National Hobby Month // Week 3
We’re halfway through Hobby Month. Your hobbies have blown my mind, dropped my jaw to the floor, and left me baffled. As long as they’ll listen, I tell everyone I see about Nussbaum employees’ amazing talent and creativity.
This week’s post has quite a few artists. They all use different forms, but their talent is show-stopping.
David Bradley – “I’ve been painting for eight years. I started watching Bob Ross, and it just went from there. I can usually finish a painting in 30 – 45 minutes. What takes the longest is sitting and thinking about what I want to paint. I learned to paint at Bob Ross’ Art Workshop and Gallery in Florida.”
Randy Pugh – We already knew this was coming. Randy is the king of billiards! Hear from Randy about his hobby in this episode of Terminal Exchange.
Alan Williams – “I enjoy model railroading. I work with HO (1:87), S (1:64), and O (1:48) scales. One foot represents that many feet of the real thing. A 40′ HO boxcar is about six inches long. I also hand-lay all my trackwork. It takes patience and attention to detail but gives a flawless track to run the trains on. This is a photo of my home workspace and a new kit I’ve just started on.”
Denver Yarroll – “I was recently introduced to the plasma torch. I now make decorative burn barrels, furniture, and chandeliers out of old steel drums. I enjoy seeing how each of the barrels turns out because I seldom have complete, concrete plans for each project I start. Each one kind of takes on a life of its own as I nibble away at it with that awesome little torch!”
Cory Adams – “My hobby, of which I am a novice, is making things with paracord. I have made a few bracelets and keychains (some normal and a few with a monkey fist). My newest project is a bullwhip. I don’t think it is going too badly, considering my inexperience, lack of coordination, and laziness. In the picture, I am ready to put the overlay on. That layer will be the color scheme.”
Ronald Weber – “My wife and I take long walks with our dogs, and I enjoy fishing and eating candy with my kids. And don’t forget the BBQ! I love to grill.”
Brian Johnson – “Two of my favorite hobbies are being a member of the Hudson Fire Department and collecting 1/64 scale John Deere semis and tractors. I’ve been a member of the Hudson Fire Department for almost nine years now and love the adrenaline rush I get every time we are paged out. I’ve been collecting John Deere trucks and tractors for a long time. This is just one of the three cabinets that I have my things displayed in. I also built a few shelves that hold my non-John Deere things.”
Lisa Burton – “I LOVE art. My family is all about art. My dad is an incredible sketcher, and my mother is a ‘real deal’ Tailor. She is 80 years old, still owns her own business, can design and make her own patterns, and is pretty much a problem-solving magician. My sister is a great artist and is the only one of us who has attended art school. The rest of us ‘play it by ear.’ My two daughters and my niece all have natural artistic abilities. Although I have not studied technique, I can paint, craft, arrange flowers, and decorate. I love challenging myself and thinking outside the norm. For example, I can walk into a room and redecorate it in my head. I can turn a sketch into a 3D craft or take a pile of Christmas decorations and repurpose them and set them up in a new way. I hope this doesn’t sound like bragging, but God has blessed me with vision and creativity. I love to pass on the blessings to others by gifting handmade items or helping a friend redecorate a room.
The picture with me: the left is my rendition of Dorothy’s red shoes. The pop-art is of my oldest daughter, and the hair and lace are paper.
The dog: this is a clay relief caricature of one of my daughter’s pups.
The Queen’s Tea Party: these all started as small, orange pumpkins. I added clay and other elements to give them life for a pumpkin contest.”
Scott Davis – “How I got started with my hobby of deer hunting was going with a friend and former co-worker. Going deer hunting this season is one of my methods of social distancing during the current COVID-19 pandemic. I enjoy getting out in the woods when I can, viewing the scenery, hearing many different animal sounds, and hearing fruits and nuts falling from the trees.”
Dan Massey – “I build Bluetooth headsets and wireless speakers in my spare time. I got started with my dad when I was in fourth grade. He worked at the Peoria Air National Guard and would bring things home for us to work on. I buy plain old safety earmuffs from Menards and convert them into Bluetooth headsets. They usually have 32 hours of battery life and reach up to 300 feet.”
