CHAPLiN’S SNOWSTORM

There is an underlying geometry to this random flurry, a system for defining the minimum amount of negative space between snowflakes of various sizes, I figured it out by drawing. Without getting too specific it makes use of the fact that equilateral triangles of any size, each and all together can tile a plane. Further, each and every shape divisible by equilateral triangles, can be tiled together in this way. Since hexagons are made of equilateral triangles they can tile a plane in the same manner, leaving sections of equilateral triangles which can, in turn be occupied by more hexagons, leading the mind to infinity.  I’m not sure If I discovered this all sized tiling, but at least for the purposes of this design I will call it ‘Chaplin’s Snowstorm’. Carved by my hand using diamonds and water, this sterling silver pill box fits in the little pocket of your jeans and is ideal for carrying pills of all sorts, medicinal, recreational, and vitaminical. 

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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SO HAMLET PRiNCE OF DENMARK...

What's this I hear you can't make up your mind ?  Time moves us to death, inevitable. Yet we may jest and play, and each man in his time wears many hats. This jokers cap and bells was made for court in Gastown. Perchance that we might laugh at death, and in the moment when we hear the bright tone of these bells,  feast in celebration of this one and only life.

I sculpted these bells in sterling silver, and of course I needed help. Sarah Strange has a millinery mind and after a brief discussion, and some loose sketching,  returned yesterday with this fantastic chapeau. After attaching the bells we set up this shot.
 

Crown Commissioner : Scott Hawthorn
Goldsmith: Karen Morrow
Casting: Jess Sarber
Milliner: Sarah Strange
robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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RETURN OF THE SNOWBiRDS

Spring is quickly approaching and with it, the return of the snowbirds. You may be one, you may know some. Canadians with means sensible enough to spend their time in warmer climes, come fall and winter they migrate to Arizona, Texas, Mexico, and Thailand, anywhere equatorial, somewhere warm and dry. But as springtime approaches the lure of friends, summer drinks and rustic weekends, call the snowbirds home. To celebrate we at the Royal Canadian Snowflake Factory have produced the snowbird patch; embroidered and made to iron on to your favorite camping clothes, glad rags, and ceremonial vestments. The snowbird patch lets everyone know that you may exercise the option to enjoy the sun, and have fun. Snowbird Patches are included free with sponsorship in the Royal Canadian Snowflake Collection.

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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Something Good About Publishing

You know when you are a kid and someone hands you a copy of 'The Guinness Book of World Records' and you feel like it just might be the most important book ever published? The sum of all knowledge, arcane facts, photographs and histories, an entertainment simultaneously wondrous and spellbinding... and you think,“just maybe if you never cut your fingernails, or if you hold your breath, or live a really long time, or grow extremely tall, or strike it rich, or gain a lot of weight, then maybe, just maybe you could get a Guinness World Record”. Then you go outside and play, you go to school, grow up, fall in love, and work. Responsibilities take your life in its own direction and the dreams of childhood get put on the shelf. In this adult life each day seems much like the next, and you think things might never change. Well sometimes they do change, like one day in January my friend Bruce called and told me that an art project I worked on made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

To find out more about the project see 'Teeny Ted From Turnip Town'

To see the Guinness World Record see Smallest Book

I enjoy the privilege of sharing this record with my brother, Malcolm Douglas Chaplin, and the nano-imaging lab at SFU. One day someone may beat this record, and they will be lucky enough to know how I feel right now.

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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Amuse-Bouche De Roi- the Kings Dinner

Queen Elizabeth I
Let us celebrate the Crowned Head of Gastown.

Funny there’s a municipal election going today, and it matters not at all. For on this last Thursday evening in Gastown, a monarch was selected by Amuse-Bouche, followed by a coronation dinner. I mean really, who said democracy has to be achieved by something as mundane as an election. In the City State of Gastown things are a run little differently, it’s Government by lottery. Our head of state is selected by Amuse-Bouche, from among a court of 20 dinner guests. Each guest receives an Amuse-Bouche/Objet d'Art, one of these treats contains a sterling silver Ruckle bean. The Person who receives the Ruckle bean is then coronated, ascending to the position of Ruling Monarch.

