Flies
These are pieces I made to experiment with different techniques. They are small enough to complete in one sitting. I am still discovering things with each one I make.
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Weed Pots
These pieces use shot glasses, like the kind some people might use to measure (or consume) whiskey. I recommend using dead dry weeds. Fresh weeds could be used with the shot glass acting as a reservoir for water, but I have given no consideration about cleaning the things after such a use.
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Bird Cages
This idea came when I saw an antique bird cage at a museum in Farmington Connecticut. It seemed like a natural since bird cages are often made of wire, and how nice would it be to find an origami crane inside? I've made just one of these so far, but can see this as a theme going forward.
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Figures
I decided to create these whimsical figures in an attempt to refine some techniques. There were a lot of challenges with these. I found myself discarding clip after clip as I discovered some new methods and tools. They always bring a smile to people who see them
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