Chuck Schwandt

One of My All-Time Favorites

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:24:23 +0000

I often speak of my love for art and sculpting, and I realized I’ve never really shown you much about my personal taste.

One of my favorite sculptors today is Philippe Faraut. I love his antique, classic feel and simple, clean style. His features are so accurate that they give off a certain fantasy-feel, but I happen to like that. This is my personal favorite, which he calls “Child of Atlantis.”

Ancient Art Exhibit in NY

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:12:11 +0000

A friend just sent me this video and the works are exquisite! I definitely regret not having the time to head down to NY that week to check out the exhibit for myself… I’ve stopped at some Phoenix Ancient Art’s other displays before and was certainly impressed.
I recently read an article about the latest Brafa event, what wouldn’t I give to get an invite! I’m sure it was spectacular, and the selection there is known to be outstanding every single year. Maybe someday…

A New Job

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:07:36 +0000

I started a new job last week; organizing and general upkeep if the art section of our local library. I hesitated at first, because the job description implied that I wouldn’t have much work to do after a couple days, but I was wrong! It’s only a five-hour day, and I don’t sit down ONCE. The books are a mess, and I keep finding myself going over the same ones again and again.

What I do love is when the kids come by looking for material for a report or school paper. That is when I can really be of service. I’ve got a lot of background in the field, and since I work with kids at my studio I can often recognize their style right away. It’s great to help them find a direction for their work, and help them collect articles and books that are relevant. Makes my day! And in the language of the text-inclined:

Morning Hike and Deer

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:39:32 +0000

Nina and I went out for one of our hikes early this morning. We haven’t gone on one of those in a while thanks to the weather, but today, while freezing, was nice and clear and Conan would not let us skip it. Good thing, too. I miss the lake and the fresh air up in the hills. We actually got a wonderful view of some deer, definitely made my morning.Actually, when we got home, I went straight to the studio and started sculpting one. I think Nina tried to paint a couple, too… If she finishes anything, I’ll try to figure out how to show you here. She’s amazing with watercolors. And deer are always a great subject.

Sports Night

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:05:14 +0000

I recently started watching a show called Sports Night, and am very impressed. It was cancelled after only two seasons, but the best shows usually are, just like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Sports Night was actually created by the same guy- Aaron Sorkin, and has some of the same cast members as Studio 60 as well.

What I love so much about both shows is the fast-paced humor, and how it doesn’t wait for the viewer. The characters and storyline move forward naturally, in a completely authentic way, without all the insincere drama and exaggerated reactions we often see on TV today. Dana Whitaker is brilliant in both shows, and Robert Guillaume never fails to be hilarious. Truly, this show is a great watch. Another upside is the fact that the episodes are only 20 or so minutes long! Perfect for watching between errands or during exercise.

Here’s a little clip:

The International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:49:01 +0000

Nina has reminded me to post about my visit to the International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show last month.

So, I went down to New York on Saturday to check it out, and I am so happy I did. What a collection! I especially loved the sculpture of the two greyhounds from Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, but there was truly so much to see. I enjoyed the diverse collection immensely; the artifacts ranged from ancient Europe, to Asia to Africa. Some particularly fascinating pieces were the Fertility Goddess from Phoenix Ancient Art, a mosaic jewel-toned Roman table top and a Mughal dagger with a jade hilt.

Another exciting experience was meeting Steve Martin, though I had hoped to meet the King and Queen of Sweden who were rumored to be visiting the fair. Oh well. The next Anna and Brian Haughton event is the Art Antiques London- maybe I can convince Nina to come on a small vacation next June…..

Pedro Fuentes – Zaragoza School

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:55:19 +0000

As the days draw in and I have more time on my hands, I’ve taken up a new hobby – or rather, rediscovered an old one.

As a child I took guitar lessons from a wonderful teacher, an older man who came from Juarez, in Mexico. I haven’t played guitar in many years, but last month I treated myself to a new purchase and came home with a Spanish guitar. Gosh, I’m rusty!

As usual, I’ve been reading up about my new interest too. Before I made my purchase, I toyed with buying an antique instrument (although common sense finally won out). I was particularly attracted to an instrument made in the 1800s by Pedro Fuentes, of the Zaragoza school of guitar making. How lovely it would be to own an instrument made by the guitar maker to the Royal Chamber!

A Dance With Dragons

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:41:35 +0000

I’m not so interested in the genre, really, but my son got me hooked on this series nearly a decade ago. A Song of Ice and Fire isn’t just your typical fantasy.. George Martin is a genius. Have you read his books?

The voice is so fresh and brutally honest, and while the characters may be harsh, the plotline and setting are undeniably realistic. Every time I read I fall in love with his style all over again. And I absolutely love the unpredictability of the twists, and how Martin is not afraid to follow a more realistic chain of events, with no mercy for his characters.

His newest book, A Dance With Dragons, may have taken it all a drop too far, but I don’t have any real complaints. It went by so fast though… If you haven’t already, you should check out Martin’s website, he is very amusing and gives an interesting perspective on the life of a bestselling author.

National Geographic Photo Galleries

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:28:05 +0000

Maybe it’s just me, but I love browsing through the National Geographic website. When I was younger, I had hoped to become a professional photographer, and so the photo galleries on their site are kind of bittersweet for me.

I’ve already shared these with Nina, but you should really have a look…. They’re incredible. Breathtaking.

Nature Week 4 Gallery

Phish Saving the Day…Again

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:25:15 +0000

Anyone who lives here in Vermont knows how we were slammed by Hurricane Irene. Vermont has been devastated by the hurricane that stormed through here two weeks ago. Now, Phish is coming to the rescue, like they always seem to.

If you haven’t been to a Phish concert, you’ve definitely got to go at some point to enjoy the experience. Phish started at the University of Vermont in 1983 and the band played together for 20 years until they split in August of 2004. Happily, they reunited in March of 2009 and have since started to play on a regular basis. They are most often compared to the Grateful Dead but I think they are even more innovative and impressive.

They just started a ticket sale on Saturday for their upcoming concert that aims to raise money for the flood victims here. The concert will be on Wednesday at the Champlain Valley Exposition at Essex Junction. They are actually limiting tickets to two to make sure that the tickets actually go out to locals. I love those Phish.

They’ve created a “Friend of WaterWheel” package as well that includes parking, a reserved box seat, a poster and access to a Vermont craft beer tent. And even better, WaterWheel is a foundation that Phish created to make contributions to charities that they support. Let’s hope that Phish can come through in helping those of us hit by the latest natural disaster!