Kaleidoscope

Review
Volume 1 No. 2: August, 1999 $6.00

Party for the Eyes Artist Gallery

Part I
Will & Pat Geho,
Willuminations
What’s in Store?
Off the Wall Craft Gallery and Owner
Karen Deets are Highlighted in this Issue.
In the Workshop
Make a kaleidoscope using a
Generating Kaleidoscope potato chip can. Learn about
Images (Part I) the object chamber.

Using Computers to Generate

Kaleidoscopic Images.
This Issue Features Screensavers.

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 1

 Dan Robinson
and
Vince Cianfichi
would like to say
Thanks
to all the artists
who allow us to
enjoy our
kaleidoscope
passion.

2 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999

Kaleidoscope
Volume 1 No. 2
August 1999

Review The Magazine Covering the World of Kaleidoscopes

FEATURES

6 Generating Kaleido-
scope Images (Part I)
Computers and software
used to create kaleido-
scopic images. Part 1
deals with screensavers.
Brett Bensley, Editor

COLUMNS

4 From the Editor’s Desk

What makes a good ka-
leidoscope.
Brett Bensley, Editor
5 Letters to the Editor
Questions and com-
ments from readers, as
7 Artist Gallery
Two brothers team up to
make unique kaleido-
well as answers. scopes using various
hardwoods.

8 In the Workshop
Our first kaleidoscope
using a potato chip can.
12 What’s in Store?
Off-the-Wall Craft
Gallery is featured.
Karen Deets shares
her starting experi-
ences.

UPCOMING

Generating Kaleidoscope
Images (Part II)
In the second part of this arti-
cle, the author will cover soft-
ware that manipulates images
to create static kaleidoscopic
images.

This issue’s cover is an image from a kaleidoscope created by the editor, Brett
Bensley. The kaleidoscope is a one-of-a-kind just designed for photographic pur-
poses.

Brett is also an international kaleidoscope artist as well as a part-time writer and

editor of this magazine.

Submissions for cover images and ideas are welcome and appreciated. We also
appreciate submissions for the centerfold of each issue.

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 3

From the
Kaleidoscope Review

Managing Editor:

Editor’s Desk
Brett Bensley,
csbdb@eiu.edu

W
Editorial Assistant:
hat makes one kaleidoscope a great? That question has Kelley Bensley
been asked a number of times. Even in this magazine
we frequently ask our featured artists or stores that Feature Writers:
question. Karen Deets
The answer is always different at the start. Some will say a two
mirror system. Some will oppose that with a tapered three mirror sys- Proofreader:
tem. Some will just say a good image with clear optics. That will also Peter Johnston
be opposed with an interesting casing. Some say wood scopes are the
best, while others will defend glass kaleidoscopes. Copy Editors:
In the end it always gets to the same answer: what the person Brett Bensley,
buying or enjoying likes best. There are so many different kaleidoscope Peter Johnston
designs, using so many different materials, with many different mirror
systems and optics that the great kaleidoscope will vary.
Graphic Design and Lay-
There are many great kaleidoscopes out there. Even though
out:
some artists and collectors may not give a kaleidoscope a second, or
Hui Sing
even first, look, doesn’t mean that someone won’t find that kaleidoscope
a work of art or treasure.
Cover:
I personally have two examples. One of my very early kaleido-
Brett Bensley
scopes was an experimental piece using some rather ugly glass in my
opinion. But just as soon as it was in the store, it was sold. It was one
Kaleidoscope Review
of my fastest selling kaleidoscopes ever. I was told by the store owner
is published bi-monthly by
that the “person fell in love with it.”
Another example was an accident. I failed to seal a kaleidoscope Bensley Enterprises, 1116
correctly and some of the flux used to solder the kaleidoscope seeped in Madison Ave., Charleston, IL
and removed part of the mirror. Definitely a learning experience. 61920. Phone (217) 348-
Having it on a rack, not knowing of it’s condition, someone grabbed 0855.
it and said, “I’ve got to have this! I don’t know how you did this trellis Cover price is $6.00 US per
work in the image, but I love it!” I then took a look. I couldn’t sell such issue. Subscription rate is
a kaleidoscope and explained why, stating it was flawed. I apologized $34.95 US per year in the
for even displaying such a scope. United States. Please send
The lady buying the kaleidoscope said she wanted it anyway, and address changes to Bensley
that I have to sell it to her. In surprise, I offered her a discount since it Enterprises.
was “defective” in my perspective. She wouldn’t hear of such a thing
and proceeded to offer me more than the price. Of course I sold it to her Printed in U.S.A.
for the regular retail price.
To make my story short, it is not a good idea to make decisions for Use of Material Published
other people. What one person loves, another may hate. One person in Kaleidoscope Review
may love one artist’s work while hating another. It is good to keep that In order to protect everyone
in mind when it comes to kaleidoscopes. As summed up by Will Geho involved we have established
in the article on Willuminations, “beauty is indeed in the eye of the be- the following guidelines for
holder. Is a $3.00 cardboard kaleidoscope any less wondrous to the mind of a reprinting. The author may
child than a $3,000.00 museum quality work to the collector?” use articles immediately if he/
The answer has to be a resounding, NO! she includes the phrase
“reprinted with permission of
Brett Bensley Kaleidoscope Review/
Editor, Kaleidoscope Review Bensley Enterprises.” Any-
one other than the author
should contact Bensley Enter-
This issue of Kaleidoscope Review is in memory of Doug prises concerning reuse of
VanDamme. Doug will not be forgotten by the many collec- the material.
tors and artists his life has touched.

