Culinary Metal and salvaged metal

 

I have a request to make a larger ladle (6-7cm in diameter) with drain holes and a shorter handle about 12.5 cm long). The ladle is to be used for straining off the spices that are used to make a mug of chai. The above photo shows the outcome from the work bench.

Following are some process photos - starting with a couple of silver plated brass disks cut from silver plated coasters. The positioning of the drain holes were carefully marked before punching the holes with a largish hand operated punching tool. I considered several options for the handles but finally settled on strips of salvaged 2mm thick brass. The brass was quite brittle and needed to be annealed well to enable me to bend the hook at the end of the handle.

The person who requested the chai strainer also wanted an olive strainer ladle. The photo below shows the three culinary functional items - though the person requesting the chai strainer will be given the choice between the 6cm and 7 cm strainer.

I had all but run out of pewter ingots so I did a bit of cutting and melting - so I now have a good stash for making hearts and stars.

A satisfactory couple of periods in the workshop.

Spring joyousness

 

The abundance of colours and forms of blossoms out at the moment offer so much joy in our part of the world. 

May some of the colour, beauty, joy and hope of our local abundance carry to other parts of the world and gently bring some vibes of peace, hope and joy.

More about patinated bowls and posts

 

I have sold the first Memory Keeper and Meditation-Incense Bowls I made so I'm looking to make a few more from the remaining patinated copper cut from the old laundry copper boiler. I tried two different finishes with the two I just finished. As you can see from the photos above I did not renew the patina on the hammered bowl - but I quite like the outcome. On the bowl below I refreshed the patina colour using a patina solution - gives a rich free-blue patina colour. Both bowls have been given a light coat of varnish.

I'd be interested in folk's opinions as to which they like as I will be doing another four bowls in the coming weeks.

As you can see from the photo below I have finished adding rusty bits to the two small (80-90cm tall) posts I was making by repurposing the timber from a bench seat I had made and that had been in use for 3-4 years.

Fiona and I will install these posts in our garden in a couple of weeks.

Birds - postcard sized watercolours

 

I'm currently working on a series of 8 bird watercolours that hopefully will be sold by a fellow artist who runs an accommodation business up our way. I have finished 4 this week as you can see from the hastily taken photos above and below.

A few of the process-progress photos follow.

I have a couple more bird watercolours to go before framing and delivery; but that will have to wait for a couple of weeks.

In the pink

 

On my morning walk it just seemed to me that there were quite a lot of pink hued blossoms out at the moment; so I decided that this blog post would be dedicated to pink. And the early morning misty raindrops were an added bonus!!!!

Though pink does not feature in my art or wardrobe I still find it an uplifting colour - it seems to radiate joy and hope. 

Post assemblage-sculpture

 

Over the weekend I have been working on a couple of small post assemblage-sculptures for our side garden. 

I almost completed one as you can see from the opening photo. The post is about 80-90cm tall and 15cm square. The timber is salvaged rose gum I think - an Australian hardwood. 

A few years ago I had made a bench seat for G to take a rest on as he did his daily walk. Later it was moved to near a post sculpture F and I did for the area we planted out when we came to live at the village - see photo below.

The area is being redeveloped so we removed the post sculpture which is now at the front of our home; we salvaged the top planks of the bench seat. The timber is a bit worse for wear - see photo below of the timber on the work bench; but we thought it  could be repurposed as small garden post sculptures.

Some of the process-progress photos follow. 

The timber looks better after a good sand with a belt sander. The squiggly groove routed freehand into the timber with a small can shaped router represents the local creek. As you can see from one of the progress photos the groove is painted with Japanese black ink so the line will stand out. Rusty bits are added from our rust stash - though there is not to choose from these days.

The posts are given another sand once the black ink dries to remove and 'smudges' etc.

If time permits I will finish the second post during the week; and then they will be installed.