I just received notice that it is time to “re-up” the shopping cart and the domain. I cannot believe it is getting close to a year since I began this little venture called Fishers Laser Carvers. I have made a lot of nice things over this year. I was just chatting with Miriam, the wonderful designer of Solas Web design who along with her husband Liam helped me so much, about some major changes we will making soon to the web site. We will be adding a gallery page showing some of the hundreds of custom plaques I have made. We will also be adding custom boxes and picture frames and 3D graphics. This conversation caused me to pause and reflect over the past 10 months.

People seem to really enjoy working together to create a special present. The excitement and anticipation of holding something precious made just for them is very rewarding. It has been especially rewarding for me. I recently spent a day with a lovely couple who drove from the Chicago area, just to meet me and share a day. I have shared funerals and baptisms, weddings and graduations with people. I have made humorous things that made them laugh. I have engraved poems that made them cry. I feel I have mostly made friends. These are the times we remember. These are the “tie that bind”.

We live in an ever increasingly impersonal world. We no longer know who grows our food or makes our furnishings. Our lives can be impacted and suddenly changed by events thousands of miles away. Our well being and that of our children can be influenced by people we don’t know. Is it any wonder we feel frustrated and often alone, frightened and alienated?

The ability to work individually with a craftsman on a very intensely personal item is refreshing. I had been laboring at this for more than 6 months before I realized that I am not in the woodworking or engraving business. I am in the sharing business. My customers sharing of their grief has brought me in touch with mine. Their outpouring of their faith and beliefs have strengthened mine. Their joy and celebration has brought me happiness. This is the gift of sharing. I think the reward has been mostly mine.

I have learned so many things during this journey. Some I really never wanted to know about photography and laser spot size and online marketing. I have also learned valuable lessons from the good folks who have visited my little site. Just recently, I was contacted by a client and asked to make a plaque that said only “Ebenezer”. “Hmmmm”, I thought, “Must be rapid Dickens groupies!” My customer explained the troubles they had endured and informed me that this comes from the book of I Samuel. When God had defeated the philistines, Samuel marked the spot with a stone and named the stone “Ebenezer”. This means “thus far the Lord has helped us.” I did not know that fact. I found this wonderfully interesting and inspirational. I learned something new. And so, as I push forward with somethings new, I will retain the things old to guide me. I have no idea where this journey may lead but when I doubt, I will now think to myself “Ebenezer”. Thus far the Lord has helped us.

Peace

George

Snowy was a labrador retriever, who for 17 years dwelt in this place sharing a life of love, devotion and loyalty. The gentle nuzzle at the end of a long day or the playful antics in uncompromising expression of joy, endeared Snowy to the people who shared this unique life. When Snowy died this year there was a great void in the hearts of those who felt so privileged to have participated in this life. They mourned. They missed their friend and devoted companion.
I have always been a keeper of dogs. I can’t imagine being without dogs. They teach us so much with their ability to unconditionally love and constant willingness to share their lives with us. I have lost faithful petted friends and I know the sorrow that comes when they leave us. So when the friends of Snowy contacted me about a little keepsake box to hold the cremated remains for their departed friend, I was a bit reluctant. I felt I was putting them off. “I have several large commissions right now”, “I could not possibly get to you for 6 weeks”, I would say. All the while actually meaning I was not sure my skills were fit for such a task. They kept insisting and so I decided to send some rough drawings and ideas.
One day in the mail I received a letter with a deposit for a small keepsake box and the assurance that time was not a factor. They just desired something special and wanted it made by me. I must admit I am susceptible to flattery so I agreed to take the commission. This began a series of correspondence that brought me into the world of these wonderful people.
As I started working on the piece, hand planing the cherry or sawing little dovetails, I thought of my past friends. I thought of Spooky, my childhood dog who ran along beside me on my paper route or Muffin who was always there throughout my high school and college days always patiently waiting at the window. I thought of Lady, our black cocker spaniel, my daughters puppy and my wife’s constant companion. I remember how Michelle mourned for weeks when Lady died. I thought of Kelsey, our current dog who came to live with us and helped ease our loss. As I started to carefully shape the little legs on the box, I thought about how Kelsey is now 11 years old and having trouble with her hips and I worried. I remembered when I had heart surgery and Kelsey refused to go to her bed but stayed under my feet for six weeks. At times, standing at the bench, chisel in hand I would find tears in my eyes.

