Rustnstuff: Meditation

Showing posts with label Meditation. Show all posts

Friday, October 25, 2019

Friday right?

Fiona and I try to set aside Friday as a day in the studio. Obviously we grab other times as we can during the week; but creating on Friday has been a goal for many years now. Today started out that way; but soon became quite peoplely so the time available was limited.

I did manage to get an order packed and posted; and started on a commission of a larger meditation oriented bowl with custom words as seen in the first photo.

The process of making vessels and leaves, as some folk know, tends to start with cutting up salvaged silver-plated trays or place mats. For this commission I'm using good quality round Strachan placemats.

The centre of the bowl is stamped with Tree of Life symbols.

The leaf forms were stamped with the words and at the end of the day I had reached the stage of opening leaves.

Not a lot more will be done over the weekend as Fiona and I have a few engagements. Anyway I think what I achieved warrants homemade pizza and wine!!!!

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Of wood and stone

Over the weekend I managed to complete my second piece/s of work for the up-coming COMA exhibition.

I decided to make a series of blocks that in part reflect my view of life's journey. I think life tends not to be a straight line; we often try to find one or more focal points; and may also try to find balance and simplicity.

In a simple attempt to portray a journey through life the blocks have a continuous groove that covers four faces of the block; and have one-three small white or black stones in the groove on one face of the blocks. The blocks can be displayed as single entities; but could also be displayed as a group. They are meant to be contemplative pieces - a quiet reminder.

The blocks are made from recycled blackout hardwood; the grooves are painted with black Sumi ink courtesy of Fiona; the stones are also courtesy of Fiona; and the blocks are oiled with light redwood eco-oil. Because the blocks are not signed and don't have any 'feet' they can be displayed in any direction that suits the viewer.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Meditation 'bells'

Back in early January I made a suspended meditation bell from an old thick walled goblet and other bits.

This weekend I have made a series of three meditation bells or gongs from the gongs of old clocks. These rods in these gongs are tuned rods - beautiful mellow gong sounds. Each of the gongs required a slightly different assemblage approach - though in all I have used the same thick recycled brass plate base cut to the same rectangular size. The strikers for ringing the 'bells' are made from rods out of mini pump push rods.

There is a four rod bell-gong - with a downward angle.

A three rod bell-gong (was 5 rods but two were damagd) on a single metal rod post.

And a two rod bell-gong - I made a special brass bracket to hold the wrought iron base of this bell-gong.

In my mind all these bell-gongs are small assemblage table sculptural pieces. The four rod bell-gong is my favourite - I like both the form and sound of this meditation bell-gong.

I have been making a few different pieces lately in preparation for our 601 mvr Open Studio weekend on 14-15 June - only three weeks away. I want to have a range of things in our studio-gallery to show visitors the variety in my work.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Time for a shrine

I read Robyn's blog post and it just confirmed the importance of creating our own small sacred or quiet places or spaces in our lives, home, garden or studio. I knew that I would only have a few hours in the studio-garage this morning as Fiona and I had a lunch engagement and then this afternoon were heading up to Noosa to support Kim Shoenberger in the opening of her exhibition Expressions of Love 2.

©Barry Smith - Centre detail from personal shrine - Radiating

Inspired by Robyn's post I decided to make a small personal shrine; which I managed to complete before heading off for our lunch engagement. Some of the components before heading to the grinding and polishing station are in the photo below.

The finished shrine - I call it Radiating - radiating peace, calmness and stillness. The section of the design I cut out of an old stainless steel serving tray has a radiating pattern; moving out from a centre design. I have used part of a small pocket watch as the centre feature to represent the moon - radiating calm energy. Brass and copper nails are used to provide highlights and to attach the stainless steel sheet to a plywood backing.

The shrine is completed by adding a small hammered silver plated EPNS bowl; a bowl holder made from the ring handle of a tray; an incense holder made from a slice of brass window winder; and a silver plated EPNS peace leaf (which I had made earlier).

This small shrine is free standing. It can sit on a table, window ledge or she nook in the studio. It is about 18cm high and 12cm wide. Still needs a bit of finishing - painting edges and final polish.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Bell and bling

I said to Fiona that this morning I was just going to do something in the studio that had no planning to it and i would do it just for the sake of creating. When we caught up with Mary Jane in New Jersey We talked about recycling wine goblet that had thick walls and very hard metal under the silver plate. So I decided to create a small sculptural assemblage bell stand and bell from some of bits and pieces and a goblet.

And so the bell and bell stand below were born. And yes the bell does chime - I made a small video but it would not upload.

I think this bell would be excellent to use to start and end a meditation period. The bell is about 6mm in diameter and 80mm high; and the stand is about 180-200 mm high. The base is solid brass plate but is separate to the stand; the bell is held on piece of new brass rod; and the gonger is made from and old brass pump plunger.

And I did get time to put the finishing touches to the spirals and leaf forms I made yesterday - lovely bit of bling.

And as Fiona will indicate on her blog we then got into creating our wall of small art works - enough for today.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Morning, magpies, mandalas and the magic of rainbows

OK - so I have tried to combine a whole heap of disparate subjects into the one post using 'M' words - but then again that what today has been about.

Fiona headed off in the dark to go exercising with her group - but I decided to stay in the warmth of the bed and get up and go for a stroll when the sun was up. I have 'strolled' on a few mornings with Fiona so I knew what I could do. I was rewarded with this beautiful pre-sunrise dawn sky - just magic.

On my Treehaven Way walk the birds were out sitting on the wires doing their morning chorus. The iPhone telephoto lens is not great for bird shots but I like the photo of the Magpie on the wire in the early morning sun and clear blue sky.

The walk was very peaceful and a bit like a mobile meditation. Which leads me to Brian Sylvester's mandala cards which arrived in the mail a couple of days ago; and were accompanied by an inspired little book from Gabriella. The cards are excellent quality and I think not only make a great gift but can be used as a portable aid to meditation. You can check Brian's art cards out here.

And it must be the middle of winter as the morning sun is very much to the north and low on the horizon so we are once again having a flood of rainbows throughout the house.