I have a weakness for gadgets and to my shame I have left a considerable trail of abandoned contraptions. Never again, I said to myself when, under the cover of darkness, I added an electric pasta machine to the council cleanup. It was a great, and genuine Italian, pasta machine. It made the dough and extruded spaghetti in minutes. It took hours to clean! Then there was the Vegetable Sculpting Kit - we won't go into that, except to say I never managed to produce a watermelon chrysanthemum or a carrot dragonfly. What I'm getting around to is how proud I was of myself when, a year ago, I came across a website featuring The Watercolour Charger. I was only beginning to experiment with watercolours so, although I read every word of this exciting new invention by British artist, John Salmon, I resisted. I held out for a year! Organising my bookmarks recently, I came across a link. It was fate.
John isn't into the hard sell. He actually provides FREE instructions on his site to build your own Charger and FREE tutorials on how to use it. Faced with having to source the bits and pieces from our local hardware shop where the owner already hides under the counter when he sees me coming, with my fractured Italian and obscure demands, I asked John if he could possibly make me one. As I pleaded - I need all my fingers.
So I have my Charger. I won't go on here about all its benefits because John does that in detail on his site. It does require a little practice, but unlike the dreaded Vegetable Sculpting Kit, I am using it every day. Now my 'clean' water is immaculate and my 'dirty' water is clean and I'm not wasting expensive paint. I'm also having enormous fun experimenting with precise graduated washes and 3D effects. Hey Charger!
6 comments:
HAHAHAH! I'm the same way. I must have 20 pairs of sewing sissors for every consevable cutting circumatance!!
I saw this on John's site and made my own version. I loved it when I was into watercolor. Since I may take a wc class in the fall, I'll have to dust mine off and set it up.
Lovely work here!
Lindsay - Thank you and I'm in awe of you making your own! Even HWEM commented, when mine arrived, that John must be very deft!
Robyn, I enjoy your stories so much --you're so witty and wryly self-deprecating (you're way too modest, but that's another story.) Congratulations on your charger. I look forward to seeing then (nonsculpted) fruit of its labor.
HWEM here. All we need now is the cage, the little bell, the little mirror, and the budgie.
Thank you, Laura! Living with HWEM, one has to be wry to survive!
Hey Robyn,
I'm still here, I don't anything about the Charger and I have seen Salmon about on WC 'flogging' it off... although like you said he isn't into the 'hard sell'
I sat here laughing at way you explained how the hardware man 'hides under the counter' when he sees you coming! The picture in my head... (having been there myself and know how it can be) is just so precious!
Have you seen 'Under ther Tuscan Sun' the movie? You're living it!
I keep asking around to see if anyone is interested in joining me in an 'Italian Reno!' so far no takers!
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