A leaf sculpture - creating beautiful negative spaces

I was given a piece of 1.5mm-2mm thick stainless steel plate - about 60cm wide and 1.1m high. More recently I have decided that if something can't be used within a reasonable time it should be moved on - strategy to stop cluttering the workshop.

I decided to make a trio of leaf forms. I knew that in the cutting process I would also create some negative space leaf spaces.

The photo below show the metal marked up and me using an electric side grinder to cut the metal. But not long into the work the grinder went up in smoke. So I finished the work using my battery operated side grinder. The draw back with that is the batteries don't last a long time with heavy work.

As you can see I used a few disks - including one that disintegrated.

But the first stage is completed - metal cut. The process of grinding rough edges and polishing is yet to be completed- as is bending the leaf forms to get a bit of 3D look going. The biggest leaf form is just over 90cm long.

I might get them finished on Sunday!!! These small sculptures were just a joy to make without any commitments in mine.

Moon, orchids and other morning fragments

 

The setting moon has been quite gorgeous over the past few days - setting later each morning of course. This morning a 3/4 moon hung in a clear blue morning sky.

A couple of photos from the 25 July.

A couple of images from this morning on the iPhone.

G's orchid house did not disappoint this morning.

I did not expect to see much on today's walk - very wintery. But as you can see nature can always surprise.

I'm always grateful that I have sight to appreciate such beauty.

Restoration

 

 I completed the restoration of the micro letterpress (Adana HS1?) today.

It started in a pretty bad state as you can see from the photo below.

After stripping it down I was able to sand the body back and paint it - a colour close to Adana red.

Finally all the bits were cleaned, ground and polished without going over the top.

Below are photos of the reassembling the press.

And then all done - almost ready for action...

Except for the rollers - in a bad state. Fiona says we should keep them because they could create great patterns.

I have ordered a new set from Caslon in the UK. The ones I ordered are for an Adana HS1 - so in a few weeks we will see if they fit.

Melting moments and micro press

I have been working with an electrician friend Gary to see if we can sort out why my metal melting furnace kept shorting out. After some tests by Gary and a check under the melting cylinder and element it appeared to relate to a broken ceramic cover for the element wire. This was glued and I have done a couple of test melts. It seems we might have resolved the issue.

But one of the learnings when I did the test melts was that it is better to melt smaller quantities and not overload the furnace; and the furnace can trip when the top is left open when pouring.

The photo above shows white hot molten metal (1100 degrees) in a very very hot graphite crucible.

Some process photos - the heat off the crucible is incredible.

And a few pieces poured silver from an old beaten up candle stick. Ready for trimming, grinding and polishing.

We bought the wee press below from an artist friend. It is in need of a strip down restoration which I will do over the next little while. I think it is an Adana HS1- (chase size is 3inchx2inch) - the smallest Adana made - though I can't see any Adana markings on the press. I have ordered new rollers from the UK. Prior to this our smallest Adana was 5X3.

All artists know that time needs to be spent on keeping tools in good working order.

Glimmers of brightness in winter

The early mornings are still dark - in vain hope I thought that the mornings would hasten to early light once we passed the date for the shortest day - though that first flush of light is quite gorgeous on a crisp/cold winter's morning. 

By the time I started my walk the early light was catching some of the blossoms such as that wee flower (1.5cm in diameter) in the opening photo. Mind you some sun loving blossoms were not convinced they should open and seemed to be saying it is too cold so I will continue to hug myself and stay closed as you can see from the photo below.

There of course were others showing their beauty.

A visit to G's orchid house did not disappoint - particularly the orchid that was reaching out into the cold and dim light with one petal.

It is good to have such abundance in one's life.