Slowly, the box began to take shape. I could not decide on a shape for the top. I think I made about 4 attempts, working through the process of design James Krenov called “composing”. “This is too heavy”, or “This is too flat”, finally arriving at a shape that seemed to please the overall shape. I wanted this box to be something special, something precious, something carefully and thoughtfully made. Everyday throughout the summer, I would toil on the little box filled with anxiety over mistakes, realizing this was not a box, it is a monument. This needed to be a chest for something very precious.

I chose for the engraving:

“I thought of you with love today but that is nothing new
I thought about you yesterday and days before that too.
I think of you in silence, I often speak your name.
All I have are memories and a picture in a frame.
Your memory is a keepsake, with which I’ll never part.
God has you in his keeping, I have you in my heart”
Beloved Friend
Snowy

The care and love of our fellow creatures brings us in touch with our humanity. It has been said that “Compassion is the basis of all morality”. If this be so, then dogs may be here to teach us about ourselves, a constant reminder that love may be unconditional and devotion and joy is life. This life that enriched us for 17 years, enriches us still. I know I have been moved and touched. I have been changed. I felt a bit sad when the time came for the little box to leave and make it’s way home. I knew I would miss it. I am a better person for having the privilege to share with these wonderful people and in a small way participate in this unique life that was Snowy. Snowy continues to give and share in that unique way that at times only dogs seem to know. This is Snowy’s box.

Peace

George

Tomorrow is September 11th. It has been a busy summer. I am finding it hard to believe that September is here. I think it appropriate to take a moment and pause and reflect. I remember September 11, 2001 as being a beautiful fall day here in the midwest. One of those days that makes you think that all is right with the world. Then it happened.

Much has changed since that gorgeous fall day, but I like to think that we haven’t changed. I made this plaque with words from President Bush, which I think were some of the most heartfelt and sincere words I ever read. The quote reads;
“I’ve learned to expect the unexpected, because history
can deliver sudden horror from a soft autumn sky.
I have found you better know what you believe,
or risk being tossed to and fro by the flattery of friends
or the chorus of critics.
I’ve been grateful for the lessons I’ve learned from my parents:
Respect every person, do your best, live every day to it’s fullest.
And I’ve been strengthened by my faith and humbled by its
reminder that my life is part of a much bigger story”

We are not a perfect people. Our leaders are not perfect people. The great wonder that is The United States of America is that we still believe we can be perfect. We argue about it, debate it, fight over it, always reaching, always in “pursuit” of that more perfect union. Other cultures seek a state of being. We seek a state of becoming and that makes us great. I am working on a commemorative plaque for September 11th. I have not finished it but here is the design. I found it very interesting that The Star Spangled Banner” asks a question. It does not make a declaration, the author is wondering if it could be possible after such a bombardment(the 19th century version of shock and awe) if the symbol of the idea called America could possibly survive. It waves! The symbol of freedom and self determination still waves. The hope and light for the world still waves! The banner of the right of people to pursue their own happiness and beliefs still waves! It has been rough at times. We have struggled and we are still struggling. Battered and torn, poorer and bruised, troubled and worried the banner still waves.

We may never reach perfection. We may never have a time when we do not disagree. We may never vanquish all of our enemies. We will continue to believe. The Star Spangled Banner yet waves o’er the land of the free and home of the brave. God Bless us all and God Bless the United States of America.

George

It has been very busy around here of late. I just completed a commissioned project for custom engraved picture frames and custom boxes (more on that later). I have also been doing many custom plaques. As a matter of fact more custom plaques than anything else. It seems clients have their own ideas about is what is important to them and how things should be. I really enjoy this. The interaction with people who are seeking an intensely personal gift brings me much joy. From the student desiring a special retirement gift for a mentor or a young man wanting a special saying for a “true love” to those wanting special words to remind them of a loved one now passed, these projects always make me feel connected. There is always a person behind the personal. Making simple things that makes people happy or touches them makes me happy.

