Sculptural post commission

 

I have a commission to make a three post sculptural installation. The work is to be done in Jan-Feb 2022 - so I have started getting components ready including drilling and rusting the square washers above. I love the rust forming on the raw iron of the drilled washers.

The photo of the sketch below gives a pretty good summary of the work including the fact that I will be using 200mm square plantation cypress pine (white ant resistant) that is to be delivered on 5 January.

Monica, who commissioned the work, gave me a couple of rusted metal chairs to use as I wanted. See one of the chairs below before I dismantled it with a side grinder.

I  have decided to include quite a few bits of the chairs in the sculptural posts - a pile of bits I will use after dismantling are below - left out in the rain to develop a bit more rust.

I have also started to collect other interesting bits such as the wheels below.

Whilst I was in cutting mode I trimmed some melted pieces I had melted some weeks ago - see below.

Part of the art process are the tedious tasks - the post materials are coming together nicely.

Phone fragments

 

As I didn't get to walk this morning and forgot to take my iPhone with me when we were gardening,  I thought I would share a few iPhone fragments today.

Some taken by Fiona this morning whilst we were down the back weeding and pruning - airdropped to me. Gorgeous red fungi above - about 1.5cm across. Fungi on a bit of mulch; and a small green praying mantis contrasting with the leaves.

A few from our walk on Christmas morning.

And some from G's orchid house including the very unusual green and white orchid - which attracted a fly with a 'sweet tooth'.

A beautiful bunch of photos to round off the iPhoneograpy2021collection.

Fun with the colour purple

 

I was doing a print run with purple I had mixed; and at the end Fiona and I thought there was too much good colour (below) to waste. I decided to print a few rat in a hat cards. Given it was to be printed in purple we thought it could be a feminist rat - F then suggested I would need a rat pack - so that is what I ended up printing (above) - not a lot - just 10-15 for fun.

Photos of the finished product follow

I have also been continuing work on my patriarchy artists' book - I have been reinforcing the edges that will be stitched - wrap around black paper - attached with archival double sided tape - a task that does take a bit of patience.

Good to have done a bit in the studio in the day after Christmas.

A whole lot of embossing

 

I spent the day embossing pages for my artists' book. But first I embossed the cover - above - appears dark grey but is really black. It was embossed using the stencil I had cut using a font called stencil. Embossing was done under the guidance of Fiona - particularly the front cover and front page

I used the stencil to emboss the front page of the book - below - on Zerkall 145 gsm paper.

I'm using the same paper for the in-between pages - see the line up below. I made three copies of everything - three books in the making.

A very satisfying day - lots of progress made 

In and around the house and the moon

 

Fiona has brought quite a few flowers into the house over the last couple of days - part everyday joy  and part festive cheer!! So today's theme is 'in and around the house' - including the early morning light on simple daisies on a side table near a window  above and below - lovely grey light.

A stroll around the house meant flowers popped up in all sorts of places

Outside our front door there is a Magnolia tree - G has planted an orchid in it - it is in full bloom. The first photo is before I went for my walk - by the time I returned the Magnolia flower had opened and the bees were feasting on the nectar - just gorgeous.

After my morning walk a visit to G's house - orchid house that is - offered more beauty.

And the world would not be right without a few photos of the solstice moon and the next day early morning moon.