rod
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Preface:
Attending FEGA conventions in the past, I received permission and posted some photos taken at the show of engraver’s work, allowing those on the forums, who cannot attend, to get a taste of what is to be seen. My selections were never totally even handed, just as fair as I could manage in a limited time, never getting full coverage of all the display tables. This year my injured arm was not steady enough, so none posted, they are not good enough. Down the line, if not already, far better photos will be posted by the individual engravers, I am sure. So only social activity photos below, and an incomplete selection at that. Sorry.
———
Dear Colleagues,
I did not want to delay too long, Barry,
In expressing my thanks to you, and the whole team, that made FEGA 2016 /Las Vegas a success.
Some members of the team included Betty Strosin ( like me, nursing a shoulder injury), Andrew Biggs, John Gunn, the others probably holding up the corner of the building so that the show could go on. Thank you, everyone!
Bad luck with a winter bug kept me from attending in 2015. It was fun to be back again, viewing the many new engraved works, chatting with friends, among whom were Bob and Betty S, Katherine P and Harry, Sam W, John B, Diane and Bob Scalese, Lee G and Lisa, Doc, Mike. Dean and Toni, Fred and Judi, Tira and daughter Stephanie, Brian and Mrs P, Marty, Bob Evans, Linda and Charly, Rick Th, Roger B, Tim (enjoyed that dram of malt with you, Tim!) Brian and Mrs H, Roger S, Roger B, Mr and Mrs Jim Blair, John B, the great CJ, Rex, Mike, Yves, and Sam A at GRS booth. I know I have left out an embarrassing number of friends who were there, please forgive my fragmenting brain.
I also met for the first time two bright cutters, from Alaska, Johnny , and Kelly Williams.
Sam Alfano at the GRS booth attracted a lively crowd, independently Barry Lee Hands’ setup looked like he was in a corner of an ancient market place, that man is so fast, apparently casual, yet excellent in his demos. I got to see gold being melted in with other metals to make different colors for inlay and overlay work. I discovered that Barry’s mum taught jewelry techniques, so he mastered lots of great stuff before he even reached his teens.
I paused long at Tira’s stall, first to chat with her and her now nineteen year old daughter, Stephanie, already embarked in engineering studies at college. The engineering toolmaker in me admired two fixtures Tira offers, I believe from Chris De Camilis, to be used for holding rings to do inside engraving, the other one for outside engraving and stone setting. They looked great, very solid, very precisely made, and beautiful to behold. Well done Chris.
My second eye cataract is happening on Tuesday next, and pleased with the results on the other eye, I am feeling confident of once more reclaiming my lifetime gift of 20/20 vision. I was won over by the depth of field of a Leica Scope Tira was offering. Looking at a nickel, edge on, leaning slightly slant, it seemed the whole face was in focus at high magnification. I have been doing well for ten years with my present trusty scope, yet thought that in these senior years I would give myself a treat. In short, I flew home with a new Leica securely packed in the carry-on suitcase. It is now up and working on my bench. Thank you, Tira.
There was an encouraging number of new visitors. Not being privy to how the event went, in terms of new commissions and sales for engravers, what I can say is, after missing FEGA 2015, for this returning attendee it was a pleasure to see friends, meet new engravers, enjoy the banquet, the fund-raising auction, the Monday seminars, and work my way around the tables to see what new commissions were on display, both completed and in process. Works in progress somehow draw me in with a passion, as I can imagine better what the engraver is going through in the moment.
Colleagues wished me the best in getting fully back in the saddle with my work, and joining in once more with the traditional after-hours fireside singing and strumming. Barry, thank you for making the upstairs ‘mission control’ suite available for music and conversation, and a little something to wet the whistle.
Barry, Dean and Toni, Fred and Judi, Linda and others got a lively session going, with the rich deep voice of our own Lee Griffith singing the part of 'rebounding echo from the dry, lonely canyon' as we all sang, ‘Cool Clear, Water’.
After Dean sang an Elvis song, it was icing on the cake to learn, just above our heads and through the ceiling, was Elvis Presley’s former penthouse, where the ‘King’ stayed, throughout the 8 or 9 years he worked in Vegas. When you told us that, Barry, this old picker and strummer felt a sort of miraculous laying on of hands, giving me the courage to press through the stiffness and aches of my bashed-up hand tendons, and actually stumble through a few songs. Given that the King was known to, shall we say, over-indulge in the high cholesterol goodies and snacks, I confess that my vision looking upwards was more than likely little pieces of bacon dust floating down on our heads, like shooting stars from heaven, nonetheless working their magic on us just like a miracle at the Grotto of Lourdes...
Lee, thank you for pointing us to the King’s ‘American Trilogy’, and for having a go at it. I rather like him in this version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7rcxLOqgLk
Still on the topic of Elvis, I promised the link of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings singing that great tribute, "Elvis Presley Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FM8ui2ByUI
If you like their sound here is the one hour live concert video, exquisitely filmed and recorded by BBC, live, in St Luke’s church, London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eF7gywHMxw
Not done yet, finally Gillian and David sing the finest ‘Pancho and Lefty’ ever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3zlee_VRo
Okay, I’m done talking music.