A case in point, I received a phone call from a great guy in Kansas City who was interested in my Henry David Thoreau Fishing plaque. He stated that he had always loved the quote “Many men go fishing their entire lives without knowing it is not fish they are after”. He had searched for this on a plaque for 5 years. Ever since he had seen it in a bass shop. However, he did not feel my work was quite right. I inquired as to what was wrong with it and he replied “Nothing, if you like that kind of fishing”. He went on to explain that he is a fly fisherman. Fishing is done with ties and casting, not standing on the shore dragging a line in the water. He further explained that no “real fisherman” would cast under a tree! We had a great time talking about tied flies and casting and the Robert Redford movie “A River runs through it”. He still wanted the plaque and purchased it.

I was in the process of wrapping the plaque for shipment, when I thought “Well why couldn’t it be a fly fisherman?”
I started playing with graphics and editing the design. I called my client back (he doesn’t like email) and informed him I was not sending him his plaque but a unique one depicting a fisherman in a stream using a good “10 o’clock to 1 o’clock” cast. The result came out very well. The fishing line whipping over the fisherman’s head and scrolling under the Henry David Thoreau name. He was delighted and suggested that I contact Bass Fishing magazine to show this work to all the dedicated and often fanatical fly fisherman out there.

I still think the original plaque is a beauty but sometimes little changes are needed to get it just right and make it special. Everyone has their passion and their own need to express their uniqueness. This is a beautiful thing. My grandmother used to say “The Lord God made them all”. Indeed He did, both those whose use worms and those who tie flies.

Peace

George

Remember when we were children and we would look at clouds to see what shapes they resembled? I remember being on a scout camping trip and looking up through the trees in the woods and seeing shapes formed by the branches and leaves. Today, my workbench faces a large window which allows good lighting but also lets me look out the window through the dogwood trees and watch the birds and chipmunks, busy with their daily tasks. At times, I will still notice the natural shapes formed by limbs and the curl of leaves. It often suggests a shape for something I am making. Many of you that have some of my plaques may notice that I often use the bending of tree branches as a border, a quote hanging in the sky under the trees. My shop window may well be the inspiration for this. I think it is essential to have time to dream and ponder the visions we see in the sky.

When I retired from the corporate travel road, I swore I would never wear a watch or carry a cell phone ever again. However, I was planning a trip to Las Vegas and had some conferences to attend and the web site has been busy, so I wanted to stay in touch with orders and clients correspondence while away. I purchased an iphone, an elegant device, to stay connected while I was away. I was playing with wallpapers and photos when I spotted a photograph of a face formed by the branches through the trees. I thought, “This looks like some of my plaques”. I wondered if I could convert this to black and white and then trace as a vector(lines) image and then laser engrave it onto a piece of wood. One of the things I enjoy about this little journey of mine called “Fishers Laser Carvers” is using the laser as an artistic tool, a brush to canvas. After all, whether one uses paint or chisels or power tools, makes no difference. The object, to me anyway, is to achieve interesting effects on interesting wood. This is a bit of playfulness I call “Lucy in the sky” ( you can click on the picture to see a larger version). Let me know what you think.

Peace

George

The internet is a fascinating and very large place. I have received visits from England and Ireland, Australia and Italy and very foreign places like Louisiana. It is a vast sea and mine is just a tiny boat. So I am always pleased and excited when my little home is found. I received a request from Canada asking for a plaque of a special size and wondering if I would be interested. The plaque needed to be 24 or 25 inches by 9 inches and needed to contain the words “Remember to whom you belong”. I wondered about that quote and thought perhaps this was for some wayward child. It also needed to be made of maple (Canadians have this thing about Maple). I contacted my local UPS store about shipping to Canada and they assured me they would get it there and quoted a rate. I relayed this information to my customer, and after about 8 proofs we came to agreement and the commission was accepted.