4 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999

Letters to
the editor
Editor’s introduction: We have been
getting a lot of correspondence since
release of our first issue. A number of
questions get included, so we are adding
this section to the magazine to answer
them. Please send in questions concern-
ing the magazine or kaleidoscopes in
general.
What is the liquid used in kalei-
doscopes?
From M.C. of Wisconsin
That is both an easy and
tough question. From my experi-
ence and discussions with other
kaleidoscope artists, most liquid
filled object chambers contain
distilled water, glycerin, or min-
eral oil. I have used distilled wa-
ter and glycerin, and a mixture of
both. I have heard, but have not
tested, that mineral oil can de-
compose some adhesives used to
seal the container. If any other
artist would like to respond, I will
be glad to include it in a future
issue.
Where can I get large ball
lenses for a kaleidoscope I am
making?
From S. James, NJ
I have yet to find a good
source for these myself. I get
most of my lenses from Edmund
Scientific Company, Inc., 101
East Gloucester Pike, Barrington,
NJ/USA 08007-1380, Phone:
(800) 728-6999. There are other
sources, and each kaleidoscope
artist has their own preferences.
Again, if any other artist knows
of a source they are willing to
share with us, please do so.
Help me settle a wager with my
wife. Those kaleidoscope pic-
tures by Gerald Bonsack in
your first issue, we can figure
all of them out except for the
last one, at the bottom of the
page. I say it is a geyser, my
wife claims it is a smoky moun-
taintop. Who is right? I have a
dinner and movie in the pot.
From Bill Concrane, Ohio
Bill, you win the bet. Gerald
informs me that the image is of
the famous geyser, "Old Faith-
ful." We have a complete listing
of the images for those who want
to write in for them. We left
them untitled so people could
guess. Now everyone reading
this issue knows at least one of
them.
When is the magazine going full
color?
From W. S. W., California
We would like to go color on
every page as soon as possible.
To do so requires the financial
support of the advertisers and
readers. With your help we will
be printing our first all color issue
soon.
Is it easy to make a kaleido-
scope?
Jimmy K. Smathers, OH
Jimmy,
Kaleidoscope making is
sometimes easy and sometimes
very difficult and complicated.
There are wonderful kits that are
available that with a little glue
and patience make wonderful im-
ages.
The kaleidoscopes that are
available in most of the stores and
from most of the artists men-
tioned in this magazine are works
of art, and as such are frequently
time consuming and complicated.
Experiencing kaleidoscope
making will help all understand
the effort of the artists to create
their masterpieces.
Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 5

