Crow

This is a cheery pin which I haven't worn for a long time. I think it's because I stored it in my OTHER box of pins - out of sight, out of mind. I chose the Crow because I was going to be busy in a directed, resolute way, as opposed to the meandering busyness of the Bee, or slightly more directed busyness of the Native Biker. And busy I was, although some of the direction had to be rescued along the way...

The Crow was one of several items designed by Michael Bedard for the Acme Studio, where it resides in the "For Collectors Only" section. Bedard's most famous work is the painting "Sitting Ducks", although I recognized some of his other work more readily. Regardless, the Crow is a tiny masterpiece of simplicity. With a minimum of form and line, his marching legs, lifted wing and bowed head say "don't bother me, I'm busy". If he wasn't pinned to my T-shirt, you'd swear he'd be marching down my arm. Glorious, as so many 'cartoon' characters are.

Native Biker

Our good friends Charles + Joy bought me this pin soon after we first met (they're generous and thoughtful that way). They quickly realised that I had a pin collection, and decided to add to it by getting me the Native Biker while on a trip to Arizona.

I don't have many Southwestern-style pins, because they're usually too 'primitive' for my taste - all that ostentatious turquoise and so on. But this one's a fun, modern take on the genre, and a good one to wear when I plan to be busy in a more directed way than when I choose the Bee.

The Native Biker is signed with a mark rather than a name, so I can't tell you who designed it. But it's beautifully made in silver, opal and onyx - it's a pity my iSight can't do it justice.

Walking Trio

Sunday's typically a super-lazy day, and this Sunday's no exception. A glance online confirmed that far too many of my friends were out running, planning to run, or otherwise being healthy: "bugger that", was my response.

Rather than contemplate something - anything - energetic, I rounded up my Walking Trio to march across my T-shirt, so Jack and I could drive to breakfast. Living in the 'burbs means you have to drive pretty much everywhere to get anywhere, but even if I didn't have to drive, I'd delegate to the Trio in any case. Isn't that what Sunday's for?

The Trio's comprised of three characters by Mariscal, who's a famous Spanish artist and designer (though web design is clearly NOT his forte). I think they're members of the Cobi Troupe, but was too lazy to do much research on this - sorry. The characters are studs rather than pins/badges, and are made of stainless steel. And each is delicious in its evocative simplicity - especially the little dog.

Fisherman

Today's choice was super easy. You might remember me mentioning that I placed a bid on ebay for another Anne Harvey pin: well, I won the auction and this pin arrived yesterday, courtesy of mtnpearl. How could I not wear it today? I'll figure out a deeper reason for choosing the Fisherman when I've had him a while, but for now, novelty and beauty are the only reasons I need.

I'm delighted by this pin in several ways. I like the proportions of the three forms (man, fish and bucket) and how they relate to each other. I like that each form is stylized. I like the judicious use of contrasting materials (silver and black stone). And the fish and the bucket swing freely, thereby qualifying as desirable dangly bits.

Sadly, Anne Harvey has moved on to more commercial work, but if the Fisherman is representative of her Mexico work, I'm sure there'll be more examples out there. And I will find them.

Les Bon Mots

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.
--
Oscar Wilde

Dog And Ball

If I'm in the mood for striving, this is the pin I choose. Today was mostly about striving to understand things, and striving to get round or over the things I don't understand. A fool's errand, some would say, but a routine part of the job in my case.

The delightful thing about this pin is that it's actually in two separate parts: the dog, which is a 'normal' pin in silver and gold; and the ball, which is a red glass stud. The possibilities are thus endless, since I can vary the leap angle of the dog (depending on how hard I think I'm likely to strive), and I can vary the distance of the ball from the dog (depending on how likely I think I am to succeed or fail). Genius!

Alas, the designer of this stellar combination didn't sign the dog, so I don't know whether there are more pin/stud combinations like this one. I'll get round to some serious searching for them one day - but not today.