I had just finished several bread boards and pastry boards and was out of maple, especially in such a size. I was about to head off to the lumber yard when I decided to check my little lumber shed one more time. There, in the very back of the shed and hidden behind many boards, was a piece of curly maple. I thought, just maybe, this is wide enough, so I measured the board and found I almost had a 1/4″ to spare. I uncovered the board and carried it into the shop and began milling very carefully. What was revealed was a beautiful piece of curly, sometimes called tiger maple or fiddle-back maple due to its preference in use on the backs of violins. This unique board was warped, of course, and I had just enough to try to meet my customers request. The grain was very pronounced and tended to tear out if touched by any power tools such as jointers or routers, so I carefully and slowly hand planned all surfaces,using light and careful strokes with very sharp blades. The board was magnificent. I was apprehensive about lasering for fear of ruining such a wonderful surface. The length was right at the max for my laser but with care and several light passes, all went well. The finished piece was carefully wrapped and boxed and taken to the UPS store, where I learned about customs declarations and the 5 pieces of paper it takes to get something out of this country.

I always check on the progress of my shipments to make sure that all goes well. I checked on my Canadian shipment and noticed that delivery was attempted but the driver was unable to collect customs duty. Customs Duty! What Customs Duty? I called UPS who transfered me to UPS Canada who told me that because the declaration stated “wood” there was a tax and duty assigned. Apparently some over zealous customs agent thought this was some plot to take over the Canadian lumber industry. This amounted to about 50% of the price of the plaque! However, I could not contest this because I am not a Canadian citizen. My first thought was “Well, no wonder they have free health care!”. I considered writing the President and saying “Dear Mr. President, I have this health care issue solved, just charge 50% tax on everything coming into the country and we will have this fixed in no time.” International politics aside, I wrote my customer and told them what had happened and offered to pay the tax if that was needed for them to receive their plaque. They assured me that was not necessary and that they had received the plaque and were very happy with it.
My customer told me ” I cannot describe how brilliant the plaque is. Truly, my family all love it and are incredibly appreciative of your effort. (We can’t stop looking at it and rubbing our hand over the grain!)”
“The plaque was a gift for my brother. He has recently converted to Christianity and was baptized on Sunday. The quote is one of his favorites it is from The Purpose Driven life by Rick Warren. The full quote is:

“Being included in God’s family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. Nothing else comes close. Whenever you feel unimportant, unloved, or insecure, remember to whom you belong.”

The last part of the sentence resonated deeply with him and I thought it would be wonderful to have that simply inscribed in wood as a baptismal gift.”
I think it is wonderful. I will always remember this plaque for several reasons; it was my first international order, it was the largest plaque I have made, it was a beautiful and difficult piece of maple and I made some new Canadian friends. This is “To Whom you belong”.

George

The cause of peace is an ongoing struggle. Peace does not only mean the absence of war or conflict, but also means peace of mind and freedom from fear and poverty and the ills that keep human beings from reaching their true potential. Imagine a world where our words and deeds and money is spent helping not harming, uplifting not oppressing, bringing smiles not tears and hope not fear. This is the true nature of making peace. The people who dedicate their lives to these pursuits are the peacemakers, who for very little or no remuneration, quietly serve the cause of peace serving milk to children or teaching the ignorant or removing the rubble after a disaster. Such a person was Andrew Grene, a United Nations peace worker who lost his life in Haiti. Andrew dedicated his life to the belief that all human being have potential. In January, Andrew gave his life while working for this cause. Haiti was biggest single day loss of United Nations workers in the organizations history.

In February, a client called me and asked if I had received their request for a custom plaque. I did not receive it. Come to think of it, I had not received any forms for custom plaques. This prompted me to send some test forms and I discovered, to my horror, that the submission form on my website was not working! I called my web designer in a panic, who contacted Go Daddy and in about an hour they informed me all was righted. My email lit up like a Christmas tree with several dozen past requests! I frantically started contacting these potential customers, explaining the problem and saving the orders. One young lady had written me asking for a plaque that contained “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God”. She further explained that a dear friend of hers had lost his twin brother in the earthquake in Haiti. She further stated that his brother worked for the United Nations and she would like the U.N. logo on the plaque. That young man was Andrew Grene. I contacted her but alas I was too late. Too much time had passed and she had chosen another gift to help express her solidarity with her friend and his family. I was very moved by her story and I felt badly that a glitch in my system had caused a late response.