Rod
Attending FEGA conventions in the past, I received permission and posted some photos taken at the show of engraver’s work, allowing those on the forums, who cannot attend, to get a taste of what is to be seen. My selections were never totally even handed, just as fair as I could manage in a limited time, never getting full coverage of all the display tables. This year my injured arm was not steady enough, so none posted, they are not good enough. Down the line, if not already, far better photos will be posted by the individual engravers, I am sure. So only social activity photos below, and an incomplete selection at that. Sorry.
———
Dear Colleagues,
I did not want to delay too long, Barry,
In expressing my thanks to you, and the whole team, that made FEGA 2016 /Las Vegas a success.
Some members of the team included Betty Strosin ( like me, nursing a shoulder injury), Andrew Biggs, John Gunn, the others probably holding up the corner of the building so that the show could go on. Thank you, everyone!
Bad luck with a winter bug kept me from attending in 2015. It was fun to be back again, viewing the many new engraved works, chatting with friends, among whom were Bob and Betty S, Katherine P and Harry, Sam W, John B, Diane and Bob Scalese, Lee G and Lisa, Doc, Mike. Dean and Toni, Fred and Judi, Tira and daughter Stephanie, Brian and Mrs P, Marty, Bob Evans, Linda and Charly, Rick Th, Roger B, Tim (enjoyed that dram of malt with you, Tim!) Brian and Mrs H, Roger S, Roger B, Mr and Mrs Jim Blair, John B, the great CJ, Rex, Mike, Yves, and Sam A at GRS booth. I know I have left out an embarrassing number of friends who were there, please forgive my fragmenting brain.
I also met for the first time two bright cutters, from Alaska, Johnny , and Kelly Williams.
Sam Alfano at the GRS booth attracted a lively crowd, independently Barry Lee Hands’ setup looked like he was in a corner of an ancient market place, that man is so fast, apparently casual, yet excellent in his demos. I got to see gold being melted in with other metals to make different colors for inlay and overlay work. I discovered that Barry’s mum taught jewelry techniques, so he mastered lots of great stuff before he even reached his teens.
I paused long at Tira’s stall, first to chat with her and her now nineteen year old daughter, Stephanie, already embarked in engineering studies at college. The engineering toolmaker in me admired two fixtures Tira offers, I believe from Chris De Camilis, to be used for holding rings to do inside engraving, the other one for outside engraving and stone setting. They looked great, very solid, very precisely made, and beautiful to behold. Well done Chris.
My second eye cataract is happening on Tuesday next, and pleased with the results on the other eye, I am feeling confident of once more reclaiming my lifetime gift of 20/20 vision. I was won over by the depth of field of a Leica Scope Tira was offering. Looking at a nickel, edge on, leaning slightly slant, it seemed the whole face was in focus at high magnification. I have been doing well for ten years with my present trusty scope, yet thought that in these senior years I would give myself a treat. In short, I flew home with a new Leica securely packed in the carry-on suitcase. It is now up and working on my bench. Thank you, Tira.
There was an encouraging number of new visitors. Not being privy to how the event went, in terms of new commissions and sales for engravers, what I can say is, after missing FEGA 2015, for this returning attendee it was a pleasure to see friends, meet new engravers, enjoy the banquet, the fund-raising auction, the Monday seminars, and work my way around the tables to see what new commissions were on display, both completed and in process. Works in progress somehow draw me in with a passion, as I can imagine better what the engraver is going through in the moment.
Colleagues wished me the best in getting fully back in the saddle with my work, and joining in once more with the traditional after-hours fireside singing and strumming. Barry, thank you for making the upstairs ‘mission control’ suite available for music and conversation, and a little something to wet the whistle.
Barry, Dean and Toni, Fred and Judi, Linda and others got a lively session going, with the rich deep voice of our own Lee Griffith singing the part of 'rebounding echo from the dry, lonely canyon' as we all sang, ‘Cool Clear, Water’.
After Dean sang an Elvis song, it was icing on the cake to learn, just above our heads and through the ceiling, was Elvis Presley’s former penthouse, where the ‘King’ stayed, throughout the 8 or 9 years he worked in Vegas. When you told us that, Barry, this old picker and strummer felt a sort of miraculous laying on of hands, giving me the courage to press through the stiffness and aches of my bashed-up hand tendons, and actually stumble through a few songs. Given that the King was known to, shall we say, over-indulge in the high cholesterol goodies and snacks, I confess that my vision looking upwards was more than likely little pieces of bacon dust floating down on our heads, like shooting stars from heaven, nonetheless working their magic on us just like a miracle at the Grotto of Lourdes...
Lee, thank you for pointing us to the King’s ‘American Trilogy’, and for having a go at it. I rather like him in this version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7rcxLOqgLk
Still on the topic of Elvis, I promised the link of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings singing that great tribute, "Elvis Presley Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FM8ui2ByUI
If you like their sound here is the one hour live concert video, exquisitely filmed and recorded by BBC, live, in St Luke’s church, London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eF7gywHMxw
Not done yet, finally Gillian and David sing the finest ‘Pancho and Lefty’ ever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3zlee_VRo
Okay, I’m done talking music.
Rod
Attachments
-
IMG_7515.jpg -
IMG_7560.jpg -
IMG_7576 (1).jpg -
IMG_7606.jpg -
IMG_7647.jpg -
IMG_7682.jpg -
IMG_7701.jpg -
IMG_7724.jpg
Last edited:
