Only 209 to go

©2017 Barry Smith - The first of 210 peace leaves

I really got stuck into the making of the 210 peace leaves I have planned to be distributed on International Peace Day (21 September). I realised that time is already ticking by.

I finished off the leaf above to give an idea how the 210 individual leaves might look. Each leaf is made from a 9.5am to 10cm long and 2-2.5cm wide piece of silver-plated brass, EPNS or copper. The final leaves will end up being between 9cm and 9.5cm in length. I'm making about 225 to give myself some choice.

The photo below shows the stash of silver-plated blanks that have been stamped and given the first fold in the vice.

©2017 Barry Smith - A whole pile of cut, stamped and folded silver-plat

Then the stash folded in half and marked for cutting.

©2017 Barry Smith - Ready for cutting the half leaf shapes

I'm about halfway through cutting the forms; and then the hammering, opening and grinding and polishing are still to be done. But this has been a good start.

©2017 Barry Smith - About 100 leaf forms cut and ready for hammering etc

Photo of the growing pile of offcuts near the guillotine.

©2017 Barry Smith - Beautiful fine offcuts that will go into the mental melting crucible

And I did get to finish those larger patinated copper leaves.

©2017 Barry Smith - A circle of larger (20cm) patinated copper leaves

At times the evidence of creativity is the production process rather than the finished items.