Thayne Abraham Scratches the Surface

            In the break room last week I was looking through the surfaces book, which is a collection of images of brick, marble, metal, and so forth. This book was compiled as visual research for artists, architects, and designers, and it's a staple for scenic designers and painters. Jim, Shannon and I were talking about how cool we think the book is and how being scenic artists has affected how we see the world. When I'm in a restaurant, I can't help but notice the dings and scratches along the wall. When I see the natural distressing caused by weather on a building, I take a mental note so I can have a better chance of recreating it later. 

          This conversation reminded me that lead scenic artist Patrick Boney at OSF had told me I would start noticing these "surfaces" during my first week of work, and he was right. I just can't help but notice these things around me. Most of the time it's cracked paint on an old building or scratches on chairs, but sometimes it's a little more majestic like a beautiful architectural detail or the patina on a bronze statue (scenic artists love patina.) When I came to Milwaukee I was impressed by the beautiful architecture and there's patina everywhere! So, I thought this week I would share inspiring surfaces images from Milwaukee.