Cicada

I pick this pin whenever I feel like making mischief, as I did today. The Cicada is big enough and real enough to startle people who aren't paying full attention to me, prompting nervous laughter and lame 'jokes' like "there's a bug on your chest!" Very droll...

The mischief here is not that I startled them, though there's some satisfaction in that. It's that I stirred otherwise bright people to try covering their social lapse with humour they themselves find cringe-worthy. I think this naughtiness stems from deciding to re-read "The Complete Saki" which, despite its age, is still a seminal collection of satire, and is my favourite book. Saki beats even Oscar Wilde for my money.

Being the consummate professional that I pretend to be, I mostly confined myself to gentle sarcasm and irony today, because I suspect that's what Saki would do if he'd lived to work in a corporation. And there'll be no jolly japes at the airport: the TSA does not have a sense of humour. But I feel it's my duty as an Englishman to think the thoughts, even if I'm unable to do the deeds.

The Cicada is another Thomas Mann pin, this time from his "Insectarium" Collection, which was part of a touring exhibition. It's made of silver, bronze and laminated acrylic, but the tour de force is that the thorax glows in the dark. Yes, it glows in the dark! I love stuff that glows in the dark. Well done, Tom - well done indeed.

Techno.texture Frog

This is a big-ass pin, so I don't wear it very often. But today seemed like the kind of day where one or more leaps of faith were going to be needed, so out came Techno.texture Frog.

He's fully articulated, so I can pose him how I like. I went for the "just leapt" look, reflecting my developing trajectory of conflict with my son's water polo coaches: having started the journey, I'm powerless to alter its course. All that remains to find out is where we'll all land. I fear it will end badly.

The Frog's another Thomas Mann design, made of nickel, brass, bronze and acrylic. I'd normally pick him for happier reasons than I did today. C'est la vie. Or in this case, c'est la guerre.

Reaching For Freedom

It's been a long time since I wore this Amnesty International pin. I wish it didn't need to exist. But it does need to exist. While we're throwing billions of dollars at greedy people to ensure more greed can ensue, I thought I'd mention that a generous donor will match any donation you make to Amnesty, dollar-for-tax-deductible-dollar.

I've been a member of Amnesty since I was a teenager, and would recommend it to anyone. Taking action is optional, and there are real successes to celebrate in relation to human rights. There's also cool stuff to buy for this excellent cause, if you'd rather contribute that way. Today's pin is made of pewter, and its subject is deliberately evocative, of course. As usual, there's a lot of detail lost in the photo, but that matters less this time: the big picture, and being part of something bigger than ourselves is what matters.

Heart Mask

On days when I'm not necessarily ready to face the world, this is the face I reach for. It's big, bold and a little bit strange, which suits my purpose just fine. Those who like pins tend to like this one a lot: those who think grown men should shave before they decorate themselves tend to be confused, or start to edge away slowly.

This is another Thomas Mann pin, in steel, copper, brass, bronze and acrylic. The poor quality of the photo obscures some of its many details, but that can't be helped. Suffice it to say that I like its somewhat haphazard composition (what's that bent arrow at the top for?), and the enigmatic expression. Definitely a winner.

Crab

I don't like phones in general, and I dislike phone conferences in particular. But Cisco's MeetingPlace plumbs new depths in the telecommunications experience, creating its own Circle of Hell for you to share with colleagues. I had five hours of MeetingPlace scheduled today, so my pin choice was both obvious and understandable.

The Crab isn't only associated with low expectations though. He's a natural choice for a beach trip of course, or for any day when I'm feeling feisty. I think it's got something to do with how three-dimensional and shiny he is, and how my perception of him changes depending on how I position him on my T-shirt. I had him at a jaunty angle today, which took the edge of my Cisco-induced glumness. The Crab is solid silver and surprisingly detailed - but unsigned, so I can't say more about him.

