john and anna bags

Once in a while i am moved to create little projects that challenge my primal creative skills. They always use very basic materials and i only use two tools to make them, my outdoor knife and my little marlin spike (my two very favorite tools). These projects are very special to me and are never commissioned and not for sale. They just happen...

Here are two that i made last month for John Powell and Anna Maidon (two very fun people I worked with for the opening and closing ceremonies)

black vegetable tanned leather, hand stitched sides, braided strap, and wood peg closure

braid: 18 strand english sennit, finished with mathew walker knots

fiveleft in the opening and closing ceremonies

Here is the story...David Atkins Etn. (the producers of the opening and closing ceremonies) contracted me to help create leathergoods to be used by the Four Host First Nations during the 2010 opening ceremonies

I worked with First Nations designer John Powell to make the bags that held drum sticks used to welcome the atheletes.

Tsleil-Waututh (pronounced sleigh-wa-tooth) Nation's bags

Lil’wat Nation's bags (I made two)

I was honoured to collaborate with some masters for The Squamish Nation and Musqueam Nation's bags...

woven wool covering (black,white,red)
by Robyn Sparrow for the Musqueam Nation

woven cedar covering
by Anthony Hunt for the the Squamish Nation

I was also asked to make a series of bags out of a buffalo hide...I made around 20
(with the help of Dana Smith)

Later they asked me to create a gift for ‘a prominent canadian artist’ (they wouldn’t tell me who)...a guitar strap that would be used during closing ceremonies...it was Neil Young.

photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

They gave me the length, the art work and I designed the strap. The graphics you see are images designed by First Nations artists from each of the the Four Host First Nations .

the round presentation case was my idea. I though the strap should have a beautiful case for it. the artwork on the top was designed by Jody Broomfield...

...thank you Anna Maidon, John Powell, and Paxton Downard for the wonderful experience

mushed clutch

I love this story, it is the ultimate testament to the durability of fiveleft leathergoods.
This is what the clutch looked like when it was assembled in my studio on Breakfast Television.



months later it flew off the roof of my car and was smushed by 32 hours of traffic on the Burrard St. Bridge....then it looked like this.

After I found, it I got it wet and folded it back into shape. I did not need to repair it at all, nothing was broken…just mangled. It was still functional.

It was then purchased for a Christmas gift in 2008, and went to the 2009 Leo awards. And is still in use today.

It will be on display in the granville optical window (corner of granville and robson) for the month of march 2010.

me and the big beaver

ha...ha...had to.

got in a shot at the David Atkins wrap party....

neil youngs guitar strap

now that it has hit the tube i can show the leathergoods i made for the closing ceremonies....a guitar strap for neil young.

David Atkins Etn. contracted me to create a gift for ‘a prominent Canadian artist’ (they wouldn’t tell me who)...a guitar strap that would be used during closing ceremonies...it was Neil Young.

photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

They gave me the length, the art work and I designed the strap. The graphics you see are images designed by First Nations artists from each of the the Four Host First Nations .

the round presentation case was my idea. I though the strap should have a beautiful case for it. the artwork on the top was designed by Jody Broomfield...

...thank you Anna Maidon, John Powell, and Paxton Downard for the wonderful experience.

creating a retrospective

i have been rounding up some fiveleft leather goods for a retrospective showcase that will run for the month of february in the granville optical display window at granville and robson (vancouver b.c.).

this brought back many memories, i realized how far fiveleft has come in such a short time.
here is just a few of of the items i will show...if you are downtown stop by and see them

one of the first leather pieces i made...
i was logging on afognak is. alaska
made from logging boot leather
its a tool kit for chainsaws
hand stitched
1997

"junk bag"
this was the first fiveleft bag
made completely of dumpster finds
i still use it everyday
hand stitched
2000

"little 5"
made of leather from a italian-knock-off chair
hand stitched
2002

"standing shell"
made for my wife allison
hand stitched
2005"deco bag"
made with wood sides
i made around 8 wood bags...my first collection
2006

poker drink pockets

the winter always brings fun custom leather projects to the fiveleft leather shop, and this was an interesting one.
8 leather pockets to hold drinks around a poker table for some unamed t.v. executives while they are around for the olympics...

fun project...will post pictures of the finished table later.