Paul Benson Gentlehearthome

The Lady in the Mirror
Dear All,
The show season is over… Let the wild creativity begin!
Every year, towards the end of my show season my mind starts to bubble over with all those projects I have put on hold to serve the needs of the shows. This year was a good balance of the necessary and the new. I cut my last puzzle on October 30 and then cut two new pieces in November. But to develop a new pattern can take weeks: especially when faces are involved.
The lady in the mirror had its genesis in June. I saw a painting of a Southwestern Native American sitting on the ground looking into a mirror. The viewer sees the figure from the back and her face is reflected in the mirror. I started down that path but the face became too sophisticated for the dress so I switched to a cocktail dress worn by a modern woman. Arms akimbo made sense but I only did one hand on the hips. I did not want too much attitude. I would love to hear your comments… Go ahead, give me a caption for this image.

This pattern has many delicate junctures but they all need to be sanded. I use many techniques when sanding. This morning as I sanded to remove any glue residue from the image I thought: “Caress the wood with the sandpaper. Gently. Gently.” As I sanded I remembered that my website URL is a reminder of the journey, not the announcement of the terminus. GentleHeartHome is my goal as I travel through this world.

An advent celebration of Christmas Peace to All.

Love to All,
Paul

Robot Nightmare and Refreshed Tulips
Dear All,
The “Robot’s Nightmare" is cut. Now this is a bit of a specialty piece. Whenever I cut a piece which really speaks to the spinning windmills of my mind, I never know how it will be received by the buying public. But that is okay. I will give it a couple of years of my travels to my shows and then I can always reuse the frame. In any case, I had great fun imagining the image, perfecting the presentation, and the ex*****on of the art…

Paired with the robot is my “Tulips a la Van Gogh”. I cut (and sold) this image in the spring but it was not quite right. I had the tulips and vase but no shelf or table, they were just hanging out in the center of the frame. I went back to my inspiration, Van Gogh Irises, and there it was: his vase was sitting on a simple shelf.
So I developed a table with a runner with scalloped edges and blue highlights. Now maybe the runner is too showy and will distract from the details in the vase. But the runner does elevate the piece… Who knows. I can tinker with it again the next time I cut it.

Love to All,
Paul

Master Of Arms
Dear All,
New art! New pattern created by me.
In the late spring, I was thinking about an old piece I had done: Defender of the Forest. Always a popular piece but something of a tedious cut. There are about 210 voids in this pattern by C Dearing. I find 125 to 150 is about as high as I like to go but it is a great image and folks really like it.
In the Defender of the Forest, the face is always a challenge. Single cuts close together and no room for error. Speaking about the face, in patterns why are all the elf and warrior faces so sweet? Where are the grizzled faces? Faces who have known conflict.
Well, I guess they were in my brain. I wanted the Master of Arms to have a face of determination and power… not a sweetie. I also like how the cape turned out: the folds at his shoulders and the fluid motion at his feet.
I first became aware of the title Master of Arms while reading the Dune series. I toyed with the idea of calling the piece Duncan Idaho, the name of the character in Dune. But how many folks (besides copyright lawyers) would recognise it. So Master of Arms it.

Love to All,
Paul

Breaking Rules
Dear All,
Over the years I have found discussing new art I am in the process of creating is dangerous. I find once I let the cat out of the bag, it reduces my drive to create it. Keeping the creative process quiet is a good rule. But what the heck, the pattern I worked on this weekend and the stunning difference a small change makes is really interesting so I am going to blab.

I was reading an article with the intro image of a figure standing inside a profile at the bottom of a flight of stairs. I mimicked the image, making it a scroll saw pattern and looked at it. The original employed shading to help focus the viewer’s eye. No such luck for a scroll saw guy. You got black. You got white. Get over it.
I looked at my pattern and thought: But what does it mean? Is the small figure delivering the words that are uttered by the profile. Are the stairs some kind of weird throat tattoo? Are the stairs some kind of 5 o'clock shadow? What does it mean?!?
And then I thought, what if I flip the staircase and the small figure so they are heading towards the back of the cranium. Suddenly, the profile was clearly a ‘droid like 3CPO. Clearly this was an illustration about a “Robot’s Nightmare”.

