A Day at Pasadena

For quite awhile I've been wanting to do a blog post showing what goes on at the monthly Pasadena primitive skills gatherings. The time is finally here.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, once a month, generally on the third Sunday of the month, a bunch of people gather at the Pasadena Roving Archers range in Pasadena, CA.
Lots of different things happen at these gatherings. Some people work on wood bows, some on arrows, some make bowstrings, people play with hardshell gourds, make music, trade or give away materials of all kinds, plan trips, do an atlatl contest, work on making atlatls and their darts... really, the things that happen are virtually endless.
Many of the participants are visitors of the internet forum, Paleo Planet. But not everyone is and it's certainly not a requirement that they be.

I took a lot of pictures this past weekend so I'll just get those up here and let them, and their captions, speak for themselves.

Nobody said it would be pretty getting there. A fact of life for most of us in southern California: a drive on the freeway.

Finally, that's the offramp coming up.

Pasadena isn't a young town and there are some really cool homes in some neighborhoods. This is at the top of the offramp.

On the way to the range we go under the Colorado Street Bridge, built in 1913.

This is certainly one of the greener streets I've seen in southern California.

Here we are, the Lower Arroyo Park. Home to the Pasadena Roving Archers and the Pasadena Casting Club.

The road down into the arroyo is pretty narrow. With two cars coming out I'll have to wait my turn to go downhill.

The parking area is off to the left but where I want to go is straight ahead. We're not really supposed to drive across the bridge but the club is very helpful in realizing that we've got loads of stuff in our vehicles. So long as we don't abuse the priviledge, we can unload and then get back out to the parking area.

Across the bridge and there we are! By the big canopy I can see that Chris has come up from down south but it doesn't look like a whole lot of other folks are here yet.

Chris Henry of PaleoArts alongside a table full of the beautiful atlatls he crafts (and sells) along with a rack of atlatl darts he also makes. If you can't read his t-shirt, it says:
Guns are for sissies. Real men hunt with spears.

Dave  (on the right) is a friend of Chris and came to visit us for the first time. He had a table full of the beautiful work he does as well as a blanket of staves he brought along. Here he's showing some of his work to Frank (left) and Greg (middle).

Dave and Chris did some knapping together.

And Tom joined them a little later in the day.

Tom spent some time with this fellow showing him different aspects of primitive archery.
I wish I could remember his name, he found us through PaleoPlanet and this was his first visit. Mom seemed to approve.
Tom has sent a note that the young man's name is Toby. Thanks, Tom!

Derek didn't have enough time to bring his tools and work on a bow but he brought the dogs out for a walk. I wish I'd thought to get a picture of the English longbow style bows Derek makes. He's a pretty talented craftsman. I think the dogs are hoping for a piece of pretzel.

Paige has found a friend.

Kate is doing the final sanding on a bow. I think Steve helped her with this one but I doubt she'll need any help on the next one. Kate has an inner bowyer that is beginning to show.

It's not all work. Sometimes we shoot the bows. Tom has probably forgotten more about bows and arrows than I'll ever learn.  He also makes his own knives and leatherwork.

Tom with Paige and Mike discussing the fine points of archery tackle.

Folks wander in and out all day long depending on their personal schedules and the time they can spare on a Sunday. Don't think you need a truck to get there!

This man and his son were shooting the course with their recurves and ended up hanging out with us for quite awhile trying different primitive bows.

Tom is a past president of the World Atlatl Assoc. and periodically he'll hold a registered atlatl contest that anyone may participate in. Here's he's giving instruction to a couple new guys before the scoring starts.

Going for score now so Chris is getting serious.

Kate getting her form set for the throw.

Tom's follow through as a couple out for a Sunday walk look on in the background. We definately get a lot of people asking what we're doing.

Chris' significant other, Carey, is a skilled atlatlist in her own right.

It's not all archery and atlatls. Aimee is working with a project on her beading loom.

Paige is making a stamp for leather working.

And Mike is knitting some chain maille.
The variety of talents we have always amazes me.

Chris at a table bearing more of his incredible work.
Check out the spear in his hands. Remember the t-shirt? You didn't think he was kidding, did you?

James (left) and George (right) contemplate the layout for a new bow.

Big George (left) and Salvador (right) discussing the fine points of an old compressed wood arrow shaft that Tom dug out of his stockpile.

Salvador doing his impression of The Horned God.

All too soon it seems as if people start packing in and saying their goodbyes. Then you look at the time and realize how long you've been there.

You look around and realize it's going to be a long four weeks until everyone comes back for next month's gathering of the clan.

I hope you've enjoyed this photo journey of a Day at Pasadena. I know there is a lot of pictures so I trust I haven't choked your computer. I actually have a lot more but felt I had to trim them down at least a little bit.

My sincere apologies if I missed getting a picture of anyone or didn't name you in a picture. There really is so much going on that I gave up on getting everything and everyone.

Addendum!
Sorry, I had to wait for permission before I posted this...
The Pasadena Roving Archers is putting together a calendar as a fund raising item. The same day I took my pictures some members of the club were at another part of the range doing the shoot for the calendar.
The subject of the calendar is Women Archers Through History. All the models are actual members of the club, as is the photographer.
Here is a teaser shot...

Photo by Jhoneil Centeno, the model is Jaylee.
The primitive skills gathering was honored to supply a few props for the shoot: Derek's longbows, Chris' arrows and knapped knife, and Dave's Native American bows and arrows.

Happy archery!

Nice Work From Others

Every once in a while someone will contact me regarding the blog and I get to chat with other artists who have similiar interests to mine.

Jeff from the UK was interested in how I did some effects on the arrows so we went back and forth on that for awhile. While I haven't yet seen the arrows we discovered a common interest in basket quivers and he sent me a picture of the one he recently made.

Jeff did a great job on the quiver and I hope mine (when I eventaully get to it) looks half as nice.

Kathy (Killdeer on TradGang) has been making her own arrows for a long time. Recently she made some and honored me by incorporating a painting technique I explained here on the blog. Kathy doesn't make arrows professionally but I suspect her style and skill could give a number of professional fletchers a run for their money.

She also takes better pictures than I do!

Many thinks to both of you for reading the Greenman Archery blog and for allowing me to use your pictures here.

Happy archery!

Finally... A New Post!

I was hoping for more feedback on the cresting question I had on the previous post so I've been delaying making a new post so it would stay on top.
I've waited long enough and it doesn't look like I'll get a whole lot of feedback there. Thanks very much to those who did put in their thoughts on cresting.

On to the new stuff!! Hang on, this may be a wild ride, we've got new arrows for Mike, Delia, Sarah, Don, Derek, Alex, and Lloyd.

Let's do Mike first...
Mike and his significant other, Paige, are faithful attendees of the monthly Pasadena Primitive Skills Gatherings. Mike has been doing pretty good on making bows and has recently begun learning how to forge hot metal, too. Paige does some wonderful needlework and her Japanese cord braiding is just a joy to look at.
Paige contacted me recently about doing some arrows for Mike's birthday. We figured out what he'd like and I went at it. One special point Paige wanted on the arrows was Mike's nickname, "Murph," written on the arrows in gold ink. Let me tell you, that gold lettering gave me hairballs! Not only did I have to scramble to find something that would be compatible with the finishes I use but the gold ink had a tendency to spread. I went through two gold inks, three nibs, and two paint pens trying to find something that would work. Next time I do something like this it will be in good old black ink.

Moving right along, let's see Sarah's arrows.
Sarah is a wonderful woman who has been shooting at the Pasadena Roving Archer's range and getting instruction and feedback from some of the more experienced archers there. When she said she wanted to get wood arrows they referred her to me. Thanks, guys!
For her first wood arrows we decided to keep the cost down and go with something somewhat plain, but we still wanted them to be Sarah's Arrows. We did good.

Sarah met me last Sunday while I was at the range for the Gathering to get her new arrows. She immediately went over to the target area to try them out. Not half an hour later she was suddenly standing next to me with a smile from ear to ear. "I didn't know I could shoot that good!"
Good equipment will help, but it's still up to the person holding the bow to do the right thing when facing the target.

Don is from Phoenix, AZ and shoots for White Wolf Custom Bows. He's been looking for a wood arrow maker who can give him what he wants and I hope I've satisfied that requirement.
I know one thing, anyone who says they can't see these arrows had better double check to make sure their eyes are open.

When you get a chance, check out those White Wolf Custom Bows. They're really pretty nice.

Note: someone asked me where they could get arrow wraps like this and like I used on the pink arrows shown further down.
Sorry I couldn't help but these are all hand made, I don't use arrow wraps. Arrow wraps are fine if you don't have the time or inclination to do it otherwise but when someone orders handmade arrows from me that's exactly what they get, handmade wood arrows - no arrow wraps and no fletch tape (ok, I do use manufactured wood shafts).

You know the problem with working with creative people? They always make me think and push my skills.
Here's what Derek said: "I want the shafts stained black, but the last part of the shaft left natural."

Alex wanted a crown color but no cresting. I'm very pleased with the way these turned out.
That little mark in front of the feathers is what Alex wanted to note the cock feather. I didn't think I'd ever do pyrography on arrows but there it is.

Lloyd was standing around with some friends at the Woodley Park archery range and they got to wondering what spiral painted arrows would look like flying through the air.
Dang it, here I go again trying to figure out how to do something I've never done before...

I've saved Delia for last not because her arrows turned out poorly, but because I didn't want her and her arrows lost amidst all the others.
I understand she's officially in remission but that doesn't mean she doesn't get some nice pink arrows.

This last picture is used without permission, I've never met Delia and had to pull this picture from the Leatherwall thread where her condition has been updated for her fans.
I sure hope Delia doesn't read my blog, she doesn't know these arrows are coming to her!

That's all for now. I trust you've enjoyed seeing my recent work. If you'd like to see your arrows here just let me know and we'll see what we can do about getting an order of custom arrows started for you.

Note: I am occasionally asked why I only make six arrows. Actually, unless only six arrows are what is ordered I make a full dozen on custom orders. I usually only take pictures of six so the picture doesn't get too crowded.

Happy archery!