I was making a plaque of the Beatitudes and the words “Blessed are the peacemakers” kept reminding me of the lost plaque request.As I held the finished Beatitudes plaque, my eyes kept finding the words “Blessed are the peacemakers”. I decided to make the peacemakers plaque anyway. I decided that I would give it to this young woman. I further decided that the commission I might have received for this plaque, I would donate to the Andrew Grene Foundation.

This is “The Peacemakers” and it is dedicated to the United Nations workers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause in the peace in Haiti.

You can learn more about Andrew and make a donation to help continue Andrew’s work by visiting http://www.andrewgrene.org

Peace

George

I accepted a commission from a client to do a plaque for her niece’s baptism. She desired the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. The entire chapter. I was a bit concerned about fitting so much text on one plaque but I did several designs and after a few attempts, we arrived at a simple design. She needed this piece before Easter so I set about straightaway on the engraving. As I began to work on the plaque I thought about Sophia and what an important day this was to be.There are a few days in our lives that we always remember, perhaps a birth, a marriage and baptism. It reminded me of my daughter’s baptism. It reminded me of my baptism, so many years ago.

Now the little church where I was baptized had a baptistry that was supposed to be heated but that never seemed to be working. It was cold. The place where we changed into our robes was in the basement of the church and the only access were these steep, slick concrete steps that were dangerous in good conditions. We knew that the baptism was not a true measure of faith but negotiating those steps while soaking wet and in bare feet could quickly become a “slip and slide”. Yet we believed that our faith would sustain us and it did.

I finished the engraving on the First Corinthians plaque and all was exactly as promised and matched the proof exactly. Somehow I was not quite happy with it. The piece of clear cherry seemed uninteresting and rather plain. It looked like plywood. Acceptable but not quite special. A day as profound as the beginning of one’s spiritual life deserves something special. Well the plaque is made and after all it is as promised. It should be alright.

I was making some tables and I secured some wide cherry boards. These were 13”-15” in width which is rather hard to find, cherry trees being rather small as trees go. I had carefully re-sawn these boards into thinner boards and had sticker and stacked them to dry. I was working on some finishing when I heard a crack and popping sound. At first I thought some critter may have moved into the wood pile, a chipmunk or mouse. I cautiously approached the wood pile when I saw it. A crack at the end of one of my nice wide boards. “Oh No”, I thought as I unstacked the wood and beheld the crack running from one corner diagonally across the end of the board making its full width useless. I felt a little down hearted and then I wondered. I thought about Sophia’s plaque. Could there be enough? I measured from the end of the crack, 8 3/4”. I measured the length, 13”. Just enough for a 8.5” x 12” plaque. I carefully cut out the section, milled it and lay the piece on the bench to plane. As the plane moved over the piece, fluffy shavings fleeing from the plane, the surface began to shine and reveal a rich heart wood color with a deep vein of dark red running through the grain and one corner a bit lighter, almost like morning sunshine striking it. There seemed a resurrection story in this little piece of wood. I decided to remake the First Corinthians plaque.

I could not help but watch as the laser moved over the piece and the words began to emerge, “Love is patient, Love is kind”, “Love perseveres”. I applied some oil to the wood and the grain sprang to life showing it’s full character. A beautiful piece.

I do not know this young woman. I don’t know if I ever will. I felt, however as though I had participated in this event although in a very small way. I was allowed to be part of welcoming a new sister. This is the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. This is for Sophia on her baptism day.

Happy Easter

George

Last year was a tough year for business. The economy was arguably one of the worst in memory. This did not deter the gritty folks at Sherwin-Williams. They decided to keep battling and to create some good competitive fun in a difficult environment. The Indianapolis Sherwin-Williams District challenged the Detroit Sherwin-Williams District to a contest to open the most new national accounts. Now rilvarys between Indiana and Michigan are well noted and few places in the country have felt the full force of this current economic downturn like the beleaguered people of Detroit. However, there is no quit in those Detroit folks and they accepted the formidable challenge. The gauntlet had been thrown. When all was said and done and despite some good spirited bantering, the brave hearted people of Detroit had prevailed. This was of course a tough loss for the Indianapolis crew but in the words of their District Manager, they decided to “loose like princes” and decided to commission a special award plaque to present to their victorious brothers-in-arms.