THE LUCKY GUEST WHO GETS THE BEAN
BECOMES THE RULiNG KiNG OR QUEEN

Queen Elizabeth I and the consort King Ravi

There are two crowned heads at the table. The Ruckle bean selects the monarch, the monarch chooses who may wear the other crown. On the King’s crown is inscribed this verse, “ Long live our King, lets celebrate, Gastown is a city state. Sing and Feast and Celebrate, Our King is Good Our King is Great. ” The Queen’s crown is inscribed with a very simple truth “However The King may rule The Queen runs the show”. I designed these crowns, first by sculpting components for casting, after the components were cast and finished, I brought them to a goldsmith for assembly and stone setting. The Amuse-Bouche/objet d’art were loaded each with a sterling snowflake from the Royal Canadian Snowflake Collection.

will post more pictures on this one...

Crown Commissioner : Scott Hawthorn
Goldsmith: Karen Morrow
Casting: Jess Sarber
Leather Work: Ravi Pankhania
Photo Credit: Landon Marie
robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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Sheep Graffiti

Ireland is a green place, and that’s been said in different ways by many great writers. Further, there’s been much academic attention paid to the importance of street art and its rise, from late twentieth century graffiti, through to a kind of museum quality death. Perhaps something that’s not been discussed enough is sheep tagging. Farmers used to the history of grazing their livestock on common land, get into branding their sheep in this manner. It makes the sheep easy to identify and reveals a savage beauty; in stark contrast, to all those bucolic eighteenth and nineteenth century genre paintings, depicting country life.

Serious beauty, I was lagging behind my hosts on this walk and saw a lovely cow, grazing on grass which I’m certain had been infused with absinthe. I fell in love here, this land and it’s beauty, the Irish are inspirational. I participated in Clifden arts week. My dear friend Joanna Galloway operates Hair Gallery on Bridge street and she sponsored my exhibition. And so for one amazing week I was able to meet and greet people, read my stories and show my work. In the evenings I went to gigs in the pubs of Clifden and was treated to a musical feast. Electric Jazz, Country, Folk and Irish Traditional, It was truly an honor to participate in this event and I had a super time.

This is one of the pieces I exhibited, it is a representation of a deer being hunted by wolves, it’s a synthesis inspired by the form lines of pacific northwest coast art, celtic knot work, mathematics and retinal color theory.

Also for the first time ever, I exhibited the complete collection of scanning electron micrographs, of the worlds smallest book. ‘Teeny Ted from Turnip Town- a success story’ was written by my brother, Malcolm Douglas Chaplin and designed and published by me. I'm glad that I saved the premier exhibition of this for Ireland, as the most significant part of the story happens on Blooms Day.





On the Last Friday of Clifden Arts Week there was a fantastic parade. It's a celebration and the craic's almighty! The parade is a kaleidoscope of color and imagination. I hope to return to Clifden as soon as possible, to stay for as long as I can. Shout out to Joanna, Simon, and Catherine. Word.


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An Object Lesson in Macro-Economics

what is this mysterious object ? this sphere of hematite carved by my hand using diamonds and water? The designs are inspired by the backside of a Greenback, American dollar bill and circumscribed with magic text. “Made round to go round”, Something my Father used to say when he gave us our allowance. An object lesson in macro-economics, perchance to help with quantitative easing?

My Grandfather said, “ you can’t spend yourself rich” and, “ the next depression would be high priced ”. He was right of course, the elderly very often are. The US government is printing money faster than anyone can spend it. The effect is that it costs more to buy anything. It’s not that things have increased in value, rather that the money is very very cheap. Fiat money never survives long, a symptom of a regime in decay.

This stone is a crystal of iron oxide, yet it will never rust. When Hematite is carved it makes blood red dust. It can be magnetized and it’s hardness is about 5 1/2 on Mohs scale. It is a durable, hard stone, carving and it will remain intact until the sun consumes the inner planets. Metaphysicians believe this stone has grounding properties. With money and metaphysics, grounding has value.

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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photo credit: Peter Lattimer

The Ravages of time and Calamity: A Leaf in the Wind

Can one encapsulate a moment and store it for eternity ? Time and wind and water, running through our fingers, messing up our hair and ravaging the skin from our bones. I posted this piece over a decade ago, a ‘Leaf in the Wind’, an individual carried by current, without intention. People are a bit like that and one at a time is no problem. This work was made of basalt, carved by my hand, using diamonds and water. I wanted to create the illusion that hard stone could be weightless, that a leaf could be thin and light and carried by the spiral form of turbulent currents.