Grating Heart

Here's a winged heart that's NOT by Thomas Mann for a change. I'm flying home today, so the choice was pretty literal: no elaborate or allegorical justification for once.

I don't wear this pin as often as I should. It's smaller than most of my other pins, so maybe it just doesn't stand out in the box. I like it for the layering of the various metals: copper, bronze, brass, silver and steel. It's a pleasing composition, nicely accented by the painted back layer beneath the copper grating. There's no signature though, so that's all I can tell you.

Les Bon Mots

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
--
Edgar Alan Poe

Man Through Door

This is the pin that shifted my collection away from political pins towards designer/art pins, and is still one of my absolute favourites. I usually wear this pin when facing something new, but I wore it today because times are busier than I want them to be, and I needed a tonic.

Who is that man? What's in his briefcase? Is he arriving or leaving? Is that a warehouse door, or some other door? There are many elements to love in addition to the mystery. The man is 3-dimensional, so you see his (stylized) face and front if you turn the pin over. He's actually crossing the threshold, ie he's going through the pin. You can see my T-shirt through the door. The rectangular forms are evocative, not only enclosing and descriptive. The material (silver) complements the industrial feel of the tableau. It's just brilliant in every respect.

The pin is stamped on the back with "925 Jacob". The 925 refers to the pin being sterling silver, but Jacob, tragically, is as much a mystery as the man going through the door.

Baby

Having enjoyed one of the laziest weekends in a long time (didn't even blog), today's 6am start was particularly brutal, and today's pin reflects that harsh reality. I choose this pin whenever I want to be a baby about something, but I'm not in a position to indulge myself. Of course, that means I could wear it every day, but I try to be judicious.

This cheery little pin was given to me by Martin + Caroline to celebrate the birth of my youngest son: it's a delight in solid silver. It was designed by Anne Harvey during her stint in Mexico in the eighties, although she's since teamed up with her sister Jane. Anne's Mexico stuff is pretty interesting, ranging from the whimsical to the strikingly tribal: I placed a bid on ebay for another of her pins. Her newer stuff is a little too commercial for me, though it's still charming.

Propellor Head

In some ways, this pin is a natural follow-up to yesterday's choice. While my mind is wandering less randomly, it's still far from its typically zen-like state, and Propellor Head represents that well. The propellor, hat, head and collar all rotate freely, producing a decidedly disjointed air: which is unfortunately rather apt. Even the wheel (replacing the feet) rotates sideways rather than forwards.

I don't wear this pin very often, because it's pretty big and heavy and needs a sturdy T-shirt to support it. But I like the overall form, it's always cool to have moving parts, and I like that the head has two faces which are similar, but not the same. The server at Peets liked it too.

The pin was designed by Beth Piver, and might be an early piece since it's not one of the seven pins shown on her website. There's a variant called Unicycle which she sells as a pendant though. She describes her materials as "mixed metals", which in this case means silver, steel, iron, brass and copper.

Repeat: Bee

Regular visitors have seen this bee before, but I picked him for a different reason than last time. Today he - or rather his flight pattern - is representing my mental state. There's a vague sense of direction, but nothing particularly specific, and a readiness to deviate from any chosen path that nullifies any effort to be productive.

If you think of the Bee as a bumble bee, I woke up as more bumble than bee - and matters haven't improved over the course of the day. The Bee is a smashing pin though, made from silver and laminate. He's another exhibit from my collection of Thomas Mann pins.

Cityscape

Here's another pin by ND TA, the designer(s?) of Riverscape: the streetlamp is an element common to both. I chose it today because it's depth is more apparent than real, so it's a good analogy for some of the thinking I've been doing for a presentation. Fortunately, I haven't finished that thinking yet, so there's still hope for achieving something substantive...