I am sentimentally attached to the people in Indianapolis, however I have had the opportunity to work in Detroit and I am fully aware of the tenacity and competitive spirit and occasional trash talking of those plucky folks. I had hoped for an Indianapolis victory but it is hard to not feel good about a victory for Detroit, a city where victories have been hard to come by of late. I felt very honored when I was asked to make them a special award plaque for the aforementioned competition.

I originally selected a piece of clear maple. White and straight grained but lacking any special character. I choose instead a piece of very old curly cherry, dark and aged with ripples of red color running through it. The well recognized “cover the earth” logo of this fine old company presented a few design challenges but looked nice on the old cherry. The most important thing to me was that the client liked it. This special care and personal involvement is exactly what I try to offer my clients. A special contest between such fine organizations in such a tough year deserves a special recognition. It deserves an intensely personal plaque, hand planned, hand chosen and hand made. If you have need of a special piece to commemorate an event or provide an earned “well done”, contact me. I would love to make something special for you.

Congratulations to Detroit on their victory. Well done to Indianapolis for their grace and to The Sherwin-Williams Company for their perseverance in difficult times. It was a pleasure for me make this for them.

George

On January 9,2009, Richard Luke quietly passed away. He was my mother’s oldest brother and the patriarch of the clan. A father, a furniture salesman, who I always knew as Uncle Dick. He was also a woodworker, who loved time in his shop making precious little things of wood. This January 9th the family paused and reflected on the man, who for 91 years had been a father, an uncle, a big brother and friend. We all remembered the man we loved so much and missed so terribly now. I too, spent the day pondering the past.

When I was a child we would travel to Ohio to visit Uncle Dick and Aunt Ruth, but we really wanted to see Mickey and Dixie and Janie, Dick’s children. They were the big kids. While we were watching Captain Kangaroo, Dixie and Janie wore saddle oxfords and poodle skirts and listened to Everly Brothers records. Mickey, the practical joker and oldest, usually had a hot car like a convertible. They were so cool!

When I reflect on my Uncle Dick, I remember a meticulous man, who often wore a tie to breakfast. However, I mostly remember a man who had the amazing ability to derive deep meaning from small and precious objects. His pocket watch, which is famous in family lore, was given to him by his father. It had a locket in the back, which opened where he kept a picture of my mother. He would lovingly hold and polish the watch and wind it faithfully. He also had a wall clock which had belonged to my grandmother. He would wind it everyday, with the discipline of a monk, often taking time to wipe the glass with a handkerchief or just let his fingers caress the sides, letting the wood and the shape share all the memories it faithfully held. Uncle Dick had “the touch”, that wonderful ability to let wood and objects speak to him. He held these objects in high regard like religious artifacts, simple in their form, precious in their meaning. I can still see him sitting in a rocking chair, letting his hands roam the arm, feeling the smoothness and the warmth of a familiar and friendly piece of wood.

When I started this little venture, I received a lovely congratulations from my cousin Janie. In her correspondence she said,

Dad (and I) always loved wood (especially the grain) and he would be so PROUD that you have that same love for wood. Must be in the genes.

I was deeply moved by that and as I pondered her statement, I thought , she may be right. My great uncle Walter worked wood as did my uncle Dick and my father. My mother is a seamstress. All have “the touch”, the ability to let fingers speak and see deep meaning and derive simple pleasure from the crafting of objects and because of this to hold objects made so in special regard. I think all craftspeople have this gift. I think it is very special. I thought of the lines by D.H. Lawrence;

“Things men have made with wakened hands,
and put soft life into are awake through years with transferred touch,
and go on glowing for long years.
And for this reason, some old things are lovely
warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.”

I am proud in my little way to carry on this simple tradition here in Indianapolis. It is a tradition as old as mankind, from the first who chipped a flint spear point to the great artists and craftspeople of our history. The ability to see beauty and profound meaning in a small wooden box or a well stitched quilt or a carefully forged tool is to be in touch with our humanity. I call this new piece “Wakened Hands” and it is my tribute and fond reflection of my Uncle Dick and the long line of makers whose warm life lives still.

George