Some may pick up a hard stone and throw it through a window, I choose to carve something interesting. Most people are unfamiliar with work like this, it has a production value similar to dentistry. And in the end, it may survive us all


private collection: John Taylor
photo credit: Peter Lattimer
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Amuse-Bouche De Roi

LONG LiVE OUR KiNG LET’S CELEBRATE
GASTOWN iS A CITY STATE
SiNG AND FEAST AND CELEBRATE
OUR KiNG iS GOOD OUR KiNG iS GREAT

There’s a crowned head in Gastown, and what Royal proclamation would be complete without a crown? Considering Gastown's historical relationship with the colonial Government of British Columbia and the Nation State of Canada, it's hardly surprising that Gastown has succeeded. That the Crown Commissioner of Gastown through his agency, saw fit to have me work upon this project for our King is a blessed miracle! and clearly illustrates the ancient relationship between Divine Right and Artistic License.


We will celebrate the Coronation with Amuse-Bouche De Roi. A festive tradtion for investing the King of Gastown. Long Live The King !

Crown Commissioner : Scott Hawthorn
Goldsmith: Karen Morrow
Casting: Jess Sarber
Leather Work: Ravi Pankhania
Photo Credit: Mel Yap

Political Geography...Somwhere on The Border

Somewhere on the border between BC and Alberta, Bull Moose poses majestically in alpine vista with Grizzly Bear and Bighorn Sheep. If we look out on to the plains we can see a heard of Bison and a sky full of birds in flight. Life here is good, despite a federal election, and I thank the power of Creation that my animal friends maintain a certain kind of respect for Political Geography.

This 40”x 60” brush drawing was commissioned by architect, snowflake sponsor, and friend Gair Williamson. Further, my nature pictures are not cartoons, and so all of my animal friends sport the gifts of creation. Bear has mighty teeth, Birds have wings, and Bull Moose has magnificent antlers.

Photo Credit: Mel Yap

What’s in a Book ? - isbn 978-1-894897-25-9

What’s in a book ? and anyways, why are books so magical ? I've some thoughts on the matter and may at this point share them.

A book is a containment system for knowledge. Whether it be a clay tablet, scroll, codex or electronic application; a book is a compartmental unit of specific information. The information contained may be of any level of importance, everything and anything; understanding modern plumbing, instructions for burning witches, recipes for delicious cakes and pies, poetry, history, nonfiction, and fairy tales. Irregardless of relevance, form or content, engaging with a book is an act of revelation. Open up the covers, and we are in, experiencing the word, entertained, and enlightened.

This wise stuff aside, the book in codex form has another, more inappropriate function. It can be used to conceal an object. This old chestnut... take a big book in hard covers, one seldom opened, commonly the Bible. Open the book and cut holes in the pages , until you have created enough usable space, to hide something important. Place your secret object in the book, close the covers, and place the book on a bookshelf. Excellent! you have successfully hidden the goods in a manner no one will ever suspect.

Now that I've given you the background information, this is what you are looking at. A book, a medal, my latest publication: The Robert Reid Medal, to be precise. The medal was commissioned by the Alcuin Society and named after Robert Reid, a pioneer in Canadian book design. Presented nationally, the Robert Reid Medal celebrates lifetime achievement in book creation. The design was carved by my hand then cast in bronze at the studio of my colleague Jess Sarber. After the medals were cast, each one was hand finished by me. This work was completed in an edition of 25 with 5 artists proofs.

Regarding the revelatory and concealing power of books, it seemed most fitting, to encase each medal in this manner. Within this context the medal becomes a dimensional illustration, and since I've taken to publication as an act of contemporary art, it would be reasonable to assign an ISBN to this project. The book itself consists of an essay written by Yosef Wosk, regarding the value of a life spent in creation. The typography was designed electronically, burned into polymer plates, then printed and bound at Black Stone Press. A purpose built and published work to simultaneously protect and reveal a lifetime of excellence.

photo credit: Peter Lattimer

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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The Royal Canadian Snowflake Collection

The Royal Canadian Snowflake Collection came to me in the vision of a flurry, wind hustling silver snowflakes, swirling, dancing, everlasting. Every snowflake in the collection is sculpted by my hand, then permanently cast in sterling silver. The collection is produced exclusively through sponsorship, like discovering a new star, sponsors get to name their snowflake.