I love this pin's use of materials and perspective to paint the picture of a street corner and skyline. The sidewalk (pavement), background skyscrapers and streetlamp are all silver, the foreground skyscrapers are copper, and the globe of the streetlamp is a pearl. The grey ground beneath the foreground skyscrapers is some kind of ceramic or ground stone, which subtly glitters like certain kinds of concrete - a very nice touch.

I still haven't found out anything about KD TA, which is a bummer. I'd like to know whether a lot of his/her/their work contains streetlamps, and whether he/she/they are into other styles or subjects. I'd buy more for sure.

Columns

One of my more ornate pins today, reflecting the varied activities I needed to get through: brainstorming, coaching, reviewing, goal-setting, corporate communication and a few other things besides.

The communication piece had a special kick to it, because two smirking colleagues (names hidden to protect the guilty) challenged me to incorporate the word "haberdasher" into my piece. The incentive need not be shared here, but I succeeded by inserting the word into an alarming analogy that also included Costco. Ah, corporate life: it's sometimes the little things that deliver the deepest satisfaction...

To my complete surprise, Columns is another Thomas Mann pin, which I didn't realise until I looked at its back today for this blog. It's a painterly piece in brass, nickel, silver, steel, acrylic and bronze, which I think Janice, my lovely mother-in-law, gave me some years ago (she's lovely for many reasons, not just pin-giving). The leaves are hand-painted, but the other colours come from the materials themselves. With so much happening in such a small space, Columns has an unexpected harmony which continues to captivate me.

Fleur-de-Lis

Here's a pin with a modern take on a classical - indeed ancient - motif. I wore it today to reflect how old I felt at 6am (I had to get up to catch my flight to work). The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

This is yet another Thomas Mann design, based on the fleur-de-lis of New Orleans, his home town. In addition to the Mann mark, "NOLA" is stamped on the back too, which is "Tom's key phrase of renewal and hope". I presume it stands for "New Orleans, Louisiana".

Since starting this blog, I'm beginning to realise that I own quite a few Thomas Mann pins, which has come as something of a surprise: and there are more of them to come. This one's primarily silver, with acrylic, bronze and brass accents. The dangly bit at the bottom is a watch or clock hand, I think. I like dangly bits on my pins, as you know.

Clock Bird

I knew this post was going to be shallow, even for me: I think that's why I felt compelled to post "Les Bon Mots" today too. I chose this pin without thinking. There's simply no reason behind the choice, I made it the way you might take a cookie from a plate - because it's there and you want it.

Despite that, it's actually a very nice pin, bringing together a variety of clock parts and other metal and non-metal elements in an avian melange. It's conceptually similar to the Clock Cow, and I'd bet they're made by the same designer: but in the absence of a signature on either pin, I can't say for sure.

Les Bon Mots

Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.
--
John F. Kennedy

Surf's Up

My eldest son was playing water polo for his high school today, so a watery pin in support was the right choice. This one's a little 'tribal' compared with my other pins, but the colour, simplicity and superb craftsmanship prevent it from becoming trite or contrived, and it has a very positive feel to it somehow.

Surf's Up is made from solid silver: metal has been removed to 'reveal' the waves, and the low points have been given a blue enamelled finish which is absolutely gorgeous. If you've ever seen the skin of a perch (fish), you'll know what I mean: it's smooth-looking yet textured, and it glints and glistens in the light. The pin's signed on the back (which has a hammered finish - always good to have a finished back), but the signature's illegible.

Heart In Chains

Another Thomas Mann pin, and one that might be in my all-time top five. I'm wearing it today to symbolize the eternal conflict of work. On the one hand, work (or my work, anyway) allows me to indulge a passion for innovation, symbolized here by the heart with wings. On the other hand, all work (not just mine) comes with constraints to be fought, symbolized here by the chains lashing the black heart to the winged heart.

Some people argue that creativity works best when constrained, because the terror of the "blank sheet" is eliminated. But I've never believed that, to be honest. I'd rather wrestle with the blank sheet than fight (often arbitrary) constraints; or impose my own boundaries if the blank sheet's winning. It's that dualism that makes work challenging, I suppose, even worth getting out of bed for. Most of the time.

The Heart In Chains wings are silver, the framing heart is brass, the free-floating black heart is glass, and is held in place by steel chains. I love everything about this pin: concept, materials, proportions, execution. Mann's made many more heart pins, but none as good as this one.

Repeat! Circle Star

Being somewhat reminiscent of a stylish sheriff's badge (are there any stylish sheriffs?), I usually choose this pin when I have to play a policing role, as regular readers know, because I've worn this one before. Yes, it's the first repeat wearing.

Mercifully, I wasn't playing policeman today: I chose the Circle Star because it's a simple, subtle pin which went well with my not-so-subtle, lime green, Volcom T-shirt.

At my age, I really should be wearing polo shirts by now, as I said a few days ago: but my soul is still my own, so I refuse. I choose "Youth Against Establishment", as Volcom ineloquently yet persuasively puts it, just as I choose Reaperwear over Ralph Lauren.

The Circle Star reveals more the more you look, and I like that. It's a simple circle of steel with brass spokes, a brass star in the centre, and copper studs: but the steel is delicately textured, and there's a harmony to it that totally works for me. Hats off to the designer, Phillip Valdez.

Riverscape

I had a busy day in prospect, with lots of meetings and reviewing to do, so I recruited the Riverscape to reinforce my natural inclination to go with the flow (ahem) and provide a peaceful respite from the frenzy. Needless to say, it did a fine job, and I remained calm at all times.

This multi-layered pin is mostly made of silver: the coppery colour of the frame is a consequence of atrocious lighting. The streetlamp on the right is made of brass, with a pearl for its globe. The river is a textured sheet of silver, while the city buildings are made of gold. The sky is a sheet of blued steel: a circular cut-out reveals another textured sheet of silver to create the moon.

The letters KD TA are stamped on the back of the pin, which might be the initials of two designers, but I don't know for sure: an online search didn't turn anything up (as usual).

Ladder Drinkers

The Ladder Drinkers pin is hard to make sense of, even a little bewildering. It's a good match for the first day back at work after a long weekend, and it complemented my surreal experiences with some TSA airport guards who recognized me as a frequent traveller. It can't be good to be 'known' to those folks - I really must shave more often, or wear polo shirts and khakis or something...

Taking it from left to right, there's a man sat in a frame nursing a tankard: a black cone stands above him. To the right of him is a trio of frames and two textured gold bars, one horizontal and one vertical. Above them stands a ladder, atop of which sits a woman drinking from a tankard. Quite how - or whether - one should interpret this collection, I really can't say. But I bet they're drinking beer.

Even the materials are a bit of a mystery. The cone could be ebony, or it could be plastic: it feels like ebony though. I think the people and frames are blackened silver, and the textured bars are made of gold. The initials MTJO are on the back, but I couldn't find out anything more, which is a pity: I really like this pin, and would like to see whether the designer's other works are similarly enigmatic. I hope so.

Steel Pyramids

This pin changes with the light, so it was worth providing a couple of pics so you could get a sense for how it casts shadows and changes appearance. I choose this pin when things are going well and I want to underline that with the strength of sixteen pyramids on a slab of steel.

We had fun on Christy's birthday yesterday, today is the Labor (sic) Day holiday, we had our Indian buffet lunch, we're packing for the beach and boogie-boarding with Tam + Shannon and McKenna, and we'll have a BBQ with them at our house afterwards. Fun times like these warrant the Steel Pyramids, don't you think?

This is a sophisticated pin in stainless steel, and a very welcome gift from Martin + Caroline some years ago. It's a tiny replica of an impressive exhibit they'd seen at SF MoMA, back when they still lived around the corner from there. The individual pyramids are sharp and pointy - it's the photo that's rounded them down a bit.