Black and white - with a touch of colour

©20915 Barry Smith - Battle between light and dark - from Treehaven Way

This morning had that black and white look about it - very little colour showing in the valley. Even the light looking to the east as I walked Treehaven Way had a somber look about it.

©2015 Barry Smith - Soft greys for the morning

©2015 Barry Smith - Bare tree, birds and shifting dark clouds

As I walked I thought many of the plants were beginning to show their winter form - flowers gone and seeds, brambles, pine needles and cones left behind.

©2015 Barry Smith - Branch-bramble sculpture

©2015 Barry Smith - Twigs

©2015 Barry Smith - Seeds

©2015 Barry Smith - Pine needles and cone

Though there were still quite a lot of colour, I thought there were an unusual number of white blossoms about.

©2015 Barry Smith - Daisy?

©2015 Barry Smith - White bougainvillea

I was greeted by the black and white Magpie family that 'owns' the far end of Treehaven Way.

©2015 Barry Smith - Striding confidently and purposefully

I collected a few of the cones and left them near the book stack at the Fiona's studio door - starting to prepare for the cold days when she will need a fire in the shed.

©2015 Barry Smith - Nature's fire starters - pine cones

Even on walks nature  can suggest colour themes for us. But I have to leave with a photo of our last rose - I know I said that before but this bush just surprises.

©2015 Barry Smith - Last rose off the season????

Moon and Metal

The sky last night was extremely clear so it gave us a good view of the moon - well half a moon. I wanted to catch the edge where it goes from extremely bright to week darkness - the Canon Powershot did quite a good job in capturing the detail.

2015 Barry Smith - Half of an autumn moon

2015 Barry Smith - Half of an autumn moon

2015 Barry Smith - Edge of half of an autumn moon

The main art task for the weekend was making another couple of stashes of silver-plated leaves. I wanted a stash to take with me to a cheque presentation meeting on Wednesday evening; and lately leaves have been selling in the 601 mvr gallery shop, so I needed to make a stash for the gallery shop. I wanted the leaves for the Wednesday event as the local rotary club (Rotary of Maleny) are presenting art4place with a sizeable grant to assist with the installation of the Peace in the Trees sculptures; and I just wanted to give the Rotary members a token of thanks for their support of the community.

As you can see from the photos below I have been successful in creating both stashes.

2015 Barry Smith - Thank you leaves for the meeting (10cm-14cm in length) - various silver-plated metals

2015 Barry Smith - Thank you leaves for the meeting

2015 Barry Smith - Leaves for the 601 mvr gallery shop (15-18cm long)

2015 Barry Smith - Leaves for the shop cut from an ornate but worn silver-plated capper tray

A friend was telling me about a friend of hers who has advanced cancer and she wanted a gift for her - I offered to make a pendant with healing type words as a gift from me and her.

2015 Barry Smith - Front and back plates of the  healing and hope pendant

2015 Barry Smith - Healing and hope pendant

And of course when one is chopping, hammering and polishing metal there are always going to be a couple of add-ons - earring made from fractured leaves and the edge of a tray.

2015 Barry Smith - Swinging half leaf earrings - silver-plate - about 6-7cm long

2015 Barry Smith - Ribbed silver-plate earrings - about 5cm long

A good weekend's work.

Art on the block

©2015 Barry Smith - Dappled light on tree lined terrace on the block

Art can take some unusual forms - including book stacks, book walls and book benches. In the garage-studio I have had a stash of: encyclopaedias (courtesy of the Local library and friends); and telephone books (courtesy of Ken M). As part of my current de-cluttering and reorganising of my work area I thought it was time to turn these stashes into functional artworks.

The encyclopaedias were to become a bench seat in a shady spot on one of the tree covered terraces.

©2015 Barry Smith - Enough encyclopaedias for a 5 stack bench seat

©2015 Barry Smith - Threaded rod cemented into the ground with water proof multiply to clamp the books - nuts need to be progressively tightened

©2015 Barry Smith - Completed bench seat  - I'll cut the rest of the rod off once I have finished tightening the nuts.

©2015 Barry Smith - Completed bench seat caught in afternoon sun

And the telephone books were destined to become a music seat as part of the decomposing organ installation between the mango trees.

©2015 Barry Smith - Rods and telephone books stacked ready for ply top.

©2015 Barry Smith - Top on - nuts to be tightened progressively - thread to be cut off.

©2015 Barry Smith - Ready to tinkle those keys?

Whilst I was making the many trips backwards and forwards carting materials and books I paused to check out the creativity of the small birds on our block - a now used nest in the very thorny native lime bush which has lost its leaves.

©2015 Barry Smith - Art by tiny birds - weaving exquisite hollow nests amongst the thorns

©2015 Barry Smith - Art by tiny birds - weaving exquisite hollow nests amongst the thorns

©2015 Barry Smith - Smart tiny birds use the thorns to keep the predators away

I often think that the changes Fiona and I have made on they block are just part of creating an ever evolving major land sculpture; or at least our own sculpture gallery-garden. Enough for a Friday I think - time for a relaxing red.

Riot of Camellias

©2015 Barry Smith - A carpet of Camellia petals

This post is mainly about mainly about the riot of Camellias on our block. Yes I did go for a walk along Treehaven Way - left home at the first blush of light in the valley in time to see the sun rising over the hills that border Treehaven Way.

©2015 Barry Smith - Soft valley light - I never tire of it

©2015 Barry Smith - Sun almost on the horizon

Though there were flowers and berries to photograph along the way I was so taken with the volume of Camellia colour on our block that I also walked our terraces and took a few photos of the Camellias. Going back about 7 years ago we planted about 50 Camellia bushes - at the time spindly things about 50cm high - today they are all about 2.5m tall - a big statement on the terraces.

©2015 Barry Smith - One of many Camellia bushes on the terraces

The colours vary from almost dark pink to almost white - laid out in gradations of colour from the rock river in the centre of the terraces.

It is amazing when suddenly what one plans actually comes to fruition - we love it and so do the birds and bees. All images captured with the iPhone of course.

Pieces completed for the Botanique Bazaar

©2015 Barry Smith - A simple inspiration for "Botanique Bazaar" works

Over the weekend I finished and photographed all my pieces for the Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens Botanique Bazaar - opening 19 May. Fiona and I often say that the art work does not finish when one completes the art piece - often "art work" includes many tasks - photography, making lists, pricing etc etc.

After photographing all the pieces (32 in all) I then made my draft list. As you can see from the partial screen shot below the list has a variety of columns and requires time.

I thought I might share a few of the pieces that will appear on my Botanique Bazaar table.

©2015 Barry Smith - Bending 4 with the optional wooden base that enables it to be installed inside.

©2015 Barry Smith - Freehand cutout slender leaf in solid recycled and hand rolled silver

©2015 Barry Smith - Tiny leaves with a bit of bling

©2015 Barry Smith - Putting those brass and silver cutouts to use

©2015 Barry Smith - A simple leaf pendant

©2015 Barry Smith - A trio of silver-plated copper leaves

©2015 Barry Smith - A trio of patinated copper leaves

©2015 Barry Smith - A trio of fungi forms

I still need to refine the list and put tags and prices on the pieces - but I'm well on the way. I will soon be able to move onto the 7 posts I have been commissioned to make.