Sponsors receive the first snowflake cast, to keep or give to a friend. The first snowflake is signed and delivered, as a pendant or lapel pin, it's name engraved on the back. The pictorial collection is updated periodically, each snowflake pictured includes the name of the sponsor and the name of their snowflake. We are all Royal Canadians and sponsoring a snowflake is easy, to find out more please visit. http://royalcanadiansnowflake.com

photo credit: Peter Lattimer

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca

-© Robert Chaplin admmx. copy cats are dirty rats
* Hats off to Wilson Bentley, for inspiration and a life well spent.

Faire Dodo, perchance to dream... in sterling

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard it said that, “faire dodo” means nighty-night in french.

Regarding the sterling Dodo, at some point I published ‘The Last Dodo’, complete with cast sterling medal, isbn, rhyme and dedication. The text portion of this work was reproduced in ‘Brussels Sprouts & Unicorns’. Here’s a taste of the medal for your perusal, The model was first carved in hematite, by my hand using diamonds and water, it was then cast in sterling , hand finished, then signed. Each and every dodo is slightly different, an original work of art, to be worn as jewelry. Own one, if it pleases you...

for $180.00 Canadian Dollars
* shipping included

Word to Ralfe Whistler, Happy Belated Dodo. Eighty is a grand age indeed, to be riding bicycles, chasing our favorite Romaphile, and hunting dodo's. Well done!

photo credit: Peter Lattimer

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca

-© Robert Chaplin admmx. copy cats are dirty rats

Bull Moose in Alpine Space: Magna Carta du Canada

Magna Carta du Canada. Let the free and wild peoples of this nation reign supreme. Let the majesty of wild lands blind all suburban vision. Let taxation be paid directly to the land which sustains us; to the mountains, plains, forests, rivers, lakes, streams, and seas. Let the seed of legend be planted in wilderness, that we might hunt together and build a society, which is as elegant as the trees, and as happy as my animal friends.

This 40”x 60” brush drawing depicts Bull Moose in Alpine Space; it is the result of a conversation I had with my friend, patron , and colleague, Peter Lattimer. You may notice this picture has a lot of wild space, and that it has been populated with my favorite Canadian animal friends. Beaver is sitting on his lodge, Grizzly mother and cub are taking the time to reflect, Mountain Goat is overlooking the entire vista, while the birds migrate left. Complete with teeth, antlers, horns, and tails, my animals are anatomically correct; after all this is fine art, which means respect has to be paid to naturalistic representation.

Photo Credit: Mel Yap

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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cribbageridoo

So it's summer and you’re in Canada. Some people drink Gin & Tonic, while others throw lawn darts. Some people play horse shoes, swim, sun bathe naked, or drink beer & fight the black flies. There’s fishing, and hang gliding, and hiking and then; there’s the Bad Assest, grand daddy, of all pastimes... Cribbage. What better way to while away those too hot summer nights than in an intoxicated, card counting, rhyme timing, stupor ? It’s a backwoods groove, fifteen two fifteen four, and the rest don’t score ... fifteen six , fix, and the rest don’t mix...“honey, are we all out of mix ? ”

Speaking of mix here’s ‘Cribbageridoo’ a Cribbage board I worked on with my friend Jim Smerdon, I’d do anything for that man. He is truly remarkable, and when he asked me to help him with this project, I immediately agreed. After Jim and I wrangled the wood, Jim cut it to length and drilled all of the holes, then he gave it to me for a paint job. I was as surprised by the final results as anyone, and ultimately pleased with the Abo-critter dream time vibe. Complete with some new Cribbage rhymes, skunk-punk, Funky Monkey Double Skunkie, Finish in victory, ants in your pants, everyone does the finishing dance.

Thanks Jim.

Photo Credit: Jim Smerdon

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
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Minted Proof...

