Our recent road trip and visits to small fishing harbours has offered me the opportunity to delight in some of the beauty of rust. Sure the objects and pieces of equipment with disappear as they rust away; but for now they off texture and patina.
This wee blog post simply shares some of the beauty of some of the rust we saw.
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Hope you enjoyed the texture and patina as well.
I had a few metal tasks on the go in the workshop over the last few days. The two I finished were copper cuff bracelets I was asked to make; and finishing off a stash of patinated leaves made from offcuts of the blackened rim of the copper laundry boiler I was gifted.
The copper bracelets are twisted thick pure copper wire. I was asked to make two but made three to provide choice. The bracelets were to be 17.5cm around external edges and about 1cm wide. Three very shiny bracelets are in the opening photo.
Some process photos follow.
The bracelets were polished with a wire wheel as I did not want there to be any polish residue on them - they are to be worn for therapeutic purposes.
I had enough metal offcuts from the rim of the boiler to make 7 medium sized (16-17cm long) patinated leaves and 12 smaller (13cm long) leaves. I did not remove the original patina or the dark fire stain on the underside of the rim. I like how some of the leaves have a beautiful dark sheen.
The image above shows the outcome of a bit of art metal play. I wanted to see how three layers of copper sheet would behave when pressed in wood and metal forms a number of times in my hand operated hydraulic press. If you like quirky spiky bowls this bowl will appeal to you; but if you are challenged by the square edges and pointy bits this one is not for you. A couple of process-progress photos follow.
I think I will try this again but maybe with offset circles of metal. The hydraulic pressing process resulted in the three layers of metal binding together - no glue or rivets required - very organic!!!
I also finished hammering a couple of large bowls - one from the laundry copper and one from the base of the hot water tank. Both are water features - most likely watering spots for birds - stones for them to land on. The first bowl is about 450mm in diameter; and the second is about 350mm in diameter.
Who knows where the metal might take me over the next couple of weeks.
The metal I cut from the humble vintage laundry copper (see earlier blog here) spoke of creating simple bowls that, whilst rustic in form, were to serve sacred roles.
As you can see from the image above and immediately below I have made a simple Meditation or Incense Bowl and a Memory Keeper Bowl. The bowls are about 14cm in diameter and 3 cm deep.
As seen in the photo the Meditation-Insence Bowl is a set - a bowl, a copper stand and a brass incense holder. The Memory Keeper Bowl is a single simple bowl. Both bowls have been given a coat of varnish so that the copper patina does not stain timber or fabric when in use. I think the images show why each piece is given its name.
As you can see from the image below both bowls started as circles of patinated copper cut from the salvaged patinated laundry copper metal.
The copper stand was cut from a salvaged 5cm round copper pipe; and the incense burner was cut from a salvaged hexagonal length of brass.
Following are some additional images of both bowls.
These bowls are part of my mindful metal works and join other the mindfulness works of mine such as the Daily Word Leaf Sets.
I rarely turn down a gift of copper sheet or plate; and certainly do not turn down a gift of an old patinated copper laundry boiler. At least 12 months ago I had put aside the patinated base of a copper hot water tank. I had used the metal from the side of the tank to make the 100 boats for my sculpture Loss for the Betrayal and Loss exhibition 2023 in Scotland.
As you can see from the opening photos the laundry copper delivered quite a stash of metal once it was cut up with a blade in my side grinder and my bench top guillotine. The photo below shows how I marked the boiler up for cutting.
I will be reforming (hammering) the flattened bottom of the copper to make a large bird bath; the top edges will become leaves and the sides will become a variety of things including smaller bowls and peace doves. The photo below shows a circle of metal cut ready for a rustic bowl - gorgeous natural blue patina.
The base of the hot water system has delivered pieces for leaves and the circular base will become a large bowl which I have started as you can see from the last photo. Very grungy but natural patina on these hot water base pieces.
It gives me a lot a joy to know that I have continued to use salvaged metal in my work and have not purchase any new sheet copper for well over 10 years. Some folk think it wrong that I chop up old wares; but I think it is better to repurpose the metal for art rather than it simply going to the tip or sold as scrap. The folk who gifted the laundry copper will be offered the bird bath when it is made.
Over the weekend I made a good start on making peace doves to be hung in the tree out the front of our home before we head to Scotland; and then at the cottage on International Day of Peace 21 September. The seven above will go to Scotland.
Process photos follow. The patina is added via an acid solution - but the metal needs to be well cleaned or you tend to get the brownish patina seen on the dove bottom right. Copper blanks were cut in the guillotine.
If you are into tools the hand shears in the photo below are great for the rough cuts.
Copper offcuts that will go into the furnace.
The final photo shows a slightly closer photo of the melted metal peace 'buttons' that I'm making gradually when I'm in the workshop doing other stuff.
