click here to go to my site directory with links to all my pages. Art - raw materials for sale- book- advice- tips-ordering- info- home page etc
Miles Martin
Miles of Alaska
box 363
Nenana Alaska
99760
1 907 832 5442
miles@milesofalaska.net
Miles of Alaska
box 363
Nenana Alaska
99760
1 907 832 5442
miles@milesofalaska.net
Miles of Alaska Art already sold
To view my past works, maybe ideas for custom work. Or just see what I have been up to - track my change in styles etc
Link ot my first book,
Book One- Going Wild. I am 22 raised on Walt Disney with a dream of becoming a mountain man. I pay a pilot to drop me off in the Alaska wilderness with no arrangements to get picked up. I have to build a cabin before winter. I have never used a wood stove, wore mittens, used a gun, and I am on a cash coarse learning. I walk out a year later
If you see something you like, cut and paste me the picture so I know what you are looking at. Instructions how to cut paste on advice page
Contact me! cut paste picture!
The art is organized by the material used. This is the rock page
Alaskan natural gold nugget with opal sold for $550
Right not legal to sell but can do work on your bear claws. This is a grizzly claw necklace custom made for a native Indian. I have probably made more bear claw necklaces then anyone else in the world. 45 years in business
Opal and ivory on natural crystal
Mexican opal carved and pinned with gold wire to Alaskan ivory, both pinned to crystal. Ptarmigan- Alaska's state bird is the subject. These birds fly in flocks low to the ground and love the cold. Sometimes when seen on the river there are hunks of river ice pushed up - windblown free of snow and looking much like crystal. $1,2000
Above - carved Australian opal rim setting so both sides shows. Ruby inlay
Moonstone lady
Right- NIce peice of moonstone. Cast lady is from Yutanna barge ship propeller bronze that went up and down the Yukon River for 60 years
Pendant opal $750
Finding is custom cast and covers entire back to protect opal. Metal is bronze from Yutanna Barges ship propellers that went on the Yukon 50 years. Lady and feather theme
Pendant opal $795
'Mother nature' is cast of Copper from ship fittings, body is white bonze. She holds a Mexican fire agate. Custom cast for this opal.
Special orders
Um er maybe. (?) Welp….. Ok. There are a few great motivators. Money, fun, or recognition of some kind (respect, the reward of helping someone who appreciates it etc). I'm going to try to fill one of these needs.
Money. I usually make less money on a special order then if I do it my way, how I want, when I want, and just sell it to whoever wants it. See why below
. Fun. I might be motivated if the project sounds fun. The issue is when the customers fantastic idea sounds boring or stupid to me. How do you tell your valued customer ? See why below
Recognition . Usually only the customer and friends ever see the special order. I do not get to enter it in a show. I do not get to own it for a while before parting with it. Possibly fulfilled is 'doing something for someone who appreciates it' but often not ' because', see below
Solution! If you are rich and famous! Money solves a lot of the other 2 problems! I can drop everything and fix it! Making money is fun! Or if I have latitude to do it my way and try my best and it might take unexpected time or take a turn in a new artistic direction. Take a chance- a deposit you do not get back- trust me to care and to do my best.
Less money because 'Because' doing it your way takes longer, required we are on the same sheet of music so usually communication (time). I usually get talked into some low price so I can get the business and so I am sure the customer will be happy. 75% of the time I think "Dang look at this if I had made it on my own it might be worth $1,000 and I quoted $200, rats" Shop time is $65 an hour. If it sounds like a lot, I have often made $300 an hour on some projects, and a few times over $1,000 an hour
No Fun because Often the idea is not technically workable. Or will cost more the way the customer wants it done. I may not find it fun to do things the long hard way. I'm spoiled I have never had a boss in my life. I have been able to get away with doing it my way when I want how I want. As such I am not a good listener. The art has a mind of it's own I am not always the boss- the material is. It may not be fun to listen to my customer instead of the material or my inner artist.
No recognition because : First to come to mind is my ways are odd. Few ever get to know that. Each piece is one of a kind unique and an experiment. As such there is as much as a 30% failure rate. No one knows that when they fall in love with the item on the table at the show. No one has to know 10 others just like it went up in smoke. One good experimental casting makes up price wise for 20 failures. Unique never repeated no one knows how it's done sells high! 'Ordinary' sits at a low price. But what if it is your special order in the 20 castings that failed and I have to start all over? On my own-- who cares? Some projects take up to 5 years to complete. No one has to know I have 500 projects in the works at any given time. All they see is the finished project, not the untold story behind it. I pass along only the good news and exciting stories. Not the failures. All that comes unglues when I have to tell a customer there is a glitch to the wonderful dream I was making reality because it broke-- the fragile opal you picked out or the copper was too hot when I poured it, so it blew out the back of the mold… etc etc. Why not avoid all that? It usually leads to "And you call yourself a professional?" rather then respect.
