In the mid 1980's I developed a marketing plan to help sell my carvings to a larger market. I developed a line of fantasy characters; Wizard, Sage, Prophet, Priestess, Fantasy Castle and a Dragon. This was during the "Crystal Craze" (New Age era). Being a jeweler, I had lots of gems and acquired natural crystal points and would set these into my fantasy carvings which produced more and varied energies for metaphysical use.

I hired a "Professional" photographer (first idiot) in Eugene to take pictures for a brochure. I took out ads in several magazines including Magical Blend and Lapidary Journal to name a couple. I bought a mailing list and mailed hundred's of brochures. All this failed miserably and I went several thousand in the hole.

I lived in Hugo "Where the Hell is Hugo, Oregon?" (near Merlin). I started spending a lot of time on the road so got a mail box in Merlin, Oregon. I know, Where is Merlin, Oregon? (Just north of Grants Pass Oregon - you know, that place named for General/President Grant but he never visited there.) So, I was "The Dragon Master" from Merlin Oregon who carved fantasy wizards (cool huh?).

I traveled to craft shows in Washington, Oregon & California including Eugene & Portland Saturday Market's. I would sell my rocks & gems, jewelry and my carvings and did quite well. This lasted for about 8 years till I got into making glass beads (but that's another story - were still talking about the inlaid carvings).

I started expanding into Arid-zona doing the Quartzsite & Tucson shows as well as craft markets in January & February. Here we introduce those less unfortunate individuals who have lived very protective lives in there little bubbles of ignorance. As you know (and I later became), Arid-zona is the land of "Snow Birds". These mainly consist of upper class, blue haired retired people who pollute Arid-zona each winter to escape their frozen "base" homes in the midwest. Why am I so cynical, read on. From this point forward, some midwestern "Blue Hairs" may take offence with the following, but you know what, Get A Clue, Get Educated. It certainly can't hurt the future generations.

Now, what they do is bus these retirees from there little retirement communities around to various functions including, but not limited to, Art & Craft Shows in and around Arid-zona. But, it seems that some of these tour buses pick up people along side the road way that have just fallen off the potato truck as well. (why do I keep calling it Arid-zona - apparently, you've never been there - take sun block, hand lotion and drink lots of fluids. But I don't advise drinking city water in Arid-zona, it can kill you.) There are lots of bleached out skeletons of snow birds laying round the desert.

I was un-fortunate enough to get accepted into one of those "high class" shows in Tubac just south of Tucson, north of Nogales. This is a big show that buses (shovels) in hundreds of these snow birds. Most are looking for treasures to decorate there snow bird dwellings with SW art (when in Rome). Enter the Dragon Master with his metaphysical fantasy carvings. What the Hell? All of my carvings are carved using fossilized ivory teeth of the Walrus. This fossil ivory has laid buried in permafrost consisting of red clay to vivianite (a blue crystal broken down into soil which stains everything blue.) Some fossil ivory is found laying on beaches and is not stained and is called "wash" (because it wash's up on the beach after being released from glaciers. This "fossilized ivory" is hundreds to thousands of years old and is sold by the Alaskan Natives to ivory dealers - from whom I buy it.

Now, what is all this leading up to? I normally receive some great comments about my work at all shows I attend and normally do not have to explain what the art is. But during this show in particular, I decided to write down the comments for posterity reasons; as you will see why after reading the fore mentioned history. From these comments and after traveling around the western US during the 1990's, I can see why this country is going (gone) to "hell in a hand basket" Any way, here is a list of some of the most notable comments from uneducated people who's peers were running this country. Now, try to remember what I said as I don't want to explain each of these comments.

• What's the material around the crystal? (referring to the fossil ivory)
• What are these things sticking out of the bottom? (referring to the crystals)
• Why did you put crystals in them?
• Aren't those cute, what are they!?
• I don't believe in THAT. (referring to metaphysics)
• Oh, Indian Chiefs - look, they are made of Black Hills Gold. (Not)
• Look, skrimshaw! (there was no skrimshaw)
• Really beautiful (thank you)
• Are these wizards? (hmm, let me think.)
• Hmph, interesting.
• You're magic (thank you - please buy one)
• These certainly are different.
• Gorgeous!! (thank you - please buy one)
• Did you make these? (this is a art show where the individual artist represents their own work - this was the most popular question - talk about un-informed!! Where are you, what's your name, where did you come from, have you taken your meds today?)
• Kid, you do all this yur-self? (yep)
• Hey dude, you play Dungeons & Dragons? (now why did he ask that?)
• Thank you, marvelous!
• This is a master piece! (referring to a squash blossom necklace where I used carved Native American faces in place of the "blossom" - price, $2,500 - no sale here. Ended up selling in Bozeman Montana where they appreciate this kind of art.)
• That's ivory?... (yes)....huh!
• Where abouts in Oregon are you from?
• Where's Merlin Oregon? (this was asked multiple times)
• Really impressive! (thank you - please buy one)
• Do you have any Netsuke? (no, I'm just registered as a contemporary Netsuke Artist with the Netsuke kenkyuki Society of America. Does that count?)
• I could have gotten these for a song in the orient! (then why didn't you - he's referring to Japanese Netsuke)
• I didn't know these kind of things sold down here. (they don't, thanks for reminding me)
• Hmmm, unique! (ARGH, I hate that word)
• Hmph!
• How nice! (probably the most uttered comment)
• Well isn't that interesting! (thank you - please buy one)
• Too bad I didn't bring my daughter, she'd of loved these! (this show last two days, go get her)
• Oh! These are beautiful! (thank you - please buy one)
• Aren't elephants illegal? (do I really need to comment on that one; thanks Jane Fonda)
• Uh huh!
• Pretty unusual.
• They look like fossil Walrus teeth! (ya think!)
• That's different, very unusual. (thank you - please buy one)
• Nice work! (thank you - please buy one)
• (Out of left field) "Moses with a scroll" (okay, not)
• There's your little good luck Buddha! (enjoying your new medication are we?)
• Oh Look, worry beads from China! (again, no comment required)
• Look at these, they're little pictures (oh look, snow birds)
• Hey Dude, these are awesome! (thank you - please buy one)
• Question from three well to do German ladies - "how much for the whole thing?" (all of a sudden my eyes glazed over with dollar signs) "that will be fifteen hundred dollars I replied. "No, no." they say, "just the thing they are displayed on, not those things sitting on it." (They wanted to buy my Manzinita display stand - no, I did not sell it to them.)
• And last but not least, my favorite - "Ew, creatures. Dragons. Insidious!" (thank you - won't you please buy one or better yet, just go away.)

Needless to say, I didn't sell one single carving at this show; which cost several hundred dollars to attend - I did sell some jewelry though that had a SW look about it. I as well, made some great trades to other artist at the show. Oh yes, I also had some carved Native American sculptures that were not set with gems and jewels, but none of those sold either.