About Me

My torch-fired, hand-sculpted glass necklace

Although I have been collecting Gibson guitars and memorabilia for quite sometime I am also an artist living in San Francisco, CA. 

I have a passion for making quality torch-fired glass and silver jewelry. 

The following link www.kevinmarkdesigns will take you to my torch-fired glass and silver designs site.

Hand-forming glass with a torch

I started working with glass and silver purely by experimentation in late 2002, early 2003. I was also working as a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines at the time.

Getting started, I read a book for reference and before I knew it, had created several unique, hand-crafted designs.

Before long, I was using Southwest as my transportation around the country to do jewelry shows. In late 2006 my designs had become quite popular, here in San Francisco (selling my designs as a street artist) as well as all over the country.

I became so busy that I left the flight industry to follow my heart in what I loved. 

Hand-crafted, U.S. patented design

The photo to the left shows my hand-crafted, U.S. patented hook design. This hook is not mass produced and requires a lot of hand-shaping, hand-cutting, soldering and grinding to create.

Silver-slider necklace

Just a sample of my hand-crafted silver on leather. This piece became really popular with guys (even guitarists) that I would meet at shows. The cool thing is that the large silver ring can even be stamped with up to 26 letters to make it personal. 

This, along with many other custom mens' and womens' designs are at 

www.kevinmarkdesigns.com.

Along with creating jewelry designs, I like to take photos of San Francisco's most important inhabitants. The photo above was taken a few years back while I was in a local park. These are Cherry Head Conniers. They live wild here in San Francisco and are an amazing sight. There are about 150 parrots in the flock.

 

In my spare time I work in whatever way I can to save and protect the wild animals and birds of San Francisco, including pigeons - who often have entangled their feet in fishing lines which if not taken care of, will cut off circulation and cause these wild creatures to lose their feet. 

 

My favorite animal rescue charities are SPCA.orgblindcatrescue.com, ironwoodpigsanctuary.orgstanislauswildlife.org and alleycat.org

Please share your comments in the guestbook.

Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary

This sanctuary for blind cats is one that I strongly encourage anyone to check. It is a life-time care sanctuary in St. Pauls, NC. They started in 2005 to answer the need for a safe place for blind cats that were deemed 'not adoptable' by regular shelters and were going to be euthanized due to their disability.

In 2011 they built a 2nd shelter building to provide a safe haven for FELV+ and FIV+ cats that would have otherwise been destroyed for testing positive for these viruses. 

I sponsor two kitties at present, Scotty and Colonel.

Colonel is a Maine Coone that is 6 years old. Animal control found him abandoned in the woods and he is FIV+.....oddly enough, our own Maine Coone, Mr. Hinckles (who shows up in pics on this site) was almost a gonner with FIV, as well. A quick fact about FIV for cats is that they can live a long healthy life as long as they are taken care of. There is no need to put them down.

The second cat that I sponsor is Scotty. He is a loving blind kitty that came from a West Virginia high kill shelter. Volunteers drove him and two others to the sanctuary where they will be cared for.

The third cat that we sponsor is Greta. Greta owes her life to a volunteer with the SC Horrey County HS. (A kill shelter) she took Greta home to foster her until she could find a home for her. Greta was born blind with an upper respiratory infection. She was at the top of the kill list. She now lives a happy life at the Blind Cat Sanctuary.

Although this website is dedicated to prewar Gibson and WWII guitar history, I feel it is important to save a small space to feature just a handfull of rescue charities for animals. Mainly because most folks I have met that care for music, typically have a heart for animals. There are literally hundreds for animal rescue charities that need help......I am just mentioning what I do in hopes that maybe any reader out there may take a just a moment to reach out to animals in need, as well. 

 

Scotty from The Blind Cat Sanctuary!
Colonel from the Blind Cat Sanctuary!
Greta from the Blind Cat Sanctuary sponsored by my girlfriend.

We are really into Halloween and just had to share a clip of this year's haunt (2018). If you ever wondered just how cool Halloween animatronics are, just check these out. The video is a little slow at first, but gets better.