A start and a finish

 

As a result of the Pop Up Art Show I have a couple of watercolour commissions. I have made a small start on one piece that will become an 80th birthday gift. A wee white cottage with bits and pieces along the front wall. See photo above and below.

I have also completed the sixth wee comfort bird. It just looked gorgeous with the sun shining on it through the workshop window. See images below.

Now that thePop Up Art Show is complete I hope to make a good start on my pierced recycled silver jewellery.

Then there were five

 

I have been able to spend a couple of sessions in the Micro Workshop aka garden shed making wee timber birds.

As you can see from the opening photo I have now completed 5 birds. The deep red bird is made from red cedar; the striped bird from camphor laurel and the others from jacaranda timber. Following are some photos of the birds on rocks and rust.

A few photos of the making process. The making involves a lot of patient sanding to finesse the shape and finish.

Ending with another photo of the striped bird and its friend on a rock.

Garden bench seat

 

As you can see I finished the garden bench seat today. The seat is to sit along the pathway beside the communal orchard that is under development.

The main feature of the bench is a salvaged slab of eucalyptus. As you can see from the photo below I had to put in a plate under the slab to stop it splitting any further and trim the split and splintering end off.

The slab had been milled a bit roughly so I needed to spend quite some time sanding down ridges etc. But in the end it was worth it as the sanding and a coat of timber oil really highlighted the grain as can be seen in the opening and closing photos.

The legs and cross beam were made from salvaged cyprus pine timber and all looked a bit rough and a number of cut ends were on show. In the end I decided to paint the legs and cross beam to protect and integrate them better.

The bench is now ready for installation - maybe on Sunday weather permitting.

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.

Workshop experience with a friend

 

Over the last couple of days I have cut and roughed out some bird forms in preparation for a couple of hours in the workshop with a friend. To give us choice I have roughed out 3 wee bird forms as you can see in the photo above.

Some process photos follow including cutting a blank out of a camphor laurel log.

More photos of progressing the forms follow.

I hope to post on where we get to if we manage to make time in the workshop.

Wee cottages and birds for Pop-Up Art Show

 

Fiona and I are still finishing bits and pieces for our upcoming art show in the Armadale Village Hall on 17-18 May. 

I'm still working on some wee cottage forms and a couple of comfort birds.  The opening photo shows the work bench in the Workshop aka garden shed. I have decided to paint the birch cottages rather than burn them - better for indoors? 

In the photo below you can see both mine and Fiona's cottages in different stages of completion.

Below is a pile of rusty bit cut ready for windows and doors on my cottages.

Following are a few photos of cottages in different stages of completion.

I'm up to sanding the two birds - not sure I will have time to make any more.

Funny how it all gets to be busy a week or two out from opening day!!!!

Cottage prototypes - his and hers

 

I grabbed a small amount of time to progress one style of the wee cottages I am making. 

The process-progress has revealed that there is likely to be at least two styles of cottage - mine more literal with rust metal doors and windows and grey roofs (see above) and Fiona's which are likely to be minimalist white (similar to those below). 

Of course there will be the burnt series as well.

Below is an image of cut and painted forms.

Following is another photo of my literal style.

Over the next couple of weeks Fiona and I will make a bunch of each of the styles!!!!

Flipping between timber and metal

 

I have had a few tasks on the go: carving vases (above and below); making leaf related spoons; and starting a stack of copper leaves.

The first few of the leaf related spoons cut and ground and ready for the hammer.

About 40 copper blanks cut ready to make leaves of various sizes including 19cm long ones for a set for a Bending sculpture.

Sometimes it is good to be able to more from task to task when making multiples - gives the eyes and muscles a rest!!!