I have focus so much time and attention on signs for the last 18 years, I'm starting back into a hobby I enjoyed in college. Pottery

I think this will help get the creative juices flowing again. I feel work is getting too routine.

Does anyone else dabble in throwing clay on a pottery wheel? It's sure relaxing for me. I took a class at the high school last summer and am now helping with a benefit dinner that the high school students organize every year called Empty Bowls. The students make bowls and serve soup (or chili) in them during a benefit dinner. People choose the bowl they wish to have for a $5 donation and their soup is served in the bowl. They get to keep the bowl after the dinner. The money donated is given to a charity to feed the hungry. I am so proud of the art students and the art teacher at our high school. The teacher is teaching much more than art. She is teaching the students how to give of themselves and create things to help others.

I have gotton so much more out of this class than I could ever have imagined. My own personal pottery wheel (kick wheel) should be done by this weekend. I can hardly wait to start throwing pots on it when I'm not busy making signs.

Just wondered what kind of hobbies get you fired up during your none working time.

Thanks for listening.

Anything from hot rods,motorcycles, guitars(re-build) fences,picture frames,wine racks re-models.

Guess I just like makeing things, gives me a feeling of acomplishment !!

I love sketching and I have a full woodworking/metal fabricating shop with all the tools. Giggle Ridge could be considered a hobby that other folks pay to go through.

Trains (both model and real have always fascinated me. Plans are done and fabrication started on our new Giggle Ridge train.

Our new house will be a theme extension of all this.

I've done some (and plan on doing lots more) leaded glass.

Oh yeah there's my hand built hot rod at about 85% done.

So many hobbies- so little time. I think I'll have to retire soon to do them all.

Now that we mostly work for ourseelves our hobbies have morphed into a seasonal business which leaves us even more time to persue our hobbies.

Gotta go now to work on my hobbies er business ....or whatever. I love it all!

A few months ago several of my hometown/school buddies have formed a classic/contemporary rock/country cover band and we're having a blast. It's been a few years since I've picked up my guitars.

And... I have 3 cars and 2 snowmobiles in various stages of restoration. I want a bike and boat to restore too!

Of course I have always considered making signs to be a hobby that people gave me money for.

I prospect for "Gold" all year round...
And fish the rivers when I am not finding any Signs of GOLD that is.

For a long time I did Wildlife Art, but couldn't make a living at it....so I paint animals on walls..yeah, that works!

Cooking, creative writing, photography, collecting music...gardening, birdwatching, reading travel humor, fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Conan, etc)
Movies....
I know I forgot something...well, it's a start anyway...

i have a very small collection of acoustic guitars.(martin hd 28, taylor 810 and a baby taylor.

music is the bread of life.

http://www.markfair.com/music/mboundintro.htm

[ January 30, 2002: Message edited by: Mark Fair Signs ]

Back in the early 50's I was building and Drag Racing Hot Rods, at the same time I was Lettering cars for such notables as Junior Johnson, Jimmy Pardue etc....Later I lettered cars for Walt Arfons (World Land Speed Record Holder) and some of his drivers .Jimmy Tatrow and Doug Rose....who had his legs amputated in a Jet Drag Car accident in West Virginia.....Ronnie Sox of the Sox and Martin Drag team ...Mike Doub, who was killed in Rockingham NC ..Ray Hill and the current AHRA Champ Rick Smith of King NC...along with numerous Country Music Stars Vehicles.....

All this time I was building and painting my own Hot Rods...Promoting and Producing Street Rod Shows for NSRA all over the Country. Marketing Limited Edition Prints from my Original Art......

I am presently building a new Studio/Apartment/Workshop in Mt Airy NC.along with working on my latest project.....A fully enclosed Motorcycle powered car with Air Conditioning, Throttle Body Fuel Injection, and on Board Computer to Monitor Driving functions, speed, mileage, cruise control etc,,Electric Reverse, Electric Shift for the 5 Speed Transmission...(This is a Three Wheeled Car )

Teaching "Woodgraining Classes"

Designing and Building Fiberglass 50's Style Automotive Furniture and Accessories..(Chair, Ottoman, Wall Lamps and Table Lamps .)( All of this can be seen at my web site link below )

Oh did I mention my passion for making my own lures for Small Mouth Bass fishing ???? I especially like the New River from Boone, NC to The narrows at West Virginia line......I guess you could say for a person who will soon be 67 years old.....I stay somewhat busy......

