Rustnstuff: 03/15

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Glass fragments in Canberra

On our recent work trip south Fiona and I were fortunate to be able to fit in a couple of quick visits to favourite galleries including Canberra Glassworks.

They had a public and free exhibition called Diplomacy: translations in glass. Some details on the screen shot below.

I loved the detail of many of the works; and so I thought i would share a few of my photos below.

The old iPhone 5 stills produces some good images.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Friday trio

Today has been quite full with social gatherings with friends and family - but a little art was squeezed in this afternoon.

I thought with the limited time available I would finish a few pendants I started more than a month ago.

I did get this brass and solid silver negative space leaf pendant with rivets done.

And this solid .925 silver negative and positive space leaf pendant.

And another long slender hammered silver-plated EPNS with rivets.

I always find a degree of satisfaction in completing works and getting them off the work bench. The work bench is out of control - tidying will be a job for next week. I can hear bubbles calling.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Immersing oneself in night light

Fiona and I have been off the mountain for almost a week for work-work and art work - back home this afternoon. One of our stops was Canberra. One night Fiona was catching up with her friend Sue - I went for a night walk after dinner.

I was intrigued by this sculpture - I have seen to by day; but much prefer it by night when it is lit from with; and contrasts beautifully with the darkened sky. As I walked towards it I was more and more intrigued by the colour, patterns, light and detail.

Sadly the work is very large - about 4 or more meters high - it is too crowded by the urban bits and pieces - I would love to see it in an empty park. Anyway I thought I would just share a few photos captured with the trusty iPhone.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Foible for a friend

I have started the process of spreading stuff out and selecting bits for a series of Steampunk Lamps - two of which are to be used in our house. But as you can see from the photo above I got sidetracked - I decided to make a small Light Catcher for a friend. You can see a couple of the bits in the photo below that suggested I make the Light Catcher.

Getting a few of the pieces ready for assemblage.

And a few photos of the piece as it turned out.

I'm hoping it will bring a bit of joy. The base is from a heavy brass building sign, the uprights are silver-plated hexagonal rods from fine candle holders, the long crystal drop was bought in a flea market in NY, and the round balls etc are from an old clock. Lot of polishing was required.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Fragments for peace

Fiona and I have been part of the Flags for Peace blog group since MJ started it in 2012. Each year we have kept the more robust "flags" and we have hung them, and a set of flags Jennifer Q sent us, on the bell deck on the southern side of the house. Some of Fiona's flags have been made of paper - and sadly, but beautifully in a ephemeral sense, are a little less resilient.

The flags continue to age, flap and get slightly shredded by the wind. I think of it as the flags continuing to send out their peace messages. A few days ago I was doing work on the wall below the bell deck and just loved the beauty of the fragments of peace flags that continued to offer their message. Some images of these fragments - though you may have seen earlier versions of these before.

And the fragments of shaped rusted metal also continue to offer up peace.

I love it when things you have put in place continue to work for peace even without one's active involvement.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Transitional beauty

On this blog I periodically post on rust and the gradual transition of timber and books. A few days ago I was down the back cutting weeds. I noticed that the organ that sits between our mango trees has really started to breakdown in a beautiful way - a quiet transition. I thought I'd share a few photos.

And of course on the block there is always rust to be appreciated. Recent rain has speed up the rusting process of a bunch of circular saw blades that I'm keeping to turn into a portal doorway.

Nature provides the beauty even as it works to return the timber and iron to the earth.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

The stone carvers

Over the last couple of weeks a number of artists have volunteered their time to continue to develop their peace and environment inspired stone monoliths for the Peace in the Trees installation.

A big thank you to the Sunshine Coast Council for providing funds to pay for sculptor Wayne Markwort to supervise the 4 days of volunteer sculptural work.

It was hard and dirty work but a lot of satisfaction when we saw where we got to given none of us are stone carvers. The stone is very hard Helidon sandstone with ironstone inclusions. We have deliberately left much of the raw stone for contrast; and also the drill holes Craig Medson used to hand split the stone.

Some of the carvers and their work follow:

Some of the artists will continue to work on their stone now and then over the next month. And in a couple of months we hope to move the pieces and install them along a public walk. We are working with the Sunshine Coast Council on the relocation and installation of the works.