The Magic of
Mandalas and
Color
Healing Arts Kaleido-
scopes combines the
healing properties of
mandalas with color
therapy to produce
custom kaleidoscopes
for your personal
needs.
Stressed out? Need
some relaxation? Try
our kaleidoscope with
pink gems.
Want to reduce a
headache? Try our
green kaleidoscope.
Having bad dreams?
We might have the ka-
leidoscope for you.
Need to increase the
romance in your life?
Contact your dealer
about your particular
problems, and let us
make a kaleidoscope
to suite your needs.
Healing Arts Kaleido-
scopes are distributed
through:
Bensley Enterprises
1116 Madison Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 348-0855
Clinical studies have not been
completed to substantiate any
claims for health benefits by using
kaleidoscopes and color. These
products are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
illness or disease.
6 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999
Generating
Kaleidoscope
Images (Part I)
T
he images created by
kaleidoscopes have
fascinated many since
the device was first
created. In the last 20 years, ka-
leidoscopes have accentuated the
image by using technologically
advanced mirrors. Not to be ig-
nored are the many talented kalei-
doscope artists who are innovative
in their use of the mirrors to create
special images such as spheres, 
DreamScope
cubes, dodecahedrons, octahe-
drons, orbs, and so many more. solutions.fi/~harriv/download.
With advancements in other html. Kal-True. Kal-True is a
technologies, the images of kalei- freeware program by Harry
doscopes were not left out. Such Gensler. Freeware, for those un-
is the case with computer and familiar with the computer soft-
video technologies. ware terminology, means that the
A number of readers may re- program is free to use and free to
member some of the advertise- copy. The author may or may not
ments for beverages using kalei- maintain copyright privileges.
doscope imagery. With the new Again, it generates the image us-
graphic user interfaces, screen ing colored "strings" and shapes.
savers are very popular. A num- It generates an image with four
ber of these have implemented the quadrants, equivalent to using two
kaleidoscope image as their sub- mirrors at 90 degrees between
ject. The computer video technol- them.
ogy can create images that repro- Syntrillium publishes Kalei-
duce the visions seen inside an doscope 95, another Windows
actual kaleidoscope. To introduce screen saver. Again, using
you to computer generated kalei- "strings" and shapes Kaleidoscope
doscope images, we will take a 95 creates it image. Syntrillium
short tour of some of the software adds a unique feature by making
and applications used by the com- the image respond to music play-
puter "kaleidoscope" artists. ing in the computer's CD player or
Deep Sea Software produces to any sound playing through the
a Kaleidoscope screen saver for sound card. Kaleidoscope 95 is
Windows 95/98/NT4 and Macin- "shareware," meaning you can get
tosh PowerPC. Dream Scope TM (Continued on page 16)
V2.0 is available for $14.95 on a
CDROM or a 30-day trial version
can be downloaded for free from
their web site at http://www.
deepseainc.com/dreamscope/.
Using a method similar to the ma-
jority of computer generated ka-
leidoscope programs; the image is
composed of "strings" of color.
Another kaleidoscope screen-
saver is located at http://webclub. Kaleidoscope 95
Artist Ga
Galllery
Editor’s introduction:
Each issue of Kaleidoscope Review will
present a kaleidoscope artist in the Artist
Gallery. Articles may be written by the
editor, a guest writer or by the artist(s). A
general questionnaire and writing guide is
available for anyone wanting to submit
articles.
Will (left) and Pat Geho
Of Willuminations
ate something unique, but with the
quality of other’s works. Having
worked in wood for so many years,
and feeling comfortable with the
material, the kaleidoscopes were
ence. designed to work with different
woods. This offered a large num-
The Geho’s started woodwork-
ing in their teens, learning from ber of combinations as well as de-
their father. Their father, a tool and sign options.
die maker, maintained his work-
shop in the home in Maryland.
“He taught us the basics of
woodworking; the rest we acquired
through classes, reading, and ex-
perimenting.”
Over the years, the brothers
added to their skills and experience.
They got together about a year ago
to “make something beautiful and American Beauty
unique.” The decision was to make
kaleidoscopes. The first kaleidoscope made
Will collected kaleidoscopes was the American Beauty. Using a
for his daughter, Anna, for seven combination of three classic Ameri-
can hardwoods: oak, walnut and

W
years. While looking at kaleido-
scopes in shops around central maple. The object chamber con-
illuminations is a
kaleidoscope Florida, the brothers wanted to cre- (Continued on page 17)

team of two
brothers, Will and
Pat Geho. Living 60 miles apart in
Florida, the team makes kaleido-
scopes made of exotic hardwoods.
Will travels from New Smyma
Beach, 60 miles south, to Rock-
ledge, Florida to work with his
brother five or six days a week.
Their main workshop is in Will’s
garage for the finishing and assem-
bly of the kaleidoscopes. Future
plans include a possible move to
Titusville, halfway between broth-
ers.
The brothers are new to kalei-
doscope making, having been at it
for about one year. Though they
are new to kaleidoscopes, they have
a history of woodworking experi- Willuminations’ Kaleidoscope family

W e would like to get you involved in this magazine. If you would like to submit an article to the
magazine, we would be very interested. If you are a kaleidoscope artist, we would like to cover
you and your artwork in an issue. If you are a gallery owner or store owner selling kaleidoscopes, we
would like to hear from you. Collectors are very important to the success of this magazine, and we
would like to showcase your collections in future issues.
We also need financial support. Advertising offsets the costs of printing and publishing this
magazine. Advertising also informs our many readers about your store, gallery, or your artwork. Call
217-348-0855.