And so now we know the answer to the sci-fi question: “Do electronic brains dream?”

Love to All,
Paul
PS Let’s hope I have the discipline to execute this beauty. PAB

New Art
Dear All,
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to stop making toyes and create some art. I added a new slab piece in the form of a greenman from a R. Ganief design. I have cut this piece before but I wanted to try it in cedar.
First, I cut a 12 inch piece of cedar from a plank I had. I sculpted and shaped the cedar to mimic and accentuate the fretwork design. After the cut work (around 100 voids), I decided on the backer. I was tempted to do no backer (see the image of the piece drying in the garage) but decided it would show better in my booth with a backer. As the cedar finished deep and robust, I went for my handmade (somebody else's hands, I got this paper fromPaper Source) light green to extend the ‘green man’ motif. The good news is the backer is applied with a light adhesive so the customer can remove it, if that look is better in their setting.

It is funny, the most creative moments in the creation of this piece was the sculpting of the board. The cut work became ‘ornamentation’ to this lovely board.

Love to All,
Paul

Roli-cars and Moon Marble Company
Dear All,
Over the years, I have developed relationships with vendors. I have a couple of lumber yards I like to use and an internet frame company but early on I chanced upon a marble company and I have stuck with them.
Several times a year I will call them up and say, “Send me 30 of your best super jumbos”. I then wait and see what magic arrives in the mail. We noticed the totally clear marbles and monochromatic marbles are lovely but not the best solution for my application.
So, the last time I ordered I said, “Can I have 30 marbles but no clear, “wizard”, or “thunderbolt” designs?” They said: “Sure, no problem”. Several days later the magic arrived and no monochromatic marbles.
If ever you find yourself in the market for beautiful, hand made, glass marbles: remember these guys: Moon Marble Company: excellent product, excellent people, and a fair price.

Below are some images of finished roli-cars and the build process.

Love to All,
Paul
Trying to tag:
Moon Marble Company

Why do I Create
Dear All,
Lordy! I am tired of talking about toys. Of course in my most recent build cyclone that is all I did: Build toys. However, as I sit at the saw my mind wanders and explores other thoughts. Recently, I saw a PBS documentary about N. Scott Momaday. He is a native american essayist and artist. Towards the end of the film he reflects upon creating art. Unfortunately, I have not been able to see the flix again so I will have to paraphrase.
Momaday said: To create art with the express purpose to please others is presumptuous as if we the artist can read the soul of another and fill their needs. To create art to please ourselves is self serving. Momaday says the reason he creates is to be present at the moment of creation. To share in the nexus of forces from earth and sky, from the cosmos of living and dead beings, to be present at the birth of a new creation.
I have felt this moment. I have felt this on new images and also recutting old favorites. I sit at the saw working on the 70th of 110 cuts. I feel the communion of the individual cuts within the body of the work. For a moment, I am filled with peace, joy, and wonder.
How sacred, how humbling, how fortunate I am.

I suspect about now you would like to hear about the toy cars I make. Well, next week I will write about “roli-cars”.

Love to All,
Paul

Back to Puzzles
Dear All,
At Grapefest, I sold over 70 puzzles. As each puzzle takes about 90 minutes: I got some cutting to do. The first two images below show the before and after (note the empty box which had 19 elephant trains in it.)
To freshen things up, I decided to do the Under the Sea puzzle again with a line up change. I bounced the penguin and put in a seahorse. The final image has the seahorse in action in both simple and technically challenging poses.
So not only do the puzzles fund booth fees, frames, wood, and other stuff but I have a good story. On Thursday, a mom and 2 daughters came in and purchased a balance puzzle for a cousin of the girls. The girls were going to test it out before delivery. On Saturday, Mom, Dad and the 2 girls were back! They needed one for their own. The girls had played non-stop for 2 days and had to be chased away from the puzzle for school and other of life's interruptions.
If you are looking for me, I am in the shed making puzzles for happy customers.
Love to All,
Paul

Yin Yang Tree of Life
Dear All,
My signature piece is my Yin Yang Tree of Life. Several years ago, I was looking for an image that would combine the two concepts (Yin Yang - the balance of joy and sorrow and Tree of Life - the connectedness of everyone and everything.) After searching for weeks, I resolved to create my own. When I had cut my first version I brought it into the house to discuss placement in the frame. As I rotated the frame from left to right and up and down, my wife said stop, look how it presents as a diamond! And so the orientation of the piece was uncovered.
Last week at Grapefest a couple came in and started to poke around my booth. One guy had selected a roli car in the shape of a cat as the other guy looked at the art. The art watcher then announced, “You buy the cat and I will buy this Yin Yang.” The toy buyer started to protest about the expense the art watcher would experience and the art guy said “We need this image in our sitting room where we can share it.”
Over the years, when people ask, I share the artist's vision behind the piece. How we all experience joy and sorrow. How all life is connected in a web we do not always see. I worry that my passion is showing and the listeners will be embarrassed but they listen quietly and reflect on the image and my words.
I have sold the Yin Yang Tree of Life to straight couples, gay couples (both guys and girls), black couples, and parents for their children. I am amazed I have created a piece so universally received. I am humbled that many different people hear the piece. I am fortunate to be part of its creation.
The Yin Yang Tree of Life: a creation of meticulous placement of each leaf and serendipity. The shape of warm sunshine and gentle caresses above and night terrors and stress below. And over the years I have witnessed: a piece for All.

Love to All,
Paul

Having fun at Grapefest

Dear All,
Proving, once again, how little I know: the first art piece I sold today was the mahogany waterfall.

Grapefest is going well.

Love to All,
Paul

Grapefest This Week! And Two New Slabs
Dear All,
This Thursday through Sunday is one of my biggest shows of the year. Grapefest is an annual show in Grapevine and I will be showing with my artist group. We will be on Main Street in the Faust Event Center. I have added 16 puzzles, 23 roli cars, 2 framed pieces (old favorites) and 2 brand new slab pieces to my inventory. I am feeling ready!

The running horses piece is 12 x 26 inches framed. I have cut (and sold) several variations of this image. The sweet gum slab was rugged and deeply variated in coloring. I like how it turned out. And I know it will be unique because I don’t know anyone else crazy enough to try to use such a rough slab.

The mahogany waterfall is 23 x 9 inches. It executed so close to the perfection I had imagined but fell short. A tough piece of wood to try to use. But my choice was try my best or toss the wood. I do think the waterfall is nice (but I will discount the price.)
I know I am being very critical of the waterfall but a stylized waterfall is an image I have been thinking about for the last 5 years. The good news is that having tried it once, I am better informed for my next attempt… Hopefully sooner than 5 years.

Love to All,
Paul

Between the Shows
Dear All,
A funny thing happened after my first show this season: I forgot to get hyper and nervous. I took two days off, as is my custom, and then did inventory and found I needed to replace six ‘stacked cats’, five ‘cats and kittens’ and three ‘owl’ puzzles. I printed my patterns and I got it done.

While I am on the saw, I think. I want to apply for a new artsy show in OKC and contemplate the toys. On show applications they want to know what your product for the jury process. It is difficult for me because many ‘art’ shows assume my flat art is craft, not art. When I disclose toys: Well, that just proves their assumptions.
But I must disclose the toys or they can require me to take it off my tables at their show. How do I explain the in designing the toys I distill and image down to its most discrete level. How do I explain the micro movements I make to cut the angry eyes in an owlet is less than ¼ inch large in a board that is ⅞ inches thick. How do I explain the whimsy of the Great Horned Rim Glasses in the owlet’s neighbor.
I take solis in my experiences at the McKinney show. A short customer and her mom wandered up to my table. They delight in the different expressions on the owlets. Mom asks which is your favorite and the 6 year old announces she likes the angry owl. At that moment I felt the excellence of my work. I also know that if there comes a time when a 6 year old needs to express her anger, she has a conduit for that conversation.

So is it art? I don’t know.
Is it practice in the creation of art through the successful ex*****on of a difficult cut? I think it is.
Does it transcend art and offer a different value? I believe it did on that Sunday in McKinney, Texas.

Love to All,
Paul

Dear All,
Last weekend was my first show of the 2023 fall season: Millhouse Artfest in Mckinney. It was great!

Of course, I had my usual pre-show jitters. As I was lacing up my boots I noticed one of my socks had a fuzzy logo on it. A closer look revealed the fuzzy one was actually inside out.
I decided it was close enough but I would focus on my breathing / calming exercises as I drove. It may be hard to believe but when I do my shows that's 'calm Paul ' 'Serene Paul ': it is a good thing I do my breathing exercises.

Love to All,
Paul

New Slab Image
Dear All,
It is August and time to check inventory for the Fall season. I decided to add a few more slab pieces. First I search through the slabs in the shed, looking for candidate boards and I pull them off to the side. Sometimes, I know the image and the board to use (like the Lonesome Cowboy: a fan favorite) but I always try to ‘listen’ for serendipity.
I had four boards on the table and I am testing them with printed images. I had an image of a wizard’s head wearing a pointy hat I was trying to shoehorn onto a narrow, pointy piece of mahogany and it just was not working. I took the wizard and placed it on the stack of boards and tried a different image on the mahogany. Still no good. I glanced over at the wizard image and it was centered on the walnut oval, looking at me and saying: “Well, genius! What do you think?” What I thought was I would lose the pointy hat, find an old man’s hat, broaden the image and place it squarely in the concentric rings of the oval.
I love his grizzled face. This is a guy who has known the winter’s cold and summer’s heat. This is a guy who sets the alarm for 5:15 in the morning and drags himself in everyday to provide for the family. This is a regular working Joe, an ancestor, an old timer. This is a guy who has earned a portrait.

What can I say: listen to the wood. Be patient. I am learning.

Love to All,
Paul
PS I have plans for that narrow piece of mahogany… Give me a couple of weeks. PAB

A Break from the Heat!
Dear All,
Texas has had some hot weather lately. We average 12 days of triple digit temps a year but this year we have had 20 days in a row of triple digit temps. The worst of it, to me, is the overnight temps are still in the mid-80s… Too hot, too long.

As it turns out, we had scheduled a brief visit to northern New Mexico so we were out of town! We visited Ghost Ranch where Georgia O’Keeffe lived from the 1930s. We enjoyed the tours we took and the desert scenery. At one point they brought us to a dead tree by the side of the road and then showed a picture of O'Keeffe's painting of the dead tree from 1938.

The tours were great but equally enjoyable was sleeping in 50 degree weather.

Love to All,
Paul

Ornament Update
Dear All,
On July 31, in the afternoon, I was five patterns away from hitting my goal of 200 new ornaments by August 1. One of the things I learned during the build process is I average 45 minutes per pattern. So five in one afternoon is tough. However, I was saved by the bell.

My son-in-law called and asked if we were available for a 2:30 showing of Oppenhimer (we had discussed the movie in the past and everyone in both households wanted to see it.) I quickly decided I would be ultra productive another day and I should seize the moment.

After the movie I told my grandsons I had a personal connection with August 1945. My eldest sister (who is 18 years older than I am) married a guy who was 10 years older than her. I remembered a conversation I had with him in the early 1970s about the bomb. He told me he read about it while vacationing on the beach in Maryland when he was 17. As he told me of this memory I was struck how incongruous it was that he was enjoying a summer vacation on the day the world changed. Life is strange.

Love to All,
Paul
PS On August 2, I cut my 200th ornament. My goal was achieved and I shared a movie and memories with my grandsons. PAB

Dear All,
The Millhouse Artfest is one of my favorite shows of the year. I am always proud that my work hangs with the other talented artists who are chosen for this show.
Love to All,
Paul

Meet MillHouse ArtFest Artist Paul Benson who offers framed and slab handmade wood cuttings. You can see his work at this year's Summer INDOOR ArtFest is Saturday and Sunday, August 26-27 from 11 am to 5 pm at the historic Food and drinks are provided by Flaming Grill BBQ and the Amazing Bartending services. Our neighbor, , will be open, offering coffee, tea, pastries, and snacks while you shop.

Special thanks to our sponsors who provide funding and in-kind support: Cotton Mill Partners, McKinney Arts Commission, , and McKinney Community Development Corporation.

Show season is Coming!
Dear All,
At the end of my May show, my inventory was 0 display puzzles, 2 stacking puzzles, 5 traditional puzzles, and 7 elephant trains. I now have 16 display puzzles, 33 stacking puzzles, 9 traditional puzzles, and 20 elephant trains.
I think that will get me through August, September, and October. Time will tell.
In November and December, I have 2 minor shows and 1 big one... but that's months away.

Love to All,
Paul

The land of the partial hearing: part II
Dear All,
Years ago I shared some thoughts on my partial hearing but an event occurred recently which brings to the fore again.
I was chosen for jury duty. I love my country and serving on jury duty is one of the tangible ways I can express that love. I was sitting with 120 other citizens and the lawyers where describing the crime (a sexual assault) and asking potential jury about their ability to be impartial. Towards the end of the screening the judge asked if there were any questions. I stuck up my hand and stated I wear hearing aids and although I heard about 95% of what the lawyers said I could only understand about 50% of the jury pool comments. I asked what accommodations were available. The judge said in the courtroom the lawyers and witnesses were mic'd and I would be all set. Additionally, I could raise my hand if I could not hear.
I was selected as an alternate juror. We were instructed jurors can sit anywhere in the jury box but the alternate had to sit on the folding chair between the juror box and the gallery. The good news was I could point my chair at the witness box so I could watch the witness as they spoke. The bad news was I was lined up on the lawyer’s tables so the state lawyers were not a problem but the defense was a challenge.
The first time I could not hear the defense lawyer, I stuck up my hand: no change. At the next break I asked the judge if I could speak to her and she said NO. I explained to a bailiff I could not hear and asked if I could stand up when I had trouble. He said yes. And so the trial continued through the painful dance of questioning lawyers, tortured responses, and me jack-in-a-box next to the jury box.

For the first time in my life: I felt disabled.

I love my country. I will serve again, if called. I do have a plan. If I serve again, I will ask if I can leave my phone turned on but in airplane mode so I can adjust my bluetooth hearing aids but not access the internet or phone lines. I believe this accommodation will be permitted if I can educate the folks who never visit the land of the partial hearing.

Love to All,
Paul

PS I use this event to remind myself that we are all different. Be patient. Be kind. PAB

What’s in a Backer?
Dear All,
After I choose a slab, after I create a pattern, after I cut the piece, after I apply the finish: It is time to choose a back color. Usually, I am working in maple or walnut so black is pretty safe. But with the slabs, the species of wood and tones of color in the wood varry. A technique which works for me is to grab some candidate colors and head to the kitchen. On this day I had white, ecru, and black.
I try each color I have and snap a pic with my phone (I like to scroll back and forth with the candidates.) One last hard look and I am all set.
To my surprise, this dark piece of black cherry was best with the black. I ran upstairs and picked through my pieces of black and found one with minimal wastage and applied it to the slab.
And then: a second surprise, the piece of black I had chosen was ridged. The effect was any light which goes down one of the cut holes is not reflected back but lost within the piece creating wells of blackness within the piece.
I work hard on my art to create beautiful work but I will take lucky any day of the week.

Love to All,
Paul

Call me Inertia
Dear All,
For nine days I worked on ornaments. About 5 hours a day, constructing 88 ornaments. And on the tenth day I rested. Then for the next several days I goofed off, learned about pouring resin, finished up some puzzles, cleaned up the studio (formally known as the ‘shed’), and I went wood shopping with one of my buddies.
Tomorrow, back to ornaments. But a 9 day streak was too long. Maybe 5 days of ornaments and then there are two slabs I've been noodling, or a couple of new patterns that have been spinning in my brain.

The first law of motion is known as inertia: A body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body a rest tends to stay at rest. I wonder if old Issac Newton was a zoom / zero guy too?

Love to All,
Paul

AI is my Sketchbook
Dear All,
AI this and AI that: but how does it help a scroller?
Well, I will tell you how it helped me. With all of my gifts from God (weird spatial awareness, persistence, stunning good looks), I cannot draw. Enter text to image AI tools.
Below is my latest slab effort. I thought the remaining bark on the top of the slab could double as hair and a face was all that was required. As this slab was going to stain quite dark, broad features were required.
I asked AI for an Ent and got images of doctors (all males, I might note). But I did not want an Ears, Nose, and Throat doc, so I switched treeman and then finally greenman. I then went for variations on greenman. The image which was the seed for my pattern is also pasted below.
As a scroll saw patterns is voids and the remaining latus, pencil drawings are only the start. I completed the pattern and then I had to fit the pattern to my slab. But this slab lengthed the face. Finally, I added folds in his robe to sit the face in the triangular slab.

A haunted tree spirit emerges. One of a kind: the union of this slab and the AI seed.

Love to All,
Paul

Ornament Time
Dear All,
The thermometer is hitting 100 outside so it is time to get serious on ornament.
Every year I work on reducing my pattern designs to 20 different types. Well, this year I WAS STRONG! Twenty different types. (Fear not, I have not thrown out any of the old patterns and they may come back next year.)
Every year at shows, folks see the cat ornament and ask for the dog ornament. I have never had one because dog owners are very specific on breads. If I do poodles, they want pugs. I do dalmatians, they want dobermans. This year I will try a heart around a paw. We’ll see what happens.
My goal is 200 new ornaments by August 1. I figure it will take 2 or 3 weeks so I can spread it out a little.

Stay cool in the heat.
Love to All,
Paul

Color and the Jungle Cat
Dear All,
A couple of weeks ago, I chatted about color (and rambled about tech stuff) for the Butterfly Woman. The next pattern I was modifying was a tiger camouflage by the surrounding jungle. First, I tweaked and twisted the base pattern I had found. I took an image with all black backing. Then I went back and filled the voids which make up the tiger with a vibrant yellow and the balance of the voids with green. I printed both and contemplated them (it saves wood and effort when I contemplate before cutting.)

To my surprise, for the yellow tiger, the mystery and foreboding stealth was gone. The image now looked like a grown up version of ‘Daniel Striped Tiger’ from Mr. Roger’s neighborhood. I’m sticking with black.

Please Note: when I said foreboding stealth, I am not disparaging the big cat. There is nothing malevolent about a tiger eyeing you from within the jungle. They simply see you as dinner. Nothing personal.
Love to All,
Paul

Dear All,

Hawaii Fluid Art in Flower Mound is open! I have 6 pieces hanging in there lobby / gallery.

One happy scroller!

Love to All,
Paul

Tales by Moonlight
Dear All,
I recently received a Call for Artist email for a local gallery via my art group. The email stated they wanted stories and art of mythological subjects. I figured with my writing skills and artwork I had a solid chance of acceptance.
I sat down and composed short stories for my The Awakening of the Balrog and Artemis images. I then filled out the application form and learned the stories were limited to 75 words.

75 words: I might as well try to squeeze into 32 inch jeans. The Artemis piece was 300 words and the Balrog 415 words.

As it turned out, my opening ‘tease’ paragraph for each story was under 75 words. I submitted my application, truncated stories and images and was accepted. When I dropped off my images I saw a half a dozen of the other pieces: What a diverse show! The artist doing the intake told me 15 different countries are represented! It looks like a great show so if you are in North Texas from June 10 through July 8, stop by the AM gallery located in the Music City Mall and check it out.
Love to All,
Paul

Below is the complete Artemis story

In Greek mythology, Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the hunt. A creature so in tune with the moon that her headdress and shoulder tattoo mimicked the countenance of the moon. In our modern culture, most of us have lost of the wisdom of the ancients and lost the huntress. But, as you will read, not in all cases. This tale was told to me by a man I knew in Maine in the 1980s.
From ancient times to now the earth has spun around Sol 2500 times. A boy finds himself on a rocky outcrop. It is November in central Maine. This frozen Appalachia is filled with families who get by on the most meager rations. It is before school, and he is sitting quietly with his rifle watching the tree line. His father works in the roar of the factory floor earning enough for fuel and housing. His mother has taught him about the hunt.
It is shortly after dawn and the icy blue sky has a moon in it. Mother calls it a “children’s moon”. The never-ending dance between Earth and Luna has cycled to where the moon is visible after Sol has risen. His mother councils him “Sit as silently as the heavenly body.” And “When you must move, be as slow as the transit of the moon.”
The boy does not seek a trophy rack to hang on the wall. A successful hunt will mean one more stew in February or a casserole in March, and if both he and his sister are successful: shared bounty for others.
The ancient ways are remembered. The moon watches from above and the boy sits in the stillnes