5 questions: Wind Chime Art

Tim Kline of tskDesign is a fellow West Coast Artist. His work is simply stunning and breathtaking. There is great natural beauty here on the Pacific Coast, and Tim strives to bring some of that beauty to his work and succeeds beyond measure.

Working with glass, copper, beach stone, and other materials, Tim works with a perfect melding of nature and fine art. One of my favourite pieces in his shop is the Suncatcher Kaleidoscope, a beach glass creation that reminds me of the glowing, tumbles of colour my daughters toy store version makes.

What make's Tim's creations so great is his philosophy regarding their use: a wind chime does not have to be just about sound ~ after all, the wind is not always blowing. A wind chime can be art (and even be hung indoors), and so can a bird feeder. Tim carefully selects his materials to build chimes that will look better and better over time. No paint to peal off, no strings to break. Many of his wind chimes are truly resistant to the elements; made from 100% glass and copper, others use beautifully weathered drift wood and tung nut oiled red cedar.

Visit Coast Chimes to see more of his brilliant work and you can read more about Tim on his Blog full of great details regarding his creative process, it's an excellent read and a perfect way to feel a little inspiration yourself.

What got you started?

It must be deep in my bones to create. For as far back as I can remember, I have always painted, drawn, made things. And I have also always appreciated the beautify in nature and art. One of my earliest memories is finding a piece of driftwood on a lakeshore in Wisconsin, and proudly bringing it home. It was smooth and lovely. Now, many decades later, what am I doing? Going down to the beach to find driftwood for my art! But I got started full time and business-like fourteen years ago, after moving to the Sunshine Coast, B.C., Canada, and facing the fact that I needed a job. This was about the same time that I discovered the Internet, and so all this came together. Since then, I have worked full time both on my skills as an artist, and on my knowledge of the Net, and marketing (for example, learning how to build a decent website).

Do you listen to music when you create?
Lots of what I do involves noisy, and somewhat dangerous, tools. That's not conducive to listening to music, not if I want to keep all nine and 9/10ths of my fingers (I cut the tip off my thumb a few years back, despite no music drawing on my concentration). That said, there are peaceful work times, too, and for years I listened mainly to talk radio. However, I just got an iPod Touch a few weeks ago, to use primarily as an e-book reader. While it is working great for that, I am also rediscovering (I used to listen non-stop as a kid) the joy of music. I've been enjoying NPR podcasts of 'All Songs Considered.'




What is your ultimate creator's block cure?

I have a deep dread of going into the red on my credit card. My monthly bills are considerable, for materials, tools, food and postage, and I can't rest until I know I have that covered. This gets me working hard, both making things and promoting. It also forces me (one of the more unorganized people you might encounter) to be somewhat organized, which really goes against my grain. Each night I actually make a short list in my head of the minimal I must accomplish the next day. If I don't cross everything off that mental list, I scold myself. I'm my own boss, but what an unpleasant slave driver I am! Also, if all else fails (and too often it does!), I grab my dog and we go for a long hike. After seven years with the pup, I am still surprised at how this refreshes.



What life or art lesson have you learned that has shaped your work?
If I can dream it, and make it, and put my heart into it, someone, sooner or later, will buy it. This shapes my work, as I no longer worry (much) about what others might think. I make what I dream, and let the materials speak to me, not the market. The few times I have made something to someone's specifications, I have not enjoyed the experience very much.

Rock, Paper or Scissors?
Rock, for sure. I love natural, smooth, rounded beach stones, and use them all the time in my work.