Germany

Some of these buttons are from pictures I took in or around Bremerhaven and Helmstedt, during the two years I spent those places.

Some are from images found on the Internet (and thus could not be sold, if I was selling).

The one of me on the outskirts of Helmstedt was taken in 1971 by good friend Mike Matson. The distant view of the train in a valley was taken last summer by good friend Vera Voigt.

The car is a Fiat 850 Sport Coupè. I bought a dark blue one in Bremerhaven in 1970, and brought it back to Seattle and continued to enjoy it for several years. I wish I could have one again -- in better condition than mine was when Eric Jordan took it on.

The winged railroad wheels ("Flügelräder") are interpretations of a traditional Middle European railway symbol found in countless variations.

Allotropy

I used to covet the button machines advertised in the back of magazines. Way too expensive or very doubtful of function.

Somehow a few weeks ago things came together, and I bought a cheap toy button maker at a craft store, as proof-of-concept for whether it would be worth investing more.

I enjoyed making the buttons.

The quality was not good.

Further research determined that there was an intermediate cost option that was less suitable for large production runs, but could turn out a nice button.

I don't have any reason to want to turn out a thousand buttons a day. Five or ten buttons at a time is my speed.

Mostly I want to play with old pictures, new pictures, odd phrases.

Today I made a button that says "Dégringoladier."

Tomorrow I may make one that says "Catalpa Gravitas."

Or perhaps "Allotropy."