KJ Bateman

This quite handy device is for copying irregular shapes in buildings such as fitting flooring around pipes or odd corners. It's made up of many thin steel pins that move individually. This was in my dad's double decker red tool box that we brought back from Eastern Washington. My dad built rustic side tables from wood felled on his property.  I've never used it for it's intended purpose, but it's fun to play with.

Finally, a tool I actually have used. It's a Speedball brayer for rolling ink over plates, metal, wood, or linoleum,, prior to printing them. I don't love it, but it gets the job done. This is the size that works for a small home studio. I still miss the big, big rolling brayers we used in art school for lithography.

As a requirements for high school graduation, my son had to complete senior projects. He and a friend decided to make T-shirts air brushed designs. We bought this set second-hand from a guy who lived on a tiny island on Lake Washington that is connected to the mainland of Seattle. I had no idea this place existed. We parked at street level and entered the backyard of the main house. A long flight of steps led down to lake level where a little guest house nestled on the shore. I was so envious. 

We have four of these wheeled devices and they are a blessing when moving heavy furniture without scratching the wood floors. At one point,  I even kept them under my mother's old dresser to facilitate moving it around the living room when I rearranged. That dresser has gone to my daughter's house and four of these little beauties are available for other redecorating projects.

The first vehicle I chose and bought for myself was a used Datsun pick-up truck with a stick shift. It was turquoise. I loved my truck. I still remember the smell, a mix of vinyl, dirt and oil. I had sedans after that but never felt any fondness for them until we bought a minivan which I liked so much I named it named Baby. I loved Baby almost as much as the truck. I had the truck in Southern California where the open bed didn't matter. Baby was perfect for Seattle and I hauled a lot over the years: art supplies, my inflatable kayak, building supplies, and people. There is something so satisfying about being able to haul big things around. Baby was a perfect companion for 20 years. When it was time to replace it, I wistfully thought of a truck, but the truck landscape has changed greatly from the 70s. What would have been a large truck is now called a small truck and big trucks are monsters perfect for taking that hay out to the back 100 to feed the cows. To see someone ...

There are a few pulleys downstairs in the basement. I suspect these were for some project for the kids to haul things into the playhouse or across the yard.

I love this little guy. I asked for him for a Christmas or birthday. Unfortunately, he didn't work for long, but he sure is cute. Update: After I published this on Instagram, a friend @cjh_ny54 Carol Hansen let me know she had the same clock and suggested I try changing the battery. I scoffed to myself because of course I would have tried that right? But why not give it another go. New battery and voila! he now keeps perfect watch over the progress of Object of the Day drawings. 

One of a pair of castanets that belonged to my mother, who actually knew how to hold and and make them snap. I don't know where she came by them or the ability to play them, something to do with flamenco dancing.

This cow is painted cast iron and it swivels to face in any direction. I bought it at a thrift shop. It sits on the window sill above the kitchen sink. I often give it a little hat for various holidays: Santa hat for Christmas, pilgrim hat for Thanksgiving, shamrock for St. Patrick's Day.

My mother lived with us for three of her last six years. When we first made plans for her to come up she was pretty self-sufficient. She broke her hip several months before the move which resulted in complications so she required a fair amount of care. It was a difficult time. I went on a retreat to a priory near Olympia (where you had the option of spending the time in silence. You bet I took it.) The little wool sheep is from the gift shop.

 This is an old Mouli cheese grater from France. My mother probably bought it there in 1954 when we lived in Germany. I used it many times when making lasagna. This is the best grater for mozzarella, but it is tinned metal and the tin is wearing off in places so I don't use it anymore. I love old things and old kitchen things are so beautiful, but I am also very anxious and worry about everything. I have several utensils and pans that I think are tinned but tinned over what? Are they safe if the tin is wearing off. Is it safe to ingest tin? And what about whatever the base metal is? Could it be toxic? So I just keep my grater and baking pans but don't actually use them.

Yay wood! Very dull highlights. Artist model hand that I never use as a model for drawing until now. This is its debut as its intended purpose.

This is really a random object. And look, it is only partially shiny - a plus! It's a light bulb socket you screw into another socket. Wait - that doesn't make sense, but that is exactly what it is. Apparently, it extends the socket if you want the bulb lower for some reason.

  I'm adopting Blender Blade as my superhero name. This is a very scary object. Those blades are sharp! Like food processor blades. They are hard to clean, too. They snag on the dish cloth and catch on the dish brush. Look at all those angles just waiting for a moment of your inattention. I've noticed something odd. When looking for items to draw, many of them turn out to be made of metal. Shiny metal. Shiny metal is not the easiest to draw.  I do like the shadowy bird beak.  As I mentioned, I am not really drawing one object from start to finish in a day. I'll get the pencil drawing down in one to two days and come back the next day (or the next, or the day after that) to start inking, which takes several days.  Usually, it goes like this: Day 1 – Spend 30 minutes looking for something to draw while talking to self. "Not that, too boring. Not that, too shiny. Maybe this?" Set up object and start pencil drawing. Maybe finished in one sitting, ...

Well, this isn't draw an object everyday because that's already not happening. Maybe I should call this "Household Objects Every Once in a While" instead. This is a pair of red ergonomic pliers from the jewelry tool kit. I find that I keep coming back to the same media over an over. I've been making jewelry on and off for a long time, starting back with beaded earrings, necklaces, and bracelets in my teens. I've taken jewelry classes and learned to solder three times! I even worked for a jewelry maker while I was an undergrad. I am a mean hand with a jewelry saw. But I would have a hard time soldering. That flame just scares me. I won't even use the little kitchen torch to brown crème brûlée.

This string holder is from my grandmother's house. It's red leather with a cone of yellow string and crane scissors in the pouch on the side. My grandmother and her sisters were all needlewomen. Knitting, crochet, needlepoint, tatting, quilting, and sewing. She and my aunt gave me a doll that they had made intricate and beautiful outfits for.

What a cute little pea whistle with a compass. Unfortunately, the compass doesn't work.