Gene Noland, a History of the Leather Craftsman

[King's X]

I guess I should have asked the question more specifically. What was your father's tooling process? I didn't keep the handles and I turned mine into a Koozie cover. But I kept your father's design. It was really cool. Let me get some 'other' work done here and I will snap a photo to show you.

[Johanna]

Here is a detail of the horses and all those rocks...

Deno- we are enjoying this glimpse of your father as a man and as an artist. Please thank your mom for allowing this tribute and sharing her memories. I wish I would have met your dad- I knew "of" him, but not much about him, and I am sure I would have been delighted to know him. Thank you!

Johanna

[Deno]

Thank you Johanna, I'm glad that so many remember my Dad. It's helpful for me also, cause it brings back so many wonderful memories, and I'm the type that chooses to remember the good ones and not dwell on the painful ones.

[Deno]

King, I've started a thread here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=17704, following the step's that my father showed me, as best as I can remember. Swivel cuts were always the first, and if I didn't get that right he always said, ( Here is another piece of leather, start over). Next he always, always, did the beveling. Beveling always sets the depth and flow of a project. If I didn't get the right depth and smoothness by walking the beveler he always said, ( Here is another piece of leather, start over). Next was putting in the Stops and Seeders. Next was Pear Shading. This was the next critical step as it set not just more depth, but contour and flow of the piece. If I didn't get the right depth and flow from walking the Shader he always said, (Go away and stop bothering me and come back in a few days when you can focus on what your doing) lol. Next was Camouflage (which he used the most) then Veinering, then Mulefoot, then Background (cause if you had a lot of it it took a lot of time and if you messed up anything else you had to start over), then anyother tid bits like flower centers, foliage, etc. Always last was Decorative cuts, which make or break all of your final work (and which is the hardest of everything to get good at). Hope this helps. My best, Dennis.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Deno

[King's X]

Thanks.

[Deno]

To celebrate the 4th of July, here is a portrait my father did for the Bi-Centennial, in 1976. Enjoy.

[Deno]

I didn't think we still had this, but I found it last week. It's the original portrait for the Game News Magazine I showed earlier. I am so glad we still have it.

[Deno]

Sorry for the long time between posts. Up next is another Doodle page series. Called: "No Game in Sight", series 1D pages 5,6,7,8. A picture of the Doodle Pages and a picture that my father took of the original portrait. I believe that this and the earlier one I shown "Season's End" are both on display at the Al Stohlman museum.

[Deno]

Here is, as far as we know, the earliest work that we have that my father did. It is a Hymnal that was my mothers she received from her church when she was a young lady. After they got married in 1955 my father made the front and back covers. The front is of Jesus and is plugged from the back to make his face stand out. The back is of a rose and has the pedals undercut. He then glued them to the original leather binder and laced them right onto it. It remains to this day on a stand right next to her chair.

[King's X]

wow. Amazing.