Now I need to get back to my current project..(Hand Painting Wolves and Angels on a Yamaha Bike)

(You can see the first Painting of two Wolves on the Portifolio Page)

Art by Shep'

Shep'

[ January 30, 2002: Message edited by: Arvil Shep' Shepherd ]

A 1967 impala ss convertible, 4 speed with factory air that was the first car I owned. On a scale of 1-10 it is a solid 8.

My other is a 1968 green mustang fastback - just like Steve McQueen drove in Bullit.

After 21 years we moved my sign business out of my home to a commercial location. What I thought was a business was actually a hobby. Now I run the sign shop like a business and that leaves my song writing / recording as my real hobby.

And this hobby, like all hobbies should, has produced something: SONGPAINTER, Sign Music By Sign People. This is the thing I am most proud of in the way of artistic pursuits.

Songpainter sells for $16.99 USA Funds which includes shipping and proceeds after expenses go to the Letterville charity fund.

also gardening vegitables mostly. alittle herbs, also built a hoop house (green house..12'x32')heated and a mist system all home made! the wife wait to start a small nursery business.I usualy can all my vegi's in jars. love to make jellies and jams. i have a small vinyard and many many fruit tree, blueberries, black berries...ect.ect.

running a sign business and gardening and raiseing 3 daughters with my wife...there is not much for anything else...but pottery is my next adventure...some day, i use to throw in school!

I tend to have too many irons in the fire. But these are some of my favorites.

Horseback riding; just wish I had the time these days! Nothing quite like the squeak of a saddle while riding a winding riverside trail.

Chocolate. First choice would be Purdy's which is our best quality out here. But in a pinch, anything will do.

Interior decorating. I adore creating the fantasy in my head. Again, time restraints these days. I'm hooked on watching HGTV when I can, which has tons of interior decorating shows.

i always wanted to learn to throw pots... as apposed to throwin tantrums

a few birthdays back devo got me a wheel, he was real concerned cause the ones i'd been showing him pictures of were all kick wheels and when he went to veiw the secondhand wheel he'd seen advertised in the local paper, it didnt look like the pictures, so he wasn't sure he'd got the right thing... this ones electric! hehehe
it came with a heap of accessories, lots of colour pigments, books, tools and a big bag of clay!
he was really amazed that i actually liked it and that he'd done ok
as a suprise birthday present it was tops, but i was so concerned that he must have paid a fortune for it that eventually he had to tell me how much it cost to put my mind at rest... $300 the lot, bargain!
So now i just got to find enough time to learn how to use the thing

my mum always told me that she couldnt wait to retire cause she had soooo many projects waiting to be done
I feel exactly the same way

www.bonsaikitten.com

I feel that I must to do something creative or constructive each day, otherwise I feel I haven't achieved something, even if it entails a lot of work.

We moved our house and shop 25 miles a year ago, which meant a lot of work. My husband and I have layed down 6000 to 7000 bricks for driveways and sidewalks. I do love landscaping, designing rock gardens, ponds, etc. Until we get settled I'm not doing too much in the sign shop.

I do miss my hobby of oil painting pictures, but that will have to wait.

Now in the wintertime, am doing the inside designing work, (besides spring cleaning)....re-doing plant arrangements, etc. (going artificial in plants for a lot of it).

My hobbies may require a lot of physical work...painting house, etc. but I like it.

[ February 01, 2002: Message edited by: Mike Kelly ]

My real hobby is ratkill.com

no wait, it's writing childrens books, check out some of my titles:
www.somethingawful.com/features/childrensbooks/

Hey, is your video still available on EBay????