The start of 100 sails

 

I have made the start on making 100 boat hulls by cutting up the blanks. Over the weekend I turned my mind and hand to cutting the flat sail shapes-blanks. I intend to hammer the flat metal to create shapes like the one above - curved as though there is a wind in the sails.

Using a template I marked up the shapes - quite frugal with the metal as I was able to use the angles to mark up the shapes from two directions to save cuts and metal.

The metal was cut on my bench mounted gulliuotine.

The final result was 105 pieces of metal in the photos below.

I have started to grind the rough edges off the cut metal before annealing the metal and hammering it into the sail form - see below.

One of the downsides of making multiples is that there is not a lot to show for effort as one is carrying out each step. The reward of course will be the 100 boats at the end when sails and hulls are connected via the mast.

Using what we have

 

As part of our annual clean up and the garage sale, Fiona and agreed that we would use bits and pieces of art supplies and collections before we buy anything new.

As you can see from the photos above and below I had some small containers with hand made convict nails, pencils left by builders at our former house and armament bits from Flanders Fields from the 1914-18 war. I will turn these into small assemblages that can be wall mounted.

I also found my stencils and left over posters and bits and pieces from the making of my It Won't' Dismantle Itself patriarchy artists' book - as you can see from the photos. I have decided that I will use these bits to make a one off artists' book.

More will be revealed as the pieces are made.

Wandering with wallabies, birds and orchids

 

I had a lovely time yesterday just watching and photographing (iPhone) two wallabies that were quietly feeding on the grass and garden below our townhouse. The photos were taken through glass windows so not as clear as could be - but clear enough to share and enjoy.

We seem to be heading into darker mornings - my walk this morning was a overcast and a slightly low light affair as you can see from the silhouettes of birds against the sky.

I checked out G's orchids on the way back - a few bits of joy to be had.

Such a contrast to the light and heat of a couple of weeks ago - but it has a gentle beauty of its own

Making a start on 100 small boats

 

An art piece I have planned includes 100 small boats with copper hulls and brass lug sail. The starting point is getting the material ready. After a morning of cutting I ended up with the 77 pieces in the opening photo. But before I could start the cutting process I need to go back and work out how I actually made the prototype boat hulls - it was a very long time ago.

It took a few goes at measuring, cutting and hammering as you can see from the following photos - but in the end I worked out that I need 100 pieces cut to 16cmX5cm; these then needed to be folded and cut to look like a blunt half leaf; then hammered along the fold rather than the edge which is the usual way to make a leaf; then un-folded and gently open on a stake; and finally grind the edges to finish the hull..

The following photo shows the metal templates and tools to create the upturned boat hull on the right.

So then it was a matter of cutting up a patinated copper hot-water tank using my metal guillotine.

I have cut up all of the patinated hot water tank metal so the remaining 20-30 blanks will be cut from some old oxidised but not patinated copper sheet gifted to me.

Choosing the right technique

 

I want to make a cluster of stone cottages for a planned exhibition piece. I want to carve them out of raw stone but left attached so that they look like they are still emerging from the stone. I think the one above and the one below are where I'm headed.

The two stones in the photo below give an idea of the starting point - water tumbled stones.

The following photos show three emerging cottages surrounded by the chips carved off the stones.

One lesson I have learnt is to check the stones carefully for fine cracks in the stones because inevitably during the carving process the stones will crack apart as you can see in the following photo. Another lesson is to choose stone that are of a uniform texture.

I am now comfortable with the selection of stones and the carving technique - so I should be right to carve stones in Scotland.

Rain, after the rain and orchids

 

What a difference a day makes - we have finally had a couple of storm showers to give us 34mm of rain, cool the temperature and brighten things up. Even the birds were wondering about the rain - at one time we had 6 currawongs sheltering on the rail on the back deck - opening photo is of 3 taken through the screen door. It did not take the plovers long to check out the morsels in the drain as the rain filled it.

The walk this morning was about freshness and droplets.

G's orchids looked quite lively as well.

A morning that made me smile.