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 7

 In the Workshop
Work
Editor’s Introduction:
This column is to introduce techniques to
making kaleidoscopes. We will also fea-
ture kaleidoscope plans, helpful hints,
tricks, and any information useful to
those who make their own kaleidoscopes. cles of the clear plastic material You will also need to cut the
Tips, techniques and plans are welcome.
to use for the eye piece and for cardboard or poster board and

I
the object chamber. The eye should be able to due so with the
n this issue, we plan to pro-
piece is optional, but recom- scissors. If you are careful, a util-
vide details on making a
mended to reduce potential cut- ity knife or razor blade can be
kaleidoscope. Trying to
ting of little fingers in the eye used.
keep it simple and use of
hole. After obtaining all your ma-
common materials make this en-
I have found some document terials and getting them cut as
joyable for all members of the
binders are sturdy enough but can needed, we may start the project
family and a great project for
be cut using scissors. If you with the eye hole. Using the drill
schools.
know someone handy with a drill and a lot of caution, drill a 1/4
You will have to obtain the
press or other shop tools, they inch hole in the center of the
materials:
may cut the clear plastic circles. metal bottom of the can. Please
Mirror—two inched wide by
They need to be just slightly use caution as the can produce
eight inches long.
smaller than the three inch diame- burrs and sharp edges. Sand or
Poster board or thin card-
ter of the can. file these away if needed.
board— one and a half inches
The mirrors also need to be Turn the can upright and
wide by eight inches long.
cut. There are options of mirror drop one of your plastic circles so
Can—a potato chip can that
such as plastic and glass. You it sits flat inside against the metal
measures nine inches long by
might also find some metal mirror bottom of the can. This is some-
three inches in diameter. Keep
or the first surface mirror used in times called the eyepiece, lens, or
the plastic lid.
the more expensive kaleido- clear circle inside the eye hole
Clear plastic—this will have
scopes. The first surface mirror (ok, just a little humor).
to be sturdy enough to stay in
gives the best image, but I would We will then assemble the
place for the eye piece and for
recommend you wait until you heart of the kaleidoscope...the
part of the object chamber.
have completed your first kalei- mirror system. Lay the mirror
A drill and one quarter inch
doscope before trying such mir- face down on a clean surface.
drill bit, some silicone household
ror. Leave a gap about the thickness
glue, scissors to cut the plastic
If you visit a local glass shop of the mirror. Apply tap, on the
material, some packing peanuts or
in your area, either stained glass back, across the gap as in the pic-
other packing material, finish the
or construction glass shop, they ture.
material list for this kaleidoscope
may be able to cut the mirror for
project.
you. Ask around.
You will need to cut two cir-

Kal & Kally by B.D. Copyright © 1999

Apply the tape on the back side of the

mirrors.

Fold the mirrors in a V with

the mirror sides facing each other.
The secret of the kaleidoscope is
that the mirrors reflect the image
from each other. This is why the
mirrors are taped on the back side
and folded to face each other.
We then place the cardboard
or poster board at the open end of
the V to make a triangular tube.
Unlike the mirror system make in
(Continued on page 13)

8 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999

Kaleidoscopes by Bensley
Introducing

“Rack’em up”
Brett Bensley has been producing kaleidoscopes for sale since 1993. He produced kaleidoscopes for
friends and family prior to commercial release of his works of art.

Each year, Brett creates new designs. Of the new designs created in 1999 are these wonderful pool
balls. The set is known affectionately as “rack’em up.” The balls may be purchased as a set of 16, or
individually. The production will be limited.

Brett Bensley’s kaleidoscopes are available through Bensley Enterprises and through numerous deal-
ers and galleries nationwide and internationally. For more information or the location of a dealer
near you, contact us at:

Bensley Enterprises
1116 Madison Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 348-0855
Wholesale pricing is available for stores and galleries.

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 9

Leave blank

10 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999

Leave blank

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 11

 Adrift Brewster

Leave blank DreamScope

DreamScope™™

Kaleidoscope 95

Doodle Trinary

12 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999

In the Workshop
(Continued from page 8)
issue #1, we will close this sys-
Looking for Books written
by Sir David Brewster!
I am looking to expand my collection of books
by Sir David Brewster. Currently hunting copies
of his Treatise on the Kaleidoscope
Add the cardboard at the open end of V.
and his Treatise on the Microscope.
tem and make it stable using the No reprints please.
cardboard. Please call with quotes and
condition.

Also interested in buying,

selling, or trading toy and
antique Kaleidoscopes.

No collection too small or large to consider.

Assembled mirror system.
Dan Robinson 281-376-9668
Tape the mirror assembly daniel.robinson@cwix.com
together.
Carefully slide the mirror

system assembly into the potato

chip can.
Take some of the packing
material and pack it between the
mirrors and the can. Be careful
not to get any inside the mirror
assembly. Do not pack the mir-
Advertisement Removed due to threatened legal action
rors too tightly as they might (from the Brewster Society)
break or bend. Bending can dis-
tort the image your kaleidoscope

Packing the mirrors.

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 13

 What’s in Store?
Old grist mill where Off the Wall is located.
Editor’s Introduction:
Our plans include covering a kaleidoscope
dealer , store, or gallery. Kaleidoscopes do
not have to be the only item carried, but prefer
it to a major stock item. The article may be
written by the editor, a guest writer, or some-
one chose by the store or gallery management.
OFF THE WALL
CRAFT GALLERY
By K. Deets
Kaleidoscopes are an impor-
tant part of Off the Wall, a
unique craft gallery in central
New Jersey. The shop also fea-
tures jewelry, stained glass,
blown glass, leather, and wood,
with a special children’s section
and garden section.
Off the Wall opened in
January, 1977, at the newly re-
stored 19th century grist mill in
the heart of Allentown, NJ, a
small rural village. The mill
owner offered space exclusively
to artists and craftspeople. Off
the Wall started with the work
of a hand weaver and both
leather and stained glass made
by present owner, Karen Deets.
Deets had been teaching elemen-
tary art at that time, but her first
love was crafts. Deets left teach-
ing for full time craft production
14 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999
and by the end of the first year
Deets had exclusive use of the
space and the name. In 1979
Deets moved Off the Wall into a
larger space.
During the 1980’s as differ-
ent artisans came and went,
Deets gradually added merchan-
dise to complement her own -
initially jewelry, art glass and
additional leather. In 1986 Deets
expanded again. By then Deets
Karen Deets admiring a kaleidoscope in her shop.
had discovered more sources for
American crafts, and was carry-
ing wood and kaleidoscopes.
In 1989 Deets discontinued
leather work to focus more in-
tensely on stained glass and
management of the gallery.
Deets continues to work in
stained glass and has experi-
mented with making kaleido-
scopes, but prefers to buy the
work of those devoted entirely
to developing kaleidoscope art.
Among Deets first kaleido-
scope lines were C. Bennett
Scopes and Van Cort. The gal-
lery sold 100’s of little dragon-
fly scopes in the late 80’s. Deets
personal favorite was the all
brass “Lucida” by Van Cort. It
was simple, fine and classic.
Deets states, “I was not initially
accepting of the all stained glass
scope, since I had yet to dis-
cover any work with real sophis-
tication.”
Deets fell in love at first
sight with the work of mother
and daughter Janice Chesnik and
Cheryl Koch. Deets said, “I
loved the clean brass tubes com-
bined with innovative stained
glass and agate wheels. I espe-
cially love the ”Fiesta” with its
intricate fused glass wheel de-
tails. And the lines offer such a
wonderful variety of inter-
 " Wanting space in the “World
Wide Web?”
" Do you have kaleidoscope
information that you want to
world to share?
" Want a site for a kaleidoscope
related home page?
" Is your store on the Internet?
Lauren Hurley Looking through an
Ansley Kaleidoscope
Steuber Web Services
offers a variety of
changeable wheels complete with
well designed stands and bases to Internet related
hold each wheel.” Deets even met services: Internet
Janice’s mom at a show. “It was
so exciting to see the love of ka-
access, Email, News,
leidoscopes passed down through Web Site hosting and consulting.
several generations” says Deets.
Corki Weeks was Deets
next exciting addition to the gal- The theme common to all our
lery. This line was the first Deets services is extra support for
had seen of oil scopes, with their
automatic slow graceful motion, individuals and businesses new to
and chamber cases with intricate the Internet.
colorful glass components. Once
on the phone Corki complained to
Deets that she was losing money Steuber Web Services is host to
due to her daughter’s help in put-
ting together scopes with too gen-
Kaleidoscope Heaven web pages.
erous an amount of expensive You can have your kaleidoscope
glass parts! Deets finds that Corki site placed in the very popular
Weeks continues too be very inno-
vative in her new designs. kaleidoscopeheaven.org domain.
Parman Brothers was the first http://kaleidoscopeheaven.org
all wood exterior kaleidoscope in
the shop. Deets states, “I still feel
it is the best value in a wood Steuber Web Services
scope, and it appeals to me be-
cause of its carefree quality - no
45 E Papermill Rd
finger prints to clean - and the feel Springfield, Pa. 19064
of the wood.” Deets has seen an
improvement over the years with
Voice: (610) 543-2555
the interiors. Fax: (610) 543-2799
Steve Kittelson and Peggy Email: info@steuber.com
Burnside of Woodland Glass
proved to Deets that stained glass http://www.steuber.com/
scopes could be taken to a higher
level by incorporating bent glass
in the tubes and matching the inte-
Other web services available.
rior colors with delicate bits of
(Continued on page 18)

Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 15

 Generating Kaleidoscope Images
(Continued from page 6)
and try the program for free, but if
you plan on using it, you are obli-
gated to register it...pay for it.
Registration costs $25 for the full
version or $15 if you do not use
the audio-response feature.
Brewster, another screen
saver, by Gerry Quinn , was
named after Sir David Brewster
the kaleidoscope's inventor. Us-
ing string and shape imaging as
well, Brewster is for Windows 95
and NT only. A shareware pro-
gram available for download at
http://bindweed.com/brewster/
brewster.htm will cost $20 for
registering with ShareIt! Inc. It
does have an image of "items"
that seems to rotate through the
view field reminiscent of a real
kaleidoscope.
Brewster
Seraline has a number of
screen savers that can generate
kaleidoscope images. Their web
page is at http://www.seraline.
com/index.shtml. They have a 14-
day evaluation copy that can be
downloaded. To use after the
fourteen days, you must purchase
the software at $20.00 each.
Some of the images are quite
spectacular. Adrift seems to be
the screen saver that produces the
most kaleidoscope images, again
Adrift
16 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999
using string designs.
Doodle Screen Saver for
Windows 95, by Bart L. Cunning-
ham, is another shareware pro-
gram. The registration price is
$5.00. Doodle is similar to the
other programs in that it has sim-
ple reflections. It differs in that it
uses "blotches" of color instead of
the standard lines. This is some- Trinary
thing a little different for the
viewer's taste. be copied to your computer and
enjoyed. Many do not reach the
level of image created by a real
kaleidoscope. But there are many
programs and methods of com-
puter image generation that will
approach, if not match, the image
of a real kaleidoscope. More will
be discussed in the next issue as
this article continues.¯
Doodle
Software company addresses and
Two screensavers phone numbers (these may not be
correct at time of printing):
downloaded from http://www.
kenja.com/themes/scrs/ are again Deep Sea Software
along the lines of the others, PO Box 929
mostly using strings to generate Orem, Utah 84059
United States
the image. Kal, whose author and phone: (801) 426-5686
source is unknown, will use
blocks of color on occasion. Ka- Harry Gensler
leid has a few more options such Philosophy Department
University of Scranton
as the number of reflections, ei- Scranton, PA 18510 USA
ther 4 or 8, and a few more set- e-mail: genslerh1@uofs.edu
tings. Kal is free is far as I know. http://academic.uofs.edu/faculty/
Kaleid is shareware and available genslerh1
from the site listed or from the Syntrillium Software Corporation
author N. Kelly. P.O. Box 62255
Trinary, from the same site Phoenix, AZ 85082-2255
above, generates a kaleidoscope USA
Phone: 1-602-941-4327
like pattern. Its uniqueness comes
from its way of generating the ShareIt! Inc.
pattern. It first generates an im- PO Box 844
age using string type of ribbon. Greensburg, PA 15601-0844
U.S.A.
As the image fills, it is then cop- Phone (orders only):
ied on a smaller scale in the four 1-800-903-4152
quadrants of the screen. A new
image is generated in the middle Seraline P/L
PO Box 282
and the middle of the four quad- Ryde
rants. The cycle is then repeated a NSW 2112
number of times. Dave Griffiths Australia.
created this program and might be
Bart L. Cunningham
reached at dgriffiths@msn.com. I 141 Grandview Ave.
recommend just downloading Conneaut, OH 44030
from the kenja site.
I am sure there are other N. Kelly
613 S. Aiken
screen saver programs waiting to Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Artist Gallery—Willuminations
(Continued from page 7)
tains faceted glass gems.
Each brother has a separate
favorite kaleidoscope. Pat’s favor-
ite is Zebras-on-the-Wall. This ka-
leidoscope is made of zebrawood
and walnut.
Zebras-on-the-Wall
Will’s favorite kaleidoscope, to
date, is the one named after his
daughter, Anna: Anna’s Sunrise.
Anna’s Sunrise features a blend of
purpleheart, padauk and osage or-
ange with an external object cham-
ber.
Anna’s Sunrise
The brother’s favor the works
of other kaleidoscope artists using
wood as the body materials. Pat
admires the works of Henry Bergu-
son, but can't isolate a single kalei-
doscope as his most favorite. Will
enjoys Stephen Gray's Parasol im-
aged kaleidoscope
“I first saw this masterpiece in
the home of Dr. Dale Buchbinder in
Baltimore. The doctor's enthusi-
asm for kaleidoscopes lit a fire in
me which has never been, and
hopefully will never be extin-
guished.”
Of course their favorite mate-
rial for making kaleidoscopes is
wood. They really enjoy exotic
hardwoods.
“Every wood has its own way
of reacting to the saw blade, the
milling tools, and even the sand ured experience was the creation of
paper. They each have a signature Anna’s Sunrise, for obvious rea-
fragrance, as well as unique dusts.” sons.
The blending of the various “For the first time, I was able
colors and grains is the artistry in- to make my daughter a kaleido-
volved in their kaleidoscopes. scope, so much more personal than
When the finish is applied and mir- buying one. “
rors and brass are fitted, the piece Anna is an avid kaleidoscope
comes together into a completed collector at twelve years old, boast-
kaleidoscope. ing a collection of 26 kaleidoscopes
Will expresses a sentiment and teleidoscopes. Anna’s Sunrise
many kaleidoscope artists are in is her favorite.
agreement with: “The joy is as Although kaleidoscope mak-
much in the making as in the re- ing would be a full time job for the
sults, in the journey as much as in duo if business increases, Pat works
the destination.” as a machinist in Melbourne, Flor-
Their small scopes might take ida. Will works part-time in a hard-
from 3 to 4 hours for completion, ware store.
being smaller and simpler in de- When not working at their jobs
sign. The most challenging kalei- and their love, kaleidoscope mak-
doscopes offered by the team are ing, Pat fishes and does other
the triple-wood kaleidoscopes, re- woodworking. Will enjoys garden-
quiring 7 1/2 to 8 hours each. Their ing, reading and discussion groups,
high standards for quality, espe- in particular A Course in Miracles
cially in the double
and triple wood
scopes requires addi-
tional effort.
“We are proud of
the fit and the finish.
If it doesn't fit - it isn't
finished!”
The duo makes
their kaleidoscopes
using the triple mirror
system, feeling it is a
perfect fit for their
scopes and style.
Both enjoy the image
given by the three
mirror system over
other mirror systems.
Pat’s most treas-
ured experience of
making kaleidoscopes
is making the kalei-
doscope for his
mother. The padauk
and curly maple ka-
leidoscope contains
gemstones cut by
their father in the ob-
ject chamber. Their
father’s post-
retirement hobby was
cutting and faceting
gemstones.
Will’s most treas- Pat Geho holding the finished productonand
(Continued pagethe
19)
raw material.
Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 17
 What’s in Store—Off the Wall
(Continued from page 15)
blown glass carefully balanced
to give spectacular imagery in
an oil chamber. This line is by
far among Deets personal favor-
ites.
Another sophisticated line
Deets has carried in glass is the
work of Margaret Neher of
Crystal Images. Margaret’s exte-
rior’s are made of finely detailed
scenes created with sand blasted
hand blown European flashed
glass, making striking white
contrast against a vivid color.
Ben Ansley of BT Ansley
Kaleidoscopes amazed Deets
with his innovative use of the
light emitting quality of alabas-
ter as the exterior material of his
kaleidoscopes. Deets especially
likes the simplicity of the egg
scope, and the use of the magnet
in another popular scope and
thinks of Ben as a magician in
kaleidoscope design, offering a
simple elegant cool feeling exte-
rior with a secret pleasing inte-
rior.
Bob and Sue Rioux of the
Sea Parrot proved to Deets the
level of sophistication that could
be achieved through the stained
glass medium. Deets states, “I
was blown away by the beauty
and intricacy, the fine detailing,
(Left to Right) Sales associates Lauren Hurley and Rosemary Keller
18 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999
the imagery and the craftsman-
ship. It was a step up for price
points, but it made me more
aware of the enthusiasm of col-
lectors and their needs, and
freed me of my inhibitions about
higher end scopes. So I boldly
looked again for new designs
from my favorite tried and true
artists and sought out new
ones.”
This year Off the Wall has
introduced several new lines:
Muddy Waters Woodworks,
Henry Bergeson, and the Secret
Garden, all with wood exteriors.
Deets really likes Henry’s scope
for the marble collector, with a
stand that holds a lot of marbles
and an interchangeable holder
for marbles of all sizes at the
end of the scope.
Deets is especially excited
by the work of Sallie and Luc
Durette of The Secret Garden,
with pleasing designed wood
exteriors and exceptional floral
interior imagery. By chance on
the phone with Sallie, Deets
learned of a very unique addi-
tional feature of
“Shadowdance”. It has a bottom
ring which when turned gradu-
ally changes the background
from night to day!
Concerning mirror systems,
Deets has a preference for the 2
mirror system with a single focal
point, reminiscent of snowflakes
and she says, “It reminds me of
the doodles I did as a child,
building radial symmetrical de-
signs - very controlled. The 3
mirror infinite images make me
feel like I’m in a mirror room in
a fun house and can’t find the
exit. But maybe I don’t want
to”.
Deets has sold many lines of
scopes over the years and finds
that buying a kaleidoscope is a
very personal thing like buying
any piece of art and sometimes
works on a subconscious level.
Deets observes a definite emo-
tional and spiritual reaction in-
volved in individual preferences
and selection.
“A kaleidoscope to me is a
sophisticated adult toy”, says
Deets, “reminding us to keep the
child within alive. It also offers
a mantra like focus where con-
centration on the beauty of the
imagery blocks out all other
thoughts and worries even if
only for an instant. It doesn’t
replace religion or counseling
but it certainly has its value”.
Karen Deets resides in
Allentown, NJ with her husband
Bill and 12 year old daughter,
Shasta Fowler.
Artist Gallery—Willuminations
(Continued from page 17)
group.
The team has a number of ka-
leidoscopes in the planning stage.
A parlor scope is on the drawing
board now, as well as a new hex-
agonal wooden object chamber.
Oil-filled and revolving object
chambers are planned for future
designs. One-of-a-kind pieces are
also a possibility.
Will states “I firmly believe
that what we focus on, we get. And
my focus now is on making this a
successful and joyous venture.”
“Kaleidoscopes are instru-
ments of joy and wonder. They are
healing. They are endless in vari-
ety, both in form and view. How
could one NOT enjoy creating such
a thing?”
In response to the question of
what makes a good kaleidoscope,
Will stated, “The joy it brings.”
“An object is simply that: an
object. Sure, its materials, form,
finish and interior are important.
But beauty is indeed in the eye of
the beholder. Is a $3.00 cardboard
kaleidoscope any less wondrous to
the mind of a child than a
$3,000.00 museum quality work to
the collector?”
Since starting on this venture
of making kaleidoscopes, Will and
Pat, as well as family and friends,
have been very excited about the
possibilities opening to them in the
industry. The brothers are looking
forward to learning more about ka-
leidoscope design and building as
well as meeting other artists and
collectors.
“Working 9 to 5 in a store or in
a machine shop is work. Being in
our kaleidoscope workshop 9 to 9
is a labor of love. And when we
show a briefcase full of sparkly,
shiny new kaleidoscopes to some-
one for the first time, be they eight
or eighty, the drawing in of the
breath, the smile and the wide eyes
tells it all. That is what it is all
about.”
Willuminations can be reached
at http://www.willuminations.
com¯
In the Workshop
(Continued from page 13)
produces. We want the packing
to hold the mirrors in place.
Do not add the packing mate-
rials past the end of the mirrors.
Please avoid putting any packing
materials inside the mirror sys-
tem.
We place the next clear circle
inside the can against the end of
the mirrors. Glue the circle in
place by running a bead of glue
along the edge of the circle and
against the inside of the can. Try There’s no use
crying over it.
Remember, this
could have been
your ad!
Ad rates are
to avoid putting glue in the area
of the mirrors. If any of the glue
is in the area of the open end of
the mirrors, it can be seen when
reasonable.
viewing your finished kaleido- Please call
scope.
Take the kaleidoscope and 217-348-0855
set it aside to allow the glue to
dry completely. The silicone glue to reserve your
space in the
recommended in this article does
take some time to cure...a few
hours to a day.
After the glue has dried, the
next issue!
fun part begins. Start locating
junk around the house. Look in
desk drawers for small items that After that you
can fit in the end of the can. Fill
the end about 3/4 full. You do will be smiling
again!
want to leave a little free space
for the items to move around.
Take the plastic lid from the
can and place it back on the open
end of the can. This will hold the
items in the “object chamber.”
Look through the hole in the
other end and be ready for an un-
controllable “ahh,” or “wow” to
leave your lips.
We will continue with con-
struction tips and techniques as
well as more kaleidoscope plans
in future issues.¯
Kaleidoscope Review August 1999 19
View the finest ka leidoscopes in the
world.
Ade Kandee Lee
Ansley Losack
Balter Moser
Bergeson McWilliam
Buff Mindrup
Beall Marshall
Chesnik McEwen
Cosiani McNeil
Coghill Miron
Culber Paretti
Cole Roberts
Cook/The Reynolds
DeMattia Rioux
Durette Rosenfeldt
Doak Roegnik
Durden/Paul Ritama
Falconer Straub
Fulkerson Smith
Gray Strino
Hill Sheppard
Healy Stora
Hanks Tickle
Jobe Tischler
Kalish Tarr
Kent Van Cort
Karadimos Vadim
Krause Wilson
Kittelson And more…

Joi n us Octobe r 30 and 31 for an opening ce lebra tion of T HE KALEIDO-

SCOPE SHOW
W hich runs i n conjunction with K ALEIDOSCOPES: SYMMETRY IN MOTION, at the
Museum of Northern A rizona, in F lagsta ff. Cura ted by Tess and

Represen ting fine art kaleidoscopes since 1 972. Catering to the discriminating collector.

SC H E R E R G AL L E R Y
Mode rn and Contempora ry Art of the Twentieth Century by

Hi llside * 671 Highway 179 * Sedona, Az 86336 * 800- 957- 2673 * 520- 203- 9000

20 Kaleidoscope Review August 1999