Um er maybe. (?) Welp….. Ok. There are a few great motivators. Money, fun, or recognition of some kind (respect, the reward of helping someone who appreciates it etc). I'm going to try to fill one of these needs.
Money. I usually make less money on a special order then if I do it my way, how I want, when I want, and just sell it to whoever wants it. See why below
. Fun. I might be motivated if the project sounds fun. The issue is when the customers fantastic idea sounds boring or stupid to me. How do you tell your valued customer ? See why below
Recognition . Usually only the customer and friends ever see the special order. I do not get to enter it in a show. I do not get to own it for a while before parting with it. Possibly fulfilled is 'doing something for someone who appreciates it' but often not ' because', see below
Solution! If you are rich and famous! Money solves a lot of the other 2 problems! I can drop everything and fix it! Making money is fun! Or if I have latitude to do it my way and try my best and it might take unexpected time or take a turn in a new artistic direction. Take a chance- a deposit you do not get back- trust me to care and to do my best.
Less money because 'Because' doing it your way takes longer, required we are on the same sheet of music so usually communication (time). I usually get talked into some low price so I can get the business and so I am sure the customer will be happy. 75% of the time I think "Dang look at this if I had made it on my own it might be worth $1,000 and I quoted $200, rats" Shop time is $65 an hour. If it sounds like a lot, I have often made $300 an hour on some projects, and a few times over $1,000 an hour
No Fun because Often the idea is not technically workable. Or will cost more the way the customer wants it done. I may not find it fun to do things the long hard way. I'm spoiled I have never had a boss in my life. I have been able to get away with doing it my way when I want how I want. As such I am not a good listener. The art has a mind of it's own I am not always the boss- the material is. It may not be fun to listen to my customer instead of the material or my inner artist.
No recognition because : First to come to mind is my ways are odd. Few ever get to know that. Each piece is one of a kind unique and an experiment. As such there is as much as a 30% failure rate. No one knows that when they fall in love with the item on the table at the show. No one has to know 10 others just like it went up in smoke. One good experimental casting makes up price wise for 20 failures. Unique never repeated no one knows how it's done sells high! 'Ordinary' sits at a low price. But what if it is your special order in the 20 castings that failed and I have to start all over? On my own-- who cares? Some projects take up to 5 years to complete. No one has to know I have 500 projects in the works at any given time. All they see is the finished project, not the untold story behind it. I pass along only the good news and exciting stories. Not the failures. All that comes unglues when I have to tell a customer there is a glitch to the wonderful dream I was making reality because it broke-- the fragile opal you picked out or the copper was too hot when I poured it, so it blew out the back of the mold… etc etc. Why not avoid all that? It usually leads to "And you call yourself a professional?" rather then respect.
Left pendant. Local Nenana rock eagle cap- note cord goes through eagle beak $40
Right tiger eye custom cut pendant . I bought 200 pounds of this quality so expecting lots of work produced with this. From $40 to $75.
Right copper moose with brass antlers - silver cap on rough opal pendant
Opal is one of my favorite materials to work with. It has to be carved slow and carefully because it likes to break - but the rewards are worth it. If you want to select one of my opals and have me make a special order I can email a picture of material to choose from
right I often work with 'rough' stones and make various cast caps making them into necklaces
Left walrus ivory beads, local matched stones with bronze caps
Local Nowitna River agate with flower themes 3 have opal centers
Left got in a mood to play with opals so have a few opal items on hand right now I want to use up some of my Nice material before I get more at the next gem show (In a few months)
Right flint with flower humming bird theme bronze cap
Right local Nowitna river carnelian agate birds and animal caps - the musk ox head is very Alaskan. The rabbit left has the chain go between his ears
Right opal earrings copper fawn capped
Left opal earrings silver capped about $75 for similar set
Right I think cool idea just an ordinary Nenana River rock natural - capped with a duck cast from local antique barge propeller
Left- getting into capping more stones lately left a few ideas
Moonstone moon special order