This ancient silver coin is a hobo nickel, adjusted for inflation; it was minted in Canada, circa the mid 20th century. That was a long time ago, and back then we could still see majestic herds of wild Unicorn running along by the sea. The Unicorn range is much smaller now and the population is protected by the Royal Canadian Government. Making a token effort to prevent the extinction of this noble beast.

Fifty Cent Pieces are treasured and hoarded by Canadians, who feel this coin carries with it’s provenance, a value greater than it’s denomination. I added value to this fifty cent piece by first, grinding and polishing one side, then I engraved it with the oath from ‘Brussels Sprouts & Unicorns’. Simultaneously an objet d’art, and minted proof of the existence of Unicorns. You can specify the date of the coin, anything minted before 1967 is made of silver.

If it pleases you I'll make one and deliver it
for $ 360.00 Canadian dollars

photo credit: Peter Lattimer

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca

-© Robert Chaplin admmx. copy cats are dirty rats

The Carrot & The Stick Routine

Carrot and stick, stick and carrot; simultaneously they speak to Pavlovian response conditioning and the general theory of rabbit hunting. That said, this will be a 24 karat lesson in gold, and just how to determine, how much gold is in that thing anyways ? It’s grade 5 math, so don’t worry if you get bored and start doodling or looking out the window. 24 karat is for all intents and purposes, 100% gold, expressed as a fraction this is 24/24. When you look at a piece of jewelry you might see a stamp denoting the purity of gold. 18k, 14k, 10k are pretty often seen, and expressed as fractions, these are 18/24, 14/24, and 10/24 respectively. These fractions can be converted to percentages. If you know the weight of a piece of gold jewelry, and the percentage of gold that is in it, you can easily calculate how much gold there is. Try it sometime, it’s fun.

Sometimes we forget our friends in the vegetable kingdom. My friend Jesse Sarber, kindly suggested that I make a carrot to go with my other precious metal vegetables. And so I did, this unique creation is a necklace, made from colored gold and sterling silver. The carrot is made from 9k rose gold and 14k green gold. The central stick is 16k yellow gold, the toggle ring is 14k yellow gold, and the stick chain is sterling silver. I sculpted the carrot and leaf bail in epoxy resin, then cast them using the lost wax method. The sticks for the chain were found in trees, and then cast using the lost stick method. The lost stick method is interesting, as it guarantees that no two pieces will ever be the same. Delicious, free range, organic jewelry, made by my hand, for your enjoyment.



photo credit: Peter Lattimer

robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca

-© Robert Chaplin admmx. copy cats are dirty rats

THE TEALACANTH - iSBN 1-894897-03-X

THE T E A L A C A N T H

A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ADDITION TO THE CLASSICAL PANTHEON
© ad mmi , Copy Cats are Dirty Rats

The Tealacanth, rhymes with Coelacanth (See La Kanth). The ancient living fossil fish, from whence it takes its name. Latin Latimera Sisyphusticus. The Tealcanth is known to spawn at the headwaters of the river Styx and winds out eternity spinning in the swirling stygian backeddys.

The Tealacanth a contemporary expression of classical mythology and describes the modern condition to a tea. We have electricity and plumbing, economy and debt, and we toil to maintain it all and like all of us, and Sisyphus†, The Tealacanth can get no satisfaction.
† Sisyphus is the character of ancient Greek mythology, whose task in Hades, was to push a boulder, up a hill, which at once would roll down again. In perpetuity.The Tealacanth, is a product of my imagination and was carved by my hand, using diamonds and water. Removed from a solid block of machine quality aluminum, in the Gastown District of the City of Vancouver, at the dawn of the twenty first century. This smiling addition to the classical pantheon, The Tealacanth, has a cup in one hand and a teapot in the other, and no matter how many circles he swims in, he can never pour his own tea...



Autobiography

I was born under a lucky star and raised in the Canadian wilderness. I know how to quickskin a grouse and I've fed pancakes to Whiskey Jacks. My first artistic influences came from my family , and as a child I was inspired by the carved poles of the Gitksan people at K'san and Kitwancool. At some point I went to school and earned a BFA, that's a ticket with a gold seal on it. Then I worked. Later, in 2004 I was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, that's a bigger ticket with an even bigger gold seal. I'm still working, sometimes I need help.

Photo Credit: Brian Creswick
robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca