wish BLOG

It gets in the cracks

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:26:44 -0500

It is something of nostalgia which most of us remember from being children. Whether playing in sandboxes or taking vacations to the coast, we never forget being enamored by the effects of wet sand. Most of us have watched as our feet disappeared into surf sand, but the best of us have constructed sand castles with just the right mixture of sand and water, dripping out of our hands. It was my earliest obsession with sculpture... tiny molten castle walls.

Many, many moons later I play with sand again, except it is with my son, and we are trying to duplicate these effects... replacing the water with an epoxy coating. The AIFD exhibit for the Philadelphia International Flower Show (with Hawaiian theme) is centered around “the Big Island” and my sandy, nude friends are being shipped off for Hula inspired adornment.
Stay tuned for very interesting things being constructed for this set.

we all scream...

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:18:47 -0400

Some days you just get contacted out of the clear blue. This was not exactly an occasion like that, but close. An investor in ice cream juggernaut Haagen-Dazs contacted Wish about a map-mural for their location in Bethesda,Maryland. After just a few calls and a mtg. at the store, the design is starting to feel very whimsical and fun, gaining inspiration from Dr. Suess, and perhaps Willy Wonka. The end result will be a monster mural made up of 3 rigid canvases, totaling 30’ in length by over 6’ high. This will highlight local monuments and businesses, while maintaining a rich, gallery-ready finish that will leave patrons never at a loss for where to look while savoring every spoonful of Double Dark Chocolate Chunk

not your retail handrail

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:48:15 -0400

If there was ever a time to fantasize about metal-working in 18 inches of snow it was today. Despite unfavorable heat, the ornamental handrails for the McIntosh Residence are coming to life. Welding is complete and it is now time for the “secret sauce” which is a sculpting putty used to “cheat“ flawless welds that are resistant to pitting and subsequent rust. This pair of symmetrical rails will be sprayed with a flat black enamel with a subtle dry brush faux finish intent on creating the appearance of salvaged wrought iron remnants, rather than brand-spanking new MIG welded metal.

The end result is to bear the appearance of English Garden ironwork with a tinge of American Modern. However subjective, you won’t see this design bundled on the shelves at the local Home Superstore.

Facebook Is No Excuse

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 03:02:51 -0400

The heat index is going to be 110 degrees tomorrow and yes, Wish does not often fabricate in temperature controlled environments. This time last year works were being prepared for The Roxbury remodel. I specifically remember welding bed canopies outside in the dreadful heat. All weather related complaints aside, there are huge apologies for the massive gap in updated blogs. Facebook seems to have made it very easy to update business as well as personal ventures on a much more casual level. Nonetheless, Wish has been extremely busy this Spring. A monster mural for a local school library and a themed mural project for a repeat client ( which can be found in the portfolio section of the site) to name a couple, but many very exciting projects are beginning to bud with promise.

Right now Wish is fabricating pieces for the Schaffer Designs presentation at the National Symposium in San Francisco later this month, but be on the lookout for sneak peeks into Philadelphia Flower Show 2012 concepts, as well as some potential murals for a very large local Steel Mill.

the real deal

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:28:43 -0500

I was informed of exciting news about 3 weeks before the annual stress filled load-in that kicks off the Philadelphia Flower Show. At that point Ron Mulray AIFD knew that a Parisian graffiti artist with the street name Psyckoze was negotiating with powers that be for a potential debut at the Show, working on a mural in a strategic area of the set. This became more complicated when we discovered that 2-3 of the selected murals that were recreated by Wish in the set, were originals of his.... but now of course we were much more likely to offend, rather than infringe on copyrights when dealing with an underground artist. The whole thought of hosting an artist who had been tagging in the underground for 30 years kind of felt like inviting Walt Disney to the local town carnival.