Rustnstuff: Moments in the year past

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Moments in the year past

It is always useful to look back over the year to see what one has been doing. I find that I get to the end of a year and can barely recall what I had done art artwise at the beginning and throughout the year.

So this post share 10 achievements from 2019.

The sculpture terraces
Quite a bit of art time in January and February was put into sculpture on the block including the creation of two sculpture terraces where the coffee plantation once was. By the end of 2019 all the infrastructure was in place and we have started putting a couple of 'sculpture' pieces on the gravel terraces.

Liminal space
I managed to put works into a few exhibitions during the year. I particularly liked the piece Liminal Space which I made for the Goondiwindi art show.

Letterpress
Letterpress has featured a bit more in my work in 2019 including doing commissioned posters and work for the Compassion Artist' Book exhibition

Compassion
Both Fiona and I put quite a number of works and products into the Compassion Artists' Book exhibition. All of my works included metal. Fiona and I collaborated on a set of large etched aluminium books - outdoor sculptural books. Though these books are on our block we both managed to sell works during the exhibition. I sold Precious Library of Peace which went into the Queensland State Library artists' book collection.

Hammered vessels
I gave myself the challenge to return to making a set of pod vessels. I had sold my last set. These vessels take quite a bit of work to get the metal to go from flat sheet to the pod form. I was pleased with both the fact that I had not lost the skill; but also that the trio of pos worked out well.

Scotland - art at the cottage
We were very fortunate to return to the cottage in Scotland for about 8 weeks in 2019. It can be a challenge to keep us some art practice when one is away from the home studio. I upgraded the small garden shed behind the cottage into a mini workshop for stone carving and metal work. I also managed to test my hand on pencil water colour. The water colour was inspired by abandon sheds - so much texture and history to capture. On our subsequent visits the cottage I hope that, weather permitting, carving, basic metal work and water colours will feature.

Meditation bowls
Over the year I had been commissioned to hammer bowls of specific sizes for particular purposes and occasions. One client placed two orders for mindfulness meditation bowls and inspirational leaves. I rather like the idea that folk want these objects to help them find quite and peace; I like making them of course.

Tokens to mark events and people
In 2019 I made pieces for International Peace Day; and also pieces to mark occasions like Christmas. I enjoyed making pieces for the volunteers at our local Neighbourhood Centre to recognise their work.

Silver-plate and timber
I arrived home from Scotland to start work on the design and making of a set of commissioned pieces. The work required me to install a fine formed silver-plated leaves into seed like apertures in timber. It took quite a bit of skill and coordination but the commission was completed ahead of time.

Journals
In December I was doing some decluttering and discovered leather and blank high quality paper journal blanks. It does not sound much like creativity but I managed to finish 25 journals - some blank and some lined. Both a good outcome from a declaring perspective and now I have a good stash of journals for gifting or sale (about 20).

There were other activities and achievements in 2019 - the above indicates a bit of the diversity in my art practice. I also continued to enjoy my iPhone photography - particularly the macro shots.

2020 has started and I have done a bit of letterpress and a few artisan lamps. I hope that 2020 continues to bring art joy to me and others.