Metal magic

Today (Friday) was not an art making day; but it was an art contribution and preparation day.

Fiona and I put up the signs for the Maleny Printmakers exhibition (on all Easter weekend at 37 Coral street Maleny); and I spent timing cutting and forming metal.

©2014 Barry Smith - Sheets of cut recycled copper plate

I just love the colour of the pieces of copper above. The copper was being cut for two leaf spiral pieces - one small (1.1m) and one large (1.75 m) in height. In all I needed about 24 rectangles of copper plate about 26-29cm long and 8-9cm wide. I started with the remnants of the base of a shower and pieces cut from the side of old laundry boilers.

©2014 Barry Smith - Scrap copper - marked up for cutting

And you can see I ended up with a stack of beautiful copper plates.

©2014 Barry Smith - A stash of cut recycled copper plate

©2014 Barry Smith - Offcuts beside the guillotine

©2014 Barry Smith - View through the guillotine jaws

And some beautiful patina - sadly this will be burnt off in the annealing process.

©2014 Barry Smith - Spots of patina and rust

I am fabricating some hanging art display panels for a fellow artist. I needed to make 12 solid hooks to hold the 6 timber panels that will hook over a rail on top of a long bookcase. The hooks were formed in the vise over an old piece of pipe.

©2014 Barry Smith - Fabricating hanging hooks

©2014 Barry Smith - Fabricating hanging hooks

As you can see from photos below the 12 hooks (about 5cm wide and 20cm long) are now ready to be ground and drilled before being bolted to the panels - but that is tomorrow's job.

©20134 Barry Smith - A cluster of hanging hooks

©20134 Barry Smith - A cluster of hanging hooks

So, as always - art is about much more than making - it is a way of living.

And a last reminder - don't forget to get into the giveaway: http://www.rustnstuff.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/giveaway-peace-angels-and-being.html