My Life as an action figure

My Life as an Action Figure

Painting is one of several avocations. Movies I saw as a child inspired an ardent desire to be a fencer. It was my path to theatre, travel and history scholarship. As I passed seventy, I marveled at how frequent strenuous physical activity preserves not only the body but one’s state of mind.
At left, I’m swinging into a “live prologue” with the Ann Arbor Sword Club arranged for the silent film “Three Musketeers” by Russ Collins at Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theatre.
Sea duty in the Coast Guard took me to the Orient and inspired me to find out more.
Most of the links are to organizations and sources. But the red buttons under “Medievalism” link to two galleries of my SCA calligraphy and illumination art, publications and artifacts I’ve made. You can download PDFs of my SCA writings, but not edit them.

Modern Fencing

Teaching an Ann Arbor Sword Club (AASC) class. Inset: in USFA competition, 2016

I started in 1963 in Sault Ste. Marie with M. John D. Bailey, became his assistant coach at age 17 and have not quit teaching for more than a couple of years since. Now I teach at the Ann Arbor Sword Club and the Ann Arbor “Y.” Between 1973 and 1985 I competed intensely, including five trips to the Nationals. Now I’m working on my comeback.

Ann Arbor Sword Club Ann Arbor Y Fencing

Medievalism

At Saline Celtic Festival with favorite opponent, Matthew Stewart-Fulton (r).

Fencing led me to the Society for Creative Anachronism, which re-creates medieval activities from armored combat to courtly revelry. It’s not re-enactment; there are no “authenticity” rules. Even so, a tremendous amount of research and painstaking re-creation is done by many individuals. Earlier I was active in manuscript illumination, event design and co-founding the Ann Arbor chapter, Cynnabar. Since 1995, mostly armored and rapier combat. The SCA led me to medieval scholarship.

SCA.org Cynnabar.org My medievalist writings My SCA artifacts

Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)

Teaching at the first Michigan HEMA gathering, hosted by A2 Sword Club.

Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng came to Ann Arbor in the mid 1990s with his historical swordplay research well begun. Introducing it to us on a scholarly basis, he brought the Ann Arbor Sword Club in on the ground floor of what is now a worldwide movement. With his historical, linguistic and swordplay expertise, Jeffrey’s translations of medieval “fechtbücher” make him a top authority for HEMA.

HEMA Alliance Michigan HEMA (Facebook page)

History and the Sea

They let us “hale and draw” on the Pride of Baltimore II, ’06. Painting on site.

In the Coast Guard I served two years “before the mast” on a slow boat to China – literally – and never quite got the salt out. Visits on board HMS Victory and USS Constitution, plus seven times through Patrick O’Brian’s sea novels haven’t done it. I want to be ready for the next chance to stand on a rolling deck or go aloft. In the meantime I am painting more maritime subjects, some historical.

Pride of Baltimore II Patrick O’Brian’s books