Leather is my art medium: The Great Wallets, Phone Cases, and Hats of the Apocalypse Part 1
Leather is my art medium Part 1
Not many things taught me in Jr High School actually "took," but the one 6 week section on leathercraft in shop class 45 years ago, stayed with me my entire life. For most of my years leather was a useful craft that I drug out to make birthday and Christmas presents for friends and family. But when I found myself retiring early for medical reason, the sometimes hobby turned into my everyday work and creative passion.
Can a wallet be art? Or hat, or belt? I think so and have been trying to push my designs and final creations toward art without losing any of the function or purpose. You are not going to hang a wallet in a gallery (well at least not till I am dead for a hundred years). It has to be able to hold your cash and cards and not feel terrible while sitting on it.
And to answer the question of how far towards art can a wallet be pushed, I have been making my "Mad Max collection" of wallets, belts phone cases and hats.
And sometimes called "Frankenwallet," each is made up of hand textured, hand colored and hand distressed cowhide.
This all starts out as plain ol' white (or beige) smooth 2-3 oz. vegetable tanned cowhide.
Every rivet is hand distressed and or rusted for full sized and card wallets
And phone cases...
And a matching leather low crown top hat.
Is it art? You be the judge. Please let me know below and ask me any and every question.
In part 2 I will show a step by step of hand texturing, coloring and distressing the leather that goes into these fanciful accessories.
Please like, follow and upvote. Minnows need all the help they can get. And I will be posting more of my leather designs, so please follow if you would like to see them.
Oh and here is my introduction post from a couple days ago, in case you missed it (and everybody missed it). Stop by and say hi!
https://mspsteem.com/introduceyourself/@armadilloman/welcome-friends-to-the-show-that-never-ends-introducing-the-life-and-times-of-armadilloman
You take great shots @Armadilloman
I think that it is the eye and the mind of a creator that determine if something is art or not, and for me it is art if the person that made it think it is art for him or here.
I like the rough touch you have on the wallet and the hat and for display it would look great in a funky apartment.
Looking forward to follow your project.
Keep up the good work.
Regards
@Gyldenhorn
Thanks so much @gyldenhorn I used to take all my leatherwork photos with a Canon 60D and when my kid was borrowing it for a while I started using my LG G4 phone set on HDR and honestly liked the results better. One LCD light shooting through an umbrella .
I will post part 2 soon and maybe I will start a giveaway for a card wallet version if there is interest.
@armadilloman This is art for sure. I just love the way you put all your creativity in those handicrafts. I will recommend you to start a campaign on kickstarter.com... Give me a shout if you need any help, I have a few designs in my mind ;)
Omg i love this. I have always wanted to work with leather but i jump into hobbies too quick sometimes. This is awesome work.
I think you definitely capture the post-apocalyptic feel in your medium. I've never seen Mad Max, so I may be stating the obvious, but it's got a little Steampunk feel to it as well. Very cool and definitely art.
Oh wow, this is definitely art for me! The details from the photos you shared look so intricate and beautifully crafted! If only I could get one for myself, I would! They're very unique and personal, I might say.
How long does it usually take you to finish one of them?
Thanks so much. Every one is different, but all rhyme. A hat takes me 25 hours. A billfold, depending on the inside, 18-20 hours. They are about the most fun thing that I make. I am working on a matching belt for a customer, so will post that when finished. Please consider a resteem as it is so hard to keep anything bumped up.
Woah, all of your works really scream effort! Would love to hear how you first became interested in your craft! And if you're less busy and accepting commissions, I'd love to get one for myself!
No doubt this is Art.. I love the hat, all of it really. Great work! More please.
Thank you! I have made belts that were 4 or 5 different belt all torn apart, the pieces switched around and then put back together. I am going to be working on a belt that really matches the wallet for a customer this weekend, so I will post when I have that done. Follow so you will see it all!
I can't wait to see em.. great job!
I have thought about making a belt/hip bag or small shoulder bag in this style, just don't know if I could sell it. What do you think Vicki.
Yeah dude. These wallets are definitely art! I would buy one if I wasn't broke at the moment. Do you sell them online? I am thinking about that rosy future when crypto's head back upwards again😉 Looking forward to seeing your process on how you make them @armadilloman
Thanks! I have an Etsy shop but did not post it because the point wasn't to drum up more work (which I have enough of).
I might think up a give-away for one if that interests.
Wow yeah, that would be amazing as a competition @armadilloman. If you decide to do that send me a comment back on this thread and I will re-steem your competition post to help it get out to more people. Hopefully that would get you more votes and help cover your costs on the give-away. Such a kind and generous idea!
By the way, I am a mentor on the steemit community group that @futurethinker dropped a message about below. If you decide to check it out give me a shout in the room :-)
This post has been voted on from MSP3K courtesy of @isaria from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ).
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This post has been voted on from MSP3K courtesy of @isaria from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ).
Bots Information:
Join the P.A.L. Discord | Check out MSPSteem | Listen to MSP-Waves
You have been scouted by @promo-mentors. We are a community of new and veteran Steemians and we are always on the look out for promising authors.
I would like to invite you to our discord group https://discord.gg/vDPAFqb.
When you are there send me a message if you get lost! (My Discord name is the same as here on Steemit)