Richard Paldino

Country: USA

Artist: Richard Paldino

Website: https://www.facebook.com/rpaldino?fref=ts

Statement:

I have a friend Terry who is a wood worker. One day while visiting at his shop he asked if I'd like to take a box of assorted scrap wood home. I saw the possibilities these scraps of wood could be used for in conjunction with my pottery work right away. I viewed the challenge of combining the wood to pottery as an opportunity to be creative. There was a lot to consider with this melding of two different media. The biggest deliberation was how are they going to be attached? What will they look like together? Rather than being forced into inaction from thinking about the problem too much I just started making pottery vessels and learning by trial and error the best way to maintain aesthetics, good craftsmanship and proper function.

I viewed the challenge of combining the wood to pottery as an opportunity to be creative. There was a lot to consider with this melding of two different media. The biggest deliberation was how are they going to be attached? What will they look like together? Rather than being forced into inaction from thinking about the problem too much I just started making pottery vessels and learning by trial and error the best way to maintain aesthetics, good craftsmanship and proper function.

Large bucket with Osage handle. 50 X 40.3 cm

Tea pot 20.3 cm high

Growing up my grandmother and mother would take me and my brother outside with our own oil paint set and we'd paint landscapes. Our grandmother showed us the different shapes and sizes of brushes, she explained what function they brought and how to hold them. Because of that experience I've always appreciated a good quality brush. I have good memories of being with my grandmother and using flat stiff brushes, round brushes, soft brushes, small ones and big ones. When I smell turpentine I immediately think of my grandmother.

I had a box of interesting scraps of wood from Terry and some of them looked like it could be a brush handle, another opportunity to be creative I said to myself with a smile. At first I used store bought bristles to mount in the brush handle I made. I had no idea of how to make a bristle.

Here is an image of an early brush.

You can see the plastic binder at the base of the bristle.

As my skills at handle making improved and a personal style evolved. I wanted to push what I knew about the animal hair used and what purpose they brought to an artist and the paper. I had no idea of the complexity involved in choice of animal hair, mountain horse hair, weasel, sheep, goat, badger, and deer are just a few. When I decided to learn to make my own bristle I had no idea of how difficult it would be. Bristle making is a whole different art. I had a lot to learn. I began by purchasing inexpensive brushes and taking them apart to understand how it is done. Then one day accidently I came across a video of a brush master making a bristle. It helped me improve my personal understanding and improve my finished product. Thank you master for sharing. I'm still learning what works, each animal hair handles differently. Sometimes I make a bristle quick and easy, the next time it's a battle between my fingers and the bristle hair. When the hair wins, I try again.

I don't like to make a lot of brushes then sell them on a web site or show. People at a show have been known to pick up a brush and ask what it is. I much prefer for an artist to contact me and make a request for what they want. What sort of bristle, what length of hand, right hand or left hand. I enjoy the personal contact and making a brush just for that person. I don't want to make just a, 'Brush', I want to make an 'Artist's Brush '. I want the artist to feel the spirit of the brush, the thoughtfulness put into it, the authenticity. I want a connection to be made from me to the artist to the paper.

Each brush takes 6 to 8 hours for me to make. I will never be able to mass produce these brushes. They are made of wood. I prefer Orange Osage wood for my brushes even though it's difficult to work with. Osage is a very durable wood and being wet doesn't affect it. Osage wood has a soft feel and very attractive appearance. The color of the wood doesn't hide any of the fine details I make in my brushes.

I had a web site for a long time but few people visited it so I discontinued it. I get hundreds of visits on my Facebook site a week however. May Pan wants me to tell all of you how to contact me if you are interested in a brush made by me. It Is, richardpaldino@ facebook.com .

The price depends on handle length and what sort of bristle, also where the brush is being sent. A small simple handle with a medium sized goat hair bristle is $80.00, then there is the added cost of shipping.

Hmay Art Supply is a xuan paper manufacturer from Jing county Xuan city Anhui province - the birthplace of xuan paper. We produce top grade xuan paper (shuen paper, rice paper) and provide superior quality paper crafts and other art items for Japanese calligraphy, Chinese brush calligraphy & Chinese sumi-e painting, etc.

Let's enjoy sumi-e painting